Team Directory Detailed Guide: Process to data update

Launching a successful Team Directory is not just all about the technical set up. One of the most important aspect to ensuring you have consistent and trusted data in TeamForm is the process of how users should go about with updating the data in TeamForm. This includes defining:

who has what responsibilities to updating the data i.e. is it a centralised or decentralised data update model
the principles to when users can or should go update the data
how TeamForm data will be used and in what forums/cadences

At TeamForm we do not have a preference on how you choose to design and roll out this process as every organisation has their own operating model and process complexity involved. However this process is one that we would recommend you to roll out along with the initial launch of TeamForm to your organisation so that there is clarity on the expectations of what is involved.

Federated vs Centralised Data Update Model

Centralised	Decentralised

Centralised

Decentralised

Only a few selected members/personas across the enterprise are expected to update data in TeamForm
Typical personas selected to update data include delivery and supply team leads, PMO and workforce planners

PRO

Low change and comms investment effort required to train up a small subset of users to become admins of the tool

CON

Increase chance of key man risks and creates higher coordination effort to gather information from others for team updates and reflect it in the tool

Most members across the organisation is trained and expected to be involved in updating the TeamForm data
Typical personas selected to update data include all delivery and supply team leads, Product Owners, Scrum Masters, Performance Leads, PMO and Workforce Planners
Regular users such as squad members will not update the data but they still have the responsibility to check their personal information and if it’s inaccurate, inform their leaders to update on their behalf

PRO

No bottlenecks or reliance on any specific individuals to update data as it becomes a responsibility for all TeamForm users to validate and ensure their data is up to date

CON

Larger volume of users requiring tooling training and hence more investment required in change and comms

Example of the responsibilities set on different roles to updating TeamForm data

Role / Persona	Key Responsibilities

Role / Persona	Key Responsibilities
TeamForm Admins	Ensure all data imports have been processed successfully Provide training to all team leads that have a responsibility to update data in TeamForm
Delivery team leads	Set up the delivery team structures in TeamForm including updating the team information Ensures all relevant tag and/or additional information are captured in the tool Work closely with supply team leads to ensure all relevant people and capacity are accurately reflected in the team
Supply team leads	Manage allocation of team members to a delivery team Drive initial set-up of the supply team in TeamForm including updating the team information
Regular users	Validate own personal information

Key considerations to developing principles of when users can update data in TeamForm

Use the following questions to help you think through the different scenarios of when TeamForm data should be updated and whether a more defined process or principles are required to be developed to support each scenario as to what the user can do.

When can new delivery team structures be created in TeamForm?
- Is there a Finance or HR involvement required before a new team can be created?
When can a team be deleted or removed in TeamForm?
When can someone edit a demand team name?
Who will be allocating new employees to a delivery team? Is it supply team lead or delivery team lead?

Use of TeamForm in different company cadences / forums

The best way to embed TeamForm and to prevent data aging issue is to make it clear to everyone in the organisation of how the data will be used and at what event to drive data upkeep motivation. The below are examples of where we believe TeamForm data can be used to support the different cadences that may or may not exist at your organisation.

Ways of working design or role governance forums - Ways of working principles can be assessed against TeamForm data to help identify areas of improvements
Workforce planning cycle (eg: QBR, quarterly planning, annual planning) - Current team data can be used to help inform leaders of what their existing team capacity looks like and use it to assess against upcoming priorities to know where skill gaps or resource contentions are
Cultural Survey - team structures in TeamForm can be used to help build the cultural survey hierarchy and give relevant leaders their results as often delivery team leads do not have a clear reporting line to all the people working for them
Town Halls / All Hands - customised distribution lists can be created using TeamForm data to invite specific groups of people to town halls or team events