Serval is organized around teams. A team represents a group that handles a specific type of request—like IT Support, Security, or HR.
You must create at least one team before you can set up most product capabilities. Teams are where the majority of configuration happens—including automations, access, knowledge, and connected apps.
Why teams matter
- Most team-scoped work lives on a team. That includes workflows, access (access requests, policies, and provisioning tied to the team), guidance, knowledge, integrations, and the majority of other automations—each team has its own set of tools and connections.
- Tickets are routed to teams. When someone submits a request, Serval routes it to the appropriate team.
- Permissions are team-based. Users can be Managers on one team and Agents on another.
Multiple teams
Most organizations use several teams, matched to the kinds of requests they handle:
| Team | Handles |
|---|
| IT Support | Hardware, software, general IT issues |
| Security | Access reviews, security incidents |
| HR / People Ops | Onboarding, offboarding, HR questions |
| Finance | Expense reports, procurement |
Start with one team (usually IT Support) and add more as you scale. You can reorganize later.
Creating your first team
- Go to Settings → Teams
- Click Create Team
- Enter a name and prefix (for example IT for IT Support)
- Add team members and assign roles (Agent or Manager)
Once you have a team, you can configure workflows, access, guidance, knowledge, integrations, and other team-scoped automations for that team.
For how teams appear in the sidebar and how to navigate between them, see Platform orientation. For Settings on a specific team (channels, SLAs, labels, capabilities), see Team settings. 
