Exchanging Workgroup Messages

If you use a 32-bit MAPI-based e-mail system, such as Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft Mail, Lotus cc:Mail, or Lotus Notes, you can exchange project workgroup messages with your project team members .

Through e-mail workgroup messaging, you can send resources information about their assigned tasks . You can also send any changes to those assignments, along with requests for progress updates or status reports .

In turn , the resources can send progress updates on those assignments, which can then be automatically incorporated into your project plan. The resources can also send you additional tasks, task information changes, and narrative status reports.

Planning  

For details about e-mail workgroup messaging, see Chapter 19, "Collaborating Using E-Mail."

Inside Out: Phasing out e-mail workgroup messaging

The e-mail workgroup messaging solution has been peripheral to Microsoft Project for the past several versions. However, with the advent and increasing acceptance of Project Server and Project Web Access, e-mail workgroup messaging is woefully outmoded. Even small project management teams in small companies are finding Project Server and Project Web Access to be the right collaboration solution, which can be scaled to their size and purpose.

For these and other reasons, word has it that Project 2003 is the last version for which e-mail workgroup messaging will be available.