Typically, direct contact and liaison roles provide sufficient coordination when more than two functions or divisions share many common problems.

When more than two functions or divisions share many common problems, direct contact and liaison roles may not produce enough coordination. In these cases, a more complex integrating mechanism, the team, may be suitable. One manager from each pertinent function or division is allocated to a team that meets to resolve a specific basic problem; team members are accountable the solutions recommended. Teams are progressively being used at all organizational levels.