CloudExtend Outlook and Gmail NextGen for NetSuite usage metrics

It is possible to report on usage with some limitations. At present these limitations will underestimate usage (See What's excluded from usage stats below).

Please note that once you understand the saved search you may want to go beyond what is shown here. For example, you may want to break out emails saved by Autopilot separately.

🚨 IMPORTANT

At present, the reports and KPIs will only display ALL results for users logged in with an Admin role. For users without an admin role, it will only display their own metrics. This is due to security restrictions enforced by NetSuite. Additional message search options from NetSuite are outlined here.

Overview

• What's included in the usage stats?

• How can I be sure a specific mail will be included?

• Designing the saved searches and KPI dashboard

  • Total emails saved with CloudExtend

  • Total Events, Tasks, or Phone Calls

• Recommendations

  • Create the Key Performance Indicator

  • Create the KPI Meter

What's excluded from the usage stats (Outlook Users only)?

The following emails and event types will be excluded from reporting.

The reason for this is that we rely on pushing a value from Outlook to the external ID field in NetSuite and the Microsoft API does not provide this until the message/event is saved.

• When composing an email

  • To ensure all messages are included consider attaching after sending (from sent items folder)

• When composing a calendar event

  • Only events you are invited to can currently be included in reporting. If you are the organizer events will always open in compose mode therefore the API cannot grab the event ID.

What's included in the usage stats?

• Most emails and events are attached via CloudExtend usage stats.

  For example:

  • If you receive an email in your inbox and attach it to NetSuite it will be included.

  • If you create a new email and attach it while still in compose mode it will be included in the stats (Gmail NextGen users only).

  • If you send it and attach it from your sent items folder it will be included.

  • When composing a calendar event (Gmail NextGen users only).

  • If you are attaching a previously saved event for which you are not the organizer it will also be included.

How can I be sure a specific mail will be included?

If there is an external ID assigned to the mail.

• Outlook - CEOL prefix will be included

• Gmail NextGen - CEGS prefix will be included

One way to tell is to customize your message view and expose the external ID field in the results column.

Designing the saved searches and KPI dashboard

The KPI below was created with 4 custom saved searches.

✅ Total emails saved with CloudExtend

We'll outline in detail the saved search used to create the Total emails saved with CloudExtend results.

Drilling down into either period will show the stats by the user.

Creating the search

Start by creating a saved search of the message record, Lists > Saved Searches > New (select Messages).

Criteria Tab

Set the search criteria filter for the field External ID (text) contains #UI# OR #AP#. This will limit the results to only email messages with #UI# (for emails attached via user interface) or #AP# (for emails attached via Autopilot) in the value which is always present when CloudExtend attaches the email.

Results Tab

🔵 Email Address

The results will use two formula fields to remove the user's email address from the external ID and then count the emails attached by that user by grouping by email and counting the message internal ID's.

Field ID: Formula (Text)

Summary Type: Group

Formula: Use the formula below to pull out the email address from the external ID.

CASE WHEN {externalid} LIKE '%#UI#%' THEN SUBSTR({externalid},(INSTR({externalid} , 'UI#'))+3, (LENGTH({externalid})-INSTR({externalid} , 'UI#')))ELSE SUBSTR({externalid},(INSTR({externalid} , 'AP#'))+3, (LENGTH({externalid})-INSTR({externalid} , 'AP#'))) END

Custom Label: Email Address

🔵 # of Emails Attached

Field ID: Formula (Numeric)

Summary Type: Count

Formula:

{internalid}

Custom Label: # of Emails Attached

🔵 Standard Emails Attached

Field ID: Formula (Numeric)

Summary Type: Sum

Formula:

CASE WHEN {externalid} LIKE '%#UI#%' Then 1 Else 0 END

Custom Label: Std Emails Attached

🔵 AP Emails Attached

Field ID: Formula (Numeric)

Summary Type: Sum

Formula:

CASE WHEN {externalid} LIKE '%#AP#%' Then 1 Else 0 END

Custom Label: Std Emails Attached

Available Filter Tab

To use this search on a KPI (recommended) add a date filter.

✅ Total Events, Tasks, or Phone Calls

Creating the search for Events

Start by creating a saved search of the activities, Activities > Scheduling > Activity List> Search then click Create Saved Search.

Criteria Tab

Set filter criteria to Activity Type then Select Event.

Results Tab

The results will use the three formulas and will count the Event, Phone Calls, or Tasks to the assigned user. Create a saved search for each Activity Type.

🔵 Assigned to

Field: Assigned to

Type: Group

🔵 Type

Field: Type

Type: Group

🔵 Total Count

Field ID: Formula (Numeric)

Summary Type: Count

Formula:

{internalid}

Recommendations

We highly recommend that managers add this as a KPI to their dashboards and monitor activity by users. The KPI view will show usage for all users. To see individual usage, you can separate the saved search or drill down into a specific period directly from the KPI.

✅ Create the Key Performance Indicator

Step 1: Click Personalize.

Step 2: Drag KPI Indicator to the desired location.

Step 3: Click Setup > Custom KPI.

Step 4: Add your newly created saved search to the KPI.

✅ Create the KPI Meter

Step 1: Click Personalize.

Step 2: Drag KPI Indicator to the desired location.

You may also want to visit another article that will show you how to create a metric on how much NetSuite storage space is being saved by using CloudExtend OneDrive and SharePoint Sync. 👉 Learn more here.