A team typically consists of individuals working collectively towards a shared goal. Within Microsoft Teams, this collective space is where collaboration happens. Before creating a team, one must first ascertain its purpose. In this article, we’ll delve into the three primary categories of teams and their distinct objectives.
According to the article Teams is a digital office, a team functions as a digital office, with its channels representing individual rooms within this space.
Three main categories of teams
Microsoft Teams offers an expansive array of functionalities. It’s pivotal to establish guidelines based on the nature of the team you intend to create.
Start by clarifying your team’s objective in the description. This step will enlighten new members and administrators about its existence and expectations. To visually distinguish each team category, employ custom images. To learn more, refer to the guide: Microsoft Teams – Create your own team image pack.
1. Organisational
Distinct from org-wide teams, this setup serves as the organizational backbone, usually one for each department or management group.
- Purpose: A workspace for collaboration, information exchange, and discussions.
- End of Life: Reorganisation
- Color: 🟦 Blue
2. Project
Each project is represented by its own team, fostering cooperation specific to individual projects. Although not a rule, external guests are frequently part of these teams. Occasionally, there might be “meta project teams” that encompass several projects; however, this is typically discouraged.
- Purpose: Consolidate all data and communication related to particular projects.
- End of Life: Project
- Color: 🟩 Green
- Prefix: “Pro – “
3. Topic
This serves as a knowledge hub for assorted topics, ranging from Microsoft 365 Q&A to teams centered around your company’s staple products.
- Purpose: Centralize information, facilitating effortless discussions around requisite topics.
- End of Life: When the topic becomes obsolete
- Color: 🟧 Orange
Note: Viva Topics can be an excellent complement or even an alternative to Topical teams!
While the aforementioned typologies represent the primary categories, there are other team types, such as External, Customer, or Multiteam-collaboration, which leverage shared Channels and might be apt for your organization.