Create Custom Form to Collect Data Via Email

[RobertIngles]

Hi everyone;

I am sending emails to about 3000 users asking them to choose a date for a software push where their machine needs to be logged on but idle to accept the software. They will have a selection of 5 possible date/times for their computer to be updated and must select one.

I will be using the collect data by email however I hate the format of the default form Access uses to collect data. Does anyone know if a more attractive form can be used (I especially want to use the company logo so users do not think they are being phished)? I thought to design a form in Outlook however Access does not give you the opportunity to specify which Outlook Form to use and does not appear to support using an input form designed in Access.

Has anyone been able to succesfully achieve this?

Other question, which I think the answer is "No", once a date is chosen I would like to disallow choosing a second or multiple date for the push - don't mind if they change their original choice to "No" and selecting another date but don't want to be collecting a bunch of Yes's. I would also prefer a check box to having to type in Yes or No to keep in simpler for the user.

Thanks all - looking forward to your wisdom!!!

 

[kjv1611]

Can you set up a form in Outlook, and then save it as a template, perhaps? Then have Access open the Template for sending the emails? Maybe that won't work either.

Another option: Do you use SharePoint or some other Intranet software at your company? The surveys there are really easy to set up, and at the end, you could simply export the data to an Access database. Or, you may be able to have the SharePoint site link directly to your Access database.

"But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:57

 

[RobertIngles]

Thanks KJV, it appears that I could achieve the objective using MS InfoPath but it would be contingent on all recipients having InfoPath installed on their machines. I haven't found a way to call a custom Outlook form as the collect data feature is fully integrated into the app so there is no place to code in which form to use. Importing or exporting the data from the replies would be a challenge with such a large mumber of recipients.

 

[MazeWorX]

Have you considered 'Voting' in Outlook to get the responses?

HTH << MaZeWorX >> "I have not failed I have only found ten thousand ways that don't work" <<Edison>>

 

[kjv1611]

You don't have to use InfoPath for gathering data. I've set up a handful of surveys at our company with SharePoint. Didn't use Infopath at all. I did start using it for one that I ended up just dropping, as we ran out of time to deal with it anyway.

I suppose it depends upon what information you're gathering. Have you tried setting up a survey without using Infopath just to see? And if you did design a form with Infopath, why would the users be required to install it? I'm pretty sure it doesn't require folks to install InfoPath just to use them... that's only required for designing the forms.

"But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:57