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Microsoft Outlook 2010 or 2013 Integration Guide

The netFORUM Microsoft® Outlook 2010 or 2013 Integration consists of the Outlook Add-in.

The Outlook 2010 or 2013 Integration lets you use Microsoft Outlook to:

• Search for and use email addresses stored in netFORUM.
• Log Correspondence in netFORUM.
• Add netFORUM assignments to Outlook Tasks.
• Update netFORUM assignments through Outlook Tasks.

If a recipient replies to your Outlook email address, you can press a button to log that response in the correspondence child form on their Individual Profile.

The Outlook Add-in adds a ribbon to the application, which gives you the ability to add and track emails from the netFORUM database to Outlook emails and log emails to the netFORUM database.

The Outlook Add-in syncronizes netFORUM assignments as Outlook Tasks, updating these tasks also updates their respective netFORUM assignments.

Note: Creating new tasks in Outlook does not create new assignments in netFORUM.

Using the netFORUM Outlook Integration

In order to start using the integrated system, you must specify the netFORUM authentication settings during your first session of Microsoft Outlook with the Outlook Add-In properly installed.

Once it has been properly installed you will notice the netFORUM tab located on the ribbon of a new email window.

netFORUM Outlook Integration Links in a New E-mail Window

The netFORUM tab has two options available. These options are:

• netFORUM Settings - Clicking this link opens the netFORUM Settings pop-up window to allow you to modify your netFORUM/Outlook integration configuration settings.
• Mail Contacts - Clicking this link allows you to search for email addresses in netFORUM for the types of email addresses listed below:
  • Individual Profile
  • Organization Profile
  • Mailing Lists
  • Committee Lists

  If you click the Mail Contacts link and get the netFORUM Tracker pop-up window informing you that you are not authorized, you must click the netFORUM Settings link and check your configuration settings.

  

  netFORUM Tracker Pop-Up

Using Outlook to Search For E-mail Addresses Stored in netFORUM

While composing a new message in Outlook, you can lookup E-mail addresses contained in the netFORUM database.

To search for a netFORUM E-mail address using Outlook, complete the following steps:

1. Click the New E-mail icon in Outlook to open the new E-mail message pop-up window.
2. Click the netFORUM tab located in the ribbon of the new E-mail message pop-up window.
   

   netFORUM Outlook Integration Links in a New E-mail Window
3. Click the Mail Contacts link. This will open the netFORUM Contacts pop-up window.

   The netFORUM Contacts pop-up window has two search methods available to you; General Search and Extended Search.

   Using the General Search Option

   The General Search option is the default search option.

   1. Enter a portion of the name of the individual, organization, committee, or mailing list you are searching for in the Search Individuals, Organizations, Committees, and Mailing Lists by Name field.
   2. Click the Search button.
      

      netFORUM Contacts Pop-Up Window with Search Term Entered and Results Displayed

      All entries matching the search term you entered will be displayed in the Select Contacts portion of the netFORUM Contacts pop-up window.

      Note: If the netFORUM contact does not have an email address specified, they will not be returned in any search.

Using the Extended Search Option

1. Click the Extended Search tab located on the netFORUM Contacts pop-up window.

   The Extended Search option provides several fields to allow you to search for the desired E-mail address(es). These fields are:

   • Last Name
   • First Name
   • Email
   • Organization
   • Committee/Mailing List
2. Using the fields provided, enter the search criteria needed to locate the desired E-mail address(es).

   Note: You can also use the wildcard % character in your search criteria. For example, to find all of the addresses using the "odbl.com" domain you can enter %odbl.com.

3. Click the Search button.

   A list of results matching your search criteria will be displayed in the Select Contact(s) section of the netFORUM Contacts pop-up window.

   

   Extended Search Fields Using the % Wildcard Character as Part of a Search Criterion with Results Displayed

   Clicking the Clear button will clear all search criteria from the fields.

Addressing E-mails With Addresses Found in netFORUM

Once you have completed your search, you are ready to use the E-mail address(es) you found to address your new E-mail message. You can select which E-mail address(es) to add to the To field for the E-mail message, the CC field for the E-mail message, and the BCC field for the new E-mail message.

To use the address(es) found in netFORUM, complete the following steps:

1. Click the check box next to each E-mail address you would like to add to the To field for the new E-mail message. These will be the primary recipients of this message.
   

   E-mail Addresses Selected to be Added to the New E-mail Message
2. Click the Add To button.
3. If applicable, click the check box next to the E-mail address(es) you would like to CC on this message and click the Add CC button.
4. If applicable, click the check box next to the E-mail address(es) you would like to BCC on this message and click the Add BCC button.
5. Click the Track check box to log this message and add it to the address owner's communications child form located on the Correspondence tab on their profile page.
   

   netFORUM Contacts Pop-Up Window with the To, CC, and BCC Fields Completed
6. Click the OK button.

   The netFORUM Contacts pop-up window will close and the new E-mail pop-up window will display with the appropriate address fields populated with the choices you just made.

   

   Outlook E-mail Window with To, CC, and BCC Fields Populated From the netFORUM Contacts Pop-Up Window
7. Complete your E-mail and send it as you normally would.

Logging an E-mail from Outlook to netFORUM

You can log an E-mail received in Outlook in netFORUM.

To log an E-mail, complete the following steps:

1. Open an E-mail you received in Outlook.
2. Click the netFORUM tab located in the ribbon of the opened E-mail.
3. Click the Log Response link.

   If multiple contacts share the same E-mail address you will be presented with a list of all contacts who share that address. Click the check box next to the contact you wish to log and click the OK button.

   Note: You must have the integration configuration complete before attempting to log an E-mail.

   You will receive confirmation that the E-mail has been logged.

   

   E-mail Logged Successfully Message

Finding Records

Once an E-mail has been logged or tracked, it will be visible on the communications child form located on the Correspondence tab of the profile page.

Logged E-mail Shown on Communications Child Form

Adding Assignments to Outlook Tasks

Assignments added in netFORUM will display in your Tasks folder in Outlook, if the user code on the assignment is the same as the user code you use in Outlook.

To add a netFORUM assignment to your Outlook Tasks folder, complete the following steps:

1. Click the Add Assignment icon located on the individual or organization profile.
   

   Add Assignment Icon Highlighted on Individual Profile

   The Add - Assignment pop-up window will open.

2. Complete the fields necessary on the Add - Assignment form. Those fields in bold are required and must be completed.
   

   Add - Assignment Window with Fields Completed
3. Click the Save button.

   You will receive a confirmation E-mail in your Outlook Inbox informing you that a task has been assigned.

   

   E-mail Confirmation for Newly Added Task

   Clicking the hyperlink in the E-mail will launch netFORUM and take you to the Assignment Profile once you have logged in.

   The assignment will automatically be added to Outlook Tasks folder of the user who was assigned the task in netFORUM the next time Outlook does a send/receive (usually every 15 minutes). The user code of the assignee must be the same user code as entered in the netFORUM Settings when you install the plugin.

Updating Assignments from Outlook Tasks

1. Goto the Tasks section of Outlook
   

   Click Tasks in the bottom left corner of the Outlook navigation pane.
2. The assignments will appear as outlook tasks.

   Note: This is populated when Outlook does a Send/Receive so there can be a delay between assignments being added and showing up here.

   

   Task screen in Outlook
3. Double-click the task to be edited.
4. Edit the task as needed and click Save & Close to save your changes.
   
5. The assignment is updated after several seconds, you can confirm this by logging into netFORUM and looking at the assignment. Note: When the computer is unable to reach netFORUM (no internet) the task will not update the assignment

Note: When a task is marked completed in Outlook, it is closed in netFORUM.