The Outlook channel lets employees communicate with the Applaud AI Assistant through shared Microsoft 365 mailboxes. Employees can send questions to a shared HR or support mailbox and receive AI-assisted replies in the same email conversation.
Outlook is one of several communication channels available in Applaud. Alongside Microsoft Teams, Slack, the employee portal, and the mobile app, it gives employees the flexibility to choose how they contact HR while receiving a consistent support experience.
How the Outlook channel works
At a high level, the Outlook channel works as follows:
- An administrator connects a Microsoft 365 tenant to Applaud.
- One or more shared mailboxes are connected.
- An employee sends an email to a connected mailbox.
- Applaud identifies the employee and processes the request using the AI Assistant.
- The AI Assistant replies in the same email conversation or routes the request for additional assistance, depending on your configuration.
What you can do
With the Outlook channel, you can:
- Connect one or more shared Microsoft 365 mailboxes.
- Provide AI-assisted support through email.
- Process supported email attachments as part of a conversation.
- Continue conversations in the same email thread.
- Monitor mailbox connection status.
Supported mailboxes
The Outlook channel supports shared Microsoft 365 mailboxes, such as:
- HR
- Payroll
- Benefits
- Employee support
- Ask HR
Microsoft 365 remains the system that stores and manages your organization's email. Applaud processes eligible messages and sends responses through connected shared mailboxes.
Common scenarios
Organizations commonly use the Outlook channel to:
- Extend existing HR or employee support mailboxes with AI-assisted support.
- Answer common questions using connected knowledge sources.
- Give employees another communication option alongside Microsoft Teams, Slack, or the employee portal.
- Support employees who prefer email over chat.
How the Outlook channel fits in Applaud
The Outlook channel is one of the communication channels for the AI Assistant.
The AI Assistant uses your configured knowledge sources, tools, and workflows to answer employee questions and complete supported tasks. For example, it can retrieve information from connected knowledge sources, guide employees through workflows, or create and update cases when HR assistance is required.
Employees receive the same AI-powered experience regardless of which supported communication channel they choose.
Limitations
The Outlook channel supports email conversations only.
It doesn't provide:
- Calendar synchronization
- Meeting scheduling
- Contact synchronization
- Outlook mailbox management.
The channel processes email from employees who can be matched to an Applaud user account. Automatic replies, such as out-of-office messages, aren't processed.
Next steps
- What employees can do with the Outlook channel
- One-to-one conversations
- Use case: Submit an emergency dental claim through the Outlook channel