In a method of observation platform collaboration integration, a collaboration application is provisioned at an observation platform. The provisioning is administered by a cloud services platform in collaboration with a computer system of the observation platform and includes configuration and deployment of the collaboration application within the observation platform. An automation software component is sent from the collaboration application for resident installation at an external collaboration application which is external to an environment of the observation platform. The automation software component organizes information in the external retailer system for exchange, via a cloud-based gateway, with the collaboration application. The collaboration application is communicatively coupled, via the cloud-based gateway, with the external collaboration application. User information and task information are synchronized between the collaboration application and the external collaboration application. At least a portion of the user information received from the external collaboration application is provided by the automation software component.