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This guide explains email automation for Microsoft Outlook. As explained in the City of London case study, it automatically saves unread emails received in response to a local plan consultation in SharePoint, as a database.聽聽

To install it, members of the planning team will need help from their local planning authority鈥檚 (LPA鈥檚) IT specialists.聽聽聽

Find out what an IT specialist needs to know about setting up the automation in Outlook and how it works. For planners, learn how to use the automation and access the database once it鈥檚 set up.

What the automation does聽聽

This optional free software automates the copying of content from all unread Outlook emails to a SharePoint database. This can be used for responses during a local plan consultation.聽聽

You can export this database as a spreadsheet or CSV file for easy sharing and upload elsewhere.聽

Once set up, the automation runs once a day and automatically captures or assigns:聽

• the sender鈥檚 email address聽聽

• the date the email was received聽聽

• the email subject line聽聽

• a copy of the email text聽聽聽

• a link to the email, saved in a SharePoint folder聽聽

• a link to any attachments聽聽聽

• a status聽聽

• an automatically generated reference number聽

It can also reply to the sender confirming their email has been received.

Who can use the automation聽

The automation is for LPAs to use to support their local plan consultation. It is entirely optional and no way necessary for this part of your plan.聽

Before the automation can be used, it needs to be installed by an IT specialist in the LPA.聽聽

A member of the planning team will need the following for an IT specialist to install the automation:聽

• to use the Microsoft 365 suite聽

• to have asked for responses by email聽on the local plan consultation

• a shared email inbox for consultation responses聽

An IT specialist will also need:聽聽

• administrator access to SharePoint, or owner access to an existing SharePoint site聽

• administrator access to Microsoft PowerApps

Collaborating to use the automation聽

IT specialists and members of the planning team need to collaborate to set up and use the email automation.聽聽

Planners may need to submit a request to their IT department to have it installed.聽聽

The planning and IT teams will need to arrange:聽

• installation and testing聽聽

• run through and handover聽

• any sign off or permissions ahead of use, including with legal teams聽聽

• regular maintenance while automation is running聽

We鈥檒l explain all of these steps in more detail, but we recommend that you take them into account before starting this process.聽聽聽

Share your feedback

If you implement the automation yourself, we鈥檇 like to hear your feedback and any suggestions for improvement. You can share your thoughts at [email protected]

Disclaimer

This guidance is provided for general information only. IT systems vary and this guidance cannot cover all possible permutations. Software versions, licencing requirements and charges may also vary. This guidance may be unsuitable for some IT systems. In all cases, LPAs must consult their IT specialists before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of this guidance.聽聽聽

MHCLG cannot guarantee that the contents of this guidance is accurate, complete or up to date.聽

LPAs must take steps to verify the safety and suitability of any files downloaded from the links in this guidance. MHCLG cannot guarantee that the links and files will be fit for the LPA鈥檚 particular purposes or that they are secure and free from bugs, viruses and other malicious code.