1. Avoid team duplication
Microsoft Teams does not check for duplication, so our advice is to check if there is already another Team/Channel with the same purpose before setting up a new Teams. This is especially important if you are using self-service creation for Teams and Office 365 groups.
2. Set up channels with care
Channels help to organise team conversations and are dedicated to defined topics, projects - whatever is needed. The advice is not to create too many channels from the start, but to add as the project develops, as each channel has its own Files tab in the team's document library and creating empty channels creates redundant tabs.
3. Create a team for each project
By giving each project its own team, it's easier for team members to stay focused on that particular project, as well as to more easily find and organize relevant documents. This is especially important when employees are working on many projects - and will become even more important when Microsoft Teams is updated to allow external users to join a team.
5. Defining Naming Conventions
Sometimes difficult to apply if the creation of a self-service team is required, as a good communication ethic needs to be established across the company, it is advisable to define naming conventions for teams and groups. This can be supported to some extent by the Administration Centre, and - for example - by blocking the use of certain words, or by defining specific suffixes or prefixes to be applied.
6. Do not customise shared document libraries
It is recommended to avoid adapting the default document library. This can be used for general purpose sharing, facilitating access to all those who need these shared documents. Customised document libraries can be set up on the team site for team-related files.
7. Train team members to use 'folders
Team members moving from SharePoint to Teams will have to change the way they interact with files, and in particular learn to work with folders, an integral part of the Microsoft Teams platform.
8. Create a consistent user file experience
Connecting to files in Teams is done via the chat functionality Teams or via the team site in SharePoint. By creating tabs using SharePoint for all document libraries on the team site and a tab with the Website tab connector on the team site, all team members will be able to see new files regardless of their location.
9. Ensure that connections are bi-directional
Two-way connections between Teams and SharePoint are created by linking to the team Teams on SharePoint, copying the URL of the team Teams and adding it to the Quick Launch links. This link will open the team when accessing Microsoft Teams.
10. Share the experience at Teams!
Share tips, ideas and problems with the Microsoft Tech community. As a self-help forum, it can be invaluable, and Microsoft takes feedback and comments very seriously. As Microsoft Teams rolls out to more and more organizations, the potential for feedback is greater, and the more companies can benefit from it.