Item: Slack
Rating: 8
Author: Verified User

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

I work at a university and our department uses Slack to decrease the number of emails in our inboxes. We use it to post work status updates, share news stories relevant to our work, connect with colleagues (both on-campus and remote employees), encourage collaboration, and more. If there's something that is meant to be a quick opportunity for discussion and collaboration, it goes on Slack. Otherwise, larger projects or messages that require more consideration, still go through email.

Pros and Cons

Encourages collaboration
Organizes discussions into customizable channels
Provides a robust private messaging tool

There could be more app integrations available, and an easier way to connect the apps that are available.
A better way to flag messages and come back to them later would be helpful.
I'd love an easier way to mute certain types of messages within a channel.

Most Important Features

Collaboration
Private messaging
Community building for remote employees

Return on Investment

Efficiency
Collaboration
Community building

Alternatives Considered

Google Chat

We also have Google Chat integrated with our Google Workspace. While some people within our organization still prefer to use Google Chat, Slack has much more robust functionality and most people within our Marketing and Communications unit use Slack. Google Chat is really only good as a private messaging tool—and even then, it's only available within the browser so messages are often missed. Slack has both desktop and mobile apps, so the notifications and functionality are much better. In addition to individual or group messaging, Slack also has other tools for organizing open-ended discussions into categories (channels) that allow for multiple people to engage with.

Key Insights

Do you think Slack delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Slack's feature set?

Yes

Did Slack live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of Slack go as expected?

I wasn't involved with the implementation phase

Would you buy Slack again?

Yes

Other Software Used

Google Chat, Google Drive, Google Calendar

Likelihood to Recommend

Slack is great for quick messages and updates where back-and-forth communication is needed. For example, we use it to share relevant news articles, brainstorm ideas for social media, wordsmith headlines and email subjects, private messaging, and more. It is less useful when there are larger discussions on a topic that need to be have or for when specific requests are being made. For example, I don't find it helpful to use Slack for official project requests or discussions that require more thought or research before responding. There isn't a great way to flag messages to come back to later, so email is still a better spot for those kinds of things.

Encourages Collaboration and Community

Overall Satisfaction with Slack