Strengthen your organization with Viva Connections and simplify internal collaboration

Microsoft Viva Connections - more productivity, better communication, more effective collaboration

Viva Connections is a platform from Microsoft that makes it possible to seamlessly integrate your company's SharePoint home page with the Microsoft Teams app. This gives your company's employees easy access to relevant data, resources and much more - all in one central location. With the Digital Workplace and modern ways of working in mind, it's important to make information, feeds, news, and resources equally available to all employees so they can work efficiently. Read our blog article to learn how Microsoft Viva Connections, in conjunction with Microsoft Teams and your company's intranet, enables easy collaboration and strengthens internal communication.

What is Microsoft Viva Connections?

Microsoft Viva is a critical component of the Digital Workplace with Microsoft 365, with the goal of making it easier for your employees to collaborate and connect in the age of digitalization. Viva Connections is a tool of Microsoft's Employee Experience Platform (EXP) and integrates with Microsoft Teams. This allows employees to seamlessly access information, resources, and tools from your company's intranet without having to switch to the browser and leave the Teams interface for key functionality. In addition, there are new features like Adaptive Cards and global navigation that are optimized for the Windows Teams client as well as mobile devices.

The components of Viva Connections

Microsoft Viva Connections consists of three key components that simplify the work for your employees.

Dashboard

The dashboard, which also works on SharePoint start pages, is your employees' digital toolset. Here they can find all the resources they need for their work in a clearly arranged form. The dashboard works with dynamic maps that enable interaction with colleagues, for example, to review information together and assign shifts. Employees can also integrate industry-specific apps into the dashboard. The biggest advantage of the dashboard is that it can be easily adapted to individual needs and expanded as desired.

Feed        

In the Viva Connections feed, your employees will find all relevant company news. The Viva Connections feed brings together the community features of Viva Engage such as conversations, announcements, and storyline posts in one place, reflecting the individual interests and needs of each user. The feed can also be used on SharePoint sites using the Viva Connections feed web part and is available in the Viva Connections Teams app.

The content in the feed comes from three different sources. A significant portion is sourced from SharePoint news published from the Home page as well as news, communication, and team sites. In addition, the feed also plays out posts from the Viva Engage community and content from Stream into the feed.

Resources

Resources in Viva Connections are navigation links that are set up and customized in the Teams app or in the global SharePoint navigation. By combining the custom navigation links and dynamically generated SharePoint links, Viva Connections provides employees with efficient and user-friendly navigation, both on desktop and mobile devices. Simplifying access to relevant information and resources makes work easier and increases productivity.

The decisive advantage of Viva Connections: The individual adaptability of the portal

Your employees know which resources they frequently need for their work and can add them to the dashboard. The news feed can also be personalized, so all employees can create the tool perfectly tailored to their needs. Integrate your company's intranet portal and everyone has access to documents, information, discussions and other company resources at any time.

How does the integration of Microsoft Viva Connections work?

Viva Connections can only be used in conjunction with Microsoft Teams. The two apps work seamlessly together. If your company doesn't use Teams yet, you must first integrate the app with Digital Workplace. Then you can install Microsoft Viva Connections and pin it to Teams when you choose your settings.

Security and privacy: How does Microsoft ensure the security of the platform and user data?

Microsoft Viva and all Viva apps, including Viva Connections, adhere to both Microsoft's privacy policy and the General Data Protection Regulation and the Microsoft EU Data Boundary. The apps also inherit privacy settings and features that you already have set up in Microsoft 365, Teams, Yammer, or SharePoint, for example.

You also have the option to customize the information to be shared in each app. This protects all user data from unlawful access.

Do you still have questions about Microsoft tools like Viva Topics? Then feel free to contact us and we will help you. 

What are the benefits of Viva Connections?

Apps like Teams enable your employees to collaborate effectively no matter where their workplace is located. The intranet provides critical information, input, and resources for their work. Using the intranet and Microsoft Teams at the same time used to be complicated - employees had to switch back and forth to find answers, synchronize information, and communicate with colleagues.

Microsoft Viva Connections is the simple solution to this problem. You can use Viva Connections to integrate your company's intranet with teams. These are your advantages in doing so:

• Your employees will find all important information, resources and opportunities for interaction on just one platform. This speeds up processes and ensures smooth communication.
• Collaboration across a physical distance is improved.
• For employees, beyond the simplified collaboration, the advantage is that they can customize Viva Connections: They decide how their dashboard looks and which messages they see. They can also add frequently used resources so that they can be accessed with just one click.
• The tool manages the balancing act between a tool that makes work easier for everyone in equal measure and a personalizable app that is tailored to the needs and preferences of the users.
• Another advantage is that employees do not have to worry about data protection while using Viva Connections: Microsoft carefully ensures that its own data protection standards, as well as those of the EU and the GDPR, are adhered to.

Optimal consulting around the Viva Suite from Arvato Systems

Arvato Systems is an internationally operating IT specialist that has already accompanied numerous companies on their way to digitalization. If you are wondering whether Viva Connections or Microsoft Viva is a suitable solution for your company, we offer comprehensive consulting. Our team of experts has in-depth experience with the implementation of Microsoft tools in companies and will show you how you can benefit to the maximum. You will receive important information for decision-making and, if required, support during implementation. It doesn't matter if you already have a Digital Workplace in your company. 

Do you still have questions about the Viva Suite or the Digital Workplace with Microsoft 365? Get in touch with us today.

Written by Jandric van Ooyen | Expert for Microsoft 365