Using Outlook for Report Entry

[Guest]

Outlook 2003. Exchange Server 2003.

All of our internal and external users are using Outlook connected to our
Exchange Server. I have two functions that I would like to try to accomplish
using this Outlook-Exchange setup.

1. I would like to somehow use Outlook for our folks to enter their weekly
reports.
2. I would like to use the Outlook Business Contacts Manager to have our
folks maintain their contacts.

I want the results of the weekly reports to be accessible programmatically,
so supervisors can run reports (also from Outlook if possible) on weekly
activities.

I want the Business Contacts to be accessible programmatically so that
supervisors can get a report (also from Outlook) of how may contacts an
employee has made.

Right now the functions described above are being done on a Unix box using
Java script stuff. This Unix box is outside our WAN and is marginally
accessible to us. Since out folks main connection to our internal server
(Exchange Server) is via Outlook, it would be great if I could accomplish
everything through this interface. Any help or suggestions would be GREATLY
appreciated. Thanks and God bless.

 

[Guest]

I haven't worked with Exchange, but if I were in your shoes, I would look at
building a custom form to capture the data and then investigate how Exchange
can be used to capture data and store it in a database such as SQLServer or
Access. Obviously data can be stored in Exchange, but I'm uncertain as to
wether or not its query capabilities can match SQLServer or Access. I'm
thinking probably not.