{"id":63649,"date":"2021-10-13T05:00:43","date_gmt":"2021-10-13T12:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/?p=63649"},"modified":"2021-10-13T05:00:43","modified_gmt":"2021-10-13T12:00:43","slug":"how-salesforce-and-slack-power-ibms-digital-hq","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/uk\/news\/stories\/how-salesforce-and-slack-power-ibms-digital-hq\/","title":{"rendered":"How Salesforce and Slack Power IBM\u2019s Digital HQ"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

IBM has remained at the forefront of innovation for more than a century. That\u2019s why for the past several years, the iconic tech giant has relied on both Slack and Salesforce to transform the way employees work, communicate, and serve customers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In today\u2019s hybrid work environment, it has only gotten more important for teams to stay connected and productive from anywhere. In fact, the company\u2019s 350,000 global employees now send 16 million Slack messages a day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We spoke with Jennifer Kady, Vice President of Global Markets Sales at IBM, about how the company combines Slack and Salesforce to power its global operations and enable its vision for a new digital HQ<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q. When and why did IBM transition to Slack?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve been using Slack for about four years. We were looking for best-in-class technology that could integrate with other platforms and applications. Slack has turbocharged our productivity, both as individuals and teams. By enabling real-time and just-in-time collaboration, it allows us to reduce the number of emails and meetings and connect more quickly. It also provides the security we need and, through Slack Connect<\/a>, lets us collaborate with clients, vendors, and partners.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For most of us at IBM, Slack has now become the primary way we communicate. Over the years, it has only continued to prove an invaluable investment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q. Since the pandemic hit, how has Slack helped IBM transition to a remote and increasingly hybrid work environment?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Coming into the pandemic, we had the advantage of already being a Slack user. We had the infrastructure in place, so it wasn\u2019t a heavy lift for us to transition to working from home. It made a huge difference to have one single, secure platform to communicate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inevitably, the way we work will continue to change. We\u2019ll be working from everywhere \u2014 home, client locations, the office, on the fly after a meeting. Slack gives us the ability to react quickly and stay connected securely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q. How is IBM using Slack Connect, and what impact has it had on the company?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve found a lot of utility in Slack Connect, which lets us bring on vendors or clients as guest users and collaborate with them efficiently and securely. It gives us an open line of communication, so if any issues or concerns come up with our external partners, we can address them immediately. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Slack Connect also helps us avoid overtaxing people or wasting time. Instead of waiting for a group of people to get on a call, they can add input as needed when they\u2019re available or when they\u2019ve completed a task. We all know what it\u2019s like to be pulled in many different directions, and this helps us ensure we have the right people and resources in the right place, while respecting individuals\u2019 calendars and time. We have nearly 100,000 guest users across our client base, and we\u2019d love to see that continue to grow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q. How has Slack helped your sales teams close deals faster?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Increasingly, we\u2019re using Slack Connect to move deals to the finish line more efficiently. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re not waiting for someone to react to an email or go through a cycle of approvals. Instead, we have a direct connection to the people in charge on the client side and to our team members in contracts, negotiations, and delivery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everything is streamlined, and everyone \u2014 both internally and externally \u2014 can be in the same channel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q. Are there other ways Slack is helping your teams do their best work?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Absolutely. We have thousands of different workflow integrations, many of which can be triggered through Slack. We can use Slack to issue approvals, highlight support issues, provide transcription and translation for employees around the world, and much more. We\u2019re all connected, regardless of role. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s less friction and context-switching, which makes us more efficient and reduces time to value. As a result, we can avoid missteps and roadblocks, and also be proactive and show clients we really care about their business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q. What does the phrase \u201cdigital HQ\u201d mean to you? <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A digital mindset is part of our DNA. To me, digital HQ is about making the historic shift to a digital-first world of work and curating an experience for employees, customers and partners that\u2019s effective and relevant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an employee, I want to come in every day and know I\u2019m making a difference. I don\u2019t want to wade through hundreds of applications to home in on what\u2019s relevant for my work and development. Digital HQ is about simplifying and curating the appropriate tools. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s also about being willing to change. Our needs today are not the same as they were five years ago, and the same will be true five years from now. For us, that means digital HQ acts as a platform that can grow and evolve over time and allow us to react quickly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q. Now that Slack is officially part of Salesforce, what are you excited about as a customer of both?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m a big fan of both Salesforce and Slack, and they will be even better together. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, Sales Cloud has been extremely effective for our sales community. A lot of different activities take place within Sales Cloud, whether we\u2019re working on an opportunity or an account. Now, by making Slack the primary way our sales community interacts with Sales Cloud, we\u2019ll be able to streamline communications among our ecosystem partners, digital team, and face-to-face sellers. And by taking this approach, Sales Cloud data is now served up directly to our sales communities directly within Slack, where they are already working.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a powerful mechanism for getting to know our clients better, organizing data in one place, and providing a meaningful direction for everyone to work toward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q. How are Salesforce and Slack together uniquely positioned to create the digital HQ?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Bringing all this data and all these capabilities together into a seller\u2019s toolkit gives them the ability to be bold and confident. They know they\u2019re working with the right template, the right proposal, the right enablement, with the most accurate information \u2014 all of that has been updated in one spot. If they\u2019re light in a certain area, they can do that research directly from the platform when they need it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Together, Slack and Salesforce are making our team members more agile and effective, which helps them deliver greater value for a client and grow the business. In turn, team members who can access what they need in a user-friendly way and feel like they\u2019re making a difference are happier employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More information:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n