Communication Channels

Overview

The Kinana development team uses Microsoft Office 365 suite for all communication and collaboration. This includes Microsoft Teams for real-time communication, Outlook for email, and SharePoint for document collaboration.

Platform: YHT/Ibtikar corporate Office 365 instance
Onboarding: Managed by Corporate HR
Support: Corporate IT helpdesk

Primary Communication Tools

Microsoft Teams

Primary real-time communication platform

Teams Structure

Kinana Development Team (Primary team)

• General Channel: Team-wide announcements, casual communication
• Development Channel: Technical discussions, code coordination
• Sprint Planning Channel: Sprint-related discussions
• QA & Testing Channel: Bug reports, testing coordination
• Design Channel: UI/UX discussions and feedback

Teams Usage Guidelines

Daily Communication

• Quick questions and updates
• Coordination and scheduling
• Status updates between standups
• Sharing links, screenshots, code snippets

Meetings

• Daily standups (video call)
• Sprint planning (video call)
• Sprint reviews (video call + screen share)
• Retrospectives (video call)
• Code walkthroughs (screen share)
• Ad-hoc technical discussions

Response Expectations

• Standard messages: Within working hours, same day
• Urgent messages: Tag with @mention, within 1-2 hours
• After hours: No response expected unless emergency
• "Do Not Disturb" status: Respect and defer to email

Best Practices

• Use @mentions for direct attention
• Use channel topics to organize discussions
• Keep threads organized (reply in thread, not new message)
• Use reactions for acknowledgment
• Pin important messages in channels
• Share screen during technical discussions

Microsoft Outlook

Email communication platform

Email Usage

Formal Communication

• Stakeholder updates
• Management reporting
• External partner communication
• Documentation sharing (with attachments)
• Meeting invitations

Distribution Lists

• kinana-dev@ibtikaredutech.com - All team members
• kinana-tech@ibtikaredutech.com - Technical team only
• (Additional lists managed by Corporate IT)

Response Expectations

• Standard emails: Within 24 hours
• Urgent emails: Mark as "High Importance", expect same-day response
• CC: Keep relevant parties informed
• BCC: Use sparingly, only when appropriate

Email Etiquette

• Clear subject lines
• Professional tone for external communication
• Include action items and deadlines
• Use read receipts only when necessary
• Keep email threads organized

Calendar Management

• All meetings scheduled through Outlook calendar
• Include Teams link in meeting invitations
• Set calendar availability (free/busy/out of office)
• Accept/decline meeting invitations promptly
• Use recurring meetings for ceremonies (standups, planning)

SharePoint

Document collaboration and team site

Team Site Structure

Kinana Team Site

• Document library: Shared files and documentation
• Team calendar: Milestone and release planning
• Lists: Task tracking (supplementary to GitHub)
• Wiki: Team knowledge base

SharePoint Usage

Document Sharing

• Product Requirements Documents (PRDs)
• Design specifications
• Process documentation
• Presentation materials
• Reports and analysis

Collaboration Features

• Co-authoring Word documents
• Commenting on documents
• Version history
• Document approval workflows

Access

• Accessible through Teams (Files tab)
• Direct link provided by Corporate IT
• Automatic access provisioned for team members

Communication Protocols

Daily Standup (Synchronous)

Platform: Microsoft Teams video call
Frequency: Daily (weekdays)
Duration: 15 minutes
Attendance: All team members

Purpose:

• Quick status updates
• Identify blockers
• Coordinate deployment timing
• Align on day's priorities

Format: Each person shares completed, in-progress, blockers

Sprint Planning (Synchronous)

Platform: Microsoft Teams video call
Frequency: Bi-weekly
Duration: 1-2 hours
Attendance: All team members

Purpose:

• Review backlog priorities
• Commit to sprint scope
• Break down features into tasks
• Technical alignment

Artifacts: GitHub Issues, Kanban board, Sprint milestone

Sprint Review (Synchronous)

Platform: Microsoft Teams video call + screen share
Frequency: End of sprint (bi-weekly)
Duration: 1 hour
Attendance: Team + stakeholders (optional)

Purpose:

• Demo completed features
• Gather feedback
• Review sprint outcomes

Recording: Available for stakeholders who cannot attend

Retrospective (Synchronous)

Platform: Microsoft Teams video call
Frequency: End of sprint (bi-weekly)
Duration: 45 minutes
Attendance: Development team only

Purpose:

• Reflect on process
• Identify improvements
• Action items for next sprint

Privacy: Internal team discussion, notes in GitHub Project

Code Walkthrough (Synchronous/Asynchronous)

Platform: Microsoft Teams screen share (sync) or GitHub PR comments (async)
Frequency: As needed for significant changes
Duration: 15-30 minutes

Purpose:

• Explain complex implementations
• Share knowledge
• Get early feedback

Format: Developer walks through code changes

Asynchronous Communication

GitHub

Purpose: Code review, issue tracking, project management

Communication Types:

• Pull request comments and reviews
• Issue discussions and updates
• Project board comments
• Commit messages

Integration: GitHub notifications to Teams

Best Practices:

• Clear, descriptive comments
• Tag relevant team members
• Link to related issues/PRs
• Include context and rationale

Email Threads

Purpose: Formal documentation, external communication

When to Use:

• Stakeholder updates requiring formal record
• Decisions that need executive approval
• External partner coordination
• Documentation distribution

Best Practices:

• Include all relevant context
• Clear action items and owners
• Set appropriate expectations for response time
• Follow up on action items

Emergency Communication

Critical Production Issues (When Live)

Primary: Microsoft Teams direct message + phone call
Target: Solution Architect + Senior Developer
Escalation: Product Manager if not resolved quickly
Documentation: Incident logged in GitHub Issue

After-Hours:

• Phone call to Solution Architect
• Phone numbers available in Outlook contact directory
• Follow up with Teams message and email

Security Incidents

Immediate: Phone call to Solution Architect
Notification: Product Manager and CEO via secure email
Platform: Email (for documentation) + Teams (for coordination)
Follow-up: Formal incident report

Communication Preferences by Role

Product Manager

• Preferred: Teams messages for quick questions, Email for formal matters
• Meetings: Outlook calendar invitations
• Availability: Generally responsive during business hours

Solution Architect

• Preferred: Teams for technical discussions, GitHub for code review
• Meetings: Scheduled through Outlook
• Availability: Responsive during working hours, emergency phone available

Senior Developer

• Preferred: Teams for coordination, GitHub for code discussions
• Meetings: Daily standup + scheduled meetings
• Availability: Generally online during working hours

QA / Project Manager

• Preferred: Teams for quick updates, GitHub Issues for bugs
• Meetings: Facilitates most team meetings
• Availability: Highly responsive during working hours

UI/UX Designer(s)

• Preferred: Teams for discussion, Figma comments for design feedback
• Meetings: Sprint planning and reviews
• Availability: Responsive during design review sessions

External Communication

Stakeholder Updates

Channel: Email (Outlook)
Frequency: Weekly or bi-weekly
Owner: Product Manager
Format: Status report with key metrics and blockers

Vendor Communication

Channel: Email (Outlook) + vendor portals
Owner: Solution Architect (technical) or Product Manager (business)
Examples: ABP.io support, Nutrient support tickets

Partner Coordination

Channel: Email (Outlook) + scheduled Teams meetings
Owner: Product Manager
Purpose: Pilot programs, feedback sessions, partnership discussions

Onboarding for New Members

Managed by: Corporate HR

Initial Setup

1. Office 365 account created
2. Teams access provisioned
3. Outlook configured
4. SharePoint access granted
5. Added to distribution lists
6. Briefed on communication protocols

Team Integration

• Introduction in Kinana Teams General channel
• Added to relevant Teams channels
• Invited to recurring meetings (standups, planning)
• Access to SharePoint team site
• GitHub account linked to Teams notifications

Communication Tools Reference

Microsoft Teams

Web: teams.microsoft.com
Desktop: Microsoft Teams app (pre-installed)
Mobile: Teams mobile app (iOS/Android)
Support: Corporate IT helpdesk

Microsoft Outlook

Web: outlook.office.com
Desktop: Microsoft Outlook (pre-installed)
Mobile: Outlook mobile app (iOS/Android)
Support: Corporate IT helpdesk

SharePoint

Access: Via Teams or direct URL (provided by IT)
Permissions: Managed by Corporate IT
Support: Corporate IT helpdesk

GitHub

Web: github.com/kinana-ai
Desktop: GitHub Desktop or Git CLI
Integration: Teams notifications enabled
Support: Solution Architect for access issues

Best Practices Summary

Synchronous Communication (Teams, Meetings)

✅ Use for urgent matters, real-time coordination
✅ Quick questions that need immediate answers
✅ Collaborative discussions and brainstorming
✅ Daily coordination and standup

❌ Avoid for complex technical explanations (use GitHub)
❌ Avoid for decisions needing formal record (use email)

Asynchronous Communication (Email, GitHub)

✅ Use for formal documentation and decisions
✅ Detailed technical discussions and code review
✅ External stakeholder communication
✅ Matters requiring thoughtful response

❌ Avoid for urgent issues (use Teams)
❌ Avoid for quick yes/no questions (use Teams)

In-Person (Office)

✅ Sprint planning and reviews (preferred)
✅ Complex architectural discussions
✅ Team building and social connection
✅ Sensitive or confidential conversations

Last Updated: November 2025
Version: 1.0
Managed by: Ibtikar Corporate HR and IT