With distributed workforces and hybrid or remote working as the norm, it could feel like collaboration and communication is easier when people meet face to face. But as everyone – from partners to customers – moves online, so should your workstations.
Slack and Salesforce together empower companies to do exactly that – build fully functional and dynamic digital headquarters. A Digital HQ works just as your organisation does; only all your data, operations, conversations, and collaborations exist online.
But first, what is Slack?
Slack is a secure channel-based messaging platform for businesses that brings everything and everyone you need to make work flow in one place. It helps you neatly organise all the important conversations, data, files, and apps your teams need, making work easier, faster, more collaborative, and efficient.
On 21 July 2021, Salesforce announced its acquisition of Slack. This created a trailblazing combination that enables you to drive business and customer success from anywhere in a digital-first world.
How Slack supercharges organisations for a digital-first, remote-work-first world
Slack is a great platform to build your digital HQ on as it takes care of the four main pillars that enable frictionless remote working:
Here’s a closer look at how Slack’s features enable this.
Pillar 1 - Communication
- Slack channel: Offices usually have separate spaces demarcated for different departments or teams. Slack channels mimic these physical spaces online.
- You can create public or private channels for every project, topic, or team. This helps create focused spaces where work can happen without clutter or confusion.
- Use Slack Connect to add up to 20 external organisations to a channel securely, so collaboration with partners, vendors, and customers is easier.
- Create unlimited channels to support global-scale collaboration, so your digital HQ reflects how your organisation actually works.
- Direct messages: Have something to share with only one colleague? Connect one-on-one with them and get work done.
And why wait for replies and meetings when you can connect instantly with anyone in the organisation? Start a video or audio Slack huddle inside messages with a click. You can integrate the most popular video conferencing solutions right into Slack.
Every conversation is recorded and searchable, so your colleagues can look up past conversations and access important information and shared files when needed.
Pillar 2 – Integration
With more than 2,400 apps available in the Slack App Directory, there is hardly any popular app that does not integrate with Slack. Whether it is Salesforce solutions or third-party apps, your teams can access these where they work right within Slack. This saves time and effort earlier spent on switching between screens and looking for scattered information.
You can also attach documents, photos, and videos within messages, so your teams always have more context when sharing files.
Pillar 3 – Automation
Save time and streamline crucial processes by automating repetitive tasks – like sharing updates, onboarding new team members, gathering feedback or ideas, approvals, etc.
Use Workflow Builder to choose what happens next with clicks, not code, and create workflows from within Slack
Use Slack APIs to bring in data and tasks from other tools to where everyone is already collaborating within Slack
Pillar 4 – Security
Whether yours is a large enterprise or a growing small business, collaborate with all relevant stakeholders without worrying about security threats. Slack enables you to –
Share your company’s information with only the right people and devices using features like single sign-on, mobility management, and more
Keep data at rest and in transit secure using your own keys to encrypt files and messages with Slack Enterprise Key Management (EKM)
Flexibly manage risks and governance – like retention policies or custom terms of service – based on your organisation’s needs
Slack is great for any function or team
Different teams can use Slack to do what they do, only better and faster. For instance,
Marketing teams can:
- Turn ideas into deeper engagement faster by getting the right teams together
- Speed up go-to-market times and build loyalty by responding to data and trends in real-time
- Optimise outreach and impact with useful insights
Sales teams can:
- Securely connect with partners and customers in real-time
- Boost productivity by automating tasks and providing actionable insights
- Tag relevant team members to move deals forward faster
Service teams can:
- Resolve issues and queries faster with cross-company case swarming
- Gather relevant teams to respond to multi-customer incidents quickly
- Respond expertly with details like relevant messages, files, and previously resolved issues
Get Slack for your teams
Build a collaborative ecosystem and suitable work culture for your business today. Try Slack’s free version with some basic features or get one of the three paid versions – Pro, Business+, and Enterprise Grid – for more comprehensive features.
