How it works
When an email is sent from ChemCloud (e.g. an RFQ), the supplier is instructed to reply to a defined email address (e.g. purchasing@yourcompany.com.au).
This email address should be set up as an 'Email Group'. This means that multiple people can receive emails sent to that address. You should include relevant purchasing team members on the email group (so that they can see relevant emails.).
You should also add quotes@chemcloud.com.au so that emails can be read by our AI Quote Ingestor. This means that all quotes from all of your suppliers will be uploaded into the platform for you.
How to set up an email group
Setting up an email group should be quite straightforward, although it can change depending on which version of email provider you are using.
The main things to look out for are:
Make sure multiple email addresses can be members of the group
Ensure that external email addresses can be part of the email group
We recommend calling the group a variation of purchasing@yourcompanyname.com.au or procurement@yourcompanyname.com.au.
Generic instructions for how to setup an email group in Microsoft Office
Here are some generic instructions on how to setup an email group in Microsoft Office. If these don't work - you might be best to ask ChatGPT how to set it up with your version of Microsoft.
📧 How to Create an Email Group in Microsoft 365 (Outlook) with External Addresses
👥 Step 1: Go to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center
Sign in to admin.microsoft.com with your admin account.
In the left-hand menu, go to Groups > Groups.
Click “Add a group”.
📂 Step 2: Choose the Group Type
Choose Distribution (for a standard mailing list).
Click Next.
📝 Step 3: Set Group Name and Description
Enter a Group name (e.g. Customer Onboarding)
Optionally, fill out a description to help others understand the group’s purpose.
Click Next.
🧑🤝🧑 Step 4: Add Members (Including External Emails)
Add internal members:
Search for and select your team members.
Add external members:
You must first create them as Contacts in your Microsoft 365 environment:
Go to Admin Center > Users > Contacts.
Click “Add a contact”.
Fill in the name and external email address (e.g., john@partner.com).
Click Add.
Once created, go back to your group setup and add the external contact(s).
⚙️ Step 5: Configure Group Settings
Set whether users outside your organization can send to the group.
Choose whether group members can view messages in Outlook.
Click Next, review the settings, and click Create group.
🛠️ Optional: Manage Group Later
You can manage group settings later via:
Microsoft 365 Admin Center > Groups
Or directly in Outlook (web) under People > Groups