Weird Question with Email

david-b · #1 01-29-2008, 09:58 PM

Ok so I'm going to be working on this huge project at work where my sales reps can submit signage to me via the internet and it keeps track of everything and can pull reports and blah blah blah. However, they all use Black Berrys and would rather just do what they're doing now, and emailing them right off their phone to me.

So what I'm trying to do is write a web-based program that will do this:
-Rep sends email via blackberry to a email account with specifics described (ie: account, date, due date, sizes, quantity, verbage...)
-When email gets received, program automatically sees the info
-Then info is sorted out and added into a database, just as if the rep were to go online and do the same.

Since everyone here works in different places, has anyone seen anything like this, or know anything about something like this? I'm figuring the email would use XML and the php script could call it in and load it via SQL into the database. That's more info than needed, but any ideas or seen one? Thanks.

MazdaX · #2 01-29-2008, 10:38 PM

Eh if you were working with quickbooks I could probably offer some advice lol.

Thor06 · #3 01-29-2008, 10:48 PM

How many emails a day are you talking? I know I dont know enough about programming to be of any use, but I was just curious if you are trying to compensate for 10 an hour, 10 a day, 10 a week, etc.

JoeShmoe · #4 01-29-2008, 11:30 PM

Wouldn't you need field, liek in MS Access? Don't know if that works with emails though.

david-b · #5 01-30-2008, 09:51 AM

I get about 20-150 emails a day for sign requests, so it'll constantly be coming in. That's why it's important to have everything automated as much as possible. And with that many, it's hard to keep track of everything which is why I'm designing this system.

I did find out that you can use XML and the data in there will be inputted into the database. Like:
<field1>account</field1>
and it'll take those sections and import it into the database. However, I have to go deeper into that, and see if there's a way to automatically do it to every email the instant they get received.

Thor06 · #6 01-30-2008, 12:34 PM

Wow dude, that sucks. I thought you were getting a couple a day and just being lazy but I guess not! I have a buddy that is wicked good with programming, if I think of it I will ask him.

david-b · #7 01-30-2008, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thor06

Wow dude, that sucks. I thought you were getting a couple a day and just being lazy but I guess not! I have a buddy that is wicked good with programming, if I think of it I will ask him.

Cool. Ya it's not an easy job. On the sign side alone, I print anywhere from 100-400 signs a day, depending on whether we talking banners or posters and what sizes. All of those emails have multiple sign requests on them also. Just got one in a minute ago that had 8 accounts on one request. Total signs for there: 120 signs. Ya, it gets stupid really quick.

My boss wants me to keep track of everything that is sent in from the reps so they can figure out quota payout and all. It's hard to do that with all these requests. My outlook mailbox has 35 pages worth of emails from late December to now. If I had this system up, everything would be tracked automatically and they'd be able to pull reports by rep, account, and even brand. We have a big meeting next week about this and I want to go in with as much info as possible. And even a demo would be nice. Damn moving though is getting in the way.

JoeShmoe · #8 01-30-2008, 04:44 PM

Well outlook can filter messages, have you tried that?

david-b · #9 01-30-2008, 04:53 PM

I don't need a filter or anything. It needs to be automated to take the info and throw it into a database with the information sorted out. Outlook wouldn't be involved at all.

JoeShmoe · #10 01-30-2008, 04:56 PM

Oh, I see what you mean. I can't think of anything that would be able to do that. We're still experimenting here at work.

david-b · #11 01-30-2008, 04:58 PM

I think I'm going to have to write something to do it, but I don't even know where to begin. Has to read the incoming email files and use XML to pick up the info and import to the correct section to the database, and the right tables at that! I'm so underpayed for this job.

JoeShmoe · #12 01-30-2008, 05:01 PM

Yeah, we usually are

Blackcrow64 · #13 01-30-2008, 05:09 PM

I'm sure they have programs to do that out there already, but you'll be paying an arm and a leg for it. I don't think it would be too hard to write a small simple program to just archive all incoming and outgoing messages and their details to separate fields in the database...

JoeShmoe · #14 01-30-2008, 05:14 PM

IMO its the Database thats the tricky part. Archiving is simple enough.

Blackcrow64 · #15 01-30-2008, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeShmoe

IMO its the Database thats the tricky part. Archiving is simple enough.

The database isn't tricky at all. You can setup the database really easy through Microsoft Access and all your archiving program has to do is call out to it. Which anybody who knows how to write programs should already know how to call out to an external file.

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