There are a number of more obscure issues involved with Outlook.
Like many applications it uses one or more large database files for storage.
Thus a duplicate though often differnt
folder structure is create both on disk and in Outlook itself.
A second more widespread issue is that when searching the
system you must perform one search on disk and a separate search
using Outlook.
Our document management standard required certain types of documents
for specific folders to be present in the directory either as an original or a link.
This outlook project allows the user to specify a root directory on disk for each root directory in Outlook. Any changes made to Outlooks folders is reflected in the underlying disk folders.
This raises the question of if a users wants all email and attachments to be both searchable and accessible under Windows. The alternative used here to indicate what email and documents should be duplicated in the file system.
The first release of this add-on restricts itself to duplicating the folder structure. It is left to the user to do a save on email and attachements that are important enough. My own preference is to save it all automatically. However that in turn requires being able to exclude any or each folder(s) from save.
My own internal policy requires shared and consistent directory structures. Where they are indeed shared this would be ideal. More often, there is a dual approach being used, and this is consistent in systems, user software, and programs such as Outlook. There is one very flat set of folders to oranize a company, area or subject. There is also a comparatively deep folder structure that defines the area hierarchically, organizationally and subjectively.
Again for myself, this is dual structure is quite acceptable and even encouraged. However, I additionally include a requirement for adding numerous links or shortcuts in order to allow navigation between the two easily. Flat vs. hierarchical are both valid and very useful organizational styles that should be employed dynamically and as needed. This is similar to keeping an independent set of mirrowed Outlook folders somewhere in the subject directory. For example, in a folder called MailFolders.
I find the VBA environment to be quite useful. The workflow related and custom fields and features of Office and in this particular, Outlook are fairly powerful.
Customized forms seem an under utilized resource as well.
A case in point,
you will freqently see departments codifying data into form
text fields informally, where it is self-evident that a properly
defined field would be far more appropriate.
The simplest and most common example putting the correct keyword
in a reply subject line.
This was evaluative project and self-contained so there is no fee wanted for this code just registration. I would probably want to clean up the code before or with a client-user. I am definitely planning to use it myself.
Although there is lots of room for developing with VBA this project was just
part of larger volume of work in scripting technologies and time management.
With a goal towards document transparency you are ideally looking
to expose both the data and better still the application model. I find the
combination of Windows (shell) and Office scripting fairly powerfull.