In July 2019, Microsoft announced that it would retire Skype for Business on July 31, 2021 to make way for the next chapter: Teams. Their vision for Teams is to combine elements of Skype for Business with enhanced functionality and features aimed to transform communication and collaboration. Microsoft Teams is poised to become the core Microsoft 365 online communications solution, blending chat, meetings, calling, file collaboration, and app integration into a single experience.

There are just a few short months to go before Skype business products are no longer accessible or supported. In preparation for this change, we created the following guide on how to successfully upgrade Skype for Business to Microsoft Teams for two primary reasons:

1.     To ease your transition with actionable advice from our experts on effectively leading your company through this technology change 

2.     To help you maximize the ROI of your company’s Microsoft investment through sustained acceptance and adoption of Teams

With these goals in mind, let’s begin with the foundational and proven change management strategy we use to help our clients successfully navigate technology rollouts and migrations. Hint: it centers on the people side of change, not only the technology side.

Your Software Upgrade Strategy: Empower the People

As with any software migration, the key to successfully upgrading Skype for Business to Microsoft Teams extends beyond the technical deployment. While that piece of the puzzle is necessary, a successful rollout doesn’t automatically spell success. The best outcome ultimately centers on the people who will use the technology – not the technology itself.

When preparing to upgrade to Teams from Skype for Business, ensure the people in your company are open, engaged, ready, and willing to embrace Teams. These factors are critical for driving user adoption throughout the change journey.

As Microsoft puts it:

“The ideal upgrade approach should address the technical aspects of your upgrade as well as encourage user acceptance and adoption of Teams, driving a positive user experience and business outcome realization.”

Knowing that technology can only be successful when people change the way they work, we’ve focused our actionable hints for successfully upgrading from Skype for Business to Microsoft Teams on just that: your people. 

If you want to learn more about the technical aspects of the upgrade, check out the many helpful articles from Microsoft’s resource library.

5 People-Centered Steps For Upgrading Skype for Business to Microsoft Teams 

When upgrading Skype for Business to Teams, here’s how to plan and execute a healthy transition:

1.     Develop a change management strategy

Communication, collaboration, and engagement are integral components of a success-oriented change management strategy. Now is the time to align leadership, set your vision, develop persuasive communications, and reach out to employees to secure buy-in of the transition from Skype for Business to Teams. 

2.     Initiate learning and development

A robust learning and development effort will give employees the critical how-to knowledge they need to use Teams with confidence. Instructor-led training, virtual instructor-led training, or eLearning options, including custom videos, can promote Microsoft Teams literacy and narrow skillset gaps.

3.     Provide access to visual aids

When learning new technologies, everyone needs a helping hand now and then. Allocating resources for visual aids and other learning tools can enhance skill and confidence as you upgrade from Skype for Business to Microsoft Teams. We’ve found that Quick Reference Cards work particularly well in situations when users need to recall previously learned concepts.

4.     Offer support

After the upgrade from Skype for Business to Microsoft Teams is complete and users are trained and equipped with visual aids, the next step in a people-centered upgrade strategy is to provide support and troubleshooting. A responsive help desk or access to another form of tech support can add peace of mind during and after the rollout.

5.     Lean on reinforcements

If your company could use help navigating the upgrade from Skype for Business to Microsoft Teams, there’s no need to go it alone. Instead, partner with a professional firm like ours for guidance. As a Microsoft Adoption and Change Management (ACM) partner with Prosci® certified change management consultants, vast learning and development expertise, and integrated staff augmentation services, we’ll work together to drive user adoption and maximize your ROI.

Is your company ready to upgrade Skype for Business to Microsoft Teams? Contact our change management and learning and development pros to learn more about how we can help you lead your team through this transition and maximize ROI.