How to automate incoming requests without creating more work

Why a shared inbox becomes hard to manage

A request arrives by email, but the work does not stop there. Someone opens the attachments, copies the important details, checks whether the request already exists, asks for missing information and updates another system.

Microsoft's documentation shows two ways this can go wrong. A shared-mailbox flow may not receive attachment content unless it is set up correctly. Microsoft also notes that its usual duplicate warning is not shown when a workflow creates the record. These examples do not tell us how often problems happen, but they show why attachments and duplicates need their own checks.

Five checks that keep the work under control

A useful workflow should make each check easy to see. Your team should know why a request stopped, what a reviewer changed and whether another system was updated.

• Check the input: make sure the email and attachment can be opened and read.
• Check the details: show what is missing instead of guessing.
• Look for duplicates: stop before creating the same record twice.
• Choose the next step: approve, ask a question, try again or send the case to a person.
• Keep a history: record the source, the checks, the review and the final update.

What the demo shows

The demo follows the main steps of a real intake workflow. It reads an email and attachment, builds a clear request, checks missing details and duplicates, previews the next update and waits for a person to approve it.

The demo uses preset examples. It is not connected to a real mailbox or customer system. A live version still needs secure access, file reading, user permissions, protected storage, failed-step retries, monitoring and a named support owner.

What to test before building

Choose real examples from the work your team already does. Include normal requests and difficult ones. Then answer these questions before deciding what to build.

• Which emails should the workflow handle, and who handles the rest?
• Which details must be present before the work can continue?
• How will you recognise a possible duplicate?
• Which file problems can be tried again, and which need a person?
• What can happen automatically, and what always needs approval?
• How will the team notice and fix a step that only partly succeeded?