An email assistant for Mountain Dropoffs, built around Outlook.

The problem.

Mountain Dropoffs receives recurring questions about airport transfers alongside enquiries that need the office team’s judgement. The aim was to help with repetitive questions without losing personal service or replacing Outlook. Useful knowledge was spread across past replies, the website and company guidance. It needed bringing together into facts the team could review and maintain.

The systems involved.

Microsoft Graph connects the application to Outlook. An editable knowledge library supplies the facts, and OpenAI drafts replies. A small dashboard shows drafts, their sources and enquiries needing staff.

What I built, and why.

I built the Outlook integration, knowledge library and review dashboard, using past correspondence and published information to prepare facts for review. Eligible enquiries receive a draft in English or French. Outlook and the dashboard share the same draft, so staff can review and edit without juggling separate copies.

Responsibility and boundaries.

I designed, built, deployed and support the application. The office decides company facts and approves the replies it sends. The assistant does not check availability, change bookings or prepare individual quotes.

Implementation detail.

If an enquiry combines a straightforward question with a booking change, the whole message goes to staff. The assistant does not prepare an apparently complete reply to only part of the enquiry.

The outcome.

The system is live in draft-only mode. Staff can review, edit and send the shared draft from Outlook or the dashboard. A full office review of the knowledge library is still planned, and automatic replies are not enabled.

Related scenarios.

• AI-assisted workflow automation
• Named system integrations