Lydon Solutions

Construction Project Management Software Solutions

Microsoft Tips

Use AI on Your SharePoint Sites with Copilot Agents

Microsoft Tips |

Copilot AI is all the rage across Microsoft 365 applications. Microsoft continues to release new features, making it easier for the citizen developer to create AI models. With Copilot Studio, you can create Copilot agents that utilize your SharePoint sites as knowledge sources. So, how can this help your construction projects? Check out this article to find out more.

There are many opportunities where AI could come in handy on construction projects that use SharePoint to manage their project documents. For example, AI could list all the deliverables required for an RFP, determine if liquidated damages were part of a construction contract, scan resumes for employees with a particular skill set, and so on.

With Copilot agents, you can create custom AI agents to scan your SharePoint documents and provide conversational responses to your queries.

Copilot Agent Overview

Let’s say you want to create a training FAQ Copilot agent from all the training documents in a SharePoint site.

You use Microsoft Copilot Studio to create a Copilot agent and then include the SharePoint site as the knowledge source. You can then share that agent with other team members who have permissions to the SharePoint site.

In Action: Create a Copilot Agent

Go into Copilot Studio, click Create, and name your agent. As you can see in the image below, I’ve already created an agent using a SharePoint site where we deployed Construction Viz as the knowledge source.

Once you create your agent and assign a SharePoint site as the knowledge source, you must determine which channel to use for the agent. A channel is a location where the agent can be shared. By default, it’s Microsoft Teams, but other options, such as a custom website or even Slack, are possible but will require additional authentication setup. If you use Teams, the authentication is built in. Next, you will want to identify who in your organization can access the agent from the settings.

When you are ready for the rest of the team to take it for a spin, publish the agent and share the link to the agent with your team members.

Share Your Agent

If you use Microsoft Teams for your channel, you can add your agent as an app and send the link to your team members to interact with the SharePoint site you used as a knowledge source.

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How Does a Copilot Agent Function?

I created a simple agent called Construction Viz Demo that scans training information from a PDF document stored in the underlying SharePoint site of a Construction Viz deployment. As you can see below, I can ask the agent questions, and it will return results based on the PDF file. Pretty slick!

Considerations

  • Copilot supports a wide range of file types such as Word (doc and docx), Excel (xlsx), PowerPoint (ppt and pptx), Loop, and Adobe (PDFs). Copilot agents will not scan SharePoint lists out of the box. To include SharePoint lists, you must build custom actions, which we will discuss in a future article.
  • Ensure permissions and sensitivity labels are in place to restrict access to confidential and sensitive information.
  • Test your agent before deploying it to get the desired results.

AI technology is progressing at a breakneck speed. If you want to stay on top of all the features in Microsoft 365 and leverage Copilot AI for your construction projects, you can contact Lydon Solutions for a free one-hour consultation.

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Say Goodbye to Post-It Notes with the New Microsoft Sticky Notes App

Microsoft Tips |

There was a time when you would track everything with Post-It notes. You would write notes and post them on your monitor or scatter them across your desk, lamp, printer, refrigerator, etc. Post-it notes were a quick, in-your-face way to keep track of all the tasks you needed to follow up on and even manage your passwords 😊.  Microsoft has been working behind the scenes to create this experience across your PC and mobile device with their Microsoft Sticky Notes app.

If you want an easy-to-use note-tracking app, read on to learn about the new Microsoft Sticky Notes app.

Post It Notes for Project Management

I remember when we used Post It notes to remind us of everything. We even used Post It notes to create all of the tasks and activities for a construction schedule during the pre-con/programming stages of a project. Those were the days😊. These days, notes have moved from paper Post-It notes to the cloud.

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If the paper Post-It technique still works for you, don’t read any further. But if you are open to a simple cloud note-taking app, Microsoft Sticky Notes is worth checking out.

Download the Microsoft Sticky Notes App

You can download the Sticky Notes app from the Microsoft app store.

You will need to sign up for the Microsoft 365 Insider Program to access the Pre-Release version I will discuss in this article. If you are not on the Insider Program, the good news is that Microsoft will release the new Sticky Notes app to everyone soon.

Features of Microsoft Sticky Notes

Some of the cool features of the Sticky Notes app include:

  • OneNote tie-in. You can create a sticky note from Microsoft OneNote. If you use OneNote, you will appreciate the integration so that all your notes are in one place.
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  • Sync across devices. If signed in, you can create a note on your PC or mobile device, and they will stay in sync. The Windows version of the app will also identify where the note was taken from (i.e., OneNote for Windows or your mobile device).
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Desktop vs. mobile

  • Screenshots. You can perform screen clippings and screenshots just like OneNote, and you can include a link to the location where you took the screenshot if it’s a web address.
  • Docking. You can drag a note into a separate window and place it anywhere on your screen, similar to placing Post-It notes on your monitor. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to hold where you put it after rebooting your PC.
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So, is Microsoft Sticky Notes worth using?

Sticky Notes is an excellent, easy-to-use note-taking tool that doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles. Sticky Notes is a free app that will be upgraded from Notes in the future. The ability to sync across devices and OneNote makes it an excellent tool in your toolbox for when you need to log something quickly and maybe update for more details later. If you are comfortable with paper Post-It notes, then you do you. If you are already a OneNote or a Microsoft To Do user, I’m not sure I would switch.

Lydon Solutions is a premier Microsoft 365 services provider for the construction industry. We have been delivering solutions for over 15 years. If you are moving to Microsoft 365 or just need a little help, use the form below to request a free one-hour consultation.

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How to Create Forms in Microsoft 365 with Microsoft Lists

Microsoft Tips |

Not too complicated or not too simple, Microsoft Lists might be the right fit for easy form creation in Microsoft 365.

Microsoft 365 is a cloud platform that is customizable to the needs of your construction organization. Everything from storing documents to creating forms, such as RFIs and Daily Reports, can be accommodated using a variety of Microsoft 365 technologies included in your subscription. Microsoft Lists offers a simple and effective form creator that might be the best solution for your projects. Check out this article to find out more.

Like Goldilocks and The Three Bears, Microsoft 365 can provide multiple options for creating your construction forms, but Microsoft Lists might best fit your unique needs. Microsoft Lists was released in July 2020 as a new and modern way to create and view SharePoint lists.

Creating a Form in Microsoft Lists Step-by-Step

You start by creating a list. In most cases, you make a blank list. You can then add columns for each field in your form. There are multiple data types to choose from, including:

  • Text
  • Choice
  • Date and time
  • Multiple lines of text
  • Person
  • Number
  • Yes/no
  • Hyperlink
  • Currency,
  • Location
  • Image
  • Lookup
  • Average rating

If you scroll to the bottom of the menu, there are even more options under “see all content types.”

When you select “see all content types,” you will be redirected to the standard SharePoint list menu. From there, you can add settings such as default values, unique values, and validation.

Once you select the columns to use in your form, you can configure the form layout by clicking the Forms button from the Lists menu.

In the Forms configuration menu, you can:

  • Show or hide fields
  • Rearrange field order
  • Change the color theme
  • Add a response
  • Send form – Copy Link

Also, you can extend the functionality by adding Power BI reports, Power Automate workflows, and rules and approvals. Check out this article to see more features of Microsoft Lists.

Is Microsoft Lists the Right Choice for Your Forms?

So, Microsoft Lists is a pretty straightforward tool for creating forms, but there are several areas to consider if you want to use Lists for your project forms:

  • Printing. Reporting is done in Power BI. So, if you want to create a formatted print of a form, you will need to get familiar with Power BI.
  • Form configuration. While you can add fields and themes to a form, you are pretty limited as to how much customization you can do unless you incorporate custom code.

Powerful Mobile-Responsive Construction Project Forms

Construction Viz utilizes SharePoint lists to store data. Our custom form technology leverages the best of SharePoint lists and document libraries. Learn More >

  • Data location. Lists are saved to SharePoint sites, so be aware of the permissions and other SharePoint features you inherit when creating a list.
  • Document management. You can attach files to a list form, but you will be out of luck if you want to extract those files into a view to incorporate more document management controls unless you know Power Automate.
  • Lookups. If you have columns that you want to reuse across multiple lists, such as project name or location. You will need to plan where that list will reside in SharePoint so that all your list lookups can reference the same standard data source. A better option is to use Site Columns and Content Types to ensure consistency across lists, but again, this requires planning and more knowledge of SharePoint.

Many different applications in Microsoft 365 allow the creation of forms. Microsoft Lists might be the right fit, but before jumping into any new technology, we recommend conducting formal software requirements gathering.

Use the form below to request a free one-hour consultation if you need help collecting requirements. Lydon Solutions has been delivering custom Microsoft-based construction solutions for over 15 years and has helped many construction organizations deliver their projects on time and within budget.

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Jumpstart Your Projects with These SharePoint Construction Templates

Microsoft Tips |

Have Microsoft 365 SharePoint Online but don't know where to start building your construction project sites? Check out this post to find out more about our SharePoint construction templates to quickly start managing your projects in Microsoft 365.

Our Three Most Popular SharePoint Construction Templates

Lydon Solutions has been delivering SharePoint-based solutions to the construction industry for 15 years. Over that time, we have developed many unique sites for managing construction projects based on our experiences as project managers and project control managers. Because companies and organizations new to Microsoft 365 might not know where to start building their own SharePoint sites, we created several custom SharePoint construction templates to help jumpstart the process.

In this post, we will discuss three of our most commonly requested customizable SharePoint construction templates: Leaning Center, Reporting Center, and Document Approval.

Learning Center SharePoint Construction Template

Learning Center SharePoint Template

Summary: We designed the Learning Center SharePoint template to make it easy for users to find training materials and schedule training sessions quickly.

Why: Construction projects are typically supported by matrixed organizations, each with its own required training and materials. Our goal is to bring them all together into one site where users can find the training they need for the project.

Highlights: The site is visually organized by training topics that allow users to further drill down into specific documents and videos. Also included is a training calendar to access/sign up for training sessions.

Reporting Center SharePoint Construction Template

Reporting Center SharePoint Template

Summary: The Reporting Center consolidates all of your Power BI reports into a central location.

Why:  A project/program can generate many reports that may need to be shared with the teams. We designed the Reporting Center as the reporting hub where users can access all reports across the project/program based on permissions.

Highlights: This site provides dashboards of critical KPIs, highlights a project/program status report, provides an easy way to share reports, and includes the ability to email reports to a distribution.

Document Approval SharePoint Construction Template

Document Approval SharePoint Template

Summary: The Document Approval site to provides an easy way to upload and approve documents.

Why: Projects need an easy way to receive and approve project documents. Also, they need email notification when a new file is uploaded and approved.

Highlights: This site can include several workflows, such as extracting attachments from emails, AI to read files and assign metadata to SharePoint columns, sending email notifications of receipts and approvals, and electronic approvals sent via email and Teams approvals. The ability to approve documents is based on permissions and is as easy as clicking the approval icon next to a document.

Streamline Your Construction Projects with Expert Microsoft 365 and SharePoint Solutions

Elevate your construction project management with our proven Microsoft 365 and SharePoint expertise. From customizable templates to full-scale enterprise solutions, Lydon Solutions has empowered dozens of organizations to master their multi-billion dollar project challenges.

Ready for streamlined success? Fill out the form below for a no-obligation consultation, or explore https://www.ConstructionViz.com for an advanced enterprise solution. Let's take your project management to the next level together.

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Microsoft 365 Horror Stories

Microsoft Tips |

Don't be the next victim.

Lydon Solutions has been delivering Microsoft 365 solutions to the construction industry since its inception in 2011. Over the years, we have encountered nightmarish issues that could have been avoided. Here are some of the Microsoft 365 pitfalls and how we responded.

My files have been ghosted

Organizations moving from file management solutions to Microsoft 365 must decide where and how their files should be stored. We often encounter organizations that have migrated all their files into a single document library in a SharePoint site. Why is that a problem? While SharePoint Online can store hundreds of thousands of documents in a single document library, it has a 5000-item threshold on viewing the contents of lists and document libraries, which, once exceeded, impacts search, filtering, and viewing capabilities. With large document libraries, connecting to and syncing files locally to OneDrive can be problematic. Additionally, SharePoint Online has a URL limit of 400 characters, which means if you are moving a file share, there may be a deeply nested folder structure and/or long folder and filenames in use that would exceed this limit.

"When we engage in a file migration, we first analyze the file and folder structure to see how it can be optimized for Microsoft 365 storage. We evaluate a client's data by asking questions such as:

  • Should the documents be stored across several SharePoint sites, libraries, and/or folders?
  • Should we flatten the folder structure to reduce the need to hunt and peck to find files?
  • Can we leverage metadata for filtering and advanced search?
  • Do we need to consider data sensitivity for specific stakeholders?
  • Are there documents and folders that require restrictive access for specific people?

Ultimately, we design and implement the solution to minimize administration, improve accessibility, maximize search, and build efficiencies across business processes well before proceeding with a migration."

Horror-Stories

A scary number of sites

Organizations can let IT governance get away from them, and the next thing they know, they have hundreds of SharePoint sites or Teams channels that they cannot manage.

“In many instances, we found organizations did not understand the complexities of Microsoft 365 and how to manage access rights. The perception is that Microsoft 365 is simple and that anyone can build sites and administer permissions. This laissez-faire approach to administration can end up creating a hellscape of data sprawl that impacts the IT resources’ ability to prevent security issues and the project team’s ability to find and manage records.

The first order of business is to take inventory of all the sites that exist, who has access, what their function is, and button up any high-risk areas. Then, we develop an information architecture to document the current structure and design an ideal structure based on the client’s resource limitations, budget, tolerance for change, and preferred applications. Lastly, we assess, recommend, and document the appropriate permissions to provide the required level of control."

The Walking Dead

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We often encounter IT and construction consultants who have found a way to hide in the unknown Microsoft 365 services niche; they dig in like an Alabama tick or what we call a "consul-ticks." They convince their clients that they know Microsoft 365, but often, they have limited or selective knowledge and know even less about construction. This can go on for years and have severe impacts since they rarely, if ever, deliver anything of substance, and that's not their goal. The goal is to stay billable. These consultants create a bad taste for Microsoft 365 in the mouth of the client since nothing seems to work right, the work products don’t match the need, everything is too expensive, and it takes forever to deliver anything.

For more about on consul-ticks read our blog There is no Such Thing as a “SharePoint Developer”.

"From day one, we meet with the stakeholders to understand how they work, what isn't working, and how we can provide the biggest bang for the buck. Our multi-faceted team brings a wide array of technical and construction project experience, which cannot be found in a single resource. We then set up a priority list and address issues one by one. Eventually, the client sees through the fog they have been under, and they make the necessary changes."

These are only a handful of horror stories that we have encountered. All of them are avoidable with the proper planning and engagement from a services-based consulting group experienced in both Microsoft 365 and construction from the beginning. If you feel like you are part of the latest slasher flick, you can reach out for a free one-hour consultation here.

How to Use Tags to Organize Files in Microsoft 365

Microsoft Tips |

Tag you’re it! Sort of…

There’s a new feature in Microsoft 365 called Tags. If you don’t use the Welcome to Microsoft 365 home screen, you probably missed it. Find out how Tags can help you organize your files across all your applications from a central location.

What are Tags in Microsoft 365?

Tags are a new feature for organizing and quickly accessing your files in Microsoft 365. Tags are a metadata field you add to your files from the Microsoft 365 Welcome screen. Tags allow you to classify your files by a term you define. The concept is similar to keywords or terms in SharePoint, but Tags are only added from the Microsoft 365 Welcome screen.

How do you add Tags?

You can add a Tag to any file by clicking on the ellipsis (three dots) next to the filename from the Welcome to Microsoft 365 home screen and selecting Tag. You can create a new tag from the Tag menu or choose one you previously made.

Once you create tags, you can use them to filter your content from the Quick Access view. Click the plus sign and select the tag you want to filter. As the name implies, quick access lets you quickly access your files.

Why use Tags in Microsoft 365?

You can easily create and share a lot of files in Microsoft 365. Finding files you frequently use can be a chore, so using Tags and content filters can speed up your workflow.

Microsoft releases new features for Microsoft 365 at a whirlwind pace, and staying on top of the changes is almost impossible. Lydon Solutions is here to be your IT partner and help you get the most out of Microsoft 365. If you are interested in our services and want to learn more, you can request a free one-hour consultation here.