How to use e-mails in InLoox

While you are working in Outlook you can access some selected InLoox features via the Start tab. This allows you to further use specific Outlook elements in InLoox. The following InLoox icons are always available on the start tab regardless if you are working in your Outlook inbox, calendar or address-book:

• Recent Projects
• Create Task
• Save Email
• Track Time

By using those icons you can:

1. Create either a personal or project-related task from a selected e-mail
2. Book a time tracking entry for the selected item
3. Attach the e-mail as a document to a project

1. Create a task from an e-mail

You can either create a personal task or a project-related task from an e-mail. To create an InLoox task from an e-mail, proceed as follows:

1. Select an e-mail from your Outlook inbox.
2. In the Ribbon on the Home tab click on the Create task button. Afterwards select a project from the dropdown-list (create project related-task) or select Create free task (personal task). 
3. A new window is going to open. There you can enter all important information regarding the task. By default, the subject of the e-mail is used as the task name and the e-mail content is used in the description. Both can be changed in the Task Details. Here you proceed as usual when creating a new task in InLoox:
   • Name: By default, the subject of the e-mail used for the task name. If wished, you can rename the task.
   • Description: By default, this area contains the original e-mail content. You can change the description, add important information or format the text for a better clarity.
   • Effort: Here you enter the estimated effort in minutes, hours or workdays
   • Resource: By clicking on the small arrow you can add one of the recent used resources. By clicking on the address book you can choose a resource from your contacts.
   • Start and End: Add start and end date and time for the task.
   • Follower: You can add one or more resources as followers and thus notify them by e-mail about the new task.
   • Documents (only personal tasks): If you are creating a free (personal task) you can link to already existing documents or you can add a new item.
   • Add document to project (only project-related tasks): If you are creating a project-related task you can decide in the operation area whether you want to add documents to your project or not. Therefore, you can choose from the following options: Do not add element, Element without attachments, Element including attachments, Elements and attachments separately, Attachments only. In the Folder area you can add the document(s) to an already existing sub folder or create a new one.    
4. After adding all important information to the task, click on Save and Close or Save and Open Project to save the task.

2. Book a time tracking entry for an e-mail

You can also book a time tracking entry directly from your inbox. Therefore, proceed as follows:

1. Select an e-mail from your Outlook inbox.
2. Click on Track Time in the Start tab. In the dropdown-list select the project where you want to store the time tracking entry. 
3. A new window will open. Here you can add all important information regarding the time tracking entry, such as basic information about the duration, name and description.
4. Moreover you can decide whether you want to assign the time tracking entry to a specific task or activity of the project (use the small arrow next to task for changing between task and activity).
5. You can also select a group (design, production, consulting) for the entry. Groups can be created in the InLoox settings by any InLoox admin.

3. Attach the e-mail as a document to a project

InLoox allows you to quickly assign e-mails to the document storage of a project – directly from your Outlook inbox. A reference will indicate to which project the e-mail has been assigned.

1. Select the e-mail in your Outlook inbox.
2. In the ribbon on the Home tab click on Save Email. Afterwards select from the dropdown-list the project where you want to save the e-mail.
3. A new window will open. There you can change several settings regarding the document. Those settings can be viewed and changed later (Right click on the document in the project >> Edit). The following settings are available:
   • Operation: Decide how you want to save the e-mail as a document: Element without attachments, Element including attachments, Elements and attachments separately, Attachments only
   • Folder: You can save the e-mail in a subfolder of your project. If there is no suitable subfolder for the e-mail yet, you can create a new subfolder directly in the dialog.
4. When you have finished click on OK and the e-mail will be saved a document of the selected project.

The following table gives an overview to the benefits and drawbacks of the different operation possibilities: