#InsideIT

Every day at KAUST, we share documents — proposals, papers, teaching slides, HR forms, lab results, reports, feedback sheets, and planning decks. Some go to colleagues down the hall. Others to collaborators around the world. And all too often, they go to email inboxes, where versioning chaos and lost attachments take over.

With Microsoft Teams, powered by OneDrive and SharePoint, there’s a better way. One that simplifies collaboration, prevents duplication, and keeps everything organized in one secure, shared space.

This article explores how file sharing actually works in Microsoft Teams at KAUST and how you can use it to collaborate across departments, research groups, and classrooms without the confusion of “FinalFinal_v3_Draft2_MeetingEdit.xlsx.”

Why Teams for File Sharing?

You might think of Microsoft Teams as a place for chat and meetings. But behind every Team and every chat is an integrated file system that connects directly to OneDrive and SharePoint.

• Files shared in a chat are stored in your OneDrive and automatically shared with the people in the chat.
• Files shared in a channel are saved in SharePoint and accessible to all members of that Team.

No separate logins. No need to manually adjust permissions. It just works.

For Researchers: Share, Annotate, and Publish from One Place

Research teams at KAUST often work across labs, departments, and time zones. With Teams, fragmented email chains and uncontrolled folders can be replaced with structured, transparent document collaboration.

Scenario: A multi-PI research group is co-authoring a paper. Each PI has different sections, and multiple versions are flying around.

• The team uses a dedicated “Manuscript Prep” channel.
• A single Word document is uploaded to the Files tab.
• Everyone edits live — no emailing attachments or waiting turns.
• Teams automatically tracks versions and allows easy reversion.
• Comments and conversations stay in the channel next to the file.

“We’ve stopped asking ‘who has the latest version?’ and started asking ‘what should we change next?’ That shift alone saved us hours every week.”

For Faculty and Students: Class Resources Without the Clutter

Faculty at KAUST already use Blackboard for course management, but Teams is increasingly popular for interactive communication and real-time collaboration — especially in hybrid and project-based learning.

Faculty Use Cases:

• Share lecture slides, reading lists, or lab manuals in weekly folders.
• Organize files by topic inside the Files tab of each channel.
• Use “Open in SharePoint” for advanced management when needed.

Student Use Cases:

• Upload group project files to a shared Team for easy collaboration.
• Co-author files using Word, Excel, or PowerPoint online or in the desktop app.
• Keep track of coursework materials in one place instead of scattered drives.

“We used to message each other files on WhatsApp. Now we just pin everything to our Teams project space and know exactly where to look.”

For Staff and Admin Teams: Replace Shared Drives with Secure Collaboration

Many administrative teams still rely on shared drives or personal OneDrive folders to share working documents. This often leads to outdated versions, missed updates, or locked files.

With Teams, you get:

• Real-time co-authoring in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote
• Version history and inline comments
• Secure access control managed by KAUST's Microsoft 365 platform
• Organized folders per process or project, all within your department Team

Scenario: The HR team is preparing an onboarding guide.

• The draft lives in the “Onboarding Resources” channel.
• Everyone reviews and comments in the same file.
• A version history tracks changes. No need for multiple drafts.
• A single link is shared for the final version, not the file itself.

“Instead of chasing five different versions of a PDF, we all worked on one version together, and I always knew it was the latest.”

For Executives and Leadership Teams: Easy Review and Secure Distribution

Executives at KAUST often review strategic documents on the go. With Teams and OneDrive:

• Files are accessible from desktop, mobile, or tablet with encryption in place
• Assistants can manage permissions and updates in Teams directly
• Version control and restricted access protect sensitive materials
• External collaborators can be added securely for document review

Built-in Features that Make File Sharing Smarter

• Co-authoring: Multiple users can edit at once
• Autosave: Real-time saving in OneDrive/SharePoint
• Version history: Revert to previous edits with ease
• Inline commenting: Provide feedback directly in the file
• Open in desktop or browser: Work how you prefer
• @mentions: Notify team members for input

Tips for Better File Sharing in Teams

Do:

• Upload files to the right channel for visibility and tracking
• Use folders to organize content for long-term projects
• Pin key files for quick access
• Leverage SharePoint views when advanced file control is needed

Avoid:

• Sharing files in private chat unless truly one-on-one
• Downloading files repeatedly for offline edits
• Duplicating files across Teams without coordination

Moving Away from Zoom File Sharing

Previously, many KAUST users shared files in Zoom meetings and followed up by email. With Teams:

• Shared files are linked directly in meeting chats
• Collaborators can open, review, or edit the file in context
• Meeting notes and files stay together in the Team

No more guessing where a file was sent or who has it. It’s all in one place.

One Platform. One Set of Tools. One Source of Truth.

By using Microsoft Teams as our hub for communication and file sharing — with OneDrive and SharePoint at the core — we reduce complexity and streamline collaboration across the KAUST community.

Every department, classroom, and research group benefits when we move from isolated attachments to shared knowledge spaces.

Want to Get Started?

• Visit the IT Training Academy website to explore upcoming Microsoft Teams and M365 sessions
• Learn how to manage and collaborate on files in Teams with Microsoft Teams: Working with Files (LinkedIn Learning)
• Explore how SharePoint and Teams work together in Collaborating with SharePoint and Teams (LinkedIn Learning)
• Watch this quick YouTube overview on OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams collaboration
• Dive deeper with this step-by-step video on managing files across Microsoft 365 tools