Slack Integrates Ai into Workflows, Salesforce Agentforce and Third-Party Partners

Salesforce has unveiled a new set of innovations for Slack, aiming to transform how businesses manage work. The update introduces agent-powered features, offering users a more efficient operating system that integrates company data, knowledge, apps, and automation in one place. This development comes with a focus on integrating Ai into everyday workflows.

With this update, Slack allows users to turn autonomous agents into collaborators, all within a conversational interface. This includes new Ai agents designed to work alongside human teams, bringing customer data and task automation directly into Slack channels.

A New Way to Work with Ai and Agents

The updated Slack interface now enables teams to interact with agents, both Salesforce’s own Agentforce and those from third-party partners such as Adobe, Cohere, and Perplexity. This allows for a more streamlined approach to tasks like closing deals, creating campaigns, and solving customer problems, with insights available directly in Slack.

“Slack’s agent-powered work operating system is redefining what it means to work smarter,” says Denise Dresser, CEO of Slack. “This isn’t just about collaboration anymore; it’s about integrating purpose-built Ai into daily workflows to unlock productivity for all teams.”

Dresser highlights that teams are already seeing productivity improvements, with some reporting a 47 per cent increase in efficiency by using Slack’s new system.

Integration with Salesforce

One of the standout features of this update is Salesforce Channels. These new channels securely bring CRM data from Salesforce into Slack, allowing users to track progress on opportunities and cases directly within their Slack conversations. This integration eliminates the need to duplicate information across systems.

In addition to this, Salesforce Channels will soon be embedded into the Salesforce user interface, meaning agents can collaborate without leaving their platform. The entire conversation will remain connected to the relevant record, streamlining workflows.

Teams can also access Salesforce channels in the Salesforce Starter Suite, giving smaller businesses access to Slack’s productivity tools without the complexity of larger CRM systems.

AI-Powered Features

Slack is introducing several new Ai functionalities. One of these is Slack Ai, which has already helped teams summarize over 600 million messages, saving users more than 1.1 million hours. Slack Ai captures notes and action items from huddles, allowing teams to stay focused without having to worry about missing important details.

Another major feature is Ai Workflow Builder. This tool enables users to automate tasks simply by typing prompts, with Slack Ai generating the workflows in real time. For example, users can ask Slack to send a welcome message to new teammates or summarize ongoing conversations in a channel.

Search capabilities in Slack have also been enhanced. Users can now ask questions in natural language, and Slack Ai will generate answers from a variety of sources, including files, documents, and shared transcripts. Importantly, customer data remains within Slack’s closed environment, ensuring privacy.

Third-Party AI Agents

In addition to Salesforce’s Agentforce, third-party agents from partners like Cohere, Adobe, and Amazon are now available. These agents help users complete tasks, create content, or summarize documents, enhancing overall productivity.

Saurabh Baji, SVP of Engineering at Cohere, expressed excitement about the collaboration: “Slack users will now be able to leverage Cohere’s Ai models directly within the platform to enhance their work. Whether it’s sourcing information or drafting content, our technology allows teams to work more efficiently.”

Similarly, Frank Penning, CIO of RTL, shared how Slack Ai is expected to save his team 16,000 hours annually. “We rely on generative Ai to catch up on conversations and get daily recaps,” he said. “Slack has been crucial for driving productivity in our teams.”

Ready-Made Templates

Slack is also introducing solution-based templates. These templates include pre-configured channels, canvases, lists, and workflows, tailored for specific use cases. This allows teams to kick off work quickly and efficiently, without needing to set up everything manually.

For instance, marketing teams can now launch campaigns faster by using a pre-made channel complete with a project plan and an automated workflow for status updates.

Christine McHone from Slalom called the new templates a “time-saver,” as they bring together Slack’s most powerful features in one place.

Reactions from Industry Leaders

The updates to Slack have been met with positive reactions from various industry leaders. Bill Schuh, Chief Revenue Officer at Anaplan, noted that his sales team saves thousands of hours each year by staying updated in Slack channels.

“We’re thrilled to see Slack integrating Ai and customer data so seamlessly,” added Ariel Sakin, VP of Corporate Information Systems at Snyk. “This is a game changer for our business, as it allows us to stay aligned and deliver more value for our customers.”

Irwin Lazar, President and Principal Analyst at Metrigy, highlighted the broader trend of Ai adoption. “Our research shows that 80 per cent of companies are using or planning to use Ai to improve productivity,” he said. “Slack’s latest Ai innovations are set to drive even greater levels of productivity in the Ai era.”

As Dresser puts it, “We’ve moved beyond collaboration; every day, millions of teams are leveraging purpose-built Ai with customer data and automation seamlessly integrated into the flow of work.”

Last Updated on September 17, 2024 by Nick Ross