Teams
Teams are the top-level organizational units in Colabmacs.
They represent billable entities and group together projects, users, and financial responsibility. Every project — and therefore every charge — belongs to a team.
If projects represent work, teams represent ownership.
What Is a Team?
A Team typically represents:
- A research group or lab
- A department
- A company or external client
- A funded organization or cost center
Teams are used to:
- Own projects
- Track financial responsibility
- Control who can create and manage projects
Every team has exactly one Team Owner.
Team Owner (Financial Responsibility)
Each team has a single Team Owner.
The Team Owner:
- Is financially responsible for all charges accrued under the team’s projects
- Cannot be removed or transferred
- Has full visibility into team projects, usage, and charges
Financial Responsibility
All usage and charges generated under projects belonging to a team roll up to the Team Owner.
Facilities should ensure this role is assigned deliberately.
Team Roles
Teams support role-based management.
Common Roles
Team Owner
- Singular and immutable
- Financially responsible
Team Manager
- Assigned role
- Manages users, join requests, and projects
Team Member
- Relationship, not a role
- Participates in one or more projects
Info
Permissions may vary by facility configuration and dynamic rules.
Joining a Team
Users may join teams in two ways.
1. Join Requests (User-Initiated)
When users first register, they can browse public teams and request to join.
- Requests appear in Teams → Team → Pending Join Requests
- Team Owners or Team Managers can:
- âś… Accept
- ❌ Deny
Project Membership
Joining a team does not automatically add the user to any projects. Project membership is managed separately by Team Owners or Managers.
Note: Users do not need to belong to a team to be added to any of their projects.
2. Invitations (Manager-Initiated)
Team Owners or Team Managers can invite users directly.
- Invitations are sent via the system
- The user accepts the invite
- No approval step is required after acceptance
Team managers can add users directly to projects and skip the team join step entirely.
Creating & Managing Projects
Projects live inside teams.
Team Owners and Team Managers can:
- Create new projects
- Assign users to projects
- Set project-level limits
Projects are where actual work happens — but teams define who owns the work.
Project Limits & Controls
When creating or managing projects, managers can configure:
Project-Level Limits
- Expiration Date
- Budget Limit
User-Level Limits (Per Project)
Limits can also be applied per user within a project:
- Individual expiration dates
- Individual budget caps
This allows fine-grained control over access and spending.
Project Suspension
Projects are automatically monitored by the system.
A project becomes suspended when:
- Its budget limit is reached
- Its expiration date passes
This check is performed by a scheduled system job and may not occur instantly.
When a Project Is Suspended
- ❌ Users cannot make the project current
- âś… Historical usage and charges remain visible
Reactivating a Project
A suspended project can be reactivated by:
- Increasing the project budget
- Extending the expiration date
Once updated, the system will restore access during the next evaluation cycle.
Browsing Teams & Projects
Users can browse their teams and projects from the Profile Menu.
This provides quick access to:
- Active projects
- Team membership
- Project-scoped views
Best Practices for Team Owners & Managers
- Assign the Team Owner role carefully
- Use project-level limits to control spending
- Apply user-level limits for shared or temporary access
- Review suspended projects regularly
Teams provide structure, accountability, and financial clarity — setting them up correctly keeps everything downstream running smoothly.