A component can be associated with a task. Using a task, consumers of the component can specify which component version to use. Typically, each version of a component is associated with a separate task.
The person who publishes the component can create a task and associate it with the appropriate files or projects. It is also possible for the component consumer to create a task and associate it with the component files that are needed. A component can be associated with several tasks.
By creating the task, the consumer can unit test the new version of the component, make any additional changes needed, and associate the changes with the same task. Doing so keeps together all of the logical changes of upgrading to the new component version. The rest of the team is not affected by the new component version. A component version can be associated with multiple tasks: one for the team who developed it, and, potentially, one for each team that uses it.
You can also use Rational Synergy to group tasks into folders. By grouping tasks into folders, you can build folders that group sets of compatible component versions that are certified for use together. Such a folder can be shared by different consumer applications that want to reuse those exact sets of components.