Connect Microsoft Outlook to Dialpad WFM to keep agent schedules up to date with meetings and time off.
You can connect Outlook in two ways:
Outlook Calendar Integration: Sync meetings and other calendar events.
Outlook iCal: Sync time-off events.
Let’s dive into the details.
Who can use this
Dialpad WFM is available to all Dialpad users.
Contact your Customer Success Manager to discuss adding Dialpad WFM to your plan.
Outlook Calendar integration
The Outlook Calendar Integration connects a dedicated Outlook mailbox to WFM. When you add the connected mailbox to a meeting, WFM matches the Outlook attendees with active WFM agents and adds the meeting to their schedules.
Before connecting Outlook:
Create a dedicated, licensed Exchange Online user mailbox, such as wfm-meetings@yourcompany.com. This mailbox acts as the connection between Outlook and WFM and is added as an attendee to meetings you want to sync.
Make sure you have manager or admin access to WFM.
Make sure your agents' Outlook email addresses match their email addresses in WFM.
Connect an Outlook calendar
Go to Dialpad WFM
Select Settings > Communication
Select Outlook Calendar
Enter the email address of your dedicated Outlook mailbox.
Select Sign in
Note
This is a one-way sync from Outlook to WFM. WFM doesn't send schedules or shifts back to Outlook.
Add meetings to agent schedules
To sync an Outlook meeting:
Create or open a meeting in Outlook
Add the connected Outlook mailbox as an attendee
Add the agents who should attend
Send or update the meeting invitation
Dialpad WFM matches Outlook attendee email addresses with active agents in WFM. When the addresses match, the meeting appears as a synced event in the agents’ schedules.
Note
Keep the connected mailbox on the meeting invitation. WFM uses it to sync the meeting and any future changes.
Tip
Once you've connected the Outlook Calendar Integration, you shouldn’t use block@teamsurfboard.com for new meeting sync setups.
Existing setups can continue using it, but changes made after the initial sync might not be reflected in WFM.
What syncs to WFM
When the connected mailbox remains an attendee, WFM can sync:
New meetings.
Changes to the meeting title, time, day, attendee list, or recurring schedule.
Meeting cancellations.
Changes to the attendee list. If you remove an agent from the meeting, WFM removes the synced event from that agent’s schedule.
The connected mailbox must remain an attendee for meeting updates to sync. If you remove the connected mailbox, future changes to the meeting won’t sync to WFM. If an agent declines the invitation, the meeting won’t sync to that agent’s WFM schedule.
Add an Outlook iCal link to Dialpad WFM
To sync time off, connect a dedicated Outlook calendar to WFM using an iCal link.
Note
The iCal integration is only for time off. Use the Outlook Calendar Integration to sync meetings and other calendar events.
Create and share an Outlook calendar
In Outlook, select Calendar
Select Home > Open Calendar > Create New Blank Calendar
Name your calendar and choose where to save it > Select OK
Right-click the new calendar, then select Share > Calendar Permissions
Add the users who need access
Select the user's name, turn on Folder Visible, then select OK
Add the iCal link to Dialpad WFM
In Outlook, open Settings and search for Publish a calendar
Select your time-off calendar
Set the permission to Can view all details
Select Publish
Copy the ICS calendar address
In Dialpad WFM, go to Settings > Integrations > Time off
Enter the iCal link and a name for the calendar > Select Save
Add time-off events to Outlook
To add time off:
Create an event in the Outlook time-off calendar
Set the time when the agent will be unavailable
Include the agent’s first and last name in the event title, exactly as it appears in Dialpad WFM
Add a supported time-off keyword to the title
Save the event to the time-off calendar connected to Dialpad WFM
Supported keywords include:
|
|
Tip
Time-off events can take up to 20 minutes to appear in WFM. If an event doesn't appear, check that the agent's name matches WFM and that you've included a supported time-off keyword.
Frequently asked questions
Which Outlook method should I use?
Use the Outlook Calendar Integration to sync meetings and calendar events.
Use an Outlook iCal link to sync time-off events.
If your organization already uses block@teamsurfboard.com to sync meetings, you can continue using your existing setup. For new meeting sync setups, use the Outlook Calendar Integration.
Do agents need to connect their own Outlook accounts?
No. Use a dedicated Outlook mailbox for the Outlook Calendar Integration. Agents don’t need to connect their personal Outlook accounts.
Does the connected mailbox need to be invited to every meeting?
Yes. The connected mailbox must be an attendee for each meeting that you want to sync to Dialpad WFM.
How does Dialpad WFM know which agents to block?
WFM compares the email addresses of Outlook attendees with the email addresses of active agents in WFM.
What happens if I change or cancel a meeting in Outlook?
With the Outlook Calendar Integration, changes to the meeting title, time, day, attendee list, recurring schedule, and cancellation status sync automatically to WFM as long as the connected mailbox remains an attendee.
If you remove an agent from the meeting, WFM also removes the synced event from that agent's schedule.
If your organization still uses block@teamsurfboard.com to sync meetings, changes made after the initial sync might not be reflected in WFM.
What happens when I disconnect the Outlook mailbox?
Disconnecting the mailbox stops future meeting syncs. Depending on the options available in WFM, you can choose whether to keep or remove Outlook events that have already synced to WFM.
Can Dialpad WFM send schedules to Outlook?
The Outlook Calendar Integration reads meetings from Outlook into WFM. It doesn’t send WFM schedules or shifts to Outlook. Agents can export their schedule as an iCal and add that to their personal calendar. This is possible from the Agent app.
Can I use the Outlook Calendar Integration for time off?
No. Use the iCal workflow in this article to sync time-off events.
Can I forward a meeting to the connected Outlook mailbox?
No. Forwarding an existing meeting to the connected mailbox won't sync the meeting to WFM.
Add the connected mailbox as an attendee when you create or update the meeting.
What if a meeting update doesn’t appear?
From the Outlook integration settings in WFM, select Sync now. If the update still doesn’t appear, check that the connected mailbox remains an attendee and that the agent’s Outlook email address matches their active WFM email address.
Are Outlook meeting titles visible in Dialpad WFM?
Yes. Outlook meeting subjects appear as synced event titles in WFM. For sensitive meetings, use a separate event with a neutral title.
Do meetings with hidden guest lists sync to WFM?
No. WFM needs to read the Outlook attendee list to match attendees with active WFM agents. If Outlook hides the guest list, such as for some large company-wide events, the meeting won't sync to WFM.
Can I add more than one Outlook time-off calendar?
Yes. You can add multiple time-off calendars through Settings > Integrations > Time off.