Question

Getting Outlook attachments into IFS with object connection

  • 7 February 2020
  • 12 replies
  • 1151 views

Userlevel 6
Badge +14

Hi all,

If I need to get an file attachment from Outlook into IFS with an object connection to a sales part, I know of 2 ways:

  1. Drag the file to a file folder. Drag it into IFS explorer from there.
  2. Create the file through the IFS Outlook Add-in. Make the connect in IFS explorer afterwards.

Both methods involves 2 steps. Is there a way to do it in 1 step. E.g. drag and drop from Outlook to IFS Explorer (not working)? 

 


12 replies

Userlevel 6
Badge +14

Of course,

This is how 95% of all our quotes starts:

Someone in Sales drag and drop files from a customer to our quote system (something similar to Product Estimate).

They do that all day long. When we do migrate to IFS Docman, they are going to be very frustrated that something that obvious and simple is not possible.

Userlevel 4
Badge +8

Could you please bring this to the attention of RnD? 

Being able to drag and drop an attachment from an email directly into IFS would be a vast improvement over the current functionality. Right now we have to drag and drop it into a folder to save it on the computer, open that folder to drag and drop it into IFS. The other option is to RMB or click New and then navigate to the where the file is to add it. 

Userlevel 7
Badge +20

Hi Hans,

As far as I know the 2 ways you have mentioned are the currently available methods to attach the outlook attachments. The drag and drop option is not supported. If you could provide the business requirement of this, we could bring this to the attention of RnD to see whether we can simplify the operation further to a single step. 

 

Thanks,

Kasun

Userlevel 7
Badge +30

If I did this a lot I would keep a small Windows Explorer window open, to quickly drag and drop to. It would look something like this:

https://ifs-my.sharepoint.com/:v:/g/personal/mathias_dahl_ifsworld_com/EYtBgxr7-EpCgpiqvcst6GAB93_yShYbjxfE_fT7EILgzw?e=Def46c

The “middle man” folder does not need to be visible, I can have it open and drag to it’s placeholder in Window’s task bar which gives it focus. Then drag from there to IFS. All in all, quite okay, I think. As an added bonus, you get a small stash with recent files you have imported :)

Of course, it would be more convenient if I could do this in one go.

Userlevel 7
Badge +30

I only have the Apps 10 version installed, but that works like it should, on Windows 10.

I’ll see if I can try the Apps 9 version as well.

Also, perhaps this is a stupid question, but you are using the right settings, right?

 

Userlevel 1
Badge +4

Hi Mathias, 

Apologies for the delayed response. I am happy to advise that the screen captures shared by you are exactly what I am seeing. The difference to what I previously experienced (attached) is that after the second screen capture, IFS would open the Doc Class dialog to enable the selection of the appropriate class.

I would save and this would create the Document Revision and then enable me to attach to a specific object e.g. Purchase order, Shop Order etc.

Kind regards

Userlevel 1
Badge +3

@Hans Andersen we do use this functionality (through a single step) 

When we were using App75 sometime back, we had requested this from IFS RnD, however it has not been provided at that time. So we had to do a customization to go ahead with it. Now we use App10 and it works for all file types defined under EDM Basic in IFS. 

We have this popup the moment we drag and drop files from outlook, just select the Doc Class and create! Works for dragging and dropping a set of attachments at the same time too :)

 

 

Hi Enzo,

 

could you provide more detail about the set-up of this functionality? We are using Apps10 UPD9, but the only way I found to upload mails to an attachment in IFS is as described by OP (first place them in Windows Explorer and then drop to attachment in IFS).

Userlevel 4
Badge +8

@Kasun Balasooriya it would really be great if this can be considered by RnD.

We are another customer who has the same requirement as others who have commented here. One of the basic questions I get from our users on daily basis is ‘Why can’t we just drag and drop the attachment from the email to IFS?’. They find this two-step process very annoying. I know it’s better than nothing BUT it’s not user friendly and that gives a negative impression of the system to the users.

Also, since we have outsourced people for data entry, we maintain invoices for data entry in SharePoint which the outsourced people enter into the system and are supposed to attach the original invoice in the system as well. The fact that they can’t simply drag and drop them from SharePoint to IFS is also an issue.

So if IFS can consider a more generic solution where the ‘drag and drop’ of any document from Outlook, SharePoint or any other similar application, it would be even better.

Userlevel 7
Badge +19

@martijn.vanbalkom , so like I said we are using a customized flow in IFS only. Say, if I get one or more attachments from a Customer in outlook, I would select all the attachments only from my inbox (not the entire email) and drag and drop them to the attachment Panel in IFS / Customer. Then this popup appears where I just have to define the Doc Class or classes manually and then hit ok. 

 

 

Sorry, I am not able to describe the technicality of that, but surely you get the idea how the customization works for me. So its a one step drag and drop for me where I dont have to create an interim folder. 

Userlevel 1
Badge +4

Hi Mathias,

 

We discovered the issue. We have recently ceased using Internet Explorer and there are some processes connected to the Outlook Add-In that use IE. Once we activated those functions, it worked as prescribed. Thank you for your assistance.

 

Regards

 

Ken

Userlevel 1
Badge +4

Hi Community,

In a similar issue to that raised (“Getting Outlook attachments into IFS with object connection”), we are using IFS Apps9, UD15. Since we have moved to Windows 10, the Outlook Add-in, despite being connected to IFS, does not function like it did previously.

We have the option to save as a new document only and not asked if we want to save the email and attachments or just the email. The file saves but not as an attachment, it saves to a local file that is then required to be dropped/dragged or manually attached to the preferred screen.

Has anyone else experienced this issue? Any Ideas on how to better manage this besides the other excellent ideas mentioned on this post already?

Any and all thoughts will be appreciated.

 

Kind regards

Ken

Userlevel 7
Badge +19

@Hans Andersen we do use this functionality (through a single step) 

When we were using App75 sometime back, we had requested this from IFS RnD, however it has not been provided at that time. So we had to do a customization to go ahead with it. Now we use App10 and it works for all file types defined under EDM Basic in IFS. 

We have this popup the moment we drag and drop files from outlook, just select the Doc Class and create! Works for dragging and dropping a set of attachments at the same time too :)

 

 

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