Microsoft Tools for Small and Medium Businesses AMA

Hey John, Bryan provided some great recommendations. Wanted to add that if you're looking for something internal to your organization or business, for website building you can use SharePoint. We've recently added several new capabilities that should make creating a site easier than ever like the new authoring toolbox and design ideas for pages to custom fonts. Check out the SharePoint Blog for more details. 

That sounds like a good use case for Power Automate. My recommendation is to check out this training module that shows how to process invoices with Power Automate. Use AI Builder to process invoice forms in Power Automate - Training | Microsoft Learn This might teach you some tricks that you could apply to automate sending invoices.

Hi jmarenda!

I'll try to help you with this question, but first...

1. Which platform are you using to generate invoices?
2. Which version of 365 are you using?

I use if to consolidate information. For example, I watch threat intelligence and developed 5 primary sources for my team to see. Prior to this, once a month, an engineer would come to me and ask what sites I recommend for threat intelligence.

I just subscribed 5 lists to one folder so everyone can see. Perhaps you do marketing and watch to subscribe top 10 competitor newsletters, so you can do marketing research. Or you are in sales and watch to subscribe to your clients newsletters, to see what they are up to (instead of Google Alerts or similar).

Best part is it goes into a Team channel and NOT interspersed with ALLLLLLL the other email to sift through.

Hello pientsch!

Let me know if the following information is helpful or if you have additional questions. At the very least, this may help you evaluate specific use case challenges you're experiencing so the Microsoft folks can provide you with more relevant solutions... apologies in advance for the avalanche of information.

If I understand your question fully, the short answer is this: Teams and SharePoint are being integrated to operate as unified apps. In the past, when you created a Team in MS Teams, you would have shared or added SharePoint to the Team to grant access to the SharePoint site and resources stored there. I'm not 100% positive, but I suspect what we'll see in future iterations is more focus on leveraging Teams vs. utilizing company intranet sites (i.e., SharePoint as a separate silo).

How did we get here?

You may remember the headaches caused when Microsoft introduced "Microsoft 365 Groups" (I certainly do!). That update brought together various collaboration tools, including SharePoint, Outlook, and Teams. This integration required users to link their classic SharePoint sites to these new groups. Personally, it created tremendous confusion because we were used to thinking of "groups" as defined and used within Outlook. (Nightmare 😱)

Fast-forward to today...

The evolving integration between Teams and SharePoint has deepened significantly over the years. Due to how Teams-generated SharePoint sites are stored and displayed (or made visible) in the broader SharePoint environment, these updates can create significant confusion and frustration for end-users (and admins).

Good to know:

• These SharePoint sites exist within SharePoint, but they are not always immediately visible in the SharePoint home page or directory (the main interface where you would see a list of sites you're following or recent activity).
• Even though a SharePoint site is created when you make a Team in Teams, that site may not automatically show up in places like the "Recent" or "Followed Sites" sections of your SharePoint interface unless you explicitly access it or manually choose to "follow" it.

Here's an overview of how this integration works and why the SharePoint site for a Team might not appear in your SharePoint directory:

1. Teams and SharePoint Integration

• Automatic SharePoint Site Creation: Whenever you create a new Team in Microsoft Teams, a corresponding SharePoint Online site (a "Team Site") is automatically generated in the background. This site is used for file storage and collaboration. Every channel within a Team gets its own folder within the "Documents" library of this associated SharePoint site.
• Centralized Content Management: The key purpose of this integration is to ensure that Teams and SharePoint work together seamlessly for file management. Files shared in a Teams channel are stored in the corresponding folder within the SharePoint site, and permissions are synced across both platforms, ensuring consistency.

2. Why the SharePoint Site Doesn't Appear in Your Directory

The SharePoint site that Teams creates does not immediately show up in your SharePoint directory (the list of SharePoint sites you follow or are linked to). There are a few reasons for this:

• Private Group Sites: The SharePoint site created by Teams is tied to a Microsoft 365 Group. These Group-connected SharePoint sites are typically considered "private" by default, meaning that they are accessible only to members of that Group. Because of this, they are not automatically surfaced in the broader SharePoint directory or portal.
• No Automatic "Following": By default, when a new Team (and its associated SharePoint site) is created, it is not automatically added to your "followed" sites in SharePoint. You would have to manually navigate to the SharePoint site via the "Files" tab in Teams, copy the SharePoint site URL, and then follow it manually from the SharePoint interface.

3. How to Access the SharePoint Site

Although the SharePoint site doesn't appear in the directory, there are multiple ways to access it:

• Through Teams: The easiest way is through the "Files" tab in any channel in Teams. This tab links directly to the corresponding folder in the SharePoint document library.
• Direct URL: You can also access the full SharePoint site by copying the link from the "Open in SharePoint" option in Teams and bookmarking it for future use.
• Manual Follow: If you'd like the site to appear in your SharePoint home directory (under "Sites you're following"), you can manually follow the site by visiting its URL and clicking the "Follow" button.

4. New Teams and SharePoint Integration Features

With the evolution of Microsoft Teams, the integration with SharePoint has become more seamless. Some key features that demonstrate this include:

• Teams Channels and SharePoint Folders: Each standard Teams channel has a corresponding folder in the SharePoint site's document library. Files shared within that channel automatically get stored in that folder. Private channels, however, create a separate SharePoint site to maintain distinct access controls.
• Syncing Permissions: Permissions in Teams are automatically synced with the associated SharePoint site, meaning users who are members of a Team will have the same access rights to the SharePoint site, ensuring consistency across platforms.
• Document Co-Authoring: SharePoint's document co-authoring capabilities are fully supported within Teams, allowing multiple users to collaborate on documents in real-time, whether accessed through Teams or directly in SharePoint.
• Teams Tabs: SharePoint lists and libraries can be added as tabs in Teams channels, making it easier to manage content in one place without switching between platforms.

5. Best Practices for Managing SharePoint in Teams

As the integration between Teams and SharePoint continues to evolve, here are a few best practices to keep in mind:

• Train Users on Access Methods: Since the SharePoint site is tied to Teams, it’s important to train users on how to access the SharePoint site via Teams or by using the SharePoint link. This can help reduce confusion, especially when it’s not visible in the SharePoint directory.
• Organize Files Clearly: Encourage users to organize files within Teams channels, which will automatically be reflected in the SharePoint site. This prevents unnecessary duplication of files and ensures easy access for all team members.
• Use "Follow" for Key Sites: For SharePoint sites tied to Teams that are critical for your work, make it a practice to manually follow them in SharePoint to ensure they are easy to locate in your SharePoint directory.
• Understand Permissions: Stay aware that any changes in membership in a Team will automatically adjust permissions on the associated SharePoint site. For private channels, permissions will be managed separately, and this needs to be accounted for.

6. Future Directions and Updates

Microsoft frequently updates the integration between Teams and SharePoint, often aiming for a more seamless experience. As of recent updates (Teams 2.0), Microsoft is moving towards more integrated content management and smoother transitions between these two platforms, making it easier to manage files, permissions, and workflows across both environments. Keeping up with Microsoft's roadmap for Teams and SharePoint is important as new features may change how users interact with these tools.

Side note... SharePoint is evolving into SharePoint Framework (SPFx) as part of Microsoft's move towards a unified ecosystem. So, if you're still using classic SharePoint sites, you'll want to update them so they continue operating correctly.

Hey Michelle, can you elaborate what do you mean "clients who give me access to their 365 environments." Are you a B2B guest in their tenant or a member in their tenant. If you are a guest, you will see (Guest) next to your name.

Also would Microsoft Bookings for you? 
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/business/scheduling-and-booking-app

Hi Michelle (normaluser)! This may be a solution. Let me know if it works or not.

Sharing Free/Busy Information in Outlook 365 (Web Version)

1. Open Outlook Web Access (OWA):

   • Go to Outlook.com or access your Outlook through your Office 365 account.

2. Go to the Calendar:

   • On the bottom-left corner, select the calendar icon.

3. Select the Calendar You Want to Share:

   • In the left pane, find the calendar you want to share (your personal calendar). It should appear under the "My Calendars" section.
   • Hover over it and click the three dots (ellipsis) next to the calendar name.

4. Choose Sharing and Permissions:

   • From the dropdown menu, click on Sharing and permissions.

5. Add the Client's Email Address:

   • In the window that appears, enter your client’s email address (even if they are on a different domain).

6. Select Permission Level:

   • When adding the email address, you will be given different sharing options. Choose Can view when I’m busy. This will allow the recipient (your client) to see your Free/Busy status without viewing any specific details of your appointments.

7. Send the Invitation:

   • After selecting the appropriate permissions, click Share. This will send an email to your client inviting them to view your Free/Busy information.

Sharing Free/Busy Information in Outlook Desktop App (Windows/Mac)

1. Open Outlook Desktop:

   • Launch your Outlook desktop app.

2. Go to the Calendar:

   • In the bottom-left corner, click the calendar icon.

3. Select Your Calendar:

   • In the left pane under My Calendars, find and select your primary calendar.

4. Click on Share Calendar:

   • Go to the top of the window and click the Share Calendar button. A new window will open.

5. Enter Client’s Email:

   • Enter the email address of the person (client) you want to share your calendar with.

6. Set Free/Busy Permissions:

   • In the permissions dropdown, select Can view Free/Busy time. This will ensure that the recipient can only see your availability (free/busy) and not any event details.

7. Send the Invitation:

   • Click Send to share the calendar.

Notes:

• If you are working across different domains, ensure that your organization allows sharing calendars with external users. In some cases, the Office 365 administrator might need to enable this feature.
• This method only shares your Free/Busy information, which is ideal for your scenario since it keeps the details of your meetings private but still lets your client know when you’re available for booking meetings.

If your client accepts the invitation, they will be able to see your Free/Busy availability on their calendar, even if they are on a different domain.