Slack launches new task management tool named lists for users

Slack, the AI-powered platform for work productivity, announced the introduction of a new project and task management tool named "lists" for its paid customers. The feature aims to centralise the management of deadlines, responsibilities, and other essential information, integrating with existing Slack functionalities such as Workflow Builder and Canvas. According to the announcement, lists will offer customisable fields, including assignees, due dates, statuses, and priorities, along with templates to help teams delegate tasks effectively and achieve their business objectives.

Denise Dresser, CEO of Slack, highlighted the transformative potential of the new tool. "With lists, you can turn conversations in Slack into actionable tasks that drive work forward. Now those loose next steps shared in a project channel can be tracked across a team. With project management in Slack, teams across organisations will have everything they need to complete projects faster and increase productivity using the full power of Slack," she said.

One of the significant benefits of Slack lists is its customisability, which allows various parts of an organisation to leverage the tool effectively. For project management, users can create and manage all project-related tasks in a singular list view, assigning owners and due dates to ensure accountability. When triaging requests, any submission through a workflow form can automatically populate into a list, offering teams a comprehensive view of all managed requests to prioritise and allocate resources efficiently. Teams can also use lists for high-level planning to monitor progress and capacity, guaranteeing each task has clear ownership and priority.

Lori Drake from Marriott Digital Services, whose team participated in the lists pilot, expressed enthusiasm about the new feature. "We're excited to use lists to manage projects and track requests and think lists could unlock significant time savings for our team," she stated. Jörg Baldzer from FREENOW echoed the sentiment, emphasising that the combination of lists, Canvas, and Workflow Builder allows his team to collaborate and manage tasks in new ways within Slack.

The introduction of Slack lists comes in response to a growing need for efficient project management tools. Despite the plethora of options available in the market, business leaders frequently encounter challenges such as employees moving task-related conversations outside the tools, utilisation of different apps creating silos, and significant time lost in managing and sharing updates across various platforms. Only 34% of projects are reportedly completed on time and within budget, highlighting the necessity for a more integrated solution.

Slack lists addresses these issues by eliminating the need to switch between multiple apps, thus fostering real-time collaboration and alignment within the same platform. Teams can manage and track projects from start to finish, seamlessly advancing work across stages and ensuring accountability. It also enables collaboration on tasks within the platform, organising discussions related to specific deliverables, requests, or issues into message threads.

Sales teams can utilise Slack lists to remain organised in their daily work, coordinate tasks with account teams, and plan customer engagements. Service teams will benefit from tracking outstanding issues and creating streamlined onboarding plans for new agents. Automation capabilities provided by the Workflow Builder ensure that routine tasks are efficiently managed, making Slack lists the central hub for handling and triaging work.

Salesforce, the parent company of Slack, emphasises that this new tool is designed to help organisations complete projects faster and enhance productivity. The official rollout of Slack lists begins today, with availability extending to all paid users in the forthcoming months. Customers are advised to base their decisions on currently available features, as some features referenced in the announcement may not be released or could be delayed.