Start by signing up to ChatGPT - You shouldn't trust everything it tells you, you'll need to fact check facts and there will be times where it's entirely missing context that you'll need to provide other it'll spout intelligent sounding nonsense at you. But once you get good at prompting it, it's fabulous for a number of things.
Here is it's response to your post.
Absolutely, AI can help in this scenario—and with significant potential. Here’s how to break it down and get started in a way that balances automation, cost, and immediate relief:
🔍 The Problem
-
Repetitive, manual tasks: Copying data from forms into Outlook calendar entries.
-
Always behind: Two staff working full-time, yet unable to keep up.
-
Overworked: TOIL is accruing but unused, suggesting a burnout risk.
-
No budget for extra headcount.
✅ AI/Automation Can Help With:
-
Extracting data from forms (structured or semi-structured):
- If the forms are digital (Word, PDFs, online), AI can parse and extract relevant info (name, date, time, purpose, contact info).
- If handwritten or scanned, OCR (Optical Character Recognition) tools can help, possibly combined with AI to clean and validate inputs.
-
Creating Outlook calendar appointments automatically:
- This can be done using Microsoft Power Automate (low-code, budget-friendly).
- Scripts or workflows can watch for incoming forms (emails, SharePoint, etc.) and auto-create calendar events based on extracted data.
-
Reducing cognitive overhead:
- AI can help classify or prioritize appointments (e.g., urgent, follow-up, cancelled).
- Assistants like Microsoft Copilot (if available in your tenant) can generate summaries, suggest best time slots, and flag conflicts.
🛠 How to Get Started
Step 1: Audit the workflow
- What form types are used (Word, PDF, email body, web form)?
- How is the data received? (Shared inbox? Uploads? Scans?)
- What fields need to go into the calendar entry?
- Are there standard templates or patterns?
Step 2: Pilot simple automation (low-cost, fast relief)
Use
Microsoft Power Automate (formerly Flow):
- Trigger: “When a new form/email arrives in Outlook or SharePoint”
- Actions:
- Extract form content (e.g., using AI Builder Form Processor if PDFs)
- Parse relevant data fields
- Create an Outlook Calendar event with extracted data
Microsoft 365 E3/E5 or Business Premium plans include Power Automate access.
If form parsing is too unreliable, start with a
semi-automated assistive tool:
- Use ChatGPT or Copilot in Word/Outlook to summarize a form and suggest a calendar event
- Paste the form in and prompt: “Create a calendar appointment from this info”
Step 3: Monitor & Improve
- Track how much time is saved per appointment
- Use feedback from the booking clerks to refine the form extraction and scheduling logic
- Consider creating “error” or “review needed” queues for ambiguous or messy forms
💡 Bonus Ideas (Advanced, but Optional)
-
Email-based scheduling assistants (e.g., Calendly + Zapier or x.ai-style tools) if the appointments can be self-booked
-
Use GPT-powered summarizers on large form text blocks, especially if they need interpretation
-
Create a Power App front-end to standardize data entry and reduce complexity
🧭 Summary: Practical First Steps
-
Map the process (where do forms come from, what do they trigger?)
-
Try Power Automate with AI Builder to auto-extract and calendarize
-
Use Microsoft Copilot or ChatGPT to assist with summaries and drafts
- Review, iterate, and measure time saved
-
Scale gradually, even if some parts stay manual at first
If you’d like, I can help you sketch out a sample Power Automate flow or a GPT prompt that would work with a real example of one of the forms. Would that be useful?