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Contractor Access Has Never Been Easier with Lydon Solutions’ Microsoft 365 Contractor Portal

Company News |

One of the most challenging issues many clients face is finding a secure and simple way to share project information with external contractors.

The issue becomes even more pressing with many construction organizations moving to Microsoft 365 and wanting to keep their information within their Microsoft 365 tenant. Read on to discover how the Lydon Solutions’ Contractor Portal solves this issue and more.

Contractor-Portal_1

The old ways of sharing project information with contractors

Organizations using Microsoft 365 have three ways to share project information with external contractors. Each method comes with pros and cons:

  1. Guest access – You could add guest users to your tenant and share Microsoft SharePoint sites and even Power Apps with contractors.
    • Pro – This method enables you to grant contractors access to SharePoint sites and other applications such as Power Apps.
    • Con – Setting up a guest user takes a few steps, which can be administratively cumbersome with large numbers of contractors.
  2. Share files and folders – You could share the records directly on a per folder or file basis with specific external contractors or even anonymous users.
    • Pro – Easy to share files and folders.
    • Con – Isolated to specific files or folders, not applications. This method becomes administratively cumbersome with many file locations.
  3. Licensing a user – You could provide Microsoft 365 user licenses for contractors.
    • Pro – Contractors can access just about anything based on their permissions.
    • Con – There is a monthly cost per user depending on the Microsoft 365 plan. Also, access management can be challenging if the proper permissions controls aren’t in place.

How Lydon Solutions’ Microsoft 365 Contractor Portal solves the problem

With the Lydon Solutions Microsoft 365 Contractor Portal, we have solved the access challenges for contractors while providing a means to securely receive and share information within your Microsoft 365 tenant.

Our new Contractor Portal reduces the administrative burden of adding new contractors by allowing them to self-register, including the option to register with their secure social accounts (e.g., Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Yahoo, Google, and LiveID).

Contractor-Portal_2

If you need more control over registration, you can send invitations to specific contractors, ensuring only known entities have access. Two-factor authentication provides additional security if required.

The new Lydon Solutions’ Microsoft 365 Contractor Portal is your one-stop shop for managing external contractor access in your Microsoft 365 tenant, providing secure file sharing, and delivering Microsoft 365 Power Platform solutions such as RFIs, Submittals, Invoices, POs, and other contractor-related processes.

Contractor-Portal_3

Lydon Solutions has been delivering Microsoft-based IT solutions to the construction industry for over 14 years. To learn more about Lydon Solutions’ Contractor Portal or if you need help with your Microsoft 365 environment, you can request a free one-hour consultation request here. For a turnkey PMIS solution for Microsoft 365, check out Construction Viz here.

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How to get Microsoft 365 off the ground for your construction projects

How-To |

It can be an intimidating experience trying to manage your projects in Microsoft 365. There are so many different approaches and tools it can make your head spin trying to find the best for your needs. And it can be difficult, almost impossible, to find the right company to work with that has construction and Microsoft technology knowledge to do it.

We have found that figuring out where to start is the greatest challenge for construction organizations looking to embrace Microsoft 365 for their projects.

Common questions construction organizations have about Microsoft 365

Some typical Microsoft 365 questions we get from construction teams include:

  • How do I write requirements?
  • What’s the best way to manage data? Folders vs. metadata?
  • How can I manage my contractors’ permissions? What if I don’t want them to have access at all?
  • What are the best tools to create, manage, schedule, report, and archive my projects?
  • How can I minimize the number of emails that fill up my inbox?
  • What are some of the tools and processes to improve project communication?
  • How can I deliver a super simple solution for all levels of technical aptitude?

Solving the above questions requires years of experience developing and delivering solutions specifically for the construction industry.

Lydon Solutions is a turnkey Microsoft 365 solutions provider laser-focused on the construction industry, from developing detailed requirements to implementing easy-to-use solutions. For over 14 years, we have been delivering award-winning solutions that have made our clients more productive and have saved millions of dollars.

Let us help you take the first step to take control of your projects. You can request a one-hour consultation here.

We also have our own construction management platform, Construction Viz, that can be implemented out of the box or tailored specifically to your business. You can request a demo here.

Microsoft 365 resources for construction teams

Below are a few blog articles that will help you get started using Microsoft 365 to manage your construction projects.

How AI-generated Images Like DALL-E2 Could Change Construction

Reviews |

As most of you know, AI is not only the buzzword of the day but is particularly interesting because it will also be a big part of Microsoft 365 and Bing. Being a Microsoft solutions provider for the construction industry, Lydon Solutions is always looking at future tech and how we can leverage new technology to deliver the best value to our clients. In this article, we’ll touch on how DALL-E works, where this could be valuable in construction, and some results from our own experiences with DALL-E2. Read on to find out more.

What is DALL-E2?

In late 2022, Microsoft announced it was integrating DALL-E2 into the new Microsoft 365 Designer application and Bing Image Creator Tool. While neither tool is available to test yet, OpenAI provides the DALL-E2 beta for trials. You can sign up here and try it out: DALL·E 2 (openai.com)

New Microsoft 365 Designer DALL-E2 AI image creator

It’s essential to be familiar with how DALL-E2 works to understand the types of results and potential applications. OpenAI, the same developers of ChatGPT, built DALL-E2. It uses natural language to generate digital images. OpenAI trained DALL-E2 to learn the relationship between images and the text used to describe them. It uses a process called “diffusion,” which starts with a pattern of random dots and gradually alters that pattern towards an image when it recognizes specific aspects of that image. DALL-E2 can generate original images from text prompts and expand or edit existing images.

Examples of DALL-E2’s capabilities

To show you how it works, we did a couple of queries where we typed the following sentences:

Example 1

Text prompt: “illustration of construction people in a meeting in an office with computers.”

Example 2

We then asked a client on a call to think of a completely random image they would want to see, and we typed it in as a prompt.

Text prompt: “Dog platter bananas at daycare.”

Crazy right?!?

These results are pretty impressive, but you can see that DALL-E struggles with photorealistic organic objects. In fact, human faces and bodies can look pretty creepy. We must remember this is only the second version so I can see this improving as time passes.

Ok, so how would I use this with construction?

It’s always fun to imagine how new technology could change an industry like construction. For starters, here are some of the many construction applications where this technology would be a benefit:

  • Design renderings. You could create renderings of a construction design using BIM images, locations, angles, lighting, etc. The complete process could take minutes instead of days.
  • Marketing and proposal images. Coming up with marketing designs from scratch can be a challenge. You could have custom material generated in seconds by entering a few descriptions.
  • Image editing. On any construction project, many images taken might require editing in a program like Photoshop. DALL-E2 could do this for you without you having to learn Photoshop.
  • Image comprehension. This one might be a bit of a stretch and would most likely require a ton of AI learning, but think about the ability to have photos of assets taken by a drone, like that of a transmission tower, and using this technology to understand everything in the image including any defects. If the system could analyze the image data and automatically collect and assimilate rework and repairs into a punch list report emailed to a project team, you could have a completely autonomous inspection solution. An automated AI system of this kind could revolutionize construction inspections entirely. Not a bad business idea 😊

In summary, DALL-E2 is a groundbreaking AI image technology that will make its way into your everyday workstream and will be available in Microsoft 365 soon. Now is probably the right time to discuss the pros and cons of using this technology within the construction community.

Lydon Solutions will continue doing its part to understand and share our knowledge of these new technologies affecting Microsoft 365. We hope these articles help you imagine what’s possible and how to use these technologies on your projects. If you need help with Microsoft 365 for your projects or a turnkey construction management solution like Construction Viz, you can reach out for a free one-hour consultation here.

The Great Metadata Convergence with Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive

How-To |

Microsoft is unifying metadata handling between Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive. Here is what you need to know.

What is metadata?

First, let’s start with a definition. Metadata is “data that provides information about other data.” In the case of SharePoint, metadata can include using the term store or adding unique columns to lists and libraries. The advantage of metadata over folders is that you gain more robust search and reporting capabilities.

What’s the issue with folders?

Organizing by folders is popular because it builds on the familiar. File folders are similar to how we store paper documents in file cabinets. Folders also mirror a standard shared drive. So, users find this approach intuitive and easy.

Metadata_1

One downside of folders is upkeep. Documents have to be moved from one folder to another to be re-classified. The organization scheme of several levels of folders can be confusing. Documents can get misfiled in incorrect or redundant folders over time.

Here’s an article that further explains the topic - 3 Ways to Organize Your Documents in SharePoint - Lydon Solutions

How does metadata currently work with Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint?

Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint are three applications in Microsoft 365 where you can effectively manage documents. Until recently, each application has its strengths and weaknesses regarding file organization:

  • The Teams application is great for collaborating and has a files tab in a channel where you can upload files into folders. However, you could not add metadata.
  • OneDrive has a local client that allows for working with files offline. It is also easy to use and navigate since it has an explorer-like view that we all know from a PC, but it also lacks metadata.
  • SharePoint is an enterprise content management system (ECMS) that provides the ultimate flexibility to use metadata and folders for lists and document libraries.

What has changed with metadata in Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint?

With this recent Microsoft 365 update, Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint can share metadata, not just folders. If I add columns in the files tab of a Teams channel, those columns will appear in SharePoint and OneDrive. If I add columns in the SharePoint Documents library, they will be available in Teams and OneDrive. At this point, you cannot add columns (metadata) in OneDrive, but you can view them. Also, you can now create views in Teams using metadata linked to SharePoint, keeping both systems in sync. Let’s get into why this update is important.

Teams adding columns to a files tab for a channel
SharePoint adding columns in the Documents library
OneDrive viewing columns from a Documents library

What’s the big deal with this metadata change?

Metadata is critical to organizing files more consistently. Until now, metadata was only useful in SharePoint since you couldn’t add or view it in Teams or OneDrive. This update keeps all three applications in sync with both folders and metadata when you use the Documents library. You are not restricted to just using folders!

Also, you don’t need to manually sync the Documents library across Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint for this to work; Microsoft does this for you automatically. If you check out one of our recent posts, Microsoft 365 OneDrive and Teams for Your Construction PMIS (lydonsolutions.com), you will see how Microsoft has done this behind the scenes.

Great news, but there is a catch

Unfortunately, you currently cannot see the metadata if you are using the mobile apps for SharePoint, Teams, and OneDrive.

Also, this metadata feature is related to the SharePoint Documents library created when you create a new Team. To use other SharePoint libraries to manage metadata, you must manually link to that SharePoint site from Teams or OneDrive.

Take away

In summary, by making metadata available across Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint, Microsoft has brought all three applications closer together for document management with fewer trade-offs. So, deciding where you want to manage your project documents is not an either-or application decision. You could start in Teams and use SharePoint or OneDrive at a later date based on the use case without having to give up search and reporting.

Microsoft 365 is a powerful platform for managing all aspects of your business and operations. Due to its scale and breadth, it can be a little intimidating. You can reach out to Lydon solutions for a free one-hour consultation where we can help you on the right path for your organization.

Keep Your Team in the Loop with the Microsoft Teams Bulletins App

How-To |

It can be challenging notifying team members of upcoming events or keep them in the loop on project communication. Organizations using Microsoft 365 have many communication options, including email, Microsoft Teams chats, and even SharePoint pages. But which one is the easiest to use and most efficient communication tool?

The Bulletins app for Microsoft Teams is a relatively new app that can centralize this type of communication while keeping you in the Teams ecosystem. Read on to find out if the new Bulletins app for Microsoft Teams might be a good notification solution for your construction organization.

What is a Bulletins app for Microsoft Teams?

Microsoft has been releasing a bunch of free sample apps to inspire developers to adopt and extend the Power Platform ecosystem. These apps are usable out of the box or customizable to solve your unique needs.

Bulletin app in a Microsoft Teams channel

The Bulletin app is a notification-focused app that you can add to Teams chats or channels. Each bulletin can have a title, description, image, category, URL, and delivery date.

Notifications could occur from all project areas. The Bulletins app can be an excellent fit for construction teams since you can easily organize items by category, date, and featured status to make them easy to find. What's great about the Bulletin app is that it keeps these notifications centralized and easily manageable by Team. It's a one-stop shop for managing notifications.

How do I add the Bulletins app to Microsoft Teams?

If you frequently use Microsoft Teams as a communication and file storage platform, you have probably seen the option to add apps by clicking the three dots for "More added apps."

Clicking "more apps" from Microsoft Teams navigation
Installing the Bulletin app into a Microsoft Teams channel

To find out how to add the Bulletin app to your tenant, refer to this link: Bulletins sample app - Power Apps | Microsoft Learn.

Microsoft Teams adds two tabs when you install the Bulletin app: "Manage Bulletins" and "Bulletins." Here is a quick breakdown of how they work:

  • Manage Bulletins - The Manage Bulletins tab is where a designated communication lead would create bulletins. Once published, the bulletins can be seen in the Bulletin app by everyone that has access to it.

Adding a Bulletin via the Manage Bulletins tab

 

  • Bulletins - The Bulletins tab is where your team goes to see the latest bulletin. Bulletins can be bookmarked, sorted by category, and searched.
Bulletin home screen

How could I use Bulletins on my project?

A bulletin could have a variety of uses for a construction project. A few good examples of construction-specific bulletins with categories could be:

  • General -"Client will be onsite every Friday."
  • Systems - "System downtime from 1-2 PM."
  • H&S - "H&S training required for access to the exclusion zone."

You can also include bulletin details with a nice banner image and links to related information, such as a SharePoint site where you can provide more details.

The Bulletins app is cool, but…

Having a notification app is a great idea, and Microsoft has done all of the heavy lifting to make this app available for developers to extend it further. If you are not a developer or have a developer in-house that knows the Power Platform, there are a few limitations in the out-of-the-box app:

  • Cannot attach images. You can add URLs that can link to images but cannot embed images into the text field.
  • Isolated to a single team. You can install the Bulletins app for a team, and it will show on every channel for that team. However, you cannot install the Bulletins app across multiple teams.
  • Needs additional options. While Microsoft created this app to pique the developer community's interest, it would have been great if there were a few additional features. For example, configurable fields such as status, the ability to use the activity feed when a new notification gets added, and distribution groups.

In summary, the Bulletin app is an interesting approach to notifying team members. I recommend trying it, but I would caution implementing it if you do not have the IT support to modify the app for your specific use cases.

If you want to implement this Microsoft Teams app or any others from Microsoft and need IT support with the power platform or anything in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, Lydon Solutions is here to help. You can schedule a free one-hour consultation here.

What Value Does Microsoft 365 Bring to an Organization? (According to ChatGPT)

Reviews |

Microsoft 365 has a lot of value to offer both individuals and businesses. Some of the key benefits of using the suite include:

  • Increased Productivity: The tools within Microsoft 365, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, are designed to help users be more efficient and productive in their daily tasks. The ability to collaborate and share files in real-time with OneDrive and SharePoint make teamwork and document management effortless.
  • Flexibility and Accessibility: Microsoft 365 allows you to access your documents and files from anywhere, at any time, using any device. This makes it an ideal solution for remote work, as well as for businesses with employees in different locations.
  • Security and Compliance: Microsoft 365 includes built-in security features to protect your data, as well as compliance with industry standards. You can trust that your data is protected and can be compliant with regulations and standards.
  • Cost-effective: Subscribing to Microsoft 365 can be more cost-effective than purchasing individual licenses for each of the applications in the suite. Microsoft 365 subscription also include updates and upgrades to the software automatically, you will always have access to the latest features and tools
  • Better Communication and Collaboration: The communication and collaboration features of Microsoft Teams and SharePoint make it easier for teams to stay connected, share information, and work together on projects. This improves productivity and can help teams to work more efficiently.
  • Improved Data Management: With the use of SharePoint and OneDrive, it is easy to organize and manage files, shared content, and team sites. It also makes it easy to find and share files, track changes and maintain version history.

Overall, Microsoft 365 is an essential tool for anyone looking to increase productivity, stay organized, and improve collaboration. It offers a comprehensive set of features that can help businesses and individuals to be more efficient, effective, and secure. It's subscription-based pricing makes it accessible to small and large businesses alike.

— Post was written by ChatGPT