Revolutionise Co-Creation with Microsoft Loop

Microsoft are constantly making changes to their 365 plans and in the last 3 years, we’ve seen two major product releases. Copilot and Microsoft Viva. It’s rare to see two suites of products launch in a similar time window and both with a version accessible at no additional cost. It begs the question: What else has Microsoft released that’s flown a little under the radar?

Microsoft Loop

Microsoft Loop is a co-creation tool that brings individuals, content, actions and more together. Microsoft Loop provides a true, real-time co-authoring experience that is seamless to share. Better yet, Microsoft are not too precious about the application you are in to use Loop. You can find Loop on an email in Outlook, a message in Teams, in the Loop app or on SharePoint. There are three parts to Microsoft Loop: Workspaces, Pages, and Components. A Loop Workspace is a shared space that hosts Loop Pages. For example, a Loop Workspace could be a marketing plan, and each Loop Page is an individual GTM campaign. A Loop Component is a portable piece of content found on a Loop page or across the M365 Apps.

Microsoft Loop in Teams meetings

Microsoft Loop is embedded across the Microsoft 365 Apps like Microsoft Teams. The simplest way Loop can add value to your working day is the Meeting Notes area in Teams. When scheduling a Teams meeting, at the bottom is “Add an Agenda”.

Selecting this creates a Loop component consisting of an Agenda, Meeting Notes, and Follow-up tasks. Everyone in the meeting now has a shared space from the moment they receive the invite all the way up to and including post-meeting. Meeting participants can add to the agenda without sending an email or a Teams message. Follow-up tasks are housed in a central location, highlighting who is responsible and accountable for completing outstanding tasks. This Loop component can be shared in a post meeting email too and it still is live throughout the cross-application collaboration. This one change has the potential to alter meeting etiquette and how pre and post meetings are organised.

Tips for Microsoft Loop

Microsoft enjoy hiding application shortcuts with a forward slash (/). In Microsoft Teams, pressing ‘/’ in the search bar opens more options to call, message and control your status. In Microsoft Loop, the ‘/’ is the one stop shop to inserting helpful tools such as a progress tracker, headings, and integrations from first- and third- party apps such as Planner and Trello.

Through using Loop, collapsible headings are by far my favourite. Partly because it keeps the Loop Workspace looking clean, and because it makes finding information easier. Locating data is a challenge when it comes to note taking, tasks and updates. Typically, these actions are housed in separate apps. With Microsoft Loop, it’s in one place, so organisation is key.

Copilot in Microsoft Loop

Microsoft Loop can also be powered by Copilot for Microsoft 365. Copilot in Loop enhances collaboration and synergy across the Microsoft 365 Apps. Understanding Loop’s capabilities helps maximize productivity by identifying areas where efficiency gains can be made. For example, Microsoft Loop and Microsoft Whiteboard can work together using Copilot for Microsoft 365. Within minutes we can go from idea generation to the categorisation of ideas, to summarisation of a whiteboard using Microsoft Loop. This Loop Component can be shared with other users to collaborate on ideas generated by Copilot in Whiteboard.

Microsoft Loop is the next step in collaboration for Microsoft and underpins several larger technologies such as SharePoint and Exchange. Organisations and end users looking for a modern solution to collaboration, administrative tasks, and a future with AI – look no further!

To access the full version of Microsoft Loop, users need a Microsoft 365 Business Standard license or higher.