SLIM-Collaborate can interact with external applications via External Calls configured by the site administrator. External calls consist of the URL to an external application, combined with a set of optional parameters.
External Calls can serve multiple purposes. Some might be tied to specific solution workflow stages, while others may have nothing to do with a project’s current workflow status. To illustrate, one use case might integrate SLIM-Collaborate with an existing enterprise workflow. For example, when the current solution for an estimation project is officially approved (the solution status changes from ‘Reviewed’ to ‘Approved’), a SLIM-Collaborate user with sufficient permissions could manually launch an external call using the project toolbar to push detailed cost, effort, or staffing estimates by role to an external PPM tool. External calls can also be used to provide easy access to internal process documentation or other resources. For example, a user might use an external call to launch their group’s Estimation Quick Reference Guide to access standardized best practices and strategies for creating a software size estimate. Once the size estimate is completed, the solution status could be changed to trigger management review of the new size estimate and revised solution.
To launch an external call, click the External Calls icon in the project toolbar. This icon will only be visible to users with sufficient permissions to the project and when the current solution is valid and the project is not locked for editing. If the project has been modified since it was last saved, SLIM-Collaborate will save it before launching the external application. Select an external call from the list of calls configured by your Site Administrator to proceed.
For more information about External Calls, see the External Calls topic of this user guide.