I'd be grateful for pointers as to whether & how Outlook can achieve the following...

An organisation has a developed File Plan (i.e. an ordered & considered subdirectory structure on a shared drive). Staff file documents into the File Plan so that they can be shared, deleted after an expiry period, etc.

The organisation wishes to file emails in the same File Plan structure ... more specifically, the organisation wants to create a set of outlook folders that 1) all users can read 2) all users can contribute emails into 3) which has a sub-folder structure exactly matching the File Plan structure.

I think my starting questions a
1. Is it possible to "mount" a subdirectory structure as the basis of a folder structure within outlook.

1.1 (note to self: I can set up a single new Data File and specify its physical location - e.g., experimentally, in My Documents ... but when viewing the new folder, I do not see the subdirectories of My Documents)

1.2 I found a description in a primer on filing emails, which says "Set up Microsoft Outlook e-mail to automatically display the Windows Explorer ... File Plan in an adjacent pane. That way users can drag and drop messages from their in-boxes directly into the File Plan folders." How is this done?

2. Can Outlook/Exchange handle sharing a email folder system such that multiple users have read/write access.

Thanks & apologies - I know little about Outlook's capabilities.

"tagishsimon" wrote in message
...

1. Is it possible to "mount" a subdirectory structure as the basis of a
folder structure within outlook.

No. Outlook folders are not file system objects.

1.1 (note to self: I can set up a single new Data File and specify its
physical location - e.g., experimentally, in My Documents ... but when
viewing the new folder, I do not see the subdirectories of My
Documents)

Outlook's "folders" are really keys in an indexed database. They are
presented to you visually as folders to make them easy to access.

1.2 I found a description in a primer on filing emails, which says "Set
up Microsoft Outlook e-mail to automatically display the Windows
Explorer ... File Plan in an adjacent pane. That way users can drag and
drop messages from their in-boxes directly into the File Plan folders."
How is this done?

In Outlook versions 2002 and earlier, you could place a file system shortcut
on the Outlook Bar (the area known as the Navigation Pane in Outlook 2003 and
2007). You could then drag an Outlook item to this shortcut and it would be
copied to the file system folder the shortcut references. While you can still
add a file system folder shotcut to the "Shortcuts" view of the Navigation
Pane, you must open it first before you can drag an Outlook item to it.
Outlook itself has no access to any file system subfolders in either case.

2. Can Outlook/Exchange handle sharing a email folder system such that
multiple users have read/write access.

Sure. Public folders are one way. You can create a folder structure in a
public folder that echos the file system folder structure if you wish. Just
keep in mind they're not tied together in any way.
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]

Thanks for the response, Brian; very much appreciated.