Teams: Collaboration and File Management

This article provides an overview of the three primary Microsoft 365 file storage and collaboration tools — OneDrive, Microsoft Teams, and SharePoint — and offers guidance on when to use each one.

Overview

Microsoft Teams is the Microsoft 365 tool designed for active project collaboration. Teams brings together conversation, meetings, and file storage in a single workspace. Files stored in Teams are backed by SharePoint behind the scenes, but are surfaced directly within the Teams interface for convenience.

Appropriate Us Cases

Use Teams for:

• Project workspaces with ongoing discussion and collaboration
• Real-time collaboration on deliverables with team members
• Files that require context from chat conversations
• Cross-functional project work involving multiple departments
• Any work that requires regular back-and-forth communication

When Not to Use Teams

Teams is not the best fit for:

• Personal files or drafts (use OneDrive)
• Official organizational records or policies that need long-term governance (use SharePoint)
• Files that do not have an associated active project or team conversation

Working With Files in Teams

Files shared or uploaded within a Teams channel are stored in the associated SharePoint document library. You can access them in the following ways:

1. Within Teams: Select the "Files" tab at the top of any channel to view and manage files.
2. Via SharePoint: Each Team has a corresponding SharePoint site. Files can be accessed there for more advanced management options.
3. Via OneDrive Shortcut: You can add a shortcut to a Teams/SharePoint folder in your OneDrive for easy access via File Explorer. See the SharePoint KB article for instructions.