Email notifications for requisitions

There currently is a way of configuring Sage with Outlook so that you can get email notifications when a requisition has been raised and is ready to be authorised and vice versa. However, the part of the Microsoft Licence that you need to get this functionality isn't a normal part of of the Office subscription and I have just been quoted £35k to buy the appropriate licences! Surely there is another more cost effective way that email notifications could be set up.