Get started with Microsoft 365 for Manufacturing
Empower your frontline workforce with digital tools and modern devices that offer the best experiences for collaboration and productivity. Microsoft 365 can help you transform your workforce with productivity apps, intelligent cloud services, and increased security.
- Choose your scenarios you want to implement for your business.
- Set up Microsoft 365 - Set up Microsoft 365, Microsoft Teams, and any other services you need.
- Configure services and apps - Use team templates to set up the teams you need quickly, including the channels and apps you need for your business. Add in other apps from Microsoft as needed to support your scenarios.
Choose your scenarios
Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams offer capabilities that help manufacturing organizations enhance productivity in their daily operations and digital transformation. We recommend the following scenarios for manufacturers:
- Connect and engage your workforce
- Enhance workforce management
- Increase operational efficiency
- Onboard and train employees
Note
For all these capabilities, users must have an appropriate license. For more information about general Teams licensing, see Manage user access to Teams. Check out Understand frontline worker user types and licensing to learn more about using Microsoft 365 for frontline workers in combination with other licenses. For a detailed comparison of what's included in Microsoft 365 plans for enterprises, see the Modern work plan comparison table.
Connect and engage your workforce
Empower your frontline workers to engage with each other and your broader organization using communication tools and platforms.
Key apps and capabilities: Walkie Talkie, Praise, Viva Connections, Viva Engage, Chat
Additional services: SharePoint
More information: Frontline team collaboration and Corporate communications
Enhance workforce management
- Create and manage schedules for your employees with Shifts
- Check in on recurring and one-off priorities with Updates
- Streamline approvals with the Approvals app
- Assign and keep track of tasks with the Planner app
Key apps: Approvals, Shifts, Updates, Planner
More information: Frontline team collaboration and Shifts
Increase operational efficiency
- Automate your organization's unique workflows with Power Apps
- Track key performance indicators (KPIs) with Power BI reports
- Keep track of everything else with Lists
Key apps: Lists
Additional services: Power Platform with Power Apps and Power BI
More information: Simplify business processes
Onboard and train employees
Make sure that all your workers have the knowledge and capabilities they need to succeed.
Key apps: Viva Learning, Viva Connections, Viva Engage
Additional services: SharePoint
More information: Training and onboarding
Configure services and apps
Apps and services for manufacturing
Ensure that your workers can communicate, collaborate, and deliver great products with apps like Shifts, Planner, Lists, Praise, and more. You can determine which apps are available for your users by enabling them in the Teams admin center or by using a team template. Learn more about managing Teams apps.
For manufacturing environments, the following apps and services can help you transform your business processes and support communication.
| Teams apps and services | Description | Manage | Help |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals | Streamline the sign-off process by integrating Approvals into chat. For example, technicians and operators can request approval to perform an adjustment on a piece of equipment. | Manage Approvals | Use Approvals |
| Chat | Enable quick conversations between staff and managers with secure chat in Teams. | Chat, teams, channels & apps in Microsoft Teams | Chat in Teams |
| Documents and files | Share standard operating procedures, manuals, diagrams, inspection records, and more. | Teams and SharePoint integration | Share files |
| Praise | Recognize coworkers for great teamwork with the Praise app. | Manage the Praise app | Send Praise to people |
| Shifts | Create and manage schedules and clock in and out with Shifts. | Shifts for frontline workers | Use Shifts |
| Planner | Supervisors can assign tasks to let workers know what to focus on. Your organization's central office can use task publishing to send out tasks to locations and track progress across those locations. | Manage the Planner app | Use Planner |
| Updates | Check in on recurring and one-off priorities such as machinery repairs and inspections. Supervisors can create templates for employees to fill out and submit. | Manage the Updates app | Use Updates |
| Viva Connections | Viva Connections creates an experience in Teams that connects employees with tools, news, and resources. Employees can view a tailored news feed from your organization and a personalized dashboard with the resources they need. For example, you could create a Manuals card so your operators can easily find all the necessary manuals. | Overview of Viva Connections | Use Viva Connections |
| Viva Learning | Provide initial and ongoing training to make sure your employees are up-to-date with their skills and knowledge base. | Overview of Viva Learning | Use Viva Learning |
| Viva Engage | Connect your entire organization and enable communication across departments and regions with Viva Engage. | Overview of Viva Engage | Use Viva Engage |
| More apps and services from Microsoft | Description | Manage | Help |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Apps and the Power Platform | Integrate business processes and enable quick updates to data, such as machine downtime, KPIs, and other reports. | Teams integration with Microsoft Power Platform and Manage Microsoft Power Platform apps in the Microsoft Teams admin center | |
| SharePoint | A new, connected SharePoint site is created whenever you create a new team. You can use SharePoint to store files, post news, and make sure your workers have access to important information. | Teams and SharePoint integration | Add a SharePoint page, list, or document library as a tab in Teams |
To learn more about successfully implementing and adopting Teams, see Adopt Microsoft Teams.