Collaboration tools: Use these online resources to jump-start your Exchange Server-based solutions: Managing public folders Integrating Exchange with Office 2000 Developing Team Folders Developing a contact management system Collaboration roadmap: Tom Rizzo’s book, Programming Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Exchange, gives several examples of how to create Exchange-based tracking, messaging, workflow and collaboration solutions. It comes with a CD-ROM packed with detailed guidance and sample applications, including a full cache of code.

Increase Your Client’s Understanding of Exchange Server 5.5 by a Factor of Ten

Business is war, and your clients need every advantage they can get. When they talk to you about wasted time, unshared resources and ideas that haven’t been discussed, it’s a perfect opportunity for you to show them how the collaboration features in Microsoft® Exchange Server can boost their competitive edge.

Take, for example, Scott Sinclair, a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) working with SA Solutions in Atlanta. Sinclair visited an 80-person accounting firm six months after it had migrated its legacy system to Exchange Server. Not only was the firm underutilizing this tool by simply sending e-mail with it, but employees also had trouble keeping track of and opening a multitude of e-mail attachments.

Sinclair prepared and conducted two weeks of training sessions on Exchange. He showed employees how the collaboration features in Exchange Server and its Outlook® 2000 client could help them share contacts, schedule meetings online, delegate tasks, share documents, and more.

The presentations boosted the firm’s return on investment—not to mention Sinclair’s business revenue.

"It was the most successful presentation they’d ever had,” says Sinclair. "As a company, they’d never had anyone tell them what they could do with Exchange. Their understanding went up by a factor of ten and just learning how to do simple things saved them time and money. It changed the way they do business."

Presentation Points

Here are some of the things Sinclair discussed in his presentations:

• Scheduling/Calendaring: Sinclair showed the firm how they could be using shared calendars in Outlook 2000 to boost productivity considerably. Sinclair explained how employees could access others’ calendars to plan meetings and work around each other’s schedules. As a result, one partner at the firm says he now uses the calendaring feature to designate tasks and help assess his workers’ progress status until projects are complete.
• Managing contacts: In the end, this feature had the most effect in the firm. Sinclair showed employees how to use the Exchange-based contact management system to organize contacts in a public folder, along with all meetings, documents and communications associated with every customer. Their contact list became a crucial way for them to share information about clients. "It became easier for the firm to work together and communicate with their clients about past business," Sinclair says.
• Streamlining workflow: Sinclair also helped the firm create an electronic routing system to ensure that the CPA, legal department and copy editor all saw reports before they were sent to a client. In addition, he introduced expense reports, vacation requests and review forms so that employees could further streamline procedures.
• Collaborating on documents: Sinclair also demonstrated how the combination of Microsoft Office and Exchange is the best way to view and manage Office documents. He showed employees how to e-mail all document edits and collect comments from several people with Team and Discussion Folders.

Collaboration seminars: Online seminars prepared by Tom Rizzo, author of Programming Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Exchange, cover the new features in Outlook 2000 that can translate into better productivity for your clients. The seminars discuss enhancements in e-mail, calendar, contacts and collaboration features, as well as VBA support and other development tools in Office 2000.

In Retrospect

Sinclair’s training sessions were key to the accounting firm’s success, which he designed specifically to introduce the Exchange collaboration features.

To plan the sessions, Sinclair talked to his client about Exchange features and decided which ones would best suit them. He used their input to adapt his standard four-person, four-hour presentation, and by preparing a room with several networked computers, Sinclair gave the employees hands-on practice during the classes. He covered everything from creating electronic signatures to sharing contact lists.

Even the simplest features, such as making comments in a Microsoft Word document, made a difference.

"The employees really wanted to understand how to use the tools available in Exchange to make their jobs easier," Sinclair says. "It was fun to see how the collaboration features in Exchange helped the company so much."

Selling Collaboration Features

Your clients’ situations may be similar to Sinclair’s, or they may face different obstacles. Talk to them about Exchange-based solutions that will address their unique problems, such as:

• Cutting down on duplicated efforts with public or team folders: Creating public or team folders with Exchange allows employees to share information so that they can build on each other’s efforts rather than repeat them.
• Getting rid of information overload: Help your client share information by building an Exchange-based digital dashboard. Remember, information is useless if employees can’t access it or don’t know it’s there.
• Stopping wasted time: Day-to-day tasks—such as finding information, arranging meetings or delivering documents—can take valuable time out of an employee’s workday. Show your client how employees using Exchange can accomplish these tasks from their desktops by using a digital dashboard, online scheduling and electronic forms.

Collaboration: The Key to Lasting Success

When your clients ask for better e-mail or complain of lost productivity, be prepared to translate your Exchange Server expertise into revenue opportunity. Don’t assume your clients know the products just because they have them. Learn their business needs and then show them how you can develop Exchange-based collaboration solutions that will give them a competitive edge.

You’ll see how their success will also translate into additional business for you.

"I just went back and they had become dependent on the features in Exchange," Sinclair says. "Now that they’ve recognized what it can do, they’re starting to ask me how to use some of the more advanced features. I’m preparing my next presentation now."

 What's Your View?

What did you think about this article? Do you agree? Got more ideas? Share your thoughts and experiences with Microsoft and your peers, and we'll post them on this page!

There are currently 2 opinions

Under Utilization of Exchange feature by Customers	11/30/1999
I certainly agree that by far many customers are under utilising Exchange 5.5 features by using it just for e-mailing. Especially the bigger companies (over 100 - 10,000 users) are the ones, who do not use much of the groupware functions as they are still very sceptical. Microsoft need to canvass this better with bigger enterprises in particular.

Written by: Dev Babu

Outlook ends and Exchange begins	11/23/1999
I have used Outlook in a stand-alone environment as well as on a medium-sized network with Exchange. I need to know where the features of Outlook end and where Exchange begins. I deal with very small organizations ranging from 5 to 100 employees. This information would be very helpfull while doing needs-analysis vs. cost.

Written by: Anonymous