How We Built a Virtual Scheduling Assistant at Microsoft

Many people would agree that scheduling meetings is tedious. Perhaps you have experienced an email chain like this:

Jenn, a potential client: Hey! What day/time works for a quick call next week?
You: (toggling between calendar app and email) I’m wide open Monday.
Jenn: (several hours later) Sorry. Traveling that day. How about Wednesday at 10 AM?
You: (checking your calendar app again) That should work. Your office?
Jenn: My office is great. Maybe we should see if Emad can join?

This back-and-forth can carry on, and it can get even more challenging when people use different calendaring systems or meet across different time zones. Not only are these exchanges time-consuming, they also obliterate our ability to focus on more demanding tasks.