Slack is a popular communication tool for teams and organizations. It’s been around for about 13 years, and it’s used by thousands of companies around the globe. But, is slack good for project management?
Here is an overview of Slack’s features and capabilities along with a few suggestions on how to do project management in Slack.
Is Slack a project management tool?
Actually, Slack is a communication tool. It’s also a collaboration tool, designed especially for teams to stay in touch and communicate quickly and effectively.
However, communication, collaboration, and project management are deeply intertwined. Indeed, you need good communication among the team but also collaboration to successfully complete a project. So, many Slack characteristics can be super helpful to help you and your team communicate and collaborate when working on a project. That’s why many project managers are using Slack daily.
Why are remote teams using Slack as a project management tool?
Slack is one of the top communication apps in the market, and it’s used by hundreds of thousands of companies and organizations worldwide, especially for remote team management.
It’s known for its intuitive, aesthetically-pleasing, fun interface. Indeed, Slack has a low learning curve and you can quickly get the hang of it. Additionally, you can change the design and layout of your workspace, modify the notification settings, and personalize the app in many other ways.
On the other hand, Slack makes it easy to keep conversations organized. Within a workspace, you can create several private or public channels, and start threads inside each channel. Threads are great for keeping all messages related to the same topic together.
Additionally, Slack has the feature to share files, such as documents, videos, or images. You can also reply with GIFs and react to messages with emojis, or jump in a phone call directly in the app with one or more team members.
Lastly, I want to mention a powerful Slack feature: integrations. The Slack App Directory has over 2,400 integrations available. Each one allows you to use diverse apps directly from Slack, without needing to switch between them! Integrations include well-known apps such as Google Drive, Gmail, Trello, Asana, Figma, Notion, and more.
For all these features, Slack can be a great addition to many project managers’ tech stacks. Let’s see how you can start using Slack for project management and leverage its features with your team.
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How to use Slack to manage projects with ease
Is Slack a project management tool? Well, it can be one. Let’s see how:
1. Set up diverse channels
One of the key elements for fluid and organized communication in Slack is the workspace’s structure.
Take advantage of the possibility to create multiple channels to organize discussions accordingly. For example, companies tend to create diverse channels for each department. Project managers, on the other hand, can have different channels for each aspect of the project.
Think about your project and what channels may be appropriate to create inside the workspace. Are there conversations that need to be kept from certain users? You can make a channel private and assign which people have access.
2. Integrate relevant tools
With over 2,400 Slack integrations, the Slack App Directory probably includes the project management software you use in the form of a Slack integration.
Slack integrations allow users to automate workflows, simplify routines, use external apps without the need of manually switching between them, and even perform some pretty custom tasks by adding bots.
These are some of the best Slack apps for project management:
- Trello
- Asana
- Workast
- Wrike
- monday.com
- ClickUp
- Todoist
- Evernote
- Notion
- Workstreams
💡 Integrate virtual spaces to Slack
Bramble allows you to create virtual spaces for online social gatherings, and it has a Slack integration for users to see who in their workspace enters their online spaces. As a project manager, you can use this tool to set up fun meetings with your team members. Additionally, Bramble has a community on Circle for you to receive support and feedback and connect with other community builders.
3. Make a Kanban board
Kanban boards are project managers’ allies. A board like this allows you to quickly see what the team is currently working on, and assign tasks to diverse people. You can make a digital Kanban board by using an app like Trello, Asana, Kanbanize, or Workstreams.
For example, this is how you use the Trello integration to add new cards to boards directly from Slack without needing to switch apps:
4. Create a Gantt chart
Gantt charts allow project managers to create detailed plans for projects, with a set timeline for each stage or task within the total timeline of the project.
You can use an integration such as TeamGantt to create and modify Gantt charts directly from Slack:
5. Automate and set reminders
Slackbot is Slack’s own bot. It allows you and every member of the team to set reminders, notify those mentioned in a channel they’re not a part of, let members know when a channel they’re in has been archived, and send custom responses and automated messages in your workspace.
If you require more personalized features, there are many third-party bots you can find on the Slack App Directory as integrations. Moreover, there are several apps heavily based on automation, such as Zapier, within Slack integrations.
Additionally, you can automate tasks with a Slack feature called Workflow Builder, which allows you to create workflows and automate diverse tasks:
Lastly, don’t forget to check out Slack’s commands, they can be super useful to boost productivity and save time!
6. Task management and progress measurement made easy
You can create and assign tasks in Slack by using some third-party apps such as Asana, Wrike, or Flow. Additionally, many teams use Slack for progress measurement, since the tool allows for calls between team members, file sharing, and crafting regular progress updates.
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7. Share files
Sharing documents, videos, images, and other files is an essential component of project management. Inside Slack, you can share files inside a channel or in a private DM, both from your desktop or cloud storage systems. Additionally, it’s possible to integrate tools such as Google Drive or Dropbox to easily share files among the team.
On the other hand, Slack has a built-in search engine that allows you to search for files or the content available in those files, making it easy for any team member to quickly find what they are looking for.
Are you ready to start using Slack for project management and boosting your team’s productivity? Here are other additional 10 productivity tips (with tools recommendations!) to complete your projects faster.
