Departments and Customization in Shape
Team Management
Learn how teams work in Shape and how users collaborate across roles.
Departments and Customization in Shape
This video explains how departments work in Shape and how they control what users see, access, and work on inside the system. Departments are one of the most important organizational tools in Shape, even though they’re often overlooked during setup.
What Departments Control
Departments define how users experience the platform. They determine which record types users can see, what workflow tabs appear inside records, and which custom fields are available. Shape includes default departments based on your industry, but every department can be edited or customized.
Assigning Users to Departments
Users can belong to one or multiple departments depending on their responsibilities. This allows teams to reflect real-world roles without duplicating users or forcing handoffs.
Common use cases include:
- Loan officers who also act as assistants
- Sales reps who support multiple pipelines
- Users who work both inbound and outbound workflows
Departments can be added or removed directly from the user profile at any time.
Managing Departments
All department configuration happens in the Manage Departments settings page. You can create new departments, rename existing ones, or remove departments that no longer fit your workflow.
Each department is fully customizable and can be tailored to match how your organization actually operates.
Record Type Visibility
Departments control which record types users can access. This allows different teams to focus only on what matters to their role.
Examples include:
- Sales teams viewing leads but not closed accounts
- Account managers viewing active accounts only
- Billing teams accessing accounts without lead visibility
Changing record visibility immediately affects what users can see throughout the system.
Workflow Tabs and Record Layouts
Workflow tabs are the sections users see at the top of a record. Each department can have different tabs enabled depending on the record type.
Tabs can be:
- Enabled or disabled
- Reordered
- Restored at any time
This ensures users only see the tools and information relevant to their role.
Custom Tabs and Custom Fields
Departments control custom tabs and the fields that live inside them. Custom fields can be created to capture anything your business needs to track.
Available field types include:
- Text and titles
- Numbers and currency
- Dropdowns and dates
- Phone and email fields
These fields can be reordered and edited as workflows evolve.
Working Across Multiple Departments
Shape’s multi-object database allows multiple users from different departments to work the same record at the same time. No one loses access, and records never need to be passed back and forth.
Users assigned to multiple departments can switch views instantly using the department dropdown without logging out or using multiple accounts.
Working Across Multiple Departments
Departments also determine which custom UI elements users can see. One department may have access to a custom intake tab, while another sees only a read-only guideline tab.
This allows precise control over who can view, edit, or interact with specific parts of the platform.
Why This Video Matters
Departments control how records are viewed, worked, and managed across your team. When configured correctly, they reduce clutter, improve focus, and allow multiple teams to collaborate without stepping on each other.
They are the foundation for clean workflows, scalable growth, and clear role-based access throughout Shape.
