GAMIFIED simulation training provider Attensi has created an interactive 3D simulation for global technology giant Microsoft to help new and existing Microsoft Teams users get up to speed with how to use the business communication platform.
The simulation is designed to help businesses develop and maintain ‘video-first’ strategies as lockdown measures are relaxed.
Attensi’s custom-built simulation uses voice-acted 3D avatars and gamified mechanics to guide Teams users through a step-by-step process on how to communicate and conduct virtual meetings more effectively. Users are presented with a series of typical work communication scenarios to solve, with points scored for correct answers and real time feedback offered on how they can improve should they get stuck.
Attensi sales director, Ellen Vrålstad, said: “Microsoft Teams is one of the most popular communication apps on the market. However, the increase in remote working due to the Covid-19 pandemic highlighted an urgent need for training in using this kind of technology more effectively.
“While video kept us all in touch with one another during lockdown, it meant many people were experiencing conferencing tech for the very first time at home and in the workplace.”
Ellen says Attensi is seeing an increasing number of businesses starting to rethink the way they do things with a ‘video-first’ strategy.
“We began talking to Microsoft Norway in 2020 to explore opportunities to work together on this new gamification tool that would make it easier for managers to help their teams upskill,” she added.
“Following several meetings with Microsoft during which we discussed what issues their clients were facing and what we could do to help, we created the training programme in around six weeks.”
The technology has now been rolled out successfully via Microsoft’s commercial marketplace and Attensi has become an official partner.
The new simulation challenges users to compete a number of realistic, gamified tasks based around Teams. They can then repeat the game until they are fluent in using the technology.
Ellen added: “So far, six of our clients are now using this solution and we have around 2,000 users on the training programme. Some of them have even built custom-made modules on top of the training because they are seeing the cost-saving benefits that a video first strategy can offer.”
Following an Attensi survey of people using the new technology, 97.5% said they liked the training and that it was relevant for their work. Another 95% said that they have become better at using best practice behaviour in virtual team meetings.
Ellen said: “What we discovered from the survey was that there is a huge appetite for this kind of training across the entire Microsoft Office package. There is more we can do with Microsoft Teams too and that is something we are currently exploring with them. We’d like to build on the training going forward and include the whole collaboration part, such as how to share files and work in different channels.
“There is also the gamification part which makes it fun and engaging. You just want to repeat because you want to better your score, get more points and ultimately, beat your colleague to top the leaderboard.”
Silje Gulbrandsen, Product Marketing Manager in Microsoft Norway, says: “We rely a lot on our partner eco system to put on additional training for our customers. That’s where solutions like Attensi’s gamified Teams training comes in as a good example of how partners are adding value to whatever solution or product we provide to the market and to our customers. Especially in Teams, which has become even more relevant in the last year.
“The reason this kind of training works so well is because users are active. They actually have to click in order to progress in the training, make choices, and be a part of what is happening on the screen.
“Finding new and innovative ways of engaging people is the single most important thing to have them learn something new because learning itself is becoming such an important piece of retaining talent and developing company culture.”
For anyone who would like to find out more about the game, it can be found on Microsoft AppSource.
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