This article describe how to use Slack tool for manage Agile projects and what kind of benefits and services slack deliver for their end users.

1. Agile with Slack
February 13 2016
Diluka Wittahachchige

2. Audience
Software Engineers
Database Engineers
QA Engineers
Implementation Engineers
Project managers

3. Objective
 Create central location for team communication
 Integrate with different services for deliver notifications(ex - VS Online , JIRA)
 All Content is Searchable from One Search Box
 File Sharing
 Code Snippets
 One to One and Private Groups
 Accessible Anywhere

4. What is Slack ?
- Slack is a team communication tool that allows for synchronous communication
on different devices.
- The app seems simple at first, but there are powerful features that make this the
fastest growing app ever
- Slack is not just a simple chat room.
- It is a communications hub that simplifies the day-to-day work of modern agile
teams

5. Why Slack need for Agile development ?
• Team leads and Tech leads can easily managed their goals and teams
through the Slack , during two weeks of sprint time duration.
• Slack support for effective team collaboration ,It helps to gather all team
members and their updates into one place(Slack channels)
• Slack helps to create powerful communication platform between different
services (It gather all these service notifications into one place) ,it helps
modern Agile teams to identify application issues, JIRA updates ,code
deployment changes.

6. Requirements
Mac 10.9 or newer
Windows 7 or newer

7. Procedure

8. DSM
Conduct Daily
standup meetings
through the Slack
Jira Task
Notify
Integrate JIRA service
for track task status
VSO CICD
Integrate Visual studio
online service for track
Builds,commits and
merge details
Notify
Errors
Integrate NewRelic service for track Application errors
Integrate SQL MONITOR service for track database
issues
Real time
response
Test and fixed issues
before effect to the
client process

9. Slack Integration With JIRA
- Slack Connector provides 2-way integration between Slack messaging system and your JIRA Cloud
instance
- It allows to follow any related conversation directly from Issue page and be notified about any change,
edit or comment immediately on selected Slack channel
Check more details from here
https://marketplace.atlassian.com/plugins/eu.wisoft.slack.jira/cloud/overview

10. Slack Integration With Visual Studio Online
- Post messages to Slack in response to events in your Visual Studio Online account,
Identify Completed builds
Code changes(pull request for merge)
New and updated work items(Commits).
Check more details from here
https://www.visualstudio.com/en-us/get-started/integrate/service-hooks/slack-and-vso-vs

11. Slack Integration With NewRelic
NewRelic sends alerts to slack channel when incidents are
opened,
acknowledged,
or closed.
Check more details from here
https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/alerts/new-relic-alerts-beta/managing-notification-channels/notification-
channels-controlling-where-send-alerts

12. Slack Integration With SQL MONITOR
- Sql Monitor deliver alerts when unexpected database changes occur.
- Zapier support to passed SM emails to Slack channel
Check more details from here
https://www.red-gate.com/products/dba/sql-monitor/
https://www.red-gate.com/blog/slack-dlm-dashboard

13. Application Deployment With Slack
After every build , Visual studio online return message to the Slack .
Developers know what happen to their new builds.
If new build success then developers know latest code deployed into the cloud without any build issues.
Testers can start their testing after deliver success build notifications.

14. Live Operations with Slack(Release to
production)

15. Stage One
1 -> Monitor JIRA item status change, identify code deployment details , conduct DSM(for remote
teams) and identify application issues in production.
2 -> 3 -> Monitor JIRA item status change, communicate with remote DEV teams.

16. Stage Two
4 -> Track individual commits, identify build failures, identify applications issues ,code review and manage
DEV teams.
5 -> check build status, track other commits ,communicate with other teams and identify applications
issues.
6 -> Identify data base issues and database changes.
7 -> Monitor database changes and manage DB teams to achieve goals.
8 -> Identify JIRA item status change ,identify new deployment details and track application issues.
9 -> Manage QA teams and check JIRA task status change.

17. Stage Three
10 -> Identify new code deployment details and communicate with remote teams.
11 -> Manage all remote teams and track each individuals/teams support for achieve sprint goals.

18. DSM with Slack
DSM(Daily Standup Meeting) is part of the Agile Project management, Agile teams can create separate
channel for DSM in Slack.
Slack support to share DSM notes and also helps to share files , code snapshots etc….
Agile team members can tag other team members ,then share their notes with them, when there are in
online or offline during DSM time.
Agile team members , who worked in remote locations( eg:-Work from home) can use different devices(
eg:- Mobile device) for access slack application to participate DSM.

19. Improve Testing use in Slack
- QA Engineers can identify application and database issues use in Slack channels.
- Slack deliver JIRA notifications related to task status change.
- Slack support to work form remote locations ,Dev teams and testing teams can work different
places and communicate use in slack channels.

20. Project management with Slack
- Create private channel for communication.
- Collect testing ,development and deployment details use in Slack channels.
- Use slack storage for share files , images etc…
Check more details from here
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/use-slack-project-management-simple-tips/

21. Thanks