Start with the task
Choose what you need to do before choosing an app.
In this fictional example, Northstar Works uses several workplace apps for different kinds of work. Start with the outcome: sharing a quick update, coordinating a live conversation, or tracking work that continues over time. The app names below illustrate how to make that distinction; they are not a verified directory of available tools.
Quick rule: use a conversation tool for timely coordination; use a work-tracking tool when people need to see owners, progress, and next steps later.
Choose the task
These examples name the task first and the fictional app second. No app destination is linked here.
Share a quick shift handoff
Use Team Chat for a short, time-sensitive update that the next colleague needs to see soon.
- State the current situation and the immediate next action.
- Use the relevant work conversation rather than starting a duplicate thread.
Track work across several days
Use Project Board when work needs visible owners, milestones, and progress beyond a single conversation.
- Record the owner and next step on the work item.
- Use comments for context tied to that tracked work.
Find a shared document
Use Shared Library when colleagues need a maintained file or reference, rather than an informal chat attachment.
- Check the document title and version before relying on it.
- Ask the document owner when two copies appear current.
Tell similar destinations apart
Fictional Northstar Works examples. Use the task and the expected follow-up to choose.
| Details | Team Chat | Project Board |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Quick, time-sensitive coordination | Work tracked across days or weeks |
| What the reader should find | A concise update and the immediate next action | An owner, progress, and a recorded next step |
| Worked example | A shift lead shares a handoff note for the incoming colleague to act on now. | The team tracks a store-display change with an owner and due date over several days. |
| Do not use it as | The sole record of work that needs ongoing ownership and visible progress | A substitute for a fast conversation when an immediate exchange is needed |
Check access before you begin
A short check helps distinguish an app choice from an access issue.
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1
Use your approved sign-in
Open the app through your organization's supported sign-in method on a work-supported device.
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2
Check that it applies to your work
Availability can depend on role, location, or device. If the app is not available to you, do not assume another app is an approved substitute.
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3
Ask for the right help
For a missing app or sign-in problem, ask the workplace-app access support role. For a question about which destination owns a task, ask the app or process owner.