How Housing Associations are Using Office 365 and Microsoft Teams to Supercharge Their Efficiency

Housing Associations are moving beyond basic email and discovering what's actually possible with their Office 365 investment. Instead of leaving most of the suite unused, they're turning to collaboration tools that genuinely improve efficiency and help teams work smarter.

We've worked with several Housing Associations to explore what Office 365 can do. The pattern is consistent: show us what you want to improve, and there's usually a way to do it using tools you're already paying for.

Why Microsoft Teams is gaining traction in social housing

Microsoft Teams comes as part of Office 365, and over 500,000 businesses are now using it. The social housing sector is among those seeing real benefits from the collaboration platform.

Housing Associations are particularly drawn to Teams because it addresses specific operational challenges: coordinating remote teams, managing documentation under strict compliance requirements, and collaborating with external contractors and suppliers.

Key features Housing Associations are actually using

Housing Associations are taking advantage of Teams in two main ways: improving collaboration across dispersed teams and maintaining proper control over sensitive documentation.

Collaboration that works across locations

Teams enables effective collaboration whether your people work from home, in different offices, or on-site at properties. You get instant chat, conversation threads, and video conferencing functionality that keeps everyone connected.

Importantly, collaboration isn't limited to your internal team. Guest access means you can work directly with suppliers, partners, and contractors in Teams. This cuts through the email noise by focusing conversations into specific teams and channels, streamlining how you work with external parties and improving the tenant experience.

Document management with proper control

Housing Associations use Teams to store and manage documents, taking advantage of version control to reverse unwanted changes. Because Teams is built on SharePoint, it delivers the security and compliance standards the housing sector requires.

Your teams can collaborate on the same document in real-time while maintaining strict access controls. Confidential documents stay in Teams with access limited to relevant people only. This level of control is essential when you're dealing with sensitive tenant information and regulatory requirements.

Who should be using Teams in a Housing Association?

Here at TSG, we use Teams extensively, and the reality is it can work in virtually any department. Roll-out can be phased to match your timescales for user adoption.

There's a genuine use case for everyone in your organisation. Even teams dealing with external contractors like plumbers and engineers can collaborate with those contractors directly in Teams through guest access.

We worked with social housing provider CCG to adopt Teams across their entire business. This involved training dedicated 'Teams Champions' who could share best practices across the organisation and help colleagues understand how to use Teams effectively.

Practical applications that deliver value

Teams can be used for numerous purposes, but some features stand out for Housing Associations.

The remote meeting functionality is particularly valuable. You can meet virtually with colleagues, contractors, or suppliers all within Teams, eliminating constant travel between offices or properties. For tenant-facing interactions, Power Virtual Agents can handle routine enquiries automatically.

VoIP calling comes as standard, meaning you can speak to anyone with access to your Teams setup over the internet. This is especially useful for colleagues without desk phones or working from locations where they can't access one.

Video conferencing provides face-to-face communication regardless of location. You can also video-conference or call multiple colleagues simultaneously, allowing virtual meetings that significantly reduce travel costs.

Real-world results from the sector

Housing Associations that properly implement Teams see measurable improvements in collaboration efficiency, reduced travel costs, and better coordination with external contractors.

The key is understanding which features actually solve your specific operational challenges and implementing them systematically. That's where we come in.