Suggestions for dealing with shared inbox in 2007?

[Tara H]

I upgraded to Outlook 2007 today. My colleague and I share an inbox which
recieves 100+ emails daily. This inbox is grouped by category, and the
client's name is entered in the category field. In 2003 we used the coloured
flags to quickly mark which of us was working on a mail as it arrived, and
then dragged it to the category it was assigned to, or created a new category
where necessary.

With the assigning of colours in 2007 to categories instead of flags, we
have in essence lost a level of detail for tracking mails. We need to be
able to mark quickly (2-3 clicks) which of either of us is responsible for
any given mail, and which client it relates to. There is no way of setting
up any rules to enter this automatically; the mails do not come directly from
the clients, and they are only listed in the subject, which does not tend to
show them in a standardised way.

Can anyone suggest a way of using the features available in 2007 to achieve
this? I have tried working with user-defined fields, but they don't display
in an editable way in the category view. Using 'contact' to store myself or
my colleague as the responsible person seems like a logical solution, except
that even when grouped by contact, dragging does not fill in the appropriate
detail in the mail (as is possible, for example, with category)

All suggestions would be welcome.

Thanks,
Tara

 

[Roady [MVP]]

You can use multiple categories. For instance set the Quick Click category
to your own name and use drag & drop to assign it the category of your
client. Your working method will stay more or less the same this way.

 

[Tara H]

Thanks for the suggestion. I've tried that with some success, however there
are a few difficulties:

1. When a mail is assigned to two categories, it appears twice in the
inbox, so that when they are all collapsed, it appears similar to the
following -
client
client
client
colleague name
client
client
my name
client

2. When I Quick Click to assign my name, and then drag to another category,
it loses the first category assignment.

3. Given point 2, I tried to give it the client name category first and
then use Quick Click, but that gives me the error: 'Could not open the item.
Try again'. The only way I've been able to have it assigned to both at once
is to open up the mail and categorise it twice using the toolbar.

Point 1 is something we could probably live with if we had to, but points 2
and 3 unfortunately make this unworkable when we're under pressure - it takes
too much time and there's too much risk of the category being 'lost',
particularly our names, which is important for later tracking of who did what.

Having only just installed 2007, it's possible there are options to control
these things that I am not aware of. If there is a way around them, we may
be able to make this work.

Thanks again for your help.
Tara

You can use multiple categories. For instance set the Quick Click category
to your own name and use drag & drop to assign it the category of your
client. Your working method will stay more or less the same this way.

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003


-----

I upgraded to Outlook 2007 today. My colleague and I share an inbox which
recieves 100+ emails daily. This inbox is grouped by category, and the
client's name is entered in the category field. In 2003 we used the
coloured
flags to quickly mark which of us was working on a mail as it arrived, and
then dragged it to the category it was assigned to, or created a new
category
where necessary.

With the assigning of colours in 2007 to categories instead of flags, we
have in essence lost a level of detail for tracking mails. We need to be
able to mark quickly (2-3 clicks) which of either of us is responsible for
any given mail, and which client it relates to. There is no way of
setting
up any rules to enter this automatically; the mails do not come directly
from
the clients, and they are only listed in the subject, which does not tend
to
show them in a standardised way.

Can anyone suggest a way of using the features available in 2007 to
achieve
this? I have tried working with user-defined fields, but they don't
display
in an editable way in the category view. Using 'contact' to store myself
or
my colleague as the responsible person seems like a logical solution,
except
that even when grouped by contact, dragging does not fill in the
appropriate
detail in the mail (as is possible, for example, with category)

All suggestions would be welcome.

Thanks,
Tara

 

[milkman]

Tara,

We are in the exact same boat that you are in. That 'Could not open the
item.
Try again' error really makes the product somewhat unusable for us. Why it
can't mark it using Quick click but can opening it up is strange. If I find
anything out, I'll be sure to post back here.

Tyler

Thanks for the suggestion. I've tried that with some success, however there
are a few difficulties:

1. When a mail is assigned to two categories, it appears twice in the
inbox, so that when they are all collapsed, it appears similar to the
following -
client
client
client
colleague name
client
client
my name
client

2. When I Quick Click to assign my name, and then drag to another category,
it loses the first category assignment.

3. Given point 2, I tried to give it the client name category first and
then use Quick Click, but that gives me the error: 'Could not open the item.
Try again'. The only way I've been able to have it assigned to both at once
is to open up the mail and categorise it twice using the toolbar.

Point 1 is something we could probably live with if we had to, but points 2
and 3 unfortunately make this unworkable when we're under pressure - it takes
too much time and there's too much risk of the category being 'lost',
particularly our names, which is important for later tracking of who did what.

Having only just installed 2007, it's possible there are options to control
these things that I am not aware of. If there is a way around them, we may
be able to make this work.

Thanks again for your help.
Tara

You can use multiple categories. For instance set the Quick Click category
to your own name and use drag & drop to assign it the category of your
client. Your working method will stay more or less the same this way.

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
Outlook FAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more

-----

I upgraded to Outlook 2007 today. My colleague and I share an inbox which
recieves 100+ emails daily. This inbox is grouped by category, and the
client's name is entered in the category field. In 2003 we used the
coloured
flags to quickly mark which of us was working on a mail as it arrived, and
then dragged it to the category it was assigned to, or created a new
category
where necessary.

With the assigning of colours in 2007 to categories instead of flags, we
have in essence lost a level of detail for tracking mails. We need to be
able to mark quickly (2-3 clicks) which of either of us is responsible for
any given mail, and which client it relates to. There is no way of
setting
up any rules to enter this automatically; the mails do not come directly
from
the clients, and they are only listed in the subject, which does not tend
to
show them in a standardised way.

Can anyone suggest a way of using the features available in 2007 to
achieve
this? I have tried working with user-defined fields, but they don't
display
in an editable way in the category view. Using 'contact' to store myself
or
my colleague as the responsible person seems like a logical solution,
except
that even when grouped by contact, dragging does not fill in the
appropriate
detail in the mail (as is possible, for example, with category)

All suggestions would be welcome.

Thanks,
Tara

 

[Tara H]

I don't know why, but this seems to have resolved after a restart... no idea
if it will continue working... in the meantime searching has not turned up
anything at all.

Tara,

We are in the exact same boat that you are in. That 'Could not open the
item.
Try again' error really makes the product somewhat unusable for us. Why it
can't mark it using Quick click but can opening it up is strange. If I find
anything out, I'll be sure to post back here.

Tyler

Thanks for the suggestion. I've tried that with some success, however there
are a few difficulties:

1. When a mail is assigned to two categories, it appears twice in the
inbox, so that when they are all collapsed, it appears similar to the
following -
client
client
client
colleague name
client
client
my name
client

2. When I Quick Click to assign my name, and then drag to another category,
it loses the first category assignment.

3. Given point 2, I tried to give it the client name category first and
then use Quick Click, but that gives me the error: 'Could not open the item.
Try again'. The only way I've been able to have it assigned to both at once
is to open up the mail and categorise it twice using the toolbar.

Point 1 is something we could probably live with if we had to, but points 2
and 3 unfortunately make this unworkable when we're under pressure - it takes
too much time and there's too much risk of the category being 'lost',
particularly our names, which is important for later tracking of who did what.

Having only just installed 2007, it's possible there are options to control
these things that I am not aware of. If there is a way around them, we may
be able to make this work.

Thanks again for your help.
Tara

You can use multiple categories. For instance set the Quick Click category
to your own name and use drag & drop to assign it the category of your
client. Your working method will stay more or less the same this way.

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
Outlook FAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more

-----
I upgraded to Outlook 2007 today. My colleague and I share an inbox which
recieves 100+ emails daily. This inbox is grouped by category, and the
client's name is entered in the category field. In 2003 we used the
coloured
flags to quickly mark which of us was working on a mail as it arrived, and
then dragged it to the category it was assigned to, or created a new
category
where necessary.

With the assigning of colours in 2007 to categories instead of flags, we
have in essence lost a level of detail for tracking mails. We need to be
able to mark quickly (2-3 clicks) which of either of us is responsible for
any given mail, and which client it relates to. There is no way of
setting
up any rules to enter this automatically; the mails do not come directly
from
the clients, and they are only listed in the subject, which does not tend
to
show them in a standardised way.

Can anyone suggest a way of using the features available in 2007 to
achieve
this? I have tried working with user-defined fields, but they don't
display
in an editable way in the category view. Using 'contact' to store myself
or
my colleague as the responsible person seems like a logical solution,
except
that even when grouped by contact, dragging does not fill in the
appropriate
detail in the mail (as is possible, for example, with category)

All suggestions would be welcome.

Thanks,
Tara

 

[milkman]

Ok, that is strange. Now I'm working OK. I don't understand this either,
and I don't trust that it's working, but I'm happy for now.

If I do run into anything, I'm still posting it here.

Thanks!!

I don't know why, but this seems to have resolved after a restart... no idea
if it will continue working... in the meantime searching has not turned up
anything at all.

Tara,

We are in the exact same boat that you are in. That 'Could not open the
item.
Try again' error really makes the product somewhat unusable for us. Why it
can't mark it using Quick click but can opening it up is strange. If I find
anything out, I'll be sure to post back here.

Tyler

Thanks for the suggestion. I've tried that with some success, however there
are a few difficulties:

1. When a mail is assigned to two categories, it appears twice in the
inbox, so that when they are all collapsed, it appears similar to the
following -
client
client
client
colleague name
client
client
my name
client

2. When I Quick Click to assign my name, and then drag to another category,
it loses the first category assignment.

3. Given point 2, I tried to give it the client name category first and
then use Quick Click, but that gives me the error: 'Could not open the item.
Try again'. The only way I've been able to have it assigned to both at once
is to open up the mail and categorise it twice using the toolbar.

Point 1 is something we could probably live with if we had to, but points 2
and 3 unfortunately make this unworkable when we're under pressure - it takes
too much time and there's too much risk of the category being 'lost',
particularly our names, which is important for later tracking of who did what.

Having only just installed 2007, it's possible there are options to control
these things that I am not aware of. If there is a way around them, we may
be able to make this work.

Thanks again for your help.
Tara

:

You can use multiple categories. For instance set the Quick Click category
to your own name and use drag & drop to assign it the category of your
client. Your working method will stay more or less the same this way.

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
Outlook FAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more

-----
I upgraded to Outlook 2007 today. My colleague and I share an inbox which
recieves 100+ emails daily. This inbox is grouped by category, and the
client's name is entered in the category field. In 2003 we used the
coloured
flags to quickly mark which of us was working on a mail as it arrived, and
then dragged it to the category it was assigned to, or created a new
category
where necessary.

With the assigning of colours in 2007 to categories instead of flags, we
have in essence lost a level of detail for tracking mails. We need to be
able to mark quickly (2-3 clicks) which of either of us is responsible for
any given mail, and which client it relates to. There is no way of
setting
up any rules to enter this automatically; the mails do not come directly
from
the clients, and they are only listed in the subject, which does not tend
to
show them in a standardised way.

Can anyone suggest a way of using the features available in 2007 to
achieve
this? I have tried working with user-defined fields, but they don't
display
in an editable way in the category view. Using 'contact' to store myself
or
my colleague as the responsible person seems like a logical solution,
except
that even when grouped by contact, dragging does not fill in the
appropriate
detail in the mail (as is possible, for example, with category)

All suggestions would be welcome.

Thanks,
Tara