AI Agent for Microsoft Email Management

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.