Slack - Tools we use

It is our mission to help companies and organizations with the successful deployment of modern web technology. Of course we make sure that we are up to date with the latest techniques and tools to make this possible. In the content series ’tools we use’ we reveal which tools we use for this purpose. In addition, we give our professional opinion and explain how and why we use these tools.

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‘‘Could you slack me that for a second’’?

In this working from home period it is a must for a smooth operation within every company; a good tool for internal communication. There are hundreds of tools you can use for this, but we chose Slack!

And these are our four reasons why 👇

(1). Collaboration

Slack is an ideal tool for quick contact. You can reach each other one-on-one via the chat, but also in a project based on a channel. Per project we work on we have an internal slack channel in which all project updates are shared.

We also have channels that can be used by all Ibuildings colleagues. For example, we have a #dev channel in which the new Symfony update is discussed, or we use the #random channel for funny facts and fun movies. Of course we also have a number of unwritten ‘Slack house rules’. Everybody updates their status when you have a lunch break or are in a meeting at that moment and therefore not available for a while.

(2). External contacts

For external communication, we often quickly get back to the mail or phone, but we also use Slack to consult with our customers and external partners. In Slack, for example, it is possible to invite a user for a specific channel. Every scrum team at Ibuildings has a channel in which we communicate with the customer about software deliveries, requirements, sprint schedules and appointments.
In addition, Slack also has a call option to have a (video) conversation to talk things over. In some cases, this option is even used to have the standup meeting with the customer every morning.

(3). Software development

Besides the fact that Slack is a good tool for (online) collaboration, Slack is also very suitable for software development teams. Perhaps that’s the most important reason why we love working with Slack. Slack has an infinite number of integration possibilities. For example, we have several channels in which we directly report the log files of an API. For example, we use a workflow to get all features in our releases through at once and in some projects there’s integration with Gitlab so we’re notified immediately if a pipeline fails.

(4). Nice to have

Slack is also full of handy and often fun ’nice-to-haves’. For example, you can link your calendar to Slack and you’ll be remembered a few minutes before your meeting starts (ideal for when you’re lost in your work again and don’t have time in your sights for a while). In addition, Slack has plenty of handy shortcuts that make it super easy to navigate through your messages. In addition, you can make custom-emoji’s in Slack, so we have a dancing rainbow parrot with a moustache, always handy!