Description
Summary # Microsoft 365 AI Automation Specialist Needed for Outlook Audio Transcription and Follow-Up Agent ## Project Overview We are looking for an experienced Microsoft Power Platform and AI automation specialist to build an Outlook-based workflow that processes audio recordings received by email. The system should detect incoming emails with audio attachments, transcribe the recordings, summarize the content, identify recommended follow-up actions, and prepare draft communications for review. The workflow will initially operate within Microsoft 365. A future phase may include integration with ServiceTitan. This is not a general chatbot project. We need a dependable business workflow with proper error handling, duplicate prevention, security, documentation, and human approval before any customer communication is sent. ## Primary Objective Build an agent or automated workflow that: 1. Detects incoming Outlook emails containing audio recordings 2. Downloads and processes supported audio attachments 3. Transcribes each recording 4. Creates a concise summary 5. Extracts important details and action items 6. Determines the recommended next action 7. Drafts an appropriate email or text-message response 8. Organizes the original email in Outlook 9. Presents everything for human review 10. Maintains a clear processing and error log ## Preferred Technology Stack We prefer a solution using the Microsoft ecosystem, including some combination of: * Microsoft Outlook * Power Automate * Copilot Studio * Azure AI Speech or another approved transcription service * Azure OpenAI, Microsoft AI Builder, or another suitable language model * SharePoint, Dataverse, or another appropriate Microsoft storage system * Microsoft To Do, Planner, or Teams, if useful We are open to alternative technical recommendations, but the solution must integrate cleanly with Microsoft 365 and be maintainable after handoff. ## Phase 1 Scope: Outlook Audio Processing Agent ### Email Detection The workflow should: * Monitor a designated Outlook mailbox or folder * Detect new emails containing audio attachments * Support common audio formats such as MP3, M4A, WAV, and MP4 audio * Ignore unrelated emails and unsupported attachments * Prevent the same email or attachment from being processed more than once * Handle emails containing multiple attachments ### Audio Transcription The workflow should: * Extract and securely process the audio attachment * Produce an accurate transcript * Identify speakers when reasonably possible * Preserve important names, phone numbers, addresses, dates, appointment times, dollar amounts, equipment details, and customer requests * Clearly mark uncertain or low-confidence transcription * Handle poor-quality or incomplete recordings gracefully * Notify the appropriate user when transcription fails ### AI-Generated Summary For each recording, the system should produce: * A concise summary, preferably five sentences or fewer * The reason for the message * Customer or contact name, when available * Relevant phone number or email address * Dates, times, locations, and amounts mentioned * Commitments or promises made * Open questions * Customer sentiment, when useful * Urgency level * Recommended next action * Suggested deadline for the follow-up The AI should not invent information. Unknown or uncertain details should be identified as such. ### Follow-Up Classification The workflow should classify the message into one or more categories, such as: * Urgent callback * Routine callback * Draft email response * Draft text response * Scheduling action * Service issue or complaint * Estimate follow-up * Billing or payment issue * Internal task * ServiceTitan action * Informational only * No action required * Manual review required The classification list should be configurable. ### Draft Communications When follow-up communication is appropriate, the system should prepare: * A professional Outlook email draft * A concise text-message draft * A recommended subject line * A suggested tone based on the situation * Any questions that should be answered before sending Drafts must not be sent automatically during the initial implementation. The user should be able to review, edit, approve, or discard the draft. ### Outlook Organization Based on the analysis, the workflow should be able to: * Apply an Outlook category * Flag the original email * Move the email into an appropriate folder * Create an Outlook draft reply * Create a Microsoft To Do or Planner task, if configured * Send an internal Teams notification for urgent items, if configured * Preserve a link or reference to the original email Suggested Outlook categories may include: * Audio – Ready for Review * Audio – Urgent Callback * Audio – Draft Reply * Audio – ServiceTitan Action * Audio – No Action * Audio – Processing Error Final categories should be configurable. ## Human Approval Requirements The initial version must require human approval before: * Sending an email * Sending a text message * Making or changing an appointment * Updating a customer record * Adding information to ServiceTitan * Making a pricing commitment * Issuing a refund or credit * Closing or canceling a job The system may prepare drafts and recommendations, but it should not independently complete these actions in Phase 1. ## Error Handling and Monitoring The workflow must include: * Duplicate-processing prevention * Logging of successful and failed runs * Clear error messages * Automatic notification when a process fails * Handling for unsupported file formats * Handling for oversized attachments * Handling for corrupted or silent audio files * Handling for multiple recordings in one email * Handling for incomplete AI responses * A method for retrying failed items * A method for manually reprocessing an email The freelancer should explain where logs, transcripts, attachments, and AI outputs will be stored. ## Security and Ownership Requirements All workflows, cloud resources, prompts, connections, and related components must be created inside accounts owned and controlled by our company. Requirements include: * No shared employee passwords * No permanent use of the freelancer’s personal Microsoft, Azure, OpenAI, or automation accounts * Appropriate role-based access * Secure storage of credentials and API keys * Clear data-retention recommendations * Documentation of where customer data is transmitted and stored * Compliance with our Microsoft 365 security policies * Removal of freelancer access after handoff, if requested Please identify any third-party services that would receive or store audio, transcripts, customer information, or AI-generated content. ## Phase 2: Potential ServiceTitan Integration After the Outlook workflow has been tested and approved, we may add ServiceTitan functionality. Possible Phase 2 features include: * Matching the caller or sender to an existing ServiceTitan customer * Matching the recording to an existing location, job, estimate, or appointment * Retrieving recent customer or job history * Preparing a ServiceTitan-ready note * Adding an approved note to the correct customer or job record * Creating an internal follow-up task * Recommending appointment or dispatch actions * Including a link to the relevant ServiceTitan record * Detecting possible duplicate customers ServiceTitan work must use a supported API or approved integration method whenever possible. Do not assume that ServiceTitan API access is available. The selected freelancer will need to help verify our account permissions and integration options before finalizing the Phase 2 scope. Please quote Phase 2 separately from Phase 1. ## Required Deliverables The selected freelancer will provide: 1. A brief discovery session 2. A written workflow design 3. A diagram showing the system components and data flow 4. A list of required Microsoft licenses and services 5. A working Outlook-based prototype 6. Configurable prompts and classification rules 7. Human-review and approval controls 8. Error handling and duplicate prevention 9. Testing using sample audio recordings 10. A test-results document 11. Deployment into our company-owned environment 12. Written administrator documentation 13. Written user instructions 14. A recorded walkthrough and handoff video 15. Source files, Power Automate flows, prompts, schemas, and configuration details 16. A defined post-launch correction or warranty period ## Testing Requirements The solution should be tested against scenarios including: * Clear audio * Poor-quality audio * Background noise * Multiple speakers * Long recordings * Very short recordings * Silent or corrupted recordings * Multiple audio attachments * Unsupported attachment types * Emails with and without customer contact information * Names, addresses, phone numbers, dates, appointment times, and dollar amounts * Urgent customer complaints * Routine informational messages * Recordings requiring no follow-up * Duplicate or forwarded emails * Transcription or AI-service outages We will provide a limited set of representative sample recordings for testing. ## Required Experience Applicants should have demonstrable experience with: * Microsoft Power Automate * Outlook and Microsoft 365 connectors * Azure AI Speech, Whisper, or comparable transcription technology * Azure OpenAI, AI Builder, Copilot Studio, or comparable AI services * Creating Outlook drafts through automation * Handling email attachments * Structured AI output, preferably using JSON schemas * Error handling and workflow monitoring * Secure API authentication * Business-process automation * Technical documentation and client handoff Experience with ServiceTitan, field-service companies, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, or other home-service businesses is strongly preferred. ## Preferred Qualifications Preference will be given to candidates who have: * Microsoft Power Platform certifications * Completed similar Outlook or Power Automate projects * Built workflows involving audio transcription * Built human-in-the-loop approval processes * Integrated Microsoft 365 with a CRM or field-service platform * Experience with ServiceTitan APIs * Strong written communication * Experience designing maintainable systems for nontechnical users ## Application Instructions Please begin your proposal with the words: **OUTLOOK AUDIO AGENT** This helps us confirm that you reviewed the complete posting. Please include: 1. A brief explanation of how you would design the workflow 2. The Microsoft and AI services you recommend 3. Examples of similar projects you have completed 4. Your experience processing Outlook attachments 5. Your experience with audio transcription 6. Your experience creating Outlook drafts through Power Automate or Microsoft Graph 7. Your experience with Copilot Studio, Azure OpenAI, or AI Builder 8. Any ServiceTitan integration experience 9. Your recommended method for storing transcripts and logs 10. Your approach to preventing duplicate processing 11. Your approach to failed or low-confidence transcriptions 12. The licenses and estimated recurring services you expect will be required 13. Your estimated fixed price for Phase 1 14. Your estimated completion schedule 15. Your availability for ongoing support Please do not submit a generic AI-development proposal. ## Screening Questions Please answer the following questions: 1. Have you built a Power Automate flow that processes Outlook email attachments? Describe one example. 2. Which transcription service would you recommend for MP3, M4A, WAV, and MP4 recordings, and why? 3. How would you create an Outlook draft without sending the message automatically? 4. How would you ensure that the same email or attachment is not processed twice? 5. How would you handle an audio file that cannot be transcribed reliably? 6. Where would you store the transcript, summary, action recommendations, and processing logs? 7. How would you require human approval before sending a customer response?