Is your email inbox unmanageable? Do you find yourself repeating the same actions? Do important messages get overlooked? And do you often forget to cc an important party, causing you to send multiple emails when one should suffice? If so, Microsoft Outlook has a solution!
Built into this sophisticated email management software is a set of easily-executable actions to help you get organized and stay up-to-date. These actions, or rules, allow you to automate many of the repetitive filing tasks that may currently slow you down. They also provide options for automating who receives messages. Should a particular party be cc’d on every email you send? Do messages with specific words in the title belong in their own folder? Would auto-flagging of messages from specific senders help your workflow? Using the Rules Wizard to help you set your preferences, you can add all of this functionality to simplify your email, save time, and increase productivity.
Rules also allow you to specify your notification preferences regarding alert windows, chimes, and mobile syncing. If email from a particular party needs priority attention, Outlook will alert you every time you receive a message from that sender. You can even set the alert to chime for individual people. And if you want to get your alerts on the go, Outlook will sync with your mobile device so you never miss an important message again.
The keys to good organization and increased productivity in managing your email are to cull and customize. Get rid of the clutter (as we suggested in a previous Tech Tuesday blog post) and automate frequent functions. Put your software to the test and let it do the work for you. See the Microsoft Support pages to guide you in making these changes, and if you need additional assistance, visit the library reference desk. We’re always happy to help.