Prepare to Realize Slack’s Value

Learning Objectives

After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:

• Identify the three phases of Slack’s value realization methodology.
  
• Define best practices for applying Slack's value realization methodology.
  

Why It’s Important to Measure Slack’s Value

By measuring value, you can identify gaps, highlight opportunities for optimization, and establish a framework for ongoing value realization. At Slack, we have a methodology for realizing value that helps you measure and reinforce Slack's value at your organization, including tactical steps and best practices.

Slack’s value realization methodology helps organizations:

• Show success and return on investment.
  
• Facilitate data-driven decisions.
  
• Understand how Slack uniquely solves business problems.
  
• Replicate success across your business.
  

Using this approach, you can measure Slack’s impact on specific business lines, secure growth-related resources, and make strategic decisions based on relevant data.

Frame Slack’s Value

Slack creates additional value‌—‌and a higher return on investment‌—as usage increases in breadth and depth. The Slack value curve shows how teamwork, productivity, and decision-making grow with increased usage, and how this can lead to more value for your organization. The more your organization grows and matures its Slack usage, the more value it gains from the platform.

Increase Slack Usage to Unlock Value

The Slack value curve has four usage levels‌—‌organic, purposeful, aligned, and transformational‌—each with its own characteristics, user sentiments, and benefits to the individual, the team, and the organization‌. This table shows the progression of value at each usage level, and provides a clear example of what to expect as your organization increases and matures its use of Slack.

Think about your own organization. Where do you fall on the value curve? Where do you foresee moving toward? By moving through the phases of Slack usage, you can discover new types of value for your organization in the future.

To help your organization’s Slack usage and value mature, you can implement Slack’s value realization methodology to strategically realize and reinforce the value of Slack starting with a single business unit, then scale that effort across your company with tactical steps and best practices.

Slack’s Value Realization Methodology

Slack's value realization methodology is a tool for measuring, improving, and collaborating on the value your teams derive from Slack. The potential value derived from Slack varies for each company, depending on its unique business goals and strategic initiatives.

By applying Slack's value realization methodology, you ensure that your teams are using Slack in ways that meet business goals. You can also discover opportunities to bring more value to your organization.

Three Phases of Slack’s Value Realization Methodology

Slack’s value realization methodology consists of three phases to help you assess current and future value in a flexible way, even if business goals or initiatives change along the way. By the end of the third phase, you can effectively communicate Slack’s current and potential value using relevant metrics that align with your organization’s objectives and resonate with its leaders.

Example Timeline

The following is an example of a Slack value realization timeline (VR) with key milestones in each of the three phases. Notice that some milestones span multiple phases. Learn more about specific milestones in the following units.

Exact timelines vary between businesses‌—simply refer to the example for guidance on what to expect as you scope your plan of action.

Best Practices for Applying the Slack Value Realization Methodology

To start realizing Slack's current value based on its existing usage within your organization, you should focus on a single team or line of business.

• Select a team with the most mature Slack utilization within your organization.
  
• Establish a partnership with executive and business leaders to ensure alignment on value, and gain access to relevant data and insights.
  
• Take the learnings, value stories, and established frameworks from that line of business and scale them across other teams at your organization.
  

Before getting started with Slack’s value realization methodology, there are certain skills and knowledge you should have that can help you in the process. Familiarize yourself with:

• The breadth of Slack's capabilities and their value.
  
  • Learn more about key Slack skills by feature or topic at slackcertified.com.
    
  • Explore a breadth of resources by role or need in the Slack admin resource guide.
    
• Slack analytics data.
  
  • Learn about foundational Slack analytics tools and skills in the Slack analytics badge course.
    
  • Explore help resources on Slack data and analytics at the Slack Help Center.
    
• Relevant value metrics for specific lines of business or industries.
  
  • Discover how different teams and lines of business are getting the most from Slack at the Resources Library.
    
  • Filter content by specific lines of business or roles.
    

The value your organization gets from Slack is directly related to its usage of the platform. Slack’s value realization methodology helps you measure and increase the value of Slack at your organization by identifying and recommending ways to use Slack based on your business goals. Collaborate with business leaders to make sure everyone is gaining value from Slack using features that work for them.

Resources

• Slack: Resources to help you achieve your goals with Slack
• Slack Skills Badge: Use Slack analytics to drive adoption and engagement
• Slack Help Center: Workplace administration
• Slack: Resources Library