Spaces

A space is a shared place for activities that are not about one customer record — a project, a team, a topic such as “Showroom refit”. Use a members-only space for conversations a small group should keep to itself, and a company-wide space for news everyone should see.

How it fits together

Every space has one of two visibility settings:

Setting	Who can read its activities
Members only	Its members, and the people named in a thread with @. Someone who is not a member cannot read it until they join.
Whole company	Everyone in your company whose role has View on Activities.

Notes, tasks, events and communications are posted in a space just as on a record, with replies, @ mentions and # links. In a members-only space, linking a record with # gives nobody else access. An event in a members-only space never shows on a non-member’s calendar, not even as Busy.

How it works

You can move an activity from a record into a space, between spaces, or from a space back onto its records by choosing No space. Open the activity, select Move to space in its ··· menu, choose the space under Move to and select Move. Before anything changes, easySales shows who will gain access and who will lose it. Confirm to move the activity, or cancel to leave it where it was.

Only the activity’s writer, the owner of the space it is in, or someone with Manage others’ activities can move it, and you must be a member of the space you move it into. A closed space takes no new activities. Both spaces show a line saying that an activity was moved in or out.

Where to find it

Select Spaces in the sidebar to see the spaces you can see. The list shows each space’s Name, with a lock beside a members-only one, Who can see it, Owner, Members and your Membership. Status shows Open spaces unless you choose Closed or All, and Scope set to Spaces I am in narrows the list to yours. Open a space to see its Activity and Tasks tabs and its members. To create a space, join or leave one, or change its members, see Manage a space.

Good to know

• Adding members, and changing the visibility setting, change who can read everything already in the space. easySales shows the change of audience before you confirm.
• Leaving a members-only space means you can no longer read it, unless you are named in a thread.
• A closed space keeps what is in it but takes no new activities.
• Joining, leaving and every change of members are recorded in the company’s audit log.

Common misunderstandings

• An administrator does not see every space’s content automatically. Someone with Manage others’ activities can see that a members-only space exists, and who is in it, but must join before reading what is posted; joining shows everyone in the space a line saying so.
• A company-wide space is not tied to customer records. Everyone in your company reads it, whatever records their role lets them see, so keep customer details on the customer’s record.
• A members-only space you are not a member of does not appear in your list at all, unless you hold Manage others’ activities.

Why it works this way

Members only means members only — administrators included. A discussion about a dispute, a supplier price or a staff matter stays with the people in the space. An administrator who needs to read it must join, and everyone in the space sees that they did, so nobody reads it unnoticed.

A change of audience is shown before it happens. Moving an activity or adding a member changes who can read the whole thread, earlier replies included. Seeing the names first lets you stop before something private reaches the wrong person.

Linked records open nothing in a members-only space. Linking a customer with # keeps the work connected to the customer without letting everyone who can see that customer read the space.

Customer matters belong on the customer. A company-wide space ignores record permissions, so keeping customer details on the record means only people allowed to see that customer can read them.

Work faster

• Show only your spaces. Set Scope to Spaces I am in; a lock beside a name marks a members-only space.
• Give work to the group. New task in the space’s header posts a task in the space; the Tasks tab lists what is still open. See Tasks.
• Bring in a person, not a whole team. Mention a colleague with @ in one thread to let them read it without making them a member; see Write an activity.
• Move rather than repost. Move to space keeps the replies and history together.
• Check who can read a thread. See Who can see activities.

Examples

Moving a note into a members-only space

Mei Tan posted a note on Harbour Café’s account about the café’s late payments. On reflection she wants only the directors to read it. She moves the note into the members-only space “Directors”. Before she confirms, easySales shows that Marcus Tan and Siti Nadia will lose access, because they are not members, and that nobody gains it. Mei confirms. The note now sits in “Directors”, and Marcus and Siti no longer see it on the café’s account.

An administrator who needs to read a space

Daniel Lim holds Manage others’ activities. He opens the members-only space “Supplier pricing” and sees its members, but the page says he can see the members and not what is posted. He selects Join space. He can now read the space, and every member sees a line saying that he joined.

Common questions

• Can an administrator read a members-only space? Not without joining it. Joining shows a line to everyone in the space and is recorded in the audit log.
• What is the difference between Members only and Whole company? Members only is read by its members and the people named in a thread; Whole company is read by everyone whose role has View on Activities.
• Does linking a customer in a members-only space let the customer’s owner read it? No. In a members-only space a # link gives nobody else access.
• Will a meeting in a members-only space block my colleagues’ calendars? No. A non-member does not see the event on any calendar, not even as Busy.
• Do I have to join a company-wide space to post in it? No. Anyone whose role has View and post on Activities can read and post in an open company-wide space. Joining makes you a member.
• Why can’t I see a space a colleague mentioned? It is members-only and you are not a member. Ask its owner to add you.

Related

• Manage a space
• Who can see activities
• Activities
• Activities and follow-up