I'm part of a French architecture firm with 25 people, and we've just moved our email system to Microsoft 365. Now, I'm trying to streamline our calendar setup to better utilize our subscription. We currently have several calendars, including a general one for company-wide events, a birthday calendar, four team-specific calendars for appointments and deadlines, and an HR calendar. Each of these calendars is managed through separate Gmail accounts, which is getting a bit cumbersome.
I want everyone to easily access and edit the shared calendars, except for the HR one, which should be restricted. I've looked into various options but feel lost with what Microsoft 365 has to offer. I found that you can use M365 groups, but they're limited to one calendar and access outside the group isn't possible. Shared mailboxes seem promising, allowing multiple calendars, but I'm unsure how to manage sharing effectively, especially if someone accidentally removes a calendar or if we hire new staff.
Public folders and SharePoint feel too complicated for my needs, and I'm frustrated that creating and managing calendars isn't more straightforward. I'm also curious how other companies manage their calendars and whether they have one group or shared mailbox per calendar, which seems like it requires endless email addresses. Lastly, I'm also wondering about how to handle a central contact list that everyone's Outlook can access. Any help would be appreciated!
3 Answers
I personally create shared calendars as Resources in Microsoft 365. After getting the needed permissions, I can access these calendars and adjust their visibility so that everyone can view or edit them as required. This way, all users can add the calendars they need without having to submit ticket requests.
The shared mailbox combined with security groups is probably the way to go. You can set up one shared mailbox for each type of calendar you need, and then create multiple calendars within those mailboxes. This setup allows everyone to edit and view them, though I know the email invites can be a hassle. If you have access to PowerShell, you can automate sharing new calendars, making it easier when you add new users. Just keep in mind that Microsoft 365 is primarily designed for room and resource booking, which can feel a bit clunky for regular team calendars.
Make sure you have the right permissions for shared mailbox calendars. If a calendar isn't showing up, you can manually add it in Outlook. If you're managing multiple calendars, it's a good idea to note that you need to select the right one when adding it, as the default may just show the primary calendar. For PowerShell, I know it can be tricky if you don't have an Azure license, and that can limit your options. A global admin account usually bypasses a lot of those issues.
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