30 May 2022

A new development in Outlook is an even easier way to make an appointment with colleagues. If you use Microsoft FindTime, you no longer need to spend time finding out who is available and when: Outlook does this for you. On the basis of the existing appointments in the calendars of you and your colleagues, Outlook searches for suitable dates and times. Via FindTime you can then set up a poll with several options for everyone to respond to (provided everyone keeps their calendar updated and indicates when they are free/occupied/not available).

1. Open a new message in Outlook. 

2. Select the invitees. Enter the email addresses of all those you wish to invite in the To field, and the addresses of those whose participation is optional in the CC field. 

3. Select the FindTime -icon, on the right in the Outlook bar. You may get the notification that you first need to log in, but if you click anyway, FindTime will automatically open without logging in.

4. Availibility. On the right of your screen, Outlook will now propose options based on the availability of the colleagues you wish to invite. If someone is available, this will be indicated in green, red means that the colleague is not available. By hovering over these icons you can see which colleagues they refer to.

5. Send the invitation. Now you can choose a date and time from the available options and send the invitation. You can also offer multiple date/time proposals. The addressees will receive an invitation which they can accept or decline. The outcome will appear in all of the calendars. The organiser will receive a confirmation message. 

For more information, go to Knowledge item KI 3852 in the helpdesk portal or go to Microsoft Support for more details or for answers to specific questions.