Set up the Kantata Integration with Slack

When you pair Kantata OX with Slack, your team can see activity posts and up-to-the-minute information on Slack whenever projects or tasks are updated. This integration is customizable to meet your needs; just choose the Kantata updates you want to sent to any public or private channel in Slack. You can even send them to multiple channels simultaneously. Each Slack message is also sent with a hyperlink that sends you directly to the project or task in Kantata OX.

Create your Slack integration with the following steps:

• Create a custom field in Kantata OX
• Set up the Kantata OX integration with Slack
• Create scenarios for syncing Kantata OX to Slack
• Enable Slack for a project
  

How to Create a Custom Field in Kantata

1. Before you begin, you need to create a Project-type Custom Field set in Kantata OX. First, hover over Settings in the left navigation and select Custom Fields.
2. Click Add Custom Field Set.
   
3. Select Project and add a Set name. We recommend naming this something recognizable like “Slack Channel” since you’ll need to select it in the Integrations Platform later on.
   
4. Click Add. Your set will appear under Project Sets in the list.
5. Now, you'll need to create a custom field in the set. Later, you’ll add this custom field to your project in Kantata OX. Start by opening the Project Set you just created.
6. Click the Add Custom Field button.
   
7. Select a Field type, and enter a Field name. Remember to use a name that you’ll be able to remember when you set up the integration.
   
8. Click Add.

How to Set up the Kantata OX Integration with Slack

1. Open the Kantata Integration Platform, and click Enable on the Slack card. If you do not see the Slack card, contact Kantata Support.
   
2. Next, select Services from the Account drop-down menu on the top right. This is where you define the Slack services that will be used to send messages to your channels.
   
3. You’ll need to create both a global and a local Slack service. Global services only access configuration information (such as user lists and issue types) from your account; local services access the information necessary to execute each individual scenario.
4. To begin, select Slack from the Add Service drop-down menu.
5. Click the Create button. You will be redirected to the integration authorization page on the Slack website.
   
6. From the drop-down menu on the top-right of the page, select the Slack team that contains the channels you’re integrating with your Kantata projects.
   
7. In the Post to drop-down menu, select the channel where you want Kantata OX to post general integration information. Messages will not be posted to this channel at this point.
8. Click Authorize to allow Kantata OX to send information to your Slack channels; you’ll define these channels in a later step.
   
9. Next, create the global service; return to the Kantata Integration Platform and select Slack from the Add Service drop-down menu.
10. This time, select the Global for Account? checkbox and then click the Create button.
    
11. When you’re done, your local service appears under Your Services, and the global Service appears under Account Services. Make sure that both services can communicate with Slack by clicking Test on the right of each one.
    

How to Create Scenarios to Sync Kantata with Slack

There are two types of scenarios for sending information from your Kantata projects and tasks to Slack channels—public activity posts and updates. The following types of updates can be sent:

• From a Project—Title, Description, Currency, Start Date, Due Date
• From a Task—Title, Description, Percentage Complete, Status, Start Date, Due Date, Time Estimate, Budget Estimate, Task Type, Priority, Assignees, Tags, Archived, Billable, Fixed Fee.

1. In the Kantata Integration Platform, click Settings on the Slack card.
   
2. Click Add Scenario.
   
3. Click the Select a Scenario Type drop-down menu.
   • To send project activity posts to a Slack channel, select Mavenlink Public Post to Slack Chat Message.
   • To send select project and task updates to a Slack channel, select Mavenlink Project/Task Updates to Slack Chat Message.
     
4. Add a Name.
5. In the Schedule drop-down menu, select how often you want the scenario to run. All Kantata activity applicable to your scenario is sent to the selected Slack channels each time Slack runs.
6. In the Mavenlink Custom Field for Slack Channel ID drop-down menu, select the Project Set that contains the custom fields you created earlier.
   
7. For project/task updates, select the attributes that you want to track through Slack.
8. Click Save Scenario.
   Note: It generally takes a few minutes for changes to appear in channels each time Slack runs.

ALERT

Do not select Clear Memory from the scenario action drop-down menu as it will send all previous posts or updates to your Slack channel.

How to Enable Slack for a Project

1. In Kantata OX, select Custom Fields from the Actions drop-down menu to the right of the project name.
   
2. Enter either the Slack channel ID or #channelname (include the hashtag) in the Slack Channel custom field. The 9-digit Slack channel ID can be found in the channel URL on the Slack desktop site.
   
3. Invite users to the project. Remember that anyone you invite must be a member of the Kantata OX project and Slack channel where you want them to receive messages.
4. Whenever an entry is made in the project’s custom Slack field, a message will be sent to the associated Slack channels. For posts replies, click on the project link to go directly to Kantata OX and see the post that it’s for.

Troubleshooting Your Integration

If your project updates are showing up in the Slack channel, but your task updates and posts are not, make sure that the Kantata user who created the Slack services has been added to the Kantata project.

If your messages from a Kantata project aren't showing up in a Slack channel, make sure that...

• the Slack ID or Channel name is correct in the Kantata project custom field, and also that...
• you are a member of any private Slack channels you are trying to post to.