Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Google Chat are where people talk during the day, in channels and direct messages. Headwater is where a company keeps its plan, and where each team ranks and solves the problems in its way. They are for different jobs, and a company can use both.
- 1Harrogate is short of weekend baristas8 daysDW
- 2Sheffield’s card machine drops out at lunch5 daysAR
- 3Oat milk supplier is putting prices up4 daysAR
- Grinder in the Leeds café keeps jamming16 daysDW
- GAGrace Adeyemi28 OctThe grinder jammed again in the morning rush
- ARAisha Rahman28 OctIt did that on Friday too
- GAGrace Adeyemi12 NovJammed twice today. Has anyone called the engineer?
- DWDan Whitfield12 NovI thought the Roastery team had
Halden’s people talk all day in chat. Each café has its own channel, and so does the York fit-out.
The jamming grinder in the Leeds café came up in the Leeds channel on 28 October, and again on 12 November. In Headwater, it is an issue on the Cafés list. It has one owner, Dan, and it has been open for 16 days, so it shows in red.
Choose a question to see where Halden finds the answer.
- In chatYork fit-outChannel
- DWDan Whitfield16 NovIs anyone at York tomorrow? The electrician needs letting in at 8.
- FMFreya Marsh16 NovI’ll be there from half seven
- DW
- DWDan Whitfield16 NovIs anyone at York tomorrow? The electrician needs letting in at 8.
- FMFreya Marsh16 NovI’ll be there from half seven
In chat, a problem is one message among many. It has no owner, and once the conversation moves on, it is easy to lose.
In Headwater, each team keeps one list of issues. Every issue has an owner and shows how long it has been open, in amber after seven days and in red after 14. The team ranks its top three and solves them from the top in its weekly huddle.
Click an issue’s mark to rank it.
- 8 daysHarrogate is short of weekend baristasDWDan
- 5 daysSheffield’s card machine drops out at lunchARAishaOverdue, due 13 Nov
- 4 daysOat milk supplier is putting prices upARAisha
- 16 daysGrinder in the Leeds café keeps jammingDWDan
- 2 daysYork café signage is waiting on planning permissionDWDanClimb Fit out the York caféDue 27 Nov
A decision made in a chat thread is hard to find a month later, and people who join later never see it.
When a team solves an issue in Headwater, it can record the outcome as a decision. A one-off decision covers that case only. A standing rule applies from then on, and the rulebook lists every rule in force by area.
Search the rulebook, or show only the rules made by the company or by one team.
Cafés
2- Every café keeps a spare set of grinder burrs
A worn burr closed Durham’s espresso bar for a Saturday.
29 OctHuddleCafésDan, Aisha - New cafés open with two trained baristas on every shift
Harrogate’s first month showed one isn’t enough at weekends.
1 OctPlanningCompanyReview by 1 Apr 2027
Deliveries
1- Wholesale orders placed by 2pm go out the same day
Cafés order after the lunch rush.
19 OctHuddleWholesaleMaya, Ravi
Pricing
2- Trade prices change on the first of a month, with 30 days’ notice
Cafés print their menus a month ahead.
12 OctHuddleWholesaleMaya, RaviReview by 1 Nov - Subscribers keep their price for 12 months after joining7 OctHuddleSubscriptionsTom, LeahReview by 31 Mar 2027
Roastery
2- Green coffee is ordered eight weeks ahead
Two shipments this year arrived late.
4 NovHuddleRoasteryPriya, Ravi - Test batches from the new roaster are never sold21 OctHuddleRoasteryPriya
Subscriptions
1- Every cancellation gets a call within two days28 OctHuddleSubscriptionsLeah
Wholesale
1- Trade samples go out within two working days of a request2 NovHuddleWholesaleJoe
Dan Whitfield is Halden’s Head of Cafés. On Monday he checks in on Fit out the York café in Headwater, and on Thursday he leads the Cafés huddle.
On Monday, Freya says in the York channel that the landlord has still not handed over the bin store key. On Tuesday she raises it as an issue in Headwater, and the team solves it in Thursday’s huddle. The rest of the week’s conversation stays in chat.
No. Headwater has no channels or direct messages. People keep talking in chat, and the problems and decisions that need the team go in Headwater.
Details about Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Google Chat are from their own websites in September 2026. Slack is a trademark of Slack Technologies, LLC, Microsoft Teams of Microsoft Corporation, and Google Chat of Google LLC. Headwater is not affiliated with any of them.
Book a demo and we’ll show you how Headwater would run your week, from the vision down to Monday morning.