How to add Slack to MRPeasy
Short answer
Build a small Slack app that reads MRPeasy through its REST API, posts alerts and interactive messages to channels, and handles slash commands such as stock lookups. Slack's Events and Interactivity endpoints send clicks back to your service, which calls MRPeasy.
Smaller product companies, hardware startups and contract manufacturers using MRPeasy often run the rest of the business on Slack. Engineering, purchasing and operations talk there, but the stock and order data sits one login away, so questions turn into screenshots and copy and paste.
A Slack app closes that loop. It does not replace MRPeasy; it brings the few facts and decisions people need into the place where they are already working, and sends the result back.
Below is the practical shape of that app, what MRPeasy gives you to build on, and the mistakes that make these apps annoying.
What teams use it for
Slash command stock check
Type a slash command with a part number and see on-hand, reserved and incoming quantity from MRPeasy.
Procurement request approval
An engineer requests a part; the app posts an interactive message to purchasing with approve and reject buttons and creates a draft purchase order.
Overdue order channel
Each overdue customer order lands in an ops channel with age, customer and the blocking item.
Work order start and finish notices
Post when a manufacturing order starts or completes so sales sees progress without asking.
New customer order announcements
A short message with customer, value and requested date celebrates or flags large orders.
Supplier delay thread
A late purchase order opens a thread where the buyer logs the supplier's answer and the planner sees it.
MRPeasy integration surface
- MRPeasy REST API with API key and secret from the integration settings; confirm that your plan includes API access.
- Read resources for items, stock, customer orders, purchase orders and manufacturing orders; write resources vary by version, so test each endpoint in a sandbox company if you can.
- No native Slack channel to rely on; the connector is yours. Zapier or Make style platforms may offer MRPeasy modules, but check coverage of the objects you need.
- Polling with modified-since filters is the usual trigger method, with scheduled jobs for digests.
- SaaS only, so the Slack app server must reach MRPeasy over the public internet.
How it works
- 1
Create the Slack app
Define bot scopes for posting, slash commands and interactivity. Install it to the workspace and note the signing secret and bot token.
- 2
Prepare the MRPeasy credentials
Issue API credentials to a dedicated user, read-only first. Add write access later for a single, well-tested action.
- 3
Implement the slash command
Verify the Slack signature, parse the part number, query the MRPeasy item and stock endpoints, and reply ephemerally so the answer is visible only to the asker.
- 4
Add scheduled alerts
A job lists overdue orders or low stock, compares to a stored state and posts only new items to the right channel.
- 5
Build interactive messages
Use Block Kit buttons for approve and reject. On click, verify the Slack user maps to an allowed approver, then call MRPeasy.
- 6
Update the message after action
Replace the buttons with the outcome and who acted, so nobody clicks twice.
- 7
Review noise weekly
Look at which channels people mute and tune thresholds and routing.
Example flows
Part request from engineering
Trigger: An engineer uses a request command with a part number and quantity.
- App checks MRPeasy stock and open purchase orders.
- If short, it posts an approval message to the purchasing channel.
- Buyer approves.
- App creates a draft purchase order or note in MRPeasy and replies in the original thread.
Result: The request, approval and PO reference live in one thread.
Morning ops digest
Trigger: A scheduled job at start of shift.
- Query orders due this week, late purchase orders and items below reorder level.
- Format a compact message with counts and links.
- Post to the ops channel.
- People reply in thread with actions.
Result: The team starts the day with the same list.
Keeping data on-prem
MRPeasy has no on-prem edition, so the sensitive part is the app you write. Host it on a server you control, keep the MRPeasy secret there and, if you add natural-language questions, run an open-weight model locally so Slack messages and order data are not forwarded to a third-party model API. Slack still sees the messages that appear in channels, so choose what to post accordingly.
Security checklist
- Verify the Slack request signature on every call.
- Map Slack user ids to approvers in your own table, not by display name.
- Prefer ephemeral replies for pricing, costs and supplier terms.
- Request only the Slack scopes you use and review them yearly.
- Keep MRPeasy credentials in a secrets store and rotate them when staff leave.
Ways to get it done
Workflow platform (Zapier, Make, n8n)
Effort: Days
Quick for one-way alerts if connectors cover your objects.
Custom Slack app
Effort: 2 to 4 weeks
Required for slash commands with live lookups and secure approvals.
Partner build such as Netray
Effort: 3 to 5 weeks
Helpful when you want an agent behind the commands and a private model.
Pitfalls
- !Slash commands must respond within a few seconds; acknowledge fast and post the result afterwards.
- !Part numbers typed by humans rarely match exactly; add fuzzy match and show candidates.
- !Public channels leak costs and customer names without anyone intending it.
- !Retries from Slack can double-process an action unless you use an idempotency key.
- !Alert rules that fire on every change create fatigue within a week.
Frequently asked questions
Can I connect MRPeasy to Slack without code?
For simple one-way alerts, maybe, using a workflow platform that has an MRPeasy connector or generic HTTP steps. Slash commands, approvals and write-back usually need a small custom app.
Is the MRPeasy API enough for this?
For reading stock and orders and posting alerts, generally yes. Check your API version for the exact endpoints and which objects can be created or updated, and test in a non-production company first.
How do approvals get recorded?
The app should write who approved and when, either as a note on the MRPeasy record or in its own log table keyed by the order id. Do not rely on the Slack message alone as the audit trail.
Can I ask questions in plain language?
Yes, by putting a model behind a command that turns questions into a small set of read-only API calls. Start with fixed commands, then add language understanding once people trust the answers.
Does this work in Slack Connect channels with suppliers?
It can, but be careful. Limit what the app posts there to supplier-facing facts such as purchase order numbers and dates, and keep internal costs and customer data in internal channels.
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