Mail merge using attachments as the output

[Shelflife]

My organization is currently migrating to Outlook, and we are having problems
migrating an important workflow.

When finalizing an e-mail merge, the option is selected to send the output
as an attachment. In Outlook, this causes an email to be sent which is
blank, but contains the attachment.

However, what we would like is for the output to include a prescripted
message (which would be common text to every message. The previous email
client (Eudora) sent the merged emails out with whatever signature/stationary
was set as the default. Outlook does not...thus, a blank email with an
attachment. This concerns us because of professional reasons and because of
spam filters.

Unfortunately, the solution "put everything in the body of the message" has
already been deemed unacceptable.

I am hoping that someone might know how to tell Outlook/Word to retain
whatever signature/stationary/template is set by default.

Alternately, if there is a third party plug-in which someone has seen work,
this would be an excellent option. However, most of the plug-ins I have
seen are little more than 'face-plates' for the mail merge process, and don't
provide any additional functionality.

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

There should be add-ins listed at http://www.slipstick.com/addins/mail.htm#massmail that can do attachments + formatted, personalized messages.

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

 

[Shelflife]

Sue,

I've gone through that list and where possible, contacted the support groups
of those companies. I'm getting an overwhelming response of 'no', which I
find strange, as MS Word has this functionality with other email
applications.

I'm still convinced that there should be a way to do this.

Thanks, though...

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

http://www.olfolders.com/Lang/English/OLNews/olnews1.htm -- "Just like usual mails, attachments and pictures can be included in your mail as well as place holders."

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

 

[Shelflife]

http://www.olfolders.com/Lang/English/OLNews/olnews1.htm -- "Just like usual mails, attachments and pictures can be included in your mail as well as place holders."

According to their support group, these attachments can't be the merge's
target. They would have to be a 'static' file (every receipient sees the
same attachment).

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

Sorry, but if you don't quote the essentials from the earlier messages in the thread, it's hard to keep up with the key details. If you can't find a tool to do what you want, the other option is to write your own using Outlook VBA and Word automation.

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers