Salesforce and Slack Integration - The Build vs Buy Decision
Does this sound familiar?
You’ve been tasked to figure out your “Slack and Salesforce” integration strategy. Your mind races to your options: Learn the Slack API? Wait for Salesforce to release something? Is there a free option that’s not too basic? Could I justify budget for an AppExchange app?
You need something that’s both flexible, scalable and takes weeks not months to deploy.
Before rushing to code up a proof-of-concept, let’s explore the build vs. buy dilemma from a common ask: creating a Salesforce Case from Slack.
Use Case Requirements:
- Create a Salesforce Case from Slack
- Support both license and non-licensed Salesforce users
- Custom form for users to fill out Case details
- Track the Slack member that created the case
- Slack conversation is surfaced and linked in Salesforce
- Show Case details in Slack, with configurable fields
- Support Slack Threads on each Case posted
- Allow files to be uploaded to the Case from Slack
- Notify the team when the Case has been marked Closed
- Custom buttons to create “Swarms” or escalated to Tier 2 channel
Resources:
- 1 Salesforce Developer (limited Slack experience)
- 1 Project manager
Let’s say this developer is experienced with Salesforce but unfamiliar with the Slack API. Here’s the expected times involved in each stage of development:
Let's now look at Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Our assumptions:
- Developer Salary: $100,000 (does not include opportunity cost for other projects)
- 25 Salesforce Users, 200 Slack Users to working Cases from Slack
Next Steps:
Build vs. Buy is a difficult decision. We architected Centro to be the preferred alternative to building a custom Slack and Salesforce integration. We do this by balancing advanced use case design, scalability, and familiar tools with expedited time-to-value.
Design a Slack-to-Case proof-of-concept in 30 minutes. Get started today with a 14-Day free trial here (list use case: “Slack-to-Case”), or book a meeting to get a live demo.
