On Monday morning the supplier calls to check the address. The account manager covering the order needs one detail: which delivery location did the client finally confirm?
Connect conversations to the project
The purchase order describes the planned delivery. The exchange with the supplier records the arrangements agreed since. Consulting both lets someone resume the work without repeating every check.
A client or project folder provides a shared reference point. Orvile Mail automatically files emails there with their attachments. The team can start with the project it knows to find the relevant conversations, according to the access permissions in place.
That organisation needs to remain understandable: where can the project folder be found? Which documents are current? A shared convention helps more than a filing system only one person understands.
Pass on the reasons, not just the latest reply
A useful handover lets someone find three things: what was requested, what was answered and what remains to be done. The reasons behind a choice matter too, particularly when a new proposal resembles an option already considered.
When a call settles a question, record the agreement in the team’s chosen location, with its date and the people involved. A decision kept entirely in conversation will not appear in the email history. For documents, include the reference and version: the person taking over needs to distinguish a draft from an approved item.
You do not need to copy the entire company to share that context. INRS recommends limiting recipients to those who need the information and choosing a channel suited to the subject, its importance and its sensitivity. INRS, preventing risks in remote work.
Prepare access before the handover
A history only helps if the person handling the project can consult it. Define access according to roles, confidential information and the project’s needs. Prepare it before someone is away or a contact changes.
Retention also needs an agreed setup: how long should records be kept, who makes backups, and how can a closed project be found? Resolve these questions with the people responsible. Working knowledge remains useful when it is maintained; it does not require keeping everything indefinitely.
Use a summary to get back into the project
A selection of emails may cover several weeks of exchanges. Mail Plus AI can summarise them or answer a question about their content. For example: which client requests are still open in this selection?
The summary provides a way into the history. Then review the relevant messages to check dates, attachments and commitments before replying. The CNIL recommends setting rules for the data shared and training users to understand the limits of generative AI systems. CNIL, using a generative AI system.
Try it with someone new to the project
Choose a project handled by several colleagues. Ask an authorised person who was not involved in the latest exchanges to find the client’s request, the decision made and the next action. Note the verbal explanations they still need.
You will see what is missing: access, a document, a decision that needs recording or a responsibility to clarify. INRS research on hyperconnectivity encourages teams to examine how work is organised and the collective rules around it, beyond the tools alone. INRS, hyperconnectivity.
Company knowledge becomes tangible when the colleague arriving can understand the project and continue the work. Email contributes by keeping the exchanges that explain how the team got there.