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Usable.softwareA Balane Tech system
All modules/CommunicationM22
M22Shared· Communication

Chat

Talk to your team here — in topic channels, in a colleague's thread, or one to one.

Live preview — real view with sample data

chat.usable.software
ChannelSenderMessageReadSent
ReviewedEntry 5Item 107/06/202607/06/2026
OpenRecord 6Entry 218/06/202618/06/2026
In progressItem 7Record 329/06/202629/06/2026
DoneEntry 8Item 410/07/202610/07/2026
ReviewedRecord 9Entry 521/07/202621/07/2026

Not a screenshot: the same interface you get in production.

What you do here

Your conversations are on the left, the conversation on the right. You write directly at the bottom of the conversation — there is no form for it. Unread items show a counter, and the "New from here" line marks where you left off. Use ↩ to reply to a single message instead of interrupting the channel; react with an emoji to acknowledge "seen" or "done" without writing.

The four kinds of channel

A topic channel (e.g. #warehouse) is for everyone who needs it — open or by invitation. A team thread belongs to exactly one field worker; the back office reads along so someone can cover. Private is strictly between two people. A portal channel is a conversation with someone outside the company (customer, supplier, workshop), attached to their case.

Who can read what

This is stated openly in each channel header, not in the small print: in team threads the back office reads along (that is the point of the role — holiday cover, traceability). Private channels are read by nobody but the two people involved — not even administrators, and that cannot be switched on later. In portal channels the external person sees only that one channel, never anything internal.

Languages

Write in your own language. With auto-translation on, every message appears in the working language and a language tag shows that it was translated — tap "Original" to see what was typed. If a translation fails it says so on the message; in case of doubt the original always governs.

Co-determination and retention

A chat with read receipts and presence is a technical facility capable of monitoring conduct and performance — where a works council exists this belongs in a works agreement (§ 87(1) no. 6 BetrVG, German law). There are switches for it: presence is off by default, read receipts can be disabled, and the deletion period is configurable. Business arrangements with customers or suppliers may be subject to retention as commercial correspondence (§ 257 HGB, § 147 AO) — deliberately file such threads in "Documents" rather than declaring the whole chat an archive.

What's inside

  • Chat
  • Search messages
  • Message
  • Retract message