Microsoft Viva Connections is a pioneering platform designed to enhance the employee experience within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. It serves as a gateway to bring together various tools, resources, and information to create a unified and engaging digital workplace.
Microsoft Viva comprises several components. For communication and community building, there is Viva Connections and Viva Engage. Workplace analytics and feedback fall under Viva Insights. Viva Glint, Viva Pulse, Viva Learning and Viva Topics come under knowledge management.
Today we’re exploring Viva Connections, which focuses on delivering personalised and relevant information to employees through apps like SharePoint and Teams, fostering collaboration and engagement. Included in Microsoft 365 plans, Viva Connections is designed to foster connections and shape culture in organisations.
In this article, we’ll explore the key features for sharing and collaboration within the platform, illustrating how its personalised feed, dashboard, and resources area revolutionise the employee experience by bringing all the relevant contents of their role together.
Real-time Relevance for Every Team Member
The personalised Feed is a game-changer for team member engagement. It serves as a real-time information hub, intelligently curating content based on each individual’s role, interests, and responsibilities. For example, a marketing professional might receive updates on the latest campaigns, while a developer could see relevant news related to upcoming software releases. This ensures that team members are always in the loop about what matters most to them, fostering a sense of inclusion and connection.
Example: Sarah, a marketing manager, logs into her Dashboard. Her personalised Feed prominently displays updates on the upcoming product launch, a notification for a brainstorming session, and the latest market research data. With a single click, Sarah can dive into the resources she needs, eliminating the need for extensive searches or navigating through various platforms.
Centralised Company Home for Seamless Operations
The Dashboard is the nucleus of Microsoft Viva Connections. It serves as the central destination for all team members, providing a unified view of resources and tasks. Here, team members can seamlessly access important documents, organisation-wide announcements, and even complete tasks such as submitting leave requests or accessing training materials. This intuitive interface streamlines workflows and reduces friction in day-to-day operations, ultimately boosting productivity and efficiency.
Example: Michael, a project manager, needs to prepare for an upcoming team meeting. His Dashboard displays a calendar with upcoming project milestones, a task list with deadlines, and a notification about a project budget update. With a few clicks, Michael navigates to the relevant resources and updates, ensuring he’s well-prepared for the meeting.
Tailored Tools for Optimal Performance
The resources area is designed to cater to the unique needs and preferences of each team member. It offers quick access to sites, communities, video playlists, and other content that are most relevant to their roles and responsibilities. For instance, a sales representative can effortlessly find the latest sales collateral, while an HR professional can access policies and guidelines specific to their department. This feature ensures that everyone has the tools and information they need at their fingertips, enhancing their ability to excel in their roles.
Example: Pria, a sales representative, utilises the platform to access a dedicated resource area for her team. Here, she finds a curated selection of the latest product brochures, sales playbooks, and customer testimonials. This tailored and seamless experience empowers Pria to provide clients with up-to-date information and compelling sales materials, ultimately driving revenue growth.
Recently, Microsoft has introduced the ability to create multiple Viva Connections experiences within a tenant, catering to the specific needs of diverse teams. This feature is particularly valuable for large organisations with different subsidiaries or business units, allowing them to establish distinct branded experiences tailored to each group’s requirements. For example, a distinct Viva Connections experience could be established for the sales team, offering quick access to customer relationship management (CRM) tools, sales collateral, market insights, and communication channels tailored to their responsibilities and objectives.
This customisation extends to scenarios such as subsidiaries needing separate content and branding, employees not needing to access the experience of another subsidiary, or international entities requiring content in different languages. In this diverse economic landscape, it is essential that organisation are providing tailored experiences for all team members to help maintain connectivity, productivity, and engagement in the hybrid work environment.
The management of multiple Viva Connections experiences has been consolidated with traditional SharePoint home site management in the Microsoft 365 admin centre, offering increased flexibility in setup. This means that while it’s possible to begin setting up a Connections experience without a SharePoint intranet portal (home site), organisations with an existing portal can seamlessly integrate it into the workflow in the M365 admin centre.
Microsoft Viva Connections is designed to integrate with several key applications and services within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, facilitating a modern employee experience.
Viva Connections leverages SharePoint to provide a central hub for organisational news feeds, internal resources, and announcements. It enables employees to access important documents and information seamlessly.
Viva Connections is deeply integrated with Teams, allowing employees to access Viva Connections directly within the Teams interface. This integration enhances internal communication, collaboration, and access to resources.
While Viva Topics is a separate component of Microsoft Viva, it integrates closely with Viva Connections. Viva Topics uses AI to automatically organise and surface knowledge and expertise across an organisation, enhancing the accessibility of information.
Viva Connections can work in conjunction with various other Microsoft 365 apps, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and more. This integration helps in streamlining tasks and accessing information across different applications.
The platform integrates with Microsoft Search, which powers the search experience within Viva Connections. This ensures that team members can quickly find the information they need.
Viva Connections can integrate with Power BI to provide rich visualisations and analytics, allowing employees to gain insights from their data.
Microsoft Viva Connections is poised to revolutionise employee engagement by providing a personalised, intuitive platform that empowers individuals to stay informed, collaborate effectively, and accomplish tasks with ease. Through features like the personalised feed, dashboard, and resources area, employees are equipped to thrive in their roles and contribute meaningfully to the organisation’s success. By embracing this innovative platform, organisations are poised to create a more connected and productive workforce, connecting people with knowledge they need to thrive at work and ultimately driving business outcomes and success. Embrace Microsoft Viva Connections and unlock a new era of engagement and organisational excellence.
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Microsoft Viva Connections is an employee experience platform within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. It acts as a unified digital workplace, bringing together various tools, resources, and information. Its key components, including Viva Topics, Viva Insights, Viva Engage, and Viva Learning, are designed to deliver personalised and relevant contents and information to employees, promoting collaboration and engagement.
The Personalised Feed is a real-time information hub that customises content based on an individual’s role, interests, and responsibilities. For example, a marketing professional might receive updates on campaigns, while a developer could see news on software releases. This ensures employees are always up-to-date with what matters most to them, fostering a sense of inclusion and connection.
The Personalised Dashboard serves as the central hub for employees, providing a unified view of company resources and tasks. It allows seamless access to documents, announcements, and even task completion. This intuitive interface streamlines operations, enhancing productivity and efficiency. For instance, a project manager can easily access project milestones, deadlines, and budget updates.
The Personalised Resources Area is tailored to meet the unique needs of each employee. It provides quick access to relevant sites, communities, video playlists, and other content related to their roles and responsibilities. This ensures that employees have the necessary tools and information at their fingertips, enabling them to excel in their roles.
Yes, Microsoft Viva Connections is designed for a mobile experience, accessible on various devices including mobile phones and tablets. This ensures that employees can stay connected and engaged with their workplace, even while on the move. The platform is optimised for mobile use, providing a seamless digital experience for accessing resources, receiving updates, and participating in company communications through the Viva Connections mobile app. This flexibility allows employees to stay productive and informed regardless of their location or the device they are using.
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