Microsoft stack

Outlook and Excel workflow automation for accounting teams handling repetitive admin work.

SHVL installs the first Microsoft-stack workflows small teams usually need most: shared inbox triage, recurring report replies, and visible workbook logs. The first pass stays draft-first, uses the Outlook and Excel files you already run, and earns trust before anything goes live.

Outlook + Excel · OneDrive + SharePoint · Data stays in your tools
Outlook workflow automation Excel workflow automation Shared inbox triage Report request replies Visible workbook logs Draft-first review

What gets installed first on the Microsoft stack.

The best first workflows are the repetitive ones the team already feels every week. They should be easy to review, hard to forget, and safe to prove before anything wider is added.

Workflow 01

Shared inbox triage

SHVL checks the Outlook inbox, classifies the next useful request, drafts the first reply, and labels or routes the exception instead of leaving the team to re-read the queue all day.

  • Starts with unread-only Outlook filters rather than a broad risky sweep
  • Draft-first replies so someone can amend tone or content before live handling
  • Optional Excel log when the team wants visible ownership and auditability
Workflow 02

Report request handler

When someone asks for the latest numbers, SHVL reads the Summary range, drafts the reply, and logs what was handled instead of leaving the same email loop to repeat every week.

  • Built around the current workbook, not a rebuilt BI stack
  • Reads the exact range the team already trusts for client-facing numbers
  • Useful for owner updates, recurring client asks, and status replies
Workflow 03

Document chase and reminder

The same Microsoft stack can also carry the chase tracker. SHVL reads the outstanding sheet, drafts the next reminder, and appends a reminder log so nothing gets lost between inbox and workbook.

  • Strong fit for finance admin, bookkeeping, and payroll support loops
  • Uses visible Excel tabs rather than hidden status logic
  • Pairs well with the inbox workflow when teams chase and reply from the same queue

Proof assets you can use immediately.

These assets make the Microsoft-stack pages more citeable and make the install story easier to understand. They are also the same files SHVL points to inside the real install form.

Template

Inbox log starter workbook

Use this when the team wants a visible Excel log for inbox triage reviews, owner visibility, and weekly summary work.

  • Sheets: Setup, Inbox Log
  • Best for: shared Outlook inboxes and admin-heavy queues
  • Use: import to Excel, OneDrive, or SharePoint and keep the Inbox Log tab name
Asset · workbook template
Template

Report request starter workbook

A clean Summary worksheet plus Request Log, ready for teams who keep the latest client-facing numbers in Excel and need recurring reply handling.

  • Sheets: Setup, Summary, Request Log
  • Default range: Summary!A1:G20
  • Use: good for weekly packs, status replies, and owner updates
Asset · workbook template
Related asset

Document chase tracker

Useful when the Outlook and Excel stack also needs a visible chase process for missing statements, invoices, receipts, or payroll paperwork.

  • Sheets: Setup, Outstanding, Reminder Log
  • Headers: Client name, document name, due date, status, priority
  • Use: pair with the document chasing workflow page below
Asset · linked proof

Starter install example: before and after.

This is the kind of operational change SHVL should make visible in week one. Not a vague AI promise, just the repetitive Outlook and Excel loop handled more cleanly.

Before

Manual Outlook + Excel loop

The team is still doing the same sequence by hand.
  • Someone re-reads the shared inbox to work out what is a request, what is a chase, and what needs a report reply.
  • They open the workbook, find the latest Summary range, and copy details back into a manually written email.
  • Ownership and follow-up live in someone’s head or in a workbook that is updated after the fact.
After

SHVL workflow in place

The request loop is reduced before the team changes anything wider.
  • SHVL starts from unread Outlook mail only, classifies the next useful request, and drafts the first reply.
  • The workflow reads the correct Excel range or log tab before it writes anything back to the inbox process.
  • Handled items, owners, and exceptions can be appended into a visible workbook log for Friday review.

Questions teams ask before they install.

The Microsoft-stack story only works if it stays simple, visible, and safe.

Do we need to rebuild our Excel process first?

No. SHVL should start with the workbook and inbox the team already uses. The first pass only asks for clearer tabs or ranges where the install genuinely depends on them.

Does this replace Outlook rules?

No. Outlook rules are useful for movement and labelling. SHVL is for the next layer: reading the request, drafting the first response, routing it, and logging what happened.

Will it act on live mail straight away?

No. The first install stays draft-first. The team reviews the first real outputs and only enables live handling from Control once the result looks right.

Where does the data live?

In the tools you connect. SHVL runs against Outlook, Excel, OneDrive, and SharePoint rather than importing a copied mailbox into SHVL.

Follow the Microsoft-led cluster.

These are the next pages and proof surfaces that should reinforce the same narrow story.

Related money page

Document chasing workflow

The strongest adjacent workflow when the same team keeps chasing missing documents from the same Outlook and Excel stack.

Start with the Outlook and Excel work your team already repeats.

If the same inbox triage, report replies, or visible workbook updates keep landing back on the team every week, that is a better SHVL entry point than a broad platform rollout. Install the first workflow, review the first drafts, then widen only if it earns the right to stay.

See pricing