How to migrate to Teams Voice

If you’re moving your phone system over to Microsoft Teams Voice — good choice. 

Before you make the switch, there are a few things to remember that will make sure you have a smooth transition. 

1. Lay the groundwork 
2. Prepare your team 
3. Create a transition plan 
4. Define success 

1) Lay the groundwork 

You’re moving off a traditional phone line onto an internet-based phone system. That means there will be extra demand placed on your network. Does your office have the necessary connectivity and internet speeds to accommodate that? 

One of the primary benefits of Teams Voice is the ease with which you can communicate internally and externally. It would be ironic (and painful) if your phone calls suddenly become more difficult because of slow speeds, poor sound quality, or trouble connecting. 

2) Prepare your team 

It may not seem like much of a high-stakes switch, but your teams do need to be fully aware of why the change is taking place, and what it means for them. 

From one point of view, you might stress that nothing is really changing. There’s a phone system just as there always was, it’s just sitting in their Teams app now. 

At the same time, you can also explain that while they should treat Teams Voice as a phone system, there are also extra features they can and should take advantage of. For example, you can switch calls seamlessly between devices — e.g., answer on a laptop, then continue the same call on a mobile. 

Train your teams in the full suite of features before the switch, and they can hit the ground running. 

3) Create a transition plan 

Depending on your size, there will likely be a period during which some people are on the new system while others are on the legacy system. You must: 

1. Plan the order and priority teams to make the transition 
2. Migrate small groups at a time, to minimise disruption and maintain maximum control of the project 
3. Communicate the timelines, and make everyone aware of when they will switch 
4. Keep your legacy system in place as backup until the transition is secure 

4) Define success  

Each business will have slightly different reasons for switching to a cloud phone system, but you will know your main motivations. 

Express those priorities as measurable goals. It could be as simple as 

1. Save £X per month or year on phone bills 
2. Have X more conversations with clients every month 
3. Save X hours or £Y on remote work security measures 

Because of how cost-effective cloud telephony is, your main investment will be time spent planning and executing the transition. However, time is money, and you should know the return you get on your investment. In order to do that, you need an objective measurement. 

We’ve advised and assisted many businesses in making the change from a legacy phone line, or from another cloud phone provider, and on to Microsoft Teams Voice. A few of those times, we’ve come in to clear up after they’d made a slight mess of the transition themselves. Don’t leave anything to chance — give us a call on 01268 288100 for a no-obligation chat to find out if you’re ready.