Microsoft 365 Solutions
Microsoft Viva consultancy and Teams governance for UK organisations
A clear Teams structure, a simple front door through Viva Connections, and honest advice on the Viva licences you can do without.
In short
Microsoft Viva is a set of employee experience tools inside Microsoft 365 and Teams, covering news, communities, learning and insights. APPS 365, a UK publisher of Microsoft 365 apps, helps organisations tidy Teams, set up the Viva features they actually need and get people using them, with a written fixed quote before work starts.
Problems a Teams and Viva project should fix
Teams tends to grow faster than anyone planned. Viva licences can then arrive on top, without a clear job to do.
Teams and channels multiply, with duplicates and names nobody recognises.
We agree a simple structure, naming rules and who may create a team, then clear up what is already there.
Staff cannot find the right document, form or person.
Viva Connections gives people one front door in Teams, tied to your SharePoint intranet.
Remote and frontline staff feel out of the loop.
Viva Engage gives communities and leadership messages a home, in an app people already have open.
Viva licences were bought, and few people use them.
We look at what you own and what gets used, then advise what to keep, drop or try in a small pilot.
What the work gives you
A structure people understand
Clear rules for when to use a team, a channel or a chat, written in language staff will actually read.
Governance that fits your risk
Ownership, guest access, naming and expiry settings, set to match how careful your organisation needs to be.
One place to begin
Viva Connections brings intranet news, useful links and tasks into Teams, so staff stop hunting across sites.
Room for communities
Viva Engage for company-wide conversation and leadership updates, with owners and house rules agreed first.
Licences matched to need
A plain view of which features come with your plans and which paid modules would justify their cost.
Adoption you can measure
We agree what to track, using Microsoft's usage reports, so you can judge the outcome for yourself.
What a typical project covers
Your written quote fixes the scope. Many projects start with a review and add only the parts that are needed:
- Review of your current teams, channels, owners and guest access
- Structure and naming plan, with rules for creating and retiring teams
- Lifecycle settings in your tenant, such as expiry and archiving
- Viva Connections set-up linked to your SharePoint intranet
- Viva Engage set-up, with communities and owners agreed
- Review of your Viva licences, with advice on Insights, Learning and other modules
- Guidance for team owners and a simple adoption plan
Which Viva modules do you actually need?
Viva is a family of tools, and most organisations do not need all of it. Microsoft changes the line-up from time to time, so we check what is current before advising.
| Module | What it does | Worth a look when |
|---|---|---|
| Viva Connections | A branded home in Teams with news, links and tasks, drawing on SharePoint | People struggle to find things or rarely visit the intranet |
| Viva Engage | Communities, conversations and leadership updates | Staff are spread across sites and need a shared space |
| Viva Learning | Brings training content together inside Teams | You have training material that people cannot find |
| Viva Insights | Personal and team views of work habits, such as meeting load and focus time | You have a clear question about how people work and a plan to act on the answer |
How to stop Teams sprawl
Sprawl starts because creating a team is easy and retiring one is nobody's job. The fix is mostly agreement: who can create a team, what it is called, who owns it, and what happens when the work ends.
Settings then back up that agreement. Naming rules, expiry and archiving mean old teams get reviewed rather than left to pile up. This also matters for Copilot, which can draw on files in a forgotten team if someone still has access.
How we work with you
- 1
Free review call
We talk through your Teams setup, your Viva licences and what people complain about. No obligation.
- 2
Written quote
Scope, price and timetable arrive in writing, and nothing begins until you have agreed them.
- 3
Agree the rules
We work with your key people, in a workshop if that suits, to settle structure, ownership and which Viva features to use.
- 4
Set up and tidy
We change settings, set up the agreed features and clean up in stages, checking with team owners before anything is archived or removed.
- 5
Adoption and review
Owners and staff get clear guidance. We then go through the usage figures with you and adjust what is not working.
Our own apps live in the same place
We have no client projects to show on this page. These are our own products, published for SharePoint and Teams, so you can see how we approach the problem of finding things at work.
What it costs
Teams and Viva work is priced after a free call, with a written fixed quote before work starts. The figure depends on how many teams need attention and how much set-up you want. Any Viva licences are separate, and Microsoft sets their price.
- Free 30-minute call first
- Written fixed quote before work starts
- Viva licences are separate, priced by Microsoft
Why APPS 365
UK-based
APPS 365 LTD is registered in England and Wales, with a registered office in London.
Microsoft ecosystem specialists
We publish SharePoint and Microsoft 365 apps on Microsoft Marketplace, so we build on this platform every day.
We ship our own products
Apps, games and SaaS platforms of our own, live for anyone to try. ComponentSource Top 100 Publisher 2022, 2023 and 2025.
A fixed quote first
A free call, then a written quote before any work starts, so you know the cost and scope.
Frequently asked questions
What is Microsoft Viva and do we need it?
Microsoft Viva is a set of employee experience tools for news, communities, learning and insights, mostly used through Teams. You may not need much of it. Start with the problem you want to fix, then use the features that answer it, some of which may already come with your plan.
How much does Viva cost?
Microsoft sets Viva pricing and it changes, so check Microsoft's current pricing page for exact figures. Some basic features come with many Microsoft 365 plans, while fuller features need a paid licence. Our own work is priced after a free call, with a written fixed quote before work starts.
How do we stop Teams sprawl?
Agree who can create a team, how it is named, who owns it and what happens when the work ends, then set Microsoft 365 to support those rules. Tidy existing teams in stages and ask their owners first, so nothing useful disappears.
What is Viva Connections?
Viva Connections is a home for your organisation inside Teams, showing news, useful links and tasks, and it draws on your SharePoint intranet. It works well only when the intranet behind it is in good order, so we look at the two together.
How do we measure employee experience in Microsoft 365?
Begin with a few simple measures you agree in advance, such as active use of Teams and Viva, plus short staff surveys. Microsoft's usage reports and Viva tools can supply some of this. Figures only help if someone has agreed to act on them.
Is Viva worth the licence cost?
Only when it answers a problem you can name. Try the features in your current plan first, then test any paid module with one group and a clear measure before buying more. If the honest answer is to keep your money, we will say so.
Our staff are tired of change. Will this add to it?
It should not, if you change a little at a time. We aim for fewer places to look, small steps and plain guidance, and you can begin with one department. Telling people what is going away often lands better than announcing another new tool.
Get a straight view of your Teams and Viva setup
A free 30-minute review call, then a written fixed quote if you want our help. No obligation.
