Detailed Scope – Microsoft 365 AI Email Productivity Assistant
Objective
Build a secure AI-powered email assistant for Microsoft 365 Outlook that improves productivity by reviewing incoming emails, summarising content, categorising emails, identifying required actions, and recommending the most appropriate next step.
The initial solution is for a single mailbox with the intention of rolling out to a wider team once proven.
Business Requirements
The solution should:
Monitor incoming Microsoft 365 emails.
Generate concise email summaries.
Categorise emails into logical categories.
Identify priority level.
Determine recommended actions.
Draft responses where appropriate.
Create follow-up tasks where appropriate.
Reduce inbox management time.
Improve response consistency.
Example recommendations may include:
FYI / No action required
Move to folder
Draft response
Follow-up required
Delegate to team member
Call sender
Escalate for review
Accounts payable action required
Customer response required
Critical Requirement – Human-in-the-Loop
The solution must not operate as a fully autonomous AI agent.
The first version must function as an AI assistant that recommends actions rather than automatically performing them.
The AI should assist decision-making rather than replace it.
Safety Requirements
The solution must include safeguards to prevent incorrect or risky actions.
Always Allowed
The AI may:
Summarise emails
Categorise emails
Assign priority
Recommend actions
Draft email responses
Suggest tasks
Approval Required
The AI must not automatically:
Send emails
Delete emails
Forward emails
Archive important emails
Delegate emails
Commit to commercial terms
Make payments
Approve invoices
Respond to legal matters
Respond to HR matters
Any future automation of these actions must require an approval workflow.
Sensitive Email Handling
The solution must identify and flag emails relating to:
Legal matters
HR matters
Customer complaints
Financial commitments
Supplier payments
Contracts
Confidential information
Personal information
Escalations
These emails should be flagged for manual review.
Microsoft 365 Requirements
The solution must integrate with:
Microsoft 365 Outlook
Microsoft Graph API
Preferred future integration capability:
Microsoft To Do
Planner
Teams
SharePoint
Authentication must use Microsoft authentication standards and Microsoft Graph best practices.
Preferred Technical Architecture
Preference is for a solution deployed within our own environment.
The proposed solution should:
Run within our Microsoft 365 and/or Azure tenant
Use our own Azure subscriptions
Use our own API keys
Use our own Microsoft application registrations
The solution should not rely on:
Freelancer-owned infrastructure
Freelancer-owned servers
Freelancer-owned API keys
Freelancer-owned databases
Proprietary frameworks requiring ongoing dependency
Ownership Requirements
Upon completion:
All source code becomes our property.
All prompts and AI workflows become our property.
All configuration becomes our property.
Full documentation must be provided.
The solution must be maintainable by another developer.
We require full ownership and control of the solution.
Preferred Technology Stack
Freelancers may propose alternatives, however preference is given to solutions using:
Microsoft Graph API
Azure OpenAI
Azure Functions
Power Automate
Power Apps
Azure App Services
SharePoint
Dataverse
n8n
Preference is for standard Microsoft technologies rather than proprietary third-party platforms.
Audit and Reporting
The solution must maintain an audit log including:
Email processed
Summary generated
Category assigned
Action recommended
Confidence score
User approval decision
Action taken
Date and time
Phase 1 Deliverables (Minimum Viable Product)
The first version should include:
Email Processing
Read incoming emails
Summarise emails
Categorise emails
Assign priority levels
Recommend actions
Draft Assistance
Generate draft responses
Suggest follow-up actions
Suggest tasks
Review Interface
Provide recommendations through one of:
Outlook Add-in
Teams Interface
Power App
Web Dashboard
Audit Logging
Store all recommendations and actions for review.
No Autonomous Actions
The MVP should not automatically send, delete, archive, forward, or delegate emails.
Future Phase 2
Following successful testing:
Approval workflows
Folder management
Task automation
Team deployment
Multi-user support
Role-based permissions
Additional integrations
Required Proposal Response
Please include:
Recommended architecture.
Recommended Microsoft permissions.
Security approach.
Proposed AI model(s).
How sensitive emails will be handled.
How incorrect AI actions will be prevented.
Estimated Azure and Microsoft running costs.
Estimated implementation timeline.
Examples of similar projects completed.
Description of how another developer could maintain the solution if you were no longer available.
Success Criteria
The project will be successful if it:
Significantly reduces email processing time.
Produces accurate summaries and classifications.
Generates useful draft responses.
Operates safely with human oversight.
Maintains a complete audit trail.
Can be deployed to additional team members in the future.
Remains fully owned and controlled by our organisation.
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