Managing SharePoint Team Sites vs Communication Sites

Understanding SharePoint in the Modern Workplace

Microsoft SharePoint has become foundational for thousands of Perth businesses seeking to improve collaboration, communication, and overall productivity. As workplaces across WA embrace hybrid and remote working patterns, SharePoint fills an increasingly critical role in centralising resources and connecting teams. In particular, SharePoint offers two primary site types: Team Sites and Communication Sites. Each brings distinct features designed to support different business needs, but many organisations have yet to optimise or even clearly differentiate their use of these platforms.

With cloud-first strategies rising and Microsoft 365 adoption continuing apace, understanding how to manage SharePoint Team Sites versus Communication Sites can drive efficiency and clarity. The move towards digitisation is not purely technical; it’s transformative at the cultural and workflow levels. Perth’s SMEs and enterprises must consider not just technical configuration, but also training, governance, adoption, and change management to get the most from this investment.

This article breaks down the key differences, best practices, and real-world management strategies for SharePoint Team Sites and Communication Sites, helping WA organisations choose and steward the right site type for their goals. Drawing from current trends, research data, and the on-the-ground expertise of Perth IT specialists like Wolfe Systems, we’ll cover how best to configure, secure, and maintain SharePoint as a catalyst for business success.

Let’s dive into what makes Team Sites and Communication Sites unique, and explore how to unlock their full potential within your organisation’s digital landscape.

What Are SharePoint Team Sites?

SharePoint Team Sites are designed with collaboration at their core. Built primarily for groups that need to work closely together, they enable teams to co-author documents, manage schedules, centralise discussions, and coordinate activities and tasks. In practical terms, a Team Site acts as a digital workspace where members of a department, project group, or cross-functional team can access shared resources and communicate seamlessly, regardless of their physical location.

Each Team Site features integration with Microsoft 365 Groups, which unlocks additional productivity tools including Outlook shared mailboxes, calendars, and OneNote notebooks. The experience feels cohesive, allowing users to move fluidly between emails, files, and tasks. For IT managers, Team Sites offer granular permission controls, enabling tight management of who can see, edit, or share specific resources.

The dynamic nature of Team Sites means their content evolves frequently, supporting the iterative and often fast-paced work of project teams. Whether it’s a construction team sharing site diagrams, a legal group refining contract templates, or a marketing unit coordinating campaign assets, Team Sites reduce version-control headaches and keep everyone on the same page.

By streamlining collaboration, automating routine workflows, and integrating familiar tools, SharePoint Team Sites have become a backbone for modern team productivity—especially for Perth businesses with geographically dispersed or hybrid teams.

What Are SharePoint Communication Sites?

In contrast to Team Sites, SharePoint Communication Sites are purpose-built for broadcasting information to a wide audience. Rather than facilitating back-and-forth collaboration, these sites act primarily as publishing platforms. Examples include HR portals, executive updates, product launch announcements, or intranet homepages targeting an entire enterprise or a large department.

Communication Sites offer visually rich design capabilities, allowing content creators to craft engaging homepages, news articles, hero banners, and media galleries. The site structure is typically managed by a small group of owners while the majority of users have read-only access, ensuring information remains consistent and authoritative. This design minimises the risk of outdated or conflicting messages circulating through the organisation.

With custom branding options, native mobile responsiveness, and integrated analytics, Communication Sites make it easy to reinforce company culture, keep staff informed, and centralise important documentation. For example, a Perth-based mining company might use a Communication Site to share safety updates with all staff, while a professional services firm could centralise its policy library for compliance tracking.

This one-to-many model is a powerful tool for driving alignment and transparency, supporting internal communication strategies across businesses of all sizes in Western Australia and beyond.

Key Differences: SharePoint Team Sites vs Communication Sites

While Team Sites and Communication Sites both reside within SharePoint’s robust platform, their intent, feature sets, and management considerations vary significantly. At the core, Team Sites enable collaborative teamwork within smaller groups, while Communication Sites focus on distributing curated information to broad audiences. Understanding these differences is crucial for business leaders and IT managers seeking to align technology investment with desired outcomes.

Permissions are a primary differentiator. Team Sites generally offer multiple contributors the ability to create, edit, and delete content. Communication Sites, however, tend to restrict editing rights to a small publishing team, ensuring content accuracy and consistency across the organisation.

Another important point relates to integration. Team Sites come pre-connected to Microsoft 365 Groups, unlocking shared calendars and conversations. Communication Sites exist as standalone entities, not directly tied to group-based collaboration but optimised for brand storytelling and employee engagement.

Finally, both site types deliver mobile-friendly, modern experiences, but Communication Sites place a higher emphasis on visual design and corporate branding, while Team Sites prioritise function and file management. Choosing the right option depends on your specific business cases, and in many instances, organisations employ both to meet different needs within the same SharePoint tenant.

Team Sites vs Communication Sites: Feature Comparison

• Purpose: Team Sites for collaboration; Communication Sites for information dissemination
• Permissions: Team Sites feature broader contributor access; Communication Sites are tightly controlled
• Integration: Team Sites are linked to Microsoft 365 Groups; Communication Sites stand alone
• Design: Communication Sites offer richer branding and layout capabilities
• Content Frequency: Team Sites updated regularly; Communication Sites updated less frequently

When to Use a Team Site or a Communication Site

Choosing between a Team Site and a Communication Site depends on the intended use case and audience. Many Perth companies find value in both, leveraging Team Sites for project groups while maintaining a central Communication Site as their organisation-wide intranet. Carefully defining scenarios for each can maximise productivity and engagement across your digital workplace.

Team Sites are best suited to project teams, functional departments, or ad-hoc working groups needing to collaborate daily. For example, engineering teams working on a transport infrastructure upgrade might need to co-author technical documents, share CAD files, and manage weekly task lists. The site can evolve dynamically as the project progresses, making it ideal for hands-on teamwork or agile environments.

Conversely, Communication Sites shine as enterprise-wide information portals, where accuracy, branding, and a polished experience are paramount. Perth organisations often use these for HR updates, crisis communications, policy management, and company news. With a consistent look and feel, staff know exactly where to go for the latest authoritative information.

Ultimately, the decision should be made in partnership between business and IT stakeholders, ensuring both site types support rather than hinder business objectives.

Setting Up SharePoint Team Sites: Best Practice Guidance

Getting the most from Team Sites begins with laying a proper foundation around structure, permissions, and ongoing management. Many Western Australian businesses find that a strong start saves headaches months later as content and membership grow.

First, decide on the site’s purpose, audience, and core resources. Will the Team Site support an ongoing department, a short-run project, or a cross-team initiative? This informs which document libraries and list structures to create from the outset. Avoid overcomplicating your structure; simplicity often leads to greater adoption.

Invite members thoughtfully. Limit initial membership to those who truly need to collaborate. Assign appropriate permissions: Owners manage the site, Members contribute content, and Visitors have read-only access. Regularly review membership to remove users who no longer need access, especially after project completion.

Integrate additional SharePoint features like workflows, custom lists, and Power Automate templates to streamline processes. For example, automated approval flows can reduce bottlenecks in document submission. Leading Perth IT providers, like Wolfe Systems, often help organisations map out these processes to align with real business needs, ensuring the technology adds value from day one.

Sustaining Effective Team Sites

Once up and running, ongoing management is essential to keeping Team Sites useful. Assign site owners responsible for routine clean-up, such as archiving outdated documents and managing permissions. Establish clear policies for file naming and versioning, so teams can find what they need when they need it.

As your organisation grows, periodically reassess the structure and usage of existing Team Sites. Perth businesses that schedule biannual SharePoint audits typically see higher satisfaction and fewer issues related to content sprawl and access management. Remember, effective Team Sites evolve with the business—not just at launch, but continually over time.

Setting Up Communication Sites: Best Practice Guidance

The process for launching a successful Communication Site is distinctly different, focusing primarily on design, content planning, and governance. Because these sites are often the public face of your SharePoint environment for many employees, careful attention to detail is vital.

Start with a clear editorial plan: What type of announcements, policy documents, and multimedia will the site host? Who will be responsible for creating and approving content, and how often will information be updated? For most Perth organisations, it’s wise to limit editing rights to a small group of trusted content managers to maintain consistency and reduce risk.

Leverage SharePoint’s modern page layouts and web parts to create an attractive, easy-to-navigate homepage. Branding, colour schemes, and imagery should reflect the company’s identity. Investing in professional design services at the outset can ensure a positive first impression and high engagement with key audiences.

Consider accessibility from the start to meet WA disability and inclusion standards. Mobile responsiveness must not be an afterthought; sixty per cent of Australian workers now access intranet content from a mobile device, according to recent industry surveys.

Maintaining Communication Sites for Impact

After launch, monitor usage statistics and regularly solicit feedback from users. Use SharePoint’s native analytics to identify popular content, navigation bottlenecks, and opportunities for improvement. Consistent publishing schedules, such as weekly HR updates or monthly executive messages, foster trust that the site remains current and relevant.

Plan annual reviews to archive outdated pages and refresh site branding as your business evolves. By investing in ongoing content quality, Perth businesses can ensure their Communication Sites stay vibrant and valuable touchpoints for all staff members.

Security and Governance: Protecting Your SharePoint Environment

As SharePoint becomes more deeply embedded in day-to-day business, robust security and governance have never been more important. For Team Sites, governance policies should include routine reviews of membership and permissions, as well as mandatory configuration of multi-factor authentication. WA’s data protection regulations mean that accidental data leakage can carry significant financial and reputational risks.

Communication Sites require a strong editorial workflow to prevent the spread of misinformation. Strict control over publishing rights, regular page reviews, and clear escalation procedures for urgent communications all play a role. Periodically check audit logs to track changes and spot unusual behaviour early. This is particularly important for sites that host sensitive or regulatory policy documents, such as those relating to health or safety compliance in Perth industries.

Backup and disaster recovery plans must be documented and tested. While Microsoft provides native protections, third-party backup solutions and local IT partners can add extra assurance. Wolfe Systems, for instance, partners with leading backup vendors and provides tailored SharePoint security audits to ensure ongoing compliance and peace of mind for their clients.

Integration and Automation: Boosting SharePoint Value

The power of SharePoint multiplies when integrated with other Microsoft 365 apps and business platforms. For Team Sites, linking files with Teams channels, Planner tasks, or Power Automate workflows streamlines communication and reduces task duplication. Listing key project milestones or shared calendars within the Team Site keeps everyone aligned and minimises surprises.

For Communication Sites, integrating forms, interactive surveys, and Power BI dashboards enhances user engagement. Automated publishing workflows ensure content accuracy and reduce manual processes. These integrations are increasingly important as Perth’s businesses seek to connect disparate systems and automate routine tasks, freeing up staff time for more valuable work.

Modern APIs and web services also allow SharePoint to function as the backbone of broader digital transformation projects. Skilled IT partners—like Wolfe Systems with its deep Microsoft ecosystem expertise—can help businesses design, implement, and support these advanced integrations, ensuring SharePoint grows as business needs change.

Managing Change: Driving SharePoint Adoption in Perth Businesses

Technical deployment is just one side of the SharePoint story. Cultural change and sustained user adoption are equally critical, particularly in diverse workforces. A 2025 ACCC report notes that up to 35% of digital transformation projects underperform due to poor staff engagement or lack of ongoing support.

Training is essential. Provide tailored sessions for different user groups: content creators, site owners, and general users. Develop clear self-help resources and FAQs curated for your business realities. For many Perth organisations, investing in change champions or digital workplace ambassadors can accelerate adoption and quickly surface real-world issues.

Encourage feedback through surveys or site suggestion boxes, and ensure actionable items are resolved and communicated. The goal is to build a sense of ownership and pride in your SharePoint platform, turning it from “just another system” into a core element of your workplace identity and operations.

Progressive IT providers like Wolfe Systems offer end-to-end support programmes, from initial roadmap development to ongoing training and site performance tuning. By treating management as an ongoing journey, not a one-off project, Perth businesses can maximise their return on investment in both Team Sites and Communication Sites.

Selecting the Right IT Partner for SharePoint Success

The complexity of SharePoint management—especially when balancing Team Sites and Communication Sites—means that partnering with a knowledgeable, locally focused provider can make a world of difference. In Perth, Wolfe Systems stands out for its competitive pricing, technical expertise, and personal approach. The company’s consultants understand WA industry needs, from compliance in resources through to rapid innovation in professional services.

Look for a partner offering comprehensive planning, custom site design, robust security audits, integration support, and user training. Ongoing support contracts should provide for routine audits, incident response, and proactive advice as Microsoft 365 evolves. Consider providers that regularly invest in staff certification and foster collaborative relationships with their clients, rather than one-off transactional arrangements.

Wolfe Systems, for example, takes pride in working alongside internal IT and business teams, ensuring SharePoint solutions are both secure and user-friendly. This support has helped dozens of Perth organisations turn their digital platforms into genuine drivers of growth and efficiency. With the right guidance and technical backing, businesses can confidently navigate SharePoint’s evolution and ensure that both Team Sites and Communication Sites deliver consistent value.

Future Trends: SharePoint’s Evolving Role in Digital Workplaces

SharePoint is not standing still. Microsoft continues to invest heavily in new features—ranging from AI-powered content suggestions to advanced analytics and hybrid cloud integrations. For Perth businesses, staying abreast of these enhancements is vital to remain competitive as workplace expectations change.

The rise of remote and flexible work means demand for digital collaboration tools will only grow. Many experts predict further convergence between Team Sites, Communication Sites, and Microsoft Teams, with unified navigation, more personalisation options, and deeper app integration.

As compliance expectations rise and the nature of information work changes, ensuring your organisation’s SharePoint environment is prepared to adapt is more important than ever. Regular review cycles, ongoing training, and active engagement with IT partners can futureproof your investment and keep your digital workplace ahead of the curve.

By focusing on both operational excellence and ongoing innovation, Perth businesses can make the most of SharePoint’s dual site types. Whether you’re just starting or looking to mature your digital collaboration, investing in clear management strategies—and leaning on experts like Wolfe Systems—puts you on a path to sustained digital productivity.

Ready to Optimise Your SharePoint Sites?

If your organisation is navigating the choice or management of SharePoint Team Sites versus Communication Sites, now is the perfect time to review your approach. Reach out to the SharePoint specialists at Wolfe Systems for hands-on support, strategic advice, and tailored solutions that empower your teams and protect your business. Take the next step in transforming your digital workplace—enquire today.