This article describes the methods by which email can be ingested into Clio Operate, and discusses when each approach is suitable.
This allows you to make an educated decision on which process(es) to use to support your particular requirements.
Monitored Mailboxes
Clio Operate can directly monitor one-or-more mailboxes.
When an email is received by a monitored mailbox, if allocation and filing rules have been configured, Clio Operate attempts to file the email to the correct case automatically based on a ‘luggage tag' in the subject line.
How it works
When an email is sent by Clio Operate, a ‘luggage tag’ (or alternative matching patterns) is appended to the subject line (e.g. [SHemail.ID1234]). The format of this ‘luggage tag’ is configurable in the Clio Operate UI.
When a monitored mailbox receives an email with a ‘luggage tag’ in the subject line, Clio Operate uses it to file the email to the case from which the initial email originated.
The ‘Inbound Email’ task is associated with the relevant the case, and assigned to the correct person or team using allocation rules. This task contains the contents of the email, and allow users to reply, forward, etc.
The email content and any attachments can also be added to the Document Management System in the correct location for the case, or auto filed based on the configuration.
If Clio Operate is not able to file an inbound email automatically, it allocates the task to a pre-configured default team, who can file it to the correct case.
When to use this
Monitored mailboxes are useful when the majority of emails are initiated in Clio Operate, and are sent and received by team mailboxes.
It is less useful in scenarios where emails are primarily sent by individuals, and/or where emails are received by individuals, rather than team mailboxes.
If you do not primarily use shared mailboxes day to day, and instead use personal email addresses the below option to utilise exchange rules if recommended.
Exchange Rules & Monitored Mailboxes
In addition to the above monitored mailboxes approach, you can also utilise exchange rules to ingest emails at the point of receipt, either copying or forwarding emails to a dedicated shared mailbox, effectively using the exchange rule as an orchestrator.
This approach means the system can ingest emails sent to a personal email address, without the need to create numerous shared mailboxes or require users to manually copy emails to shared mailbox.
Clio Operate Outlook Add-in
Clio Operate provides an Outlook add-in that allows users to file emails into Clio Operate directly from Outlook.
How it Works
The user downloads the add-in from the Microsoft store and link the Outlook add-in to their Clio Operate account. This unlocks a number of new features provided by the add-in:
- Users can manually file an email from Outlook into Clio Operate. Users select an email in their inbox, and search for the relevant case in Clio Operate. Upon selection of the search result, Clio Operate provides an interface that allows them to file the email (and optionally, the attachments) to the case and specify the correct folder in the DMS.
- Users can create follow-up tasks from Outlook, mark ‘Document Expectation’ tasks as complete, record time, and add participants to a case directly from the Outlook add-in.
- When writing a new email, users can access contacts from the case in Clio Operate to populate the the recipients with the required email addresses. This avoids having to manually type the email address, or copy/paste it from the Clio Operate UI. When writing an email, users can also insert pre-configured content blocks in to the email body and attach documents from the case in Clio Operate.
See more information about the Outlook Add-in.
When to use this
The Outlook add-in is useful when users tend to work primarily in Outlook.
Typically, emails sent and received by users in Outlook would not be visible in the Case Management System. The Outlook add-in bridges that gap, and allows users to work in Outlook and still interact with cases in Clio Operate.
When multiple people are included on an email, it is possible for more than one of them to file the email to the case. This leads to duplicates in Clio Operate
There may be some scenarios where a combination of these solutions are required, for example when one business area requires straight-through processing with monitored mailboxes, and a different business area works in a non-process driven way (primarily in Outlook).
It is possible to combine both monitored email inboxes and the Outlook add-in. This requires considered design in consultation with Clio Operate.
Version 7.11 includes additional configuration to reduce the risk of duplication of filed emails.