Effective collaboration and streamlined communication are essential for successful project management. It doesn’t matter whether you are working for a large company or a small startup, project management is key for businesses to streamline their operations, save time, and increase productivity.
Storing data in a Baserow, a flexible and collaborative no-code database, makes it easier for everyone on the team to access and work with data. Baserow simplifies data management with its key features: an intuitive spreadsheet-like interface, powerful database capabilities, and effortless creation of custom web applications.
With Zapier, Make, or IFTTT, you can integrate Baserow with team collaboration tools like Slack or project management platforms to facilitate real-time communication and feedback on elements. By leveraging the power of automation tools and a no-code database platform, you can centralize project information, streamline communication, and simplify review processes.
What we’ll do
In this tutorial, we will explore how to leverage Zapier, Slack, and Baserow to facilitate real-time communication and feedback in database management. We will walk you through the steps required to set up this workflow and provide you with some tips and tricks to help you get started.
Here’s how the integration can be set up:
- Define the structure and key components of your process
- Set up a Baserow database.
- Add a Baserow trigger to Zapier.
- Build conditional workflows with multiple path rules.
- Path #1: Add branching logic to notify a collaborator.
- Path #1: Add an action to send a direct message.
- Path #2: Add a rule to notify the team of a due date.
- Path #2: Add an action to post to Slack channel.
- Implement user roles and access controls.
What we’ll need
We’ll integrate no-code tools. These are the tools we need:
- A free Baserow account to act as the source of data
- Zapier to connect Baserow with different apps and automate workflows between them.
- Slack to facilitate real-time communication and feedback from your database.
By integrating these platforms, you can ensure that team members are promptly notified of assigned tasks, facilitate real-time communication and feedback, and keep all stakeholders aligned throughout the creative and review process.
Automate collaboration and review processes from a database
1. Define the structure and key components of your process
Before we begin automating collaboration and review processes, we will take time to define the structure and key components of the process.
We will consider the tasks, stakeholders and workflow to:
- identify the specific tasks and activities involved in the collaboration and review process,
- determine the individuals or teams involved in the collaboration and review process,
- monitor task progress and approval status, and
- map out the sequence of tasks, dependencies, and approval steps in the process.
2. Set up a Baserow database to define the collaboration
First, login to Baserow.
Select an existing workspace or add a new workspace by clicking the + Create workspace button in the dashboard. Name the workspace, then click the Add workspace button to save the newly-created workspace.
After you have created a workspace, create a new database from scratch, add a database from the template library, or open an existing database where you want to manage your project data.
For this tutorial, we will create a database from a template to automate collaboration and review workflows. In order to use the Project Tracker template, you need to have a Baserow account.
The template is set up with the necessary tables, views and fields to successfully manage a project and get it finished on time and on budget. You can customize views and filters to easily identify tasks that require attention or are pending approval depending on your specific use case.
Create a Kanban board visualization to provide a clear overview of the project status.
Next, we will proceed to integrate the database with automation tools.
3. Add a Baserow trigger to Zapier
Zapier is a platform that allows you to connect different apps and automate workflows between them. With Zapier, Baserow users can use their data in other apps.
Sign in to your Zapier account or create a new one if you don’t have an account already. From your Zapier dashboard, click on + Create Zap to get started with integrating Baserow with Zapier.
A Zap is an automated workflow that connects your apps and services together. A Zap tells your apps to follow this simple command: “When this happens, do that.”
Each Zap consists of a trigger and one or more actions. A trigger is an event that starts a Zap. An action is an event a Zap performs after it is triggered.
We want to trigger notifications when a new row is created or an existing one is updated in Baserow. To do this,
- Search and select ”Baserow” as the trigger app that will initiate the automation.
- Set up the trigger event. Choose the trigger event that will start the workflow. Click the Event dropdown menu and select “Row Updated or Created” as the trigger event.
- Connect your Baserow account. Click Continue.
- Enter the table ID where the row must be created in. You can find the table ID by clicking on the three dots next to the table. It’s the number between brackets.
- Click Test trigger. Zapier will attempt to find a recent spreadsheet row in Baserow to use in the Zap. The information can then be used as test data in an action step later in the Zap.
If Zapier is having trouble finding data for your trigger, try adding or updating a new row for the event in Baserow.
This will trigger the workflow when a new row is created or an existing one is updated in the selected table.
Now that we have set up the trigger, we can set up the rest of the Zap by adding actions.
4. Build conditional workflows with multiple path rules
To create a coherent, scalable, and measurable project tracker, we want to set different actions depending on the status of a project. We will use Paths by Zapier to take different actions based on the conditions defined.
You can only set up paths after adding a trigger to your Zap, and paths must be the final step of your Zap.
Data collected will be routed from Baserow to multiple scenarios using paths. For example, if a project needs revision, then we can notify a channel on Slack, but if the project is approved, we can send an email to the client —and so on.
To add a Path step,
- Click the plus + icon in the Zap editor to add an action step.
- Select ”Paths”, then click Continue.
Next, we will add paths to automatically notify team members when they are assigned tasks or when tasks are completed in the brief. For each path, you can set as many rules as you want for what‘s allowed to pass through.
5. Path #1: Add branching logic to notify a collaborator
With Paths by Zapier, we will set up rules and decide which actions should occur when those rules are met. Each path can lead to a different outcome. Paths group is only available on the last step of Zap or path.
For the first path, we want to notify a team member via Slack when they are added as a collaborator.
For Path A, set up the path rules as:
- In the first dropdown menu, choose the field that the filter should check as “Project Lead Value”.
- In the second dropdown menu, select the condition to use as “Contains”.
- In the third dropdown menu, define the value to compare the field against as “Kimberly Wagner” or any other collaborator name.
Next, click Continue to test out the path rules. Zapier will test these conditions against the example data received from the trigger step.
The filter indicated that it should only continue if “Kimberly Wagner” is a project lead. Because the test row contains this string, it passes the filter and the Zap continues.
If the test data does not pass the filter, you’ll see a message indicating that your Zap would not have continued. You can also test your filter with different test data by changing the test data in your Zap trigger.
Next, we want to add an action to this path.
6. Path #1: Add action to send a direct message
We want to send a direct message via Slack to the user(s) when they are added to a project. To do this,
- Search and select ”Slack” as the action app.
- Click the Event dropdown menu and select “Send Direct Message” as the action event the Zap will perform after it starts.
- Connect your Slack account. Click Continue.
- Set up the action by mapping the fields from the Baserow trigger and specify the user(s) to send this message to.
- Click Test trigger.
Now that Path A is set up to automatically notify team members when they are assigned tasks, we will add another path to alert the team via the general channel when a project due date is close.
7. Path #2: Add a rule to notify the team of a due date
We want to send out notifications when tasks are due to be completed in the brief. This will trigger notifications for stakeholders to review and provide feedback on drafts, ensuring everyone is on the same page throughout the project journey.
Add a formula field
today()to the Baserow table to return the current date in UTC. This field will be needed to compare the due date with today’s date.
For Path B, we want this path to only continue if the project due date is after today’s date and is not completed. Set up the path rules as:
- In the first dropdown menu, choose the field that the filter should check as “Due Date”.
- In the second dropdown menu, select the condition to use as “(Date/time) Before”.
- In the third dropdown menu, define the value to compare the field against as Today field from the Baserow trigger.
Similar to Baserow filters, you can use multiple filters in the same Zap using either AND or OR logic.
Click AND to continue if
- the field that the filter should check as “Completed”.
- In the second dropdown menu, select the condition to use as “(Text) Exactly matches”.
- In the third dropdown menu, define the value to compare the field against as “false”.
Next, click Continue to test out the path rules. Zapier will test these conditions against the example data received from the trigger step.
The filter indicated that it should only continue if the project’s due date is before today’s date and is not completed. Because the test row due date is 2021-11-13 and is not completed, it passes the filter and the path would have continued.
Next, we will add an action to tell Zapier what to do when the condition is satisfied.
8. Path #2: Add action to post to Slack channel
We want to send a direct message via Slack to the channel when a project is due. To do this,
- Search and select ”Slack” as the action app.
- Click the Event dropdown menu and select “Send Channel Message” as the action event the Zap will perform after it starts.
- Connect your Slack account. Click Continue.
- Set up the action by mapping the fields from the Baserow trigger and specify the channel to send this message to.
- Click Test trigger.
This will post a new message to a specific #channel you choose or schedule a message for later. Add more paths as needed to the Zap.
9. Implement user roles and access controls
It’s crucial to promote communication and coordination among team members to everyone involved in project management stays connected and works together seamlessly and to have a system in place to manage permissions and keep your data secure. One way to do this is by implementing user roles and access controls in Baserow. This ensures that only authorized individuals have access to sensitive information.
Summary
Project management is a crucial part of any business. By integrating Zapier and Baserow, teams can save time and effort by automating processes. Teams can focus on high-value activities and drive successful project outcomes. Overall, this tutorial will help improve efficiency, scalability, and efficacy, allowing businesses to meet their objectives more effectively.
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In case you’ve run into an issue while following the tutorial, feel free to reach out to ask for help in the Baserow community.
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