Tutorial / Cram Notes
Creating effective teams is at the core of the MS-700: Managing Microsoft Teams exam, which focuses on the configuration, management, and deployment of Microsoft Teams environments. Ensuring that organizations get the most out of their Microsoft Teams experience means not only understanding the technical aspects of Teams but also the best practices for team creation and management.
Understanding Teams and Channels
Before creating teams in Microsoft Teams, it’s important to understand the structure and hierarchy. A team is a collection of people, content, and tools that work together within a digital hub. Within each team, there are channels that serve as dedicated sections to keep conversations organized by topics, projects, or disciplines.
Types of Teams
There are two main types of teams you can create in Microsoft Teams:
- Private Team: Visible only to team members. You must invite members to join.
- Public Team: Visible to everyone within the organization, and anyone in the organization can join without an invitation.
| Team Type | Visibility | Joining Method |
|---|---|---|
| Private | Team Members only | Invitation required |
| Public | Everyone in the org | Open for anyone to join |
Creating Teams
Creating a team can be done directly in Microsoft Teams or through the Teams admin center. Here’s a brief guide:
- Open Microsoft Teams or the Teams admin center.
- Select “Teams” on the left sidebar, then click on “Join or create a team” at the bottom of the Teams list.
- Choose “Create a team” to build a new team from scratch or “Create from…” to use an existing group or team as a template.
- Select the type of team (Private or Public) and enter a name and description.
- If creating from an existing group, you can choose to carry over settings and membership.
- Once created, you can add members and configure team settings.
Best Practices for Creating Teams
Here are some best practices to follow when creating teams:
- Naming conventions: Establish clear naming conventions for teams and channels to maintain consistency and ease of navigation. For example, you might prefix project teams with “PJT-” or department teams with “DEPT-“.
- Purpose and guidelines: Clearly define the team’s purpose and set usage guidelines to ensure it stays on track. This information can be provided in the team description or as a pinned post in the general channel.
- Member roles: Assign team member roles, such as owners, members, and guests, to manage permissions correctly. Owners have more control over team settings and can add or remove members.
- Limit team sprawl: Prevent the unnecessary creation of multiple teams for similar purposes, which can lead to confusion and information silos, by overseeing the team creation process.
Managing Teams
After creating teams, managing them effectively is critical. This involves overseeing memberships, channels, settings, and policies. Use the Teams admin center to:
- Add or remove members and adjust roles.
- Manage team settings such as member permissions, guest access, and @mentions.
- Oversee channel creation and settings, deciding whether to allow standard or private channels.
- Apply compliance policies for data governance and retention.
Leveraging Templates
Microsoft Teams also provides team templates to streamline the creation process. Templates come with pre-defined structures, channels, and settings tailored for specific scenarios like event management or crisis response. Custom templates can be created as well, which is helpful for organizations with recurring project types or team structures.
Automation and PowerShell
For larger organizations or repetitive tasks, using PowerShell scripts to automate the creation and management of teams can save time and ensure consistency. Scripts can create teams, assign members, configure settings, and enforce naming conventions.
In conclusion, creating and managing teams in Microsoft Teams requires thoughtful planning and ongoing management to ensure an organized and productive collaboration environment. Following these best practices and leveraging the tools and capabilities of Microsoft Teams will help any organization create efficient and effective teams, aligning with the competencies tested in the MS-700 Managing Microsoft Teams exam.
Practice Test with Explanation
True/False: It is possible to create teams based on existing Office 365 groups.
- True
When creating a new team in Microsoft Teams, you have the option to build a team from an existing Office 365 group, provided the group has fewer than 5,000 members.
True/False: Every user in your organization can create a team by default.
- True
By default, all users in the organization can create a Microsoft Team, unless an IT administrator restricts this ability through team policies.
Multiple Select: What can be used as a template when creating a new team in Microsoft Teams? (Select all that apply)
- A. Existing Teams
- B. Office 365 Groups
- C. SharePoint Sites
- D. Distribution Groups
Answer: A, B
When creating a new team, you can use an existing team or an Office 365 group as a template. SharePoint sites cannot be directly used as templates for teams, and Distribution Groups require conversion to Office 365 Groups before they can be used to create teams.
True/False: You need to be an Office 365 administrator to create a team in Microsoft Teams.
- False
Regular users can create teams unless the organization’s IT policies restrict this capability to certain roles or admins.
Single Select: What is the maximum number of owners that a single Microsoft Team can have?
- A. 5
- B. 10
- C. 25
- D. No specific limit
Answer: C
A Microsoft Team can have up to 25 owners.
True/False: Microsoft Teams enforces unique names for each team created within the tenant.
- False
Teams does not enforce unique names; you can have multiple teams with the same name but they will have different group IDs.
Multiple Select: Which actions can Team Owners perform? (Select all that apply)
- A. Add and remove members
- B. Change team settings
- C. Delete the team
- D. Access all team content, regardless of permissions
Answer: A, B, C
Team owners can add and remove members, change team settings, and delete the team. While they have extensive access, they still must adhere to the permissions set on specific team content.
True/False: A private channel in Microsoft Teams can have its own SharePoint site collection separate from the team’s main SharePoint site.
- True
Private channels in Microsoft Teams have a separate SharePoint site collection for file storage, independent of the team’s primary SharePoint site.
Single Select: Who can archive a Microsoft Team?
- A. Any team member
- B. Team owners only
- C. Office 365 Global administrators only
- D. Team owners and Office 365 Global administrators
Answer: D
Both team owners and Office 365 Global administrators have the permissions to archive a Microsoft Team.
Single Select: Which of the following is a feature of a team created from an existing Office 365 Group?
- A. The team automatically includes all group members as team members.
- B. The group’s SharePoint documents are not accessible in the team.
- C. The team will have a different set of members than the Office 365 Group.
- D. The team cannot have its additional channels or tabs until the group is deleted.
Answer: A
When you create a team from an existing Office 365 Group, all group members are automatically included as members of the new team, and the team will have access to the group’s shared SharePoint documents.
Multiple Select: Which of the following are valid reasons to create private channels in a team? (Select all that apply)
- A. To focus conversations among a specific group of people
- B. To restrict access to sensitive information
- C. To increase the overall number of channels allowed in a team
- D. To use a separate SharePoint storage
Answer: A, B
Private channels are used to focus conversations among specific group members and to restrict access to sensitive information. They do not increase the overall number of channels allowed in a team nor are they created for the purpose of using separate SharePoint storage, although by default private channels do get a separate SharePoint site collection.
True/False: When you delete a team, all its associated Office 365 group resources including Outlook inbox, SharePoint site, and Planner are also deleted.
- True
Deleting a team also deletes its associated Office 365 group, which includes all the resources connected to that group such as the Outlook inbox, SharePoint site, and Planner.
Interview Questions
What is a team in Microsoft Teams?
A team in Microsoft Teams is a group of users who come together to communicate and collaborate around a specific topic or project.
What are the benefits of creating teams in Microsoft Teams?
The benefits of creating teams in Microsoft Teams include improved communication and collaboration, reduced confusion, and the ability to organize communication around specific topics or projects.
How do I create a new team in Microsoft Teams?
To create a new team in Microsoft Teams, open the Teams app, click on “Teams” in the left-hand menu, and then click on the “Join or create a team” button.
What types of teams can I create in Microsoft Teams?
You can create private teams or teams for specific departments or projects in Microsoft Teams.
How do I add members to my team in Microsoft Teams?
To add members to your team in Microsoft Teams, choose the appropriate settings for your team’s privacy and permissions, and then click “Create.”
What is a channel in Microsoft Teams?
A channel in Microsoft Teams is a way to organize conversations within a team and can be used to focus on specific topics, projects, or initiatives.
How many channels can a team have in Microsoft Teams?
A team in Microsoft Teams can have up to 200 channels.
How many members can a channel support in Microsoft Teams?
A channel in Microsoft Teams can support up to 2,500 members.
How do I create a new channel in Microsoft Teams?
To create a new channel in Microsoft Teams, click on the “More options” button next to the team name, and then choose “Add channel.”
How can I customize the settings for my team or channel in Microsoft Teams?
To customize the settings for your team or channel in Microsoft Teams, choose the appropriate privacy and permissions settings.
What are the benefits of using channels in Microsoft Teams?
The benefits of using channels in Microsoft Teams include improved organization of communication and collaboration, the ability to focus on specific topics or projects, and improved productivity.
How can I integrate Microsoft Teams with other tools and software?
Microsoft Teams can be integrated with other tools and software using third-party apps and integrations.
How can I develop best practices for communication and collaboration in Microsoft Teams?
Developing best practices for communication and collaboration in Microsoft Teams can involve establishing clear communication guidelines, setting expectations for response times, and promoting a culture of collaboration.
What is the role of a team owner in Microsoft Teams?
A team owner in Microsoft Teams is responsible for managing the team and its members, setting permissions and privacy settings, and ensuring that the team is productive and effective.
Can I create teams and channels in Microsoft Teams on my mobile device?
Yes, you can create teams and channels in Microsoft Teams on your mobile device using the Teams mobile app.
The MS-700 exam is really thorough when it comes to creating and managing teams in Microsoft Teams.
Does anyone know if there are any particular areas where people typically struggle?
I found the section on managing chat and collaboration policies quite straightforward.
Thanks for the blog post!
How important is it to know about third-party app integrations for this exam?
I didn’t find the information on managing phone number assignments very clear.
What are some good practice resources for this exam?
Understanding compliance and security features is a huge part of passing this exam.