User strategy: an example

Consider how your users can best make use of the directory. In some cases, simply searching the directory each time an email is sent is simple and effective (Email clients such as OS X Mail, since they auto-complete, make this easy, although it takes a few seconds to search).

In other cases, it's better to keep some or many entries in the user's own address book. Here's a possible set of directions for doing this—adapt this for your own situation:

1. As a new user, read all the entries from the central directory (search for "*"), or if that's too many, a set of useful entries, such as your department. Keep these in your email program's local address book for easy use.
2. If the person you want to mail to is not in your address book, search for their name in the central directory.
3. If some mail you sent bounces back, search the central directory for a new address.