MetaDesign Solutions
MetaDesign SolutionsSeamlessly bridging email and stakeholder management: an outlook add-in for enhanced efficiency
Overview
MetaDesign Solutions collaborated with a leading stakeholder relationship management platform to create an Outlook add-in that integrates with their cloud-based SRM system. The solution connects Outlook 365 on both web and desktop environments with the client’s platform via REST APIs. This add-in allows users to track and manage emails, update contacts, and integrate calendar events, all while securely syncing with the SRM system. MetaDesign Solutions ensured a smooth integration and streamlined user experience to boost efficiency for the client’s stakeholders.
about the client
The client is a prominent player in the stakeholder relationship management (SRM) industry, offering a cloud-based platform that simplifies and enhances how organizations handle stakeholder interactions. Their software is particularly popular with governments, non-profit organizations, and industries such as energy and community development, where maintaining and managing complex relationships is crucial.
Their primary product is an SRM tool designed to log and track communications, set reminders, and manage various interactions with stakeholders. It’s an all-in-one hub for managing relationships and ensuring transparency and compliance with stakeholder commitments. By offering a cloud-based, secure, and user-friendly solution, the client enables organizations to manage stakeholder data, engagements, and project documentation with ease, leading to more informed decisions and improved project outcomes.
Headquartered in Victoria, Canada, the client has a global reach, serving various industries that rely on robust and organized stakeholder management systems to ensure seamless project execution and strong communication with their stakeholders.
Industry Domain
Tech/Media
Service Category (Service-line)
Outlook Plug-in Development / Office Plug-in Development / Digital Product Development
Technologies Used
ReactJS
HTML5
CSS3
Office Add-in SDK
Challenges
Seamless API Integration: Achieving deep integration between Outlook 365 and the client’s SRM system required careful handling of their REST APIs to ensure smooth data flow.
Tracking Email and Calendar Events: Ensuring emails, calendar events, and attachments were tracked in real-time and properly synced within both Outlook and the SRM system.
User Experience: Delivering an intuitive and easy-to-use interface within Outlook while maintaining complex functionalities was key to user adoption.
Cross-Platform Support: The add-in needed to work seamlessly on both desktop and web versions of Outlook 365.
Data Security: Handling sensitive stakeholder information and attachments while complying with high data security standards.
Solution Scope and Services
The Outlook add-in developed by MetaDesign Solutions serves as a bridge between the client’s SRM platform and Outlook 365. It allows users to manage their communication and contacts effortlessly, ensuring that all engagements with stakeholders are logged in real-time. Using the SRM platform’s REST APIs, we built deep integration features such as email tracking, contact updates, and calendar syncing—all accessible from within Outlook.
The solution also offers attachment management, where files from emails are automatically saved to the SRM system. Users can easily retrieve these files and attach them to new emails. This not only simplifies the process of tracking communications but also ensures that all stakeholder interactions are stored in a centralized, secure location.
Cross-Platform Outlook Add-in Using ReactJS
The Outlook add-in was developed using ReactJS, providing a responsive and smooth user experience across both web and desktop versions of Outlook 365. This cross-platform approach ensures users can manage their stakeholder data from any device, making it a flexible solution for diverse work environments.
Leveraging Office Add-in SDK for Seamless Integration
The Office Add-in SDK allowed MetaDesign Solutions to create a seamless experience within Outlook 365, integrating the client’s SRM system directly into the email and calendar workflows. This provided users with a unified interface, allowing them to manage contacts, track communication, and sync events without ever leaving Outlook.
AWS Hosting for Scalable and Secure Solution
By hosting the add-in on AWS S3, we ensured scalability and security. This cloud infrastructure allows the client to accommodate growing user bases while ensuring fast load times and secure data handling across all devices, offering a reliable solution for stakeholder management.
Results
The custom-built Outlook add-in transformed how the client’s users interact with both their email and SRM system, leading to a more efficient and organized workflow. The integration allows users to handle their stakeholder relationships directly from Outlook, streamlining communication and data management. By combining ReactJS and the Office Add-in SDK, MetaDesign Solutions delivered a feature-rich, easy-to-use product that enhances productivity and ensures seamless integration with the client’s platform.
As a result of this development, the client can now offer their users a powerful tool that saves time and effort by automating the tracking of emails, contacts, and calendar events—ultimately improving stakeholder management and engagement.