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.