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June 16, 2010

Flowdock – Total Work Management

Flowdock is an application that aims to be more than just a project management tool. The communication and messaging platform makes it easy for teams of coworkers and collaborators to discuss the latest issues that are affecting their projects. Not only that, but the application also makes it easy for team members to respond to these issues instantly, by utilizing a tagging system that allows users to sort their messages in an endless number of ways.

Sign up for a free Beta account and create a custom subdomain for all your coworkers to use. When you begin typing messages, start by including the @ sign before the intended recipient’s name, just like you would when replying to a user on Twitter. Any new messages that include a teammates’ name will show up on that person’s Flowdock dashboard for them to see the next time they log in. The dashboard is also where you can go to invite new users to join your company page, and where you can leave status updates next to your own avatar to let your teammates know what you’re working on now. You can upload a document by clicking on the “Upload” icon on the right side of the page, and then add tags to the document to make it easier for its intended recipients to find.

Including tags in Flowdock messages makes it easy to sort information and determine which tasks need to be taken care of first, while the site’s commenting features allow users to respond to each other’s messages without creating new threads. Whereas instant messaging and emails are singular forms of communication that must be individually sent to each recipient, Flowdock is an inclusive messaging platform that can help companies of all sizes communicate more effectively.

Practical Uses:

  • Get feedback about an idea from everyone in the organization
  • Let people know when you won’t be in the office
  • Assign tasks to specific employees
  • Share insider tips about competing companies with your teammates

Insider Tips:

  • Upload and tag files to share with coworkers
  • Respond to a message by leaving a comment below
  • Read customer feedback from within the system
  • Add an RSS feed to stay up to date on what everyone is talking about

What we liked:

  • Tagging system is ingenious, since it lets coworkers sort messages by multiple subjects
  • Easy to sign up and create a company account
  • View messages that people leave for your company on Twitter without leaving the Flowdock app
  • Ability to share important links and articles with members of your company without clogging up email inboxes

What we didn’t like:

  • Nothing

Alternatives:

Company Info:

  • Launched: March 2010 (Beta)
  • Privately Held
  • Headquarters: Helsinki, Finland
  • Founded by: Mikael Roos
  • Web site: http://www.flowdock.com

Costs:

  • Free in Beta

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