Link multiple e-mails to tasks/to do list in Outlook

Question

Hello all!

I'm looking for a solution that helps me assign multiple e-mails to the same task.

My job involves having to produce deliverables, based on input that is coming via (among others) e-mails. Mostly, I have several e-mail chains ongoing that pertain to the same deliverable. Now I just flag these mails as individual tasks, incl. planned dates, tags, etc. (basically exhausting all the features of Outlook Tasks). This is difficult to keep the oversight of all my deliverables, however, especially as there are many and stretch over multiple projects. I use the tags feature to separate everything per project, but I really need to be able to follow up on each deliverable individually.

So I want to create 1 task per deliverable and I was wondering if it was possible to:

1. Assign multiple e-mails to this 1 task.
2. Have all e-mails appear under the task in the task pane. It would be even more wonderful if the e-mailchains update themselves under the task headings as they grow.

In my ideal view, my task pane would look like this:

• • • Deliverable 1 (with project tag, deadline, etc.)
  • e-mail 1
  • e-mail 2
  • e-mail 3
  • subtask 1a
  • subtask 1b
  • Notebook (optional)
  • link to shared files, 3d models etc (optional)
• Deliverable 2 (with project tag, deadline, etc.)
  • subtask 2a
  • e-mail 1
  • e-mail 2
  • Notebook (optional)
  • link to shared files, 3d models etc (optional)

I already tried creating a task in the task pane, then dragging the applicable e-mails into it, but then I have to do it manually each time I get responses to the mails and that is too tedious.

I also keep track of some of my work through OneNote, but I haven't found a satisfying interface that keeps all the info from the e-mails in there either.

I looked into creating "rules" for sending incoming e-mails into certain tasks, but due to the large volume of deliverables I'm dealing with and the diversity of information that I have incoming, that is also a pretty labour-intensive way of working.

Anybody has any ideas? I've noticed the relatively new "To Do"-feature now, would this be of any help? Are there any add-ins that might help do what I'm after?

Please note that I have to work with the means I have available within my company, which means that any solution that requires implementation on a larger scale than just me individually probably won't be feasible.

Many thanks in advance for your input!

Answer 1

Hi @Eline Van de Putte ,

From the native options available in Tasks within Outlook, I am afraid this is currently not feasible. As you may have already noticed, in the Outlook tasks, at present what we can do is to create tasks out of an Outlook item like an email. See Create tasks and to-do items.

As regards to Microsoft To-Do, based on my test, seems like it's more close to your requirement although cannot meet the needs in all details.

For instance, you can create a task list, and then drag the necessary flagged emails or tasks into it:

Should you need more help in terms of To-Do, you can also post to the dedicated community below:
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-to-do/bd-p/To-Do

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