JP4355121B2 - Management method of e-mail transmission / reception system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a management method by an administrator of a system that transmits and receives e-mail in a company or the like.
[0002]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Conventionally, e-mail is transmitted and received one-to-one between a sending side and a receiving side via a mail server, and an e-mail received at a company or the like is also shown in FIG. When the mail server MS ′ receives the e-mail sent from the customer C or the like via the Internet I, the mail server MS ′ directly receives the address from the mail server MS ′ to the terminal T of the person in charge as the destination. An e-mail is sent to the customer C, and an e-mail sent from the person in charge is also sent directly to the customer C via the mail server MS ′.
[0003]
For this reason, in the conventional e-mail system as described above, the e-mail transmitted from the customer or the like can be opened only by the person in charge who is the destination, and is transmitted from the person in charge to the customer. Since nobody can check the contents of the e-mail, for example, the contents of the matter such as negotiations that are being promoted by exchanging e-mail with customers, etc. It is often the case that only the person in charge of the person in charge knows, and the manager of the person in charge does not know the contents.
[0004]
Therefore, for example, when a person in charge of business negotiations by exchanging e-mails with a customer or the like is absent or moved due to a vacation or business trip, other persons who make up the same work group Members or new staff members who have been replaced do not know the details of the previous e-mail exchange when a customer makes an inquiry, which may delay the response to that customer. In addition, there has been a problem that the response has become awkward.
[0005]
In order to deal with such a problem, the applicant of the present invention has proposed an electronic mail transmission / reception system as shown in FIG. 7 together with the present invention.
[0006]
This e-mail transmission / reception system is addressed to an e-mail transmission / reception recording medium in which an e-mail transmission / reception program is stored and a work group WG1, WG2, WG3,. E-mail storage database DB provided with a thread for storing e-mails is provided, and e-mails received by the mail server MS are sorted by destination work group, and the e-mail storage database DB And save the email sent from each workgroup in the thread corresponding to each workgroup, and send and receive the email transmission / reception history to each workgroup. Group members can view at any time It is those that have become way.
[0007]
An object of the present invention is to provide a method for a system administrator to manage an e-mail transmission / reception system in which a plurality of workgroups transmit / receive e-mails via a mail server as described above.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a management method for an e-mail transmission / reception system, wherein a mail server is set for each of a plurality of workgroups to store e-mails of the respective workgroups and each workgroup. E-mail storage database in which a storage area that can be accessed from each terminal of group members belonging to, a destination determination procedure for determining the work group of the destination of the received e-mail, and this destination E-mail processing means having a storing procedure for sorting and storing e-mails in the storage area of the e-mail storing database corresponding to the destination workgroup determined by the determining procedure, and a plurality of such processes via the mail server. Of a system where multiple workgroups send and receive e-mail A method, other members who belong to the same work group, by specifying the storage area corresponding to the work group from your terminal belongs to access the mail server, customer The email server is configured so that it can be opened at any time, and the mail server is configured such that when an email storage area is newly provided in the email storage database by the email processing means. , by setting input from a system administrator terminal, performs the setting of authority to send and receive e-mail from the terminal to identify the terminal workgroup corresponding to conserved regions newly provided, any workgroup the e-mail storage database, or to the message identification code indicating a mail addressed to any workgroup After saving the electronic mail mail header is added with a message identification code that was created Zui electronic mail storage database corresponding to the message identification code, the customer e-mail stored in the mail storage database It is characterized by transmitting to.
[0009]
In the electronic mail transmission / reception system in which the management method according to the first invention is implemented, a plurality of work groups are formed in a company or the like, and members of the respective work groups negotiate by exchanging e-mails with customers or the like. When a mail server receives an email sent from a customer or the like to a person in charge within the work group when the project is proceeding, the email server first performs an address determination procedure, The work group to which the person in charge of the received e-mail belongs belongs is determined based on various information contained in the e-mail, and when the work group of the e-mail destination is determined, In addition, depending on the storage procedure, each of the multiple workgroups is stored in the email storage database provided by the mail server. Of the storage area corresponding to set, in the storage area corresponding to the destination of the workgroup it has been determined by the determination procedure, and stores distributing the received e-mail.
[0010]
Email stored in the storage area set for each workgroup in the email storage database of this mail server will be sent to the email even if the member of the corresponding workgroup is not the person in charge. It can be opened at any time by accessing the storage database, so that the contents of the e-mail can be shared within the workgroup, so that other members who belong to the same workgroup can send the contents of the e-mail. This makes it easy for other members of the workgroup to work with customers, even when there is no person in charge of a business case such as a business negotiation that has been promoted by exchanging e-mails. New people who are able to respond appropriately and appropriately, even if the person in charge changes. Do the person in charge with is to be able to take over easily its projects, department head of the work group is also, by e-mail check, it so can be easily grasp the contents of the work in the group.
[0011]
According to the management method of the first invention, in the above-described e-mail transmission / reception system, a storage area for storing e-mail is newly provided in the e-mail storage database, and the newly provided e-mail is provided. When an e-mail is saved in the save area of the save database, the settings of the e-mail sender / sender responsible for sending / receiving e-mail to / from this save area in the workgroup and the set e-mail transmission / reception The setting of the authority range related to the transmission / reception of e-mail performed through the e-mail transmission / reception system of the user is performed based on setting input to the mail server by the system administrator.
[0012]
In this way, the system administrator collectively performs settings related to email transmission / reception of email senders and senders belonging to a work group to the mail server, so that the electronic mail via the mail server by a plurality of work groups can be obtained. Sending and receiving mails is done smoothly.
[0013]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a management method for an electronic mail transmission / reception system in which, in addition to the configuration of the first invention, an authority associated with transmission / reception of electronic mail belongs to each work group. This is a setting relating to access to the mail server, browsing, creation, and transmission / reception restrictions for each mail server .
[0014]
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the system administrator restricts access to the mail server for each operator belonging to each work group, restrictions on the browsing of e-mails by the e-mail sender / receiver belonging to the work group, and the document format. The settings related to the creation of the data and the like and the settings related to the transmission / reception restrictions are collectively performed on the mail server.
[0015]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments that are considered to be most suitable for the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.
[0016]
FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing an example of an electronic mail transmission / reception system in which a management method according to the present invention is executed.
[0017]
The electronic mail transmission / reception system of FIG. 1 is almost the same as the configuration of the electronic mail transmission / reception system of FIG. 7, and an electronic mail transmission / reception program as described later is stored in a mail server MS managed in the company. An e-mail transmission / reception recording medium and an e-mail storage database DB are provided. Each e-mail storage database DB has a work group WG1, WG2, WG3,. A thread is provided to save the sorted email.
[0018]
The mail server MS can be accessed via an in-house LAN from each terminal of group members belonging to each work group WG1, WG2, WG3,.
[0019]
In this e-mail transmission / reception system, an e-mail transmitted from the customer C via the Internet I is received by the mail server MS and transmitted from the group members of the work groups WG1, WG2, WG3. Is also transmitted via the mail server MS.
[0020]
The mail server MS of this e-mail transmission / reception system is operated by an input operation through a terminal connected to the mail server MS by the system administrator M or a direct input operation to the mail server MS by executing an e-mail transmission / reception program. Various settings relating to transmission / reception of electronic mail as described later are performed.
[0021]
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure when an electronic mail is received in the electronic mail transmission / reception system.
[0022]
In FIG. 2, the operation procedure when receiving an e-mail in the e-mail transmission / reception system will be described first. In FIG. 2, the mail server MS is read from the e-mail transmission / reception recording medium and started. On the basis of the e-mail processing program, it is constantly monitored whether or not an e-mail has been sent from the customer C (step a1), and if an e-mail is sent from any of the customers C In the following procedure, the received mail is sorted into work groups WG1, WG2, WG3,... Based on the message ID, address, subject, keyword in the text, etc. added to the e-mail.
[0023]
That is, first, the mail server MS detects a message ID indicating to which work group included in the received e-mail, and registers the message ID in the e-mail storage database DB. It is determined whether or not it has been performed (step a2).
[0024]
If the message ID is registered in the e-mail storage database DB in step a2, then the received e-mail is provided in advance in the e-mail storage database DB based on this message ID. A determination is made as to which thread should be stored (step a3), and the electronic mail is stored in the corresponding thread (step a4).
[0025]
If it is determined in step a2 that the message ID included in the e-mail is not registered in the e-mail storage database DB, the e-mail to which work group is addressed next. Whether or not there is an address is determined by an address display written before the @ mark of the e-mail address or a keyword suggesting the mail content written in the subject or the mail text (step a5).
[0026]
Then, a new thread corresponding to the work group determined in step a5 is newly created (step a6), and the e-mail is stored in the newly created thread in step a4 described above.
[0027]
When an email is stored in a thread newly created as described above, the message ID included in the stored email is newly registered in the email storage database DB, When the mail server MS receives an e-mail containing the same message ID, it is used for collation at the time of determination in step a2.
[0028]
In the table TB of FIG. 3, as described above, e-mails are distributed in the mail server MS, and are provided in the e-mail storage database DB corresponding to the work groups WG1, WG2, WG3,. Shows the state stored in the thread.
[0029]
As described above, the e-mails distributed to the work groups WG1, WG2, WG3,... And stored in the e-mail storage database DB in the mail server MS belong to the work groups WG1, WG2, WG3,. The member can access the mail server MS from his terminal via the in-house LAN and designate a thread corresponding to the work group to which he / she belongs.
[0030]
As a result, group members other than those in charge in the same work group can easily grasp the contents of the e-mail. Even in the absence, other members of the workgroup can easily and appropriately respond to the customer, and even if the person in charge changes, the new person in charge Can easily take over the project.
[0031]
The head of the work group can easily grasp the work contents in the group by checking the e-mail.
[0032]
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure when a person in charge belonging to a work group transmits an e-mail in the e-mail transmission / reception system.
[0033]
Next, in this e-mail transmission / reception system, an operation procedure when a person in charge belonging to a work group transmits an e-mail will be described. In FIG. 4, a person in charge belonging to a work group When sending an e-mail about a matter such as a business negotiation or replying to an e-mail from a customer, first, the person in charge accesses the mail server MS from his terminal via the in-house LAN ( In step b1), a thread of a work group to which the user belongs is selected from threads provided in the e-mail storage database DB by an operation such as inputting a password (step b2).
[0034]
Then, the person in charge creates a message ID to be entered in the e-mail to be transmitted based on the message ID of the selected thread in the terminal (step b3).
[0035]
Next, the person in charge edits the mail text (step b4), adds the message ID created in step b3 to create a mail header (step b5), and finally creates the mail header in this way. The e-mail is created by adding the e-mail header to the e-mail body (step b6).
[0036]
In this way, when the creation of the e-mail is completed, the person in charge performs an operation for saving the e-mail in the thread of the workgroup to which the e-mail belongs (step b7) and performing the transmission operation to thereby perform the e-mail. The mail is transmitted via the mail server MS (step b8).
[0037]
As described above, replies to e-mails sent to customers from customers in charge of workgroups and customer e-mails are saved in the thread of the workgroup, so they belong to the same workgroup. by other members there are, to specify the thread corresponding to the work group from your terminal via an in-house LAN belongs to access the mail server MS, e-mail being sent for the customer Can be opened at any time.
[0038]
This makes it possible for employees other than those in charge in the same workgroup to easily grasp the details of the exchange of e-mails. Even in the absence, other members of the workgroup can easily and appropriately respond to the customer, and even if the person in charge changes, the new person in charge Can easily take over the project.
[0039]
The head of the work group can easily grasp the contents of work in the group by checking the e-mail transmitted from the person in charge to the customer.
[0040]
In the e-mail transmission / reception system as described above, e-mail transmission / reception is performed based on the setting input to the terminal connected to the mail server MS performed by the system administrator M or the direct setting input to the mail server MS. The program performs system settings for the e-mail transmission / reception system and management settings for operators (persons in charge within the work group).
[0041]
The system setting of the e-mail transmission / reception system performed by the e-mail transmission / reception program includes access restriction to the mail server MS for each operator belonging to the work groups WG1, WG2, WG3. There are settings for sending permission for e-mail created by each operator, e-mail extended attributes, creating a new thread, changing workgroup data stored in a thread, and deleting a thread.
[0042]
Further, in the system setting of the e-mail transmission / reception system performed by the e-mail transmission / reception program, when a master is installed for each work group WG1, WG2, WG3,. There are authority related to transmission / reception, new creation of master, deletion of master, and further, authority regarding browsing, creation, transmission / reception of each operator's e-mail by this master, setting of new creation of operator, deletion of operator.
[0043]
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a procedure for setting an operator and authority for the operator performed by the system administrator M on the mail server MS when a new thread is created at the time of mail reception (see step a6 in FIG. 2). It is.
[0044]
In FIG. 5, after the e-mail is received (step c1), the system administrator M browses a list of newly created threads on the mail server MS or a terminal connected to the mail server MS ( In step c2), an operator is set for the newly created thread (step c3).
[0045]
Then, the authority regarding the browsing, creation, and transmission / reception of the electronic mail is set for the operator set in the newly created thread (step c4).
[0046]
By a setting operation by the system administrator M on the mail server MS, execution of an e-mail transmission / reception program on the mail server MS causes a work group operator to view the e-mail of the operator for a newly created thread. Authority for creation and transmission / reception is set.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing an example of an electronic mail transmission / reception system in which the present invention is implemented.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a procedure for storing a received electronic mail in the electronic mail transmission / reception system.
FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing an aspect of an email stored in an email storage database in the email transmission / reception system.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a procedure when an e-mail is transmitted in the e-mail transmission / reception system.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a setting procedure in an example of the embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a system configuration diagram showing a conventional example.
FIG. 7 is a system configuration diagram of an e-mail transmission / reception system according to the previous proposal.
[Explanation of symbols]
M ... System administrator MS ... Mail server DB ... Email storage database WG1, WG2, WG3 ... Workgroup I ... Internet C ... Customer TB ... Table

Claims (2)

A mail server is set for each work group and stores e-mail for each work group, and a storage area that can be accessed from each terminal of group members belonging to each work group is set. In the storage area of the e-mail storage database corresponding to the e-mail storage database, the destination determination procedure for determining the destination workgroup of the received e-mail, and the destination workgroup determined by this destination determination procedure An e-mail processing means having a storing procedure for sorting and storing e-mails, and a management method for a system in which a plurality of work groups send and receive e-mails via this mail server,
Another member who belongs to the same work group accesses the mail server from his terminal and designates the storage area corresponding to the work group to which the member belongs. The email is configured to be open at any time,
The mail server corresponds to the newly provided storage area by setting input from the system administrator terminal when an email storage area is newly provided in the email storage database by the email processing means. message indicating to identify the workgroup terminal performs the setting of authority to send and receive e-mail from the terminal, any workgroup e-mail storage database, whether the mail addressed to any workgroup After storing an e-mail with a mail header having a message identification code created based on the identification code in an e-mail storage database corresponding to the message identification code, the e-mail stored in the e-mail storage database Send emails to customers ,
A method for managing an e-mail transmission / reception system. The e-mail transmission / reception according to claim 1, wherein the setting of authority relating to the transmission / reception of e-mail is a setting relating to access to the mail server for each operator belonging to each work group, browsing, creation of e-mail, and restrictions on transmission / reception How to manage the system.

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