Deficiencies of Current On-Call Solutions: Slack Integration and Vacation Handling

On-call work is a critical aspect of many businesses, ensuring that incidents are addressed promptly and efficiently. Many companies rely on on-call solutions like PagerDuty and OpsGenie to manage their on-call schedules and incident responses. However, while these solutions offer many benefits, there are still some significant deficiencies that need to be addressed. In this article, we will explore two of these deficiencies in more detail: Slack integration and vacation handling.

Challenges

1. Slack Integration: Slack is a popular collaboration tool used by many businesses to communicate and share information. As such, Slack integration is a common feature of many on-call solutions, including PagerDuty and OpsGenie. However, there are still some deficiencies in the way that these solutions integrate with Slack. One significant issue is that some solutions may not provide enough context in their Slack messages. When an incident occurs, on-call responders receive an alert in Slack. However, without enough information, it can be challenging for on-call responders to understand the nature of the incident and determine the appropriate response. This can lead to delays in incident resolution or ineffective responses. Additionally, some solutions may not provide enough customization options for Slack messages. Different teams have different needs and preferences, and a one-size-fits-all approach may not be suitable for all businesses. Customization options can allow teams to tailor Slack messages to their needs, ensuring that on-call responders have the information they need to respond effectively.

2. Reacting to People's Vacation: Another significant deficiency of current on-call solutions is how they handle vacation time. When someone goes on vacation, their on-call responsibilities need to be transferred to someone else. However, on-call schedules may not be adjusted automatically, resulting in confusion and missed incidents. This can be a significant problem for businesses that operate in multiple time zones, where it may not always be clear when someone is on vacation. Additionally, when on-call responders return from vacation, they may not have access to the information they need to respond effectively to incidents that occurred while they were away. Without proper handover procedures, returning responders may be left in the dark about the status of incidents, leading to confusion and delays in incident resolution.

Solutions:

To address these deficiencies, companies should consider implementing solutions that provide more context and customization options for Slack messages. Additionally, on-call schedules should be adjusted automatically when someone goes on vacation, and returning on-call responders should be provided with the information they need to respond effectively to incidents that occurred while they were away. Some potential solutions include:

1. Integration with Workforce Management Systems: Integrating on-call solutions with workforce management systems can help to ensure that on-call schedules are adjusted automatically when someone goes on vacation. This can reduce confusion and missed incidents, ensuring that incidents are addressed promptly.

2. Customizable Slack Messages: On-call solutions should provide more customization options for Slack messages. This can help to ensure that on-call responders have the information they need to respond effectively to incidents. Customization options can include the ability to add additional context, like links to relevant resources or specific instructions.

3. Handover Procedures: To ensure that returning on-call responders have the information they need to respond effectively, businesses should establish proper handover procedures. This can include documenting the status of open incidents and providing access to incident logs.

Take-away:

While current on-call solutions like PagerDuty and OpsGenie offer many benefits, there are still some significant deficiencies that need to be addressed. By implementing solutions that provide more context and customization options for Slack messages, and automatically adjusting on-call schedules when someone goes on vacation, companies can improve the effectiveness and efficiency of their on-call teams.