In Atomicwork, the decision to create a workspace vs. a group within a workspace depends on the organization's service structure, access control needs, and operational boundaries. Here’s a structured way to decide between creating a workspace or a group.
When to create a workspace
A workspace represents a distinct service environment with its own settings, agents, and access controls. Organizations should create a new workspace when:
Distinct business units or subsidiaries exist – If an organization operates multiple entities with independent service teams, policies, and workflows (e.g., separate HR, IT, and Facilities teams).
Geographic or legal separation – If teams operate in different regions where compliance, data residency, or service policies vary.
Service delivery is fundamentally different – If different parts of the business have unique workflows, automation rules, escalation paths, or approval processes and SLAs that don’t overlap.
Distinct reporting needs - Organizations that need strict separation of data and reporting.
When to create a group within a workspace
A group within a workspace is used to organize service teams that share common policies but need a way to structure ownership of tickets and responsibilities. Organizations should create groups when:
Functional teams exist within a department – For example, within an IT workspace, separate groups for L1 support, L2 support, Security, and Infrastructure teams.
Service specialization is needed – If certain requests require specific expertise but still belong to the same business function.
Access control is required within a workspace – If some teams should only see or manage specific types of requests (e.g., a Finance group within a General Services workspace handling only payroll inquiries).
Operational efficiency – If ticket routing, reporting, or automation needs to be aligned within a department but with team-specific rules.
Dual reporting needs – Groups are best when organizations need both macro (workspace) and micro (group) visibility.
Example scenarios
Scenario | Workspace | Group |
A company with IT teams in the US and EU with different compliance rules | ✅ Yes (Separate workspaces per region) | ❌ No |
An IT department with Helpdesk, Security, and DevOps teams | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (Typically IT groups within an IT workspace) |
IT teams managing separate corporate and manufacturing environments | ✅ Yes (Different policies and infrastructure for corporate vs. factory IT) | ❌ No |
Security teams handling IT security vs. physical security | ✅ Yes (Different processes to manage cyber risks vs. building access/safety) | ❌ No |
An HR team managing Payroll, Benefits, and Recruitment | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (Typically groups with an HR workspace) |
Facilities teams for different office locations with local vendors | ✅ Yes (Separate workspaces per location) | ❌ No |