Two tools developed by Lithuanians were added to Microsoft Teams

2020 08 11 · 2 min read

US software company Microsoft has opened the code of Teams collaboration platform for programmers worldwide, Lithuanian IT solutions company Baltic Amadeus has used this opportunity and introduce two tools for Teams, which everyone can download and use for free.

Retro and Scrum Poker apps have already been approved by Microsoft and are currently available for free at the Teams Store or the Microsoft AppSource Stores

These tools have been developed to address the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic and global lockdown. The tools help to ensure high-quality and regular feedback and to properly assess how long it will take to carry out the assigned tasks.

The advantages of Teams platform have been most appreciated by users this year – it has become an indispensable helper through quarantine for document sharing, conversations with colleagues, meetings with customers, video conferencing, etc. “We are actively using Teams in the company’s internal communication, so we decided to apply the tools we created here. Although we originally used them internally, we eventually decided to offer free testing to all users” says Darius Dužinskas, Head of HR and Marketing at Baltic Amadeus.

The response to the business challenges during pandemic

The Retro app is designed to ensure feedback at the company and to organize regular discussions (retrospectives) of projects or tasks. The tool allows you to leave feedback to colleagues, teams and projects, evaluate the competencies. If a project is long-term, these reviews can help to improves its progresses.

“In everyday work, it is often not even thought that the challenges that bother us can be solved quickly and effectively, simply by providing clear feedback. This is especially important while working remotely. We have been searching for the ways of getting stronger in giving feedback , but without finding the right tool we have created it ourselves. We encourage our team members to talk, to discuss regularly what should be continued and developed, and what should be adjusted” explains D. Dužinskas.

The development of the Retro app was a joined project by specialists of Baltic Amadeus and participants of the company’s student program “IT Challenge”.“ It was their practical task and the first serious project.

It took just a couple of weeks

The Scrum Poker may at first glance remind the game. It is developed for those teams that need to assess how long a specific task will be performed.

The principle of running an app is very simple – each team member selects a card with a number, then the cards are revealed, and the results are discussed. After the vote, team members who have chosen the highest and lowest number can make an argument for their choice. This process is repeated until the team agrees on the time to perform the task.

This application was developed by specialists of “Baltic Amadeus” in just a couple of weeks.

Offers to try for free

Currently, both Scrum Poker and Retro tools are available free of charge to all Teams users.

“Coronavirus pandemic turned over the daily routine and illuminated certain problems that are common to every working team. However, even during the ordinary times, it is often forgotten that things that we do routinely may be more effective. It is important to understand that any challenges can be solved, only you need to talk and look for solutions together,” says D. Dužinskas.

In the future, Baltic Amadeus specialists intend to improve the developed apps, add new functionalities. The goal of the tools is to help team members collaborate and improve and for businesses to grow and improve their performance.