Slack Integration

This guide covers the following topics:

Overview

RFPIO is a cloud-based software that automates and streamlines the process of responding to a request for proposal. Slack- a cloud-based communication and collaboration platform facilitates instant messaging to many teams and workplaces across multiple devices and platforms at a shot, helping in flawless coordination within your organization. The idea behind integrating RFPIO and Slack is to help having a smooth interaction support for our customers while using the app. RFPIO’s suite of project and content management features can be integrated with Slack at ease.

Highlights of connecting RFPIO and Slack includes:

  • Simple installation
  • Allows whole team to have conversation at a single point
  • Notifications sent to both RFPIO Slack and a configured channel
  • Replying to messages from Slack and populating them in RFPIO
  • Searching Content Library (AL) content in Slack

Installing Slack Connector

Installing and connecting RFPIO with Slack is a simple process and can be done at ease. Both RFPIO and Slack must be installed separately. You must have administrator permissions in both RFPIO and Slack to set up the integration. We recommend creating a dedicated user for this integration. The Slack connector can be installed and configured only by logging into the RFPIO application. The installation and configuration instructions are as follows:

To integrate and install Slack, you can follow the steps below:

  1. Login to RFPIO app as an administrator.
  2. From the RFPIO landing page, select Organization Settings.

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  1. The Organization Settings-Manage Users page will be displayed, select INTEGRATION in the setting list on the page.

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  1. With the INTEGRATION tab expanded, click Collaboration.

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  1. Click Configure associated with Slack. The Slack pop-up will be displayed as shown below:

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  1. Turn on the toggle switch to enable Slack Bot and click CONNECT TO RFPIO SLACK BOT.

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You will be redirected to RFPIO Slack page to confirm your identity.

Note: Only Workspace Owners or Administrators has the authorization privileges.

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  1. Click Install. The Slack pop-up will be displayed with Slack Bot (Enabled) and Account connected.

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Note: Once you are connected to your Slack account, you will receive notifications in Slack through the RFPIO Slack for all comments made in the Content Library and/or project discussions. Along with RFPIO Slack, you will also receive messages through a selected Slack channel.

  1. To select the required channel, click the drop-down icon and select a channel.

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In the Guest Access To Collections section, you can specify the domain and collections. Users in the specified domain will be able to search for content in the selected collections. 

  1. Enter Domain. Multiple domains can be specified, one domain per line.
  2. Select Collection. Multiple collections can be selected.

Note:

  • Collections selection field will be displayed only if collections are available in the Organization.
  • If collections are not selected, and domain is specified, the default collection will be fetched by the system.

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  1. Click SUBMIT.

Features

The features supported by RFPIO Slack are as follows:

Rich Notifications

Integrating RFPIO with Slack keeps everyone in sync with updates on multiple tasks from your channels. Instant notifications can be sent to the user from the SECTIONS tab as well as while responding to RFP questions.

The following topics are covered here:

Messaging from SECTIONS

This section explains how comments made in the SECTIONS tab of the RFPIO App will be sent as an instant notification in the RFPIO Slack, as well as to all users in the selected channel.

  1. From the SECTIONS tab of your project page, click the mceclip0.png icon associated with a section.
  2. Select Section Comments from the displayed options. The Add New Comment box will be displayed as shown below:

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  1. Enter your comments and click mceclip1.png icon.

Note:

  • To send a message to a particular user, type @username followed by the message.
  • To send the message to the entire team, type @team followed by the message.

The message will be displayed to all users in the Slack channel as shown below:

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The message will be displayed to the user in the RFPIO Slack app as shown below:

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Messaging While Responding to Questions

Integration with Slack also allows you in sending instant notifications while responding to the RFP questions. This section explains how messages can be sent directly to any or all users within the RFPIO Slack or selected channel while responding to questions.

  1. From the response section, click the comments icon.

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The Comments section will be displayed.

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  1. Enter @username followed by the message and click mceclip10.pngicon.

Note:

  • To send message to the group, type @team followed by the message and click mceclip11.pngicon.
  • You can upload and share files by clicking the attach file icon.

 The message will be sent to the user in the selected channel as well as the RFPIO Slack.

Messaging from Content Library

You can also send instant notifications from the Content Library. This section explains how messages can be sent directly to any or all user within the RFPIO Slack or selected channel from the Content Library.

  1. From the Content Library page, click on to QA pair the comment.
  2. Click the comments icon. The Comment pop-up will be displayed.

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  1. Enter your comment and click  icon.
  2. Enter @username followed by the message and click mceclip2.png icon.

Note:

  • To send message to the group, type @team followed by the message and click mceclip15.pngicon.
  • You can upload and share files by clicking the attach file icon.

The message will be sent to the user in the selected channel as well as the RFPIO Slack.

Replying to Messages

From Slack you can directly reply to comments from RFPIO SECTIONS, Content Library, and Questions. Once the comment is received in Slack, it will be displayed in the connected channel as well as the RFPIO Slack as shown below:

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Follow the steps below to reply to the message:

  1. Click mceclip17.png icon associated with the message.

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A section Thread will be displayed on the right-side pane.

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  1. Enter the message to be sent in the Reply textbox and click Send. The message will be displayed in the Thread section as below:

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The replied message would be displayed in RFPIO as shown below:

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Attention!

  • Everyone in the channel can view the comments sent in Slack.
  • Members who do not have access to the question, section, or Content Library can still view all the messages sent in the Slack channel, if they are a member of the particular channel.
  • Only users with access to the question can view the replied comments in RFPIO.

Searching AL Content

Using search in Slack makes it easier to find the right content from the Content Library. Here we will cover how to filter and refine your searches in Slack to quickly find what you need.

  • Search using /rfpio
  • Search with @rfpio

The topics covered here includes:

Starting a New Search

Search Using /rfpio: You can start a new search for Content Library contents directly from the message box using the /rfpio slash command, followed by the keyword to be searched for from any channel that you are part of, and from the RFPIO Slack.

For example, if you wish to search for contents with the keyword- social, you can specify the command: /rfpio social.

  1. Enter /rfpio from any channel. The system would suggest rfpio search mceclip2.png keyword mceclip2.png as displayed below:

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  1. Enter the keyword after /rfpio, example: /rfpio social and click Enter key.

The results would be displayed as shown below:

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Note: If no matches are found for the searched keyword, a message would be displayed as shown:

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Note:

  • Guest users part of the specified domains (Guess Access to Collections) can search for AL content and content available in the specified collections will be displayed to them.
  • If no domain is specified, users across any domain can search for AL content from slack. However, only contents within the specified collections will be displayed in Slack.
  • If domains are specified and either collections are not specified or collections are not available, the system fetches the default collection and results displayed will be from the default collection.
  • Guest user can view the results only in Slack, link to navigate to Content Library will not be available.

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Search with @RFPIO: You can start a new search for Content Library contents directly from the message box using the @RFPIO command, followed by the keyword to be searched for from any channel (that you are part of) connected to the RFPIO Slack, and from the RFPIO Slack.

For example, if you wish to search for contents with the keyword- social, you can specify the command: @RFPIO Social.

  1. Enter @rfpio from any channel which is connected to the RFPIO Slack. The system would suggest @rfpio mceclip2.png keyword mceclip2.png as displayed below:

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  1. Enter the keyword after @rfpio, example: @rfpio social and click Enter key.

The results would be displayed as shown below:

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Points to Remember!

  • If no matches are found for the searched keyword, a message would be displayed as shown:

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  • If the channel is not connected to the RFPIO Slack, a message as shown below will be displayed:

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Note: To enable @rfpio search, you can click Invite Them.

Viewing Search Results

Search results are adaptive to help you find what you’re looking for. For example, searching for a word like “test” may show results for related terms like “testing” or “tests.”

For both /rfpio and @rfpio searches, the search results would be displayed in the Slack as shown below:

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  • Viewing Current Content in RFPIO: Clicking this will take you to the RFPIO App with the current result being displayed in the Slack.

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  • Viewing All Matching Results: Clicking this will take you to the RFPIO App with all matching search results. The keyword searched would be highlighted.

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 Points to Remember!

  • All members in the Slack channel can see the results displayed in the channel where they are members, and RFPIO App in Slack.
  • TOTAL RESULTS(S) count indicates the count of the best matches.
  • To view the results in the RFPIO app, the user/member must have access to the Question-Answer pair in the Content Library.
  • If access is not available, the page will display an alert message as follows:

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  • If matching results are not found, an alert message will be displayed.
  • If the channel is not connected to the RFPIO App, the @rfpio search will not work.

Privacy Policy

By enabling this app, you agree to the RFPIO Terms of Use.