Slack Project Management Alternative Guide (All You Need to Know)

Using Slack for project management is a great option, but is it the best one? Here’s an accurate, unbiased, and straightforward answer to this common question asked by thousands of project managers.

Project management and project management tools are synonymous with each other. You cannot efficiently manage your projects and teams without using a reliable PM tool.

Talking about project management tools, Slack is probably one of the first names that come up. It is one of the most widely used options by teams across various industries.

But why is Slack preferred over some other tools? What makes it a good option for project management? Are there any flipsides to using the tool? If there are, then what are some good Slack project management alternatives?

You will get all the answers in this post. Read on to know more about it. But before we move to that part, let us first get to know Slack better.

Speaking of project management tools, Slack is probably one of the first names that come up. It is one of the most widely used options by teams across various industries.

But why is Slack preferred over some other tools? What makes it a good option for project management? Are there any downsides of using the tool? If there are, then what are some good alternatives to Slack?

You will get all the answers in this post. But before we move to that part, let us first get to know Slack better.

Summary:

• Slack is a wonderful project management tool that is loved by teams from around the world.
• It simplifies your communication efforts and brings your teams together. However, it’s not the ultimate tool.
• There are certain cons associated with using Slack that make it imperative for you to find a Slack project management alternative.
• What are those cons? And what’s the best alternative? The article answers all these questions.

What is Slack?

Slack is a channel-based communication platform that provides a single common location for all team members to work effectively. Using the Slack project management tool, people can have both group and individual discussions with others and connect all their software tools and services to deliver their best work. 

Slack saves all information even after projects end and teams change. You can make calls, share files, and even connect with other apps – all within a secure, enterprise-grade environment.

Slack project management: How does it work 

Slack has standalone applications for Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS, and it also operates in web browsers. Let’s take a look at how Slack project management works. 

Channels: Slack channels are shared chat rooms for team members where you can communicate with the entire team or specific individuals over the work that matters to you besides sharing ideas and making decisions.

Users can create Public or Private channels for open, or confidential conversations respectively. There’s no limit to the number of channels you can create in Slack. Slack channels allow you to follow individual topics, projects, or teams in their dedicated channels.

With easy access to information, every team member in the channel can coordinate, and new members have full context when they join. It won’t be wrong to say that Slack channels bring order and clarity to work. 

Voice and Video Calls- Swift, seamless communication is the key to successful project management. Using Slack’s built-in voice and video calls, you can connect with your team members working from different locations for improved collaboration through high-definition visuals. 

Video conferencing helps you share information quickly and efficiently, so the work gets done without many delays. Sharing your screen during a video conference call helps communicate complex ideas clearly, so there’s no confusion among all participants. 

You can instantly start meetings or join calls without having to leave your Slack conversations by connecting commonly used video conferencing tools. 

Messaging– A direct messages section in the sidebar contains channels and people. Slack messaging allows you to send direct messages to people you invite to your Slack team. Click on any person’s name to send a private message or chat with a group to help you and your team work better. 

Group team chat enables people working from different locations to be on the same page and stay in the loop for team or project discussions. Users can bring context into the conversations, and discuss important updates without switching tabs.  

Workflow Builder- Slack’s workflow builder helps teams simplify and organize their workflow through automation. Within minutes, users can create workflows that automate routine actions and communication. You don’t need to track down people to get work done.

Rather, you can automatically collect and convey information to the right people and teams. Avoid unnecessary delays in follow-ups and back-and-forth communication by collecting and sharing information in advance. It is one of the most significant features of Slack project management process. 

Search– Search is one of Slack’s most useful features. You can search the team’s conversations and access the information you want within minutes. Both messages and files are searchable, which saves valuable time. 

Click the search box and search modifiers will help you narrow your results by showing related channels, team members, and search history as you start typing in a search term.

App Integrations – With more than 2200 integrations, Slack empowers all your tools to function better by allowing you to integrate your preferred feature-rich software and custom apps. You can work with apps in channels where they are a seamless part of the conversation across all devices.

Users can use a variety of bots to manage other tasks, like fetching data from external tools. App integrations make Slack more flexible compared to other apps designed and dedicated solely to communication.

4 ways you can use Slack for project management

“Slack shouldn’t replace the tools you already use for project management — but it does make them better,” the company says on its website. 

Although Slack is a top-rated communication tool, it lacks extensive project management capabilities. 

So how can you use Slack for project management?

Here’s how.

• Create channels dedicated to specific projects

Teams can create as many project-specific channels as they wish on Slack. You’ll be able to get the correct information and individuals into the right channel this way. There will be no more spamming team members and stakeholders with emails they don’t require.

You can also pin messages and files (such as designs, documents, and briefs) to a direct message or channel for quick access. Anyone in the channel or direct message can see pinned items.

• Reminder automation

Meetings, reviews, approvals, and status updates — if you’re not keeping close track of them or sending yourself (and your team) an automated reminder, something is bound to go through the cracks.

You can link your current apps to Slack to send reminders to your entire team on a daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis. Create a routine to receive daily or weekly Slack reminders at a set time.

• Task management

You can easily manage your tasks with Slack.

You don’t have to leave Slack to add items to your personal or team task,  list as you can integrate a task management platform like ProofHub.

You may also create a Slack to-do list by pinning or saving messages if you don’t want to utilize task management software. You can view saved messages by clicking the “saved items” option towards the top of the left sidebar. The pinned messages can be read by clicking the details button on the upper right-hand side of the Slack channel.

• Collaboration and file sharing

You can easily upload your files to start collaborating on a presentation or get final approval on a design. You can use Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, or OneDrive to upload files from your PC, mobile device, or cloud storage services.

Everyone in the channel or direct message where a file is added can download, save, or share it to another chat, and all uploaded files can be shared across your workspace.

Slack project management: Pros & cons 

Slack has proven to be of great value for project management teams as it enables users to communicate vital information swiftly. When it comes to communication, Slack has it all – channels, messaging, and voice-video calling.

However, using Slack for project management may not always be your best bet. Why? Even though Slack has many useful features, it certainly does not have it all for comprehensive project management. 

Every coin has two sides to it. Let’s take a look at both pros and cons of this platform. 

Pros of Slack project management 

• Slack has a user-friendly interface, and it allows project managers to easily onboard new members 
• You can make unlimited channels within the company, and you can also control who gets to access these channels and who cannot
• Slack makes it easy for teams to share and collaborate in real-time
• Slack stores team conversations in databases so that users can access them anytime
• Your crucial data within the platform is always secure and protected
• No need for complicated installations, costly maintenance, or training as Slack itself is cloud-hosted
• Everyone in a channel stays in the loop by seeing the same messages for improved transparency regarding job responsibilities
• Saves valuable time that is otherwise lost in endless email chains 
• Slack allows a long list of apps to be integrated 

Cons of Slack project management 

• You can only share tasks and updates in the form of comments
• You only get as much storage as you pay for
• Slack can be addictive. Users may feel the need to constantly use it to stay updated
• There’s no common place where you can see all task lists and project statuses
• Multiple conversations at the same time can be challenging and time-consuming 
• You cannot detail your tasks because you can only comment a summary of what needs to be done 

Slack project management: Pricing

• Free plan for small teams for an unlimited period of time
• Standard plan for small and medium-sized businesses is priced at $2.67 per month
• Plus plan for large-sized businesses or those with administrative needs is priced at $5 per month
• Enterprise Grid plan for extra large businesses or those in regulated industries is available on quote

Slack project management: Reviews

• Capterra- “Bots are a great way to stay on top of things. We have used the Vacation tracker bot in particular and it is great to keep track of who is here and who is not.”
• G2- “The channel-based messaging feature is very good and useful. Workplace communication tools are very effective and useful. Teams can collaborate and communicate across remote locations.”

Slack alternative: What are the best options to try?

We’ve read how Slack project management benefits teams due to the ease of communication this communication-based platform offers. We’ve also read about the limitations of Slack and how it may not be an ideal team collaboration project management software for bigger teams managing complex projects.

Some users are not happy to pay a premium price to upgrade while some like to use a self-hosted version for better control over team communication, which Slack doesn’t offer. 

As remote work and remote teams continue to become mainstream, professionals across various industries are looking for cost-effective and comprehensive team collaboration and project management alternatives to Slack. 

If you’re also looking for a feature-rich Slack project management alternative then read on to find the best solution to your problem. 

ProofHub – The best alternative to Slack 

As an all-in-one project management software, ProofHub brings what Slack lacks. The project management software gives users complete control over multiple projects and teams from a single, centralized location. With all tools under one roof, ProofHub allows project managers, team members, clients, and stakeholders to share a single platform for effective collaboration and management.

With ProofHub, you don’t need to invest in multiple tools to manage projects, which can prove to be a financial burden for small businesses with small teams. With ProofHub’s simple pricing plans, you can grow your team without worrying about increasing per-user membership costs.

Let’s take a look at some of the most powerful features of ProofHub.

1. Gantt Charts

Gantt charts show you what activities (tasks or events) need to be done and when (schedule). Gantt charts enable teams to easily plan projects, modify schedules, and visualize tasks in a timeline view. These charts also show how the tasks are related to each other, the progress of each task, and what resources are being used to perform them. 

Project managers can assign tasks or subscribe to the entire task to an individual or group of people, thus ensuring a clear distribution of responsibilities in one place. Gantt charts are particularly useful for simplifying complex projects.

2. Online Proofing

You don’t get a proofing tool in Slack but ProofHub offers you this vital tool for project management and team collaboration. Online proofing allows you to deliver your best work by using markup tools to annotate files, collaborate on them, and receive prompt feedback. 

This tool makes it easy to review and proof files from anywhere. Users can add comments, and add clear and actionable feedback for specific regions. You can mark suggested changes or feedback as resolved once they are made. A single click is all you need to approve your files.

3. Task Management 

Managing simple tasks with Slack might be somewhat straightforward while handling small teams but it’s a challenge when it comes to handling complex tasks and bigger teams. Using ProofHub’s task management software, project managers can create personal or team tasks, and assign them to the right employees at one central location. 

Smart task management ensures a clear distribution of responsibilities while promoting transparency within the organization. Custom labels make it easy to differentiate and organize tasks while setting the start and due dates give team members a clear goal to achieve. Users can also track time spent on doing different tasks to calculate work efficiency.

4. Table View

Table view in ProofHub allows team managers to manage tasks with ease as they can plan and organize projects in a way that suits their workflow. Using Table view, project managers can assign tasks, filter and view data according to priority, and keep essential details front and center. 

Your team members can use this view to have a comprehensive view of all their tasks, listed under different categories. Users can view all tasks that are assigned to them, their deadlines, and current status like pending, in-progress, completed, rejected, etc. You can also see the people with whom you are supposed to work on different tasks. Besides table view, ProofHub supports board view, timeline view, and Calendar view as well.

5. Custom Roles 

When managing large projects, every team member should be clear about his/her role in the project. With ProofHub’s custom roles feature, project managers can create custom project roles, assign them to individuals, and restrict/grant access to have better control over projects. 

You can Assign default roles such as Normal user or Admin to the team members. This feature removes any possibilities of confusion regarding roles among team members and everyone knows what he’s supposed to do. 

6. Custom Reports

ProofHub has a built-in online reporting tool that allows project managers to create detailed individual, custom, and project reports. These reports provide valuable insights into overall project progress at one centralized location. This reporting tool allows you to: 

• See a roadmap of project milestones
• Track task progress with burn-up charts 
• Keep track of open and overdue tasks
• Visualize task reports based on different parameters
• See workflow task reports 
• Keep track of time logged in a project
• Download project reports
• Track your team’s progress with resource reports
• See a roadmap of an individual’s milestones

7. Kanban boards and custom workflows

Kanban boards in ProofHub allow all team members to see work moving through multiple stages. Project managers can use Kanban boards to check tasks’ progress, and how much time each task is taking in a particular stage before it is moved onto the next stage.

A basic board includes three columns (To-do, Doing, Done) but you can customize it by adding more columns to your workflow. Team members can drag and drop tasks from left to right as the work progresses. Kanban Boards provide a quick visual cue of individual task status that enables teams to collaborate, track, and manage project progress in real-time. You can use these boards to create workflows and work with more clarity.

8. Group Chat 

No more long, messy email threads and waiting for hours or even days to get a reply with ProofHub’s group chat feature. Using this feature, you can send messages directly to the recipient(s) within seconds and get an instant reply. Besides chats, you can send emojis to make conversations more expressive and detailed. 

Group chat eliminates the need for your organization to use separate chatting software. You can share files, images, and documents in chats, to make the most of this communication tool of ProofHub. Another useful feature is that you can know when someone has seen your messages and when they were last active on chat. 

9. A Dedicated Space for Discussions

Besides Group chat, you get dedicated space in ProofHub to carry out real-time discussions. Simply create a discussion topic, add people to it, and you can collaborate without any delays.

This is particularly useful for scattered teams, where you need to collaborate a lot, and video conferencing and meetings are not always the most viable solution. ProofHub solves the problem by providing you with a simpler, and more effective solution. 

10. Timer and Timesheets

Although this feature of ProofHub is ranked at the bottom, it deserves a top slot because of the significance of time for businesses. No business wants its employees to waste time. ProofHub’s time tracking software brings all your time data in one place and enables project managers to see all the time data of people across all projects without the need to jump through projects. 

Using this time management software, project managers can: 

• Add multiple timesheets to record time data and use them for payroll, client billing, estimation, tracking, and time management
• Set time estimates to define how much time it should take to get work done
• Track time manually or using timers 
• Create custom time reports of people and projects
• Mark timesheets as private

11. Multilingual

ProofHub with its multilingual interface eliminates language barriers by offering English, Polish, German, Italian, French, Spanish, and Portugese languages as an option for users across the globe. 

You can set an interface language of your choice to communicate smoothly with teams and clients. This also prevents any misunderstandings that can otherwise happen due to a lack of understanding among people from different geographical locations. 

12. Simple pricing plans

For information on our pricing plans, kindly visit our pricing page.

Not just that, you can even link ProofHub to your Slack channel if you do not wish to discontinue using Slack.

ProofHub is one of the top Slack integration for teams who wish to collaborate and communicate effectively while managing projects. You can take real-time actions on tasks, sync discussions, and manage projects, without leaving Slack, 

ProofHub for Slack integration allows you to perform the following:

• You can execute real-time tasks including assigning tasks, adding or changing assignees, amending metadata, and changing start and finish dates.
• You can maintain track of work progress, keep track of task status, progress, and details.
• You can add comments to provide and receive feedback.
• Connect your ProofHub Projects to Slack channels to stay up to date on any changes or progress (across both platforms).
• You’ll get an immediate notification when a task is completed. 

Conclusion

Project management calls for complete control over tasks and people. You have to streamline various aspects to achieve a common result i.e. to deliver the project successfully to the client. 

Slack is a handy communication cum collaboration tool but it’s suited better for smaller teams with fairly straightforward projects. Its limitations prevent it from becoming a go-to tool for project managers handling large teams and complex projects. 

ProofHub is a powerful Slack project management alternative that has all the tools your team needs put under one roof. What Slack lacks, ProofHub covers almost all those bases. This is one of the reasons that more than 85,000 teams worldwide prefer this amazingly functional and affordable team collaboration and project management tool for on-time project delivery and on-point team accountability. 

So, this is the right time to upgrade from Slack to ProofHub and deliver your best work with ease. 

So, what’s the wait?

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