Lydon Solutions

Construction Project Management Software Solutions

SharePoint for construction

Tips from the Field: Adding Images to a Power BI Report

Tips from the Field |

Microsoft 365 Power BI is an incredibly powerful reporting tool and is fast becoming the go-to reporting solution in construction. While creating connections to different data sources and building cool reports is relatively straightforward, adding dynamic images is not as simple.

Read on to learn how to add images to your Power BI report.

Two options when adding images to Power BI reports

There are two paths to adding images to a report.

Option 1

Your first option is to insert images directly into the report. This approach is useful if you want to embed a static image into your report, like adding a logo to a project-specific report.

Unfortunately, you need to open Power BI, update the report, and re-publish it to add or edit images.

Note: These embedded images will display when you print a report.

Option 2

Your second option is to link images dynamically from another file location. This approach allows you to connect to images from another file location and display them dynamically in your report.

A good example of this would be a set of project progress photos that are dropped off in a SharePoint image library every month. You could then connect these photos to your report and use a project and time period slicer to display only the images you would like to see in the report.

While this approach provides the most flexibility, since images are read from the image library, the setup in Power BI of the connection is more difficult.

Also, there are a few considerations to be aware of:

  • Viewers must have permission for both the image library and the Power BI report to view the images.
  • Images will not display in Power BI Desktop until you publish the report to Power BI Online.
  • The connected images will not display when you print a report.
Power BI Desktop with both options
  • When images initially display in Power BI, they will appear as small thumbnails, and you will not have many options to format them. You will most likely need to “Get more visuals” and find a third-party image display visual. See the screenshots below for how to do this.

Step 1: Click the three dots and select “Get more visuals” 

Step 2: And then search on images and click on one to add 

So, you might wonder how actually to create a dynamic image connection in your report from SharePoint? There are a bunch of steps to doing this, but I found a great video to get you most of the way there: A little trick for SharePoint Online Images in Power BI.

We hope this blog helps you build out your project status report. If you need a complete reporting solution from building a Power App to collect period data or structuring a Power BI Report that can filter by project and period, you can submit a consultation request here.

Construction Viz Then, Now, and Tomorrow

Construction Viz News |

I was cleaning up my office over the weekend and found an article in ENR that I wrote back in 2017 announcing Construction Viz to the world. Little did I know what the future would hold. If you ever have a dream, think the challenge is too hard, and want to give up, I hope this article helps inspire you.

Rewind to 2017 and the launch of Construction Viz

“The only time you should look back in life, is to see how far you have come.”
— Kevin Hart

Until 2017, when I wrote this advertisement article for ENR, we had been strictly developing and hosting SharePoint-based solutions for the construction industry. With Construction Viz, our goal was to create a flexible app-driven platform that we could host or deploy into a client’s SharePoint. We wanted to use the latest and greatest technology and speed up the development and implementation times.

We knew SharePoint, but this was new ground.

In the first iterations of Construction Viz, we built custom JavaScript and Angular components connected to SharePoint lists and libraries. At the time, we had to deploy client-side code into SharePoint sites for the functionality to work.

Going out of the gate was a little rough since we were developing a completely new system while still managing our existing SharePoint clients. We didn’t know where this whole thing would go, but we knew we needed to move away from custom SharePoint development and hosting and into more of a product for Microsoft 365. In 2017, Microsoft 365 started picking up steam with Teams and the Power Platform. We knew Microsoft 365 would be the future, and we needed to change our approach.

Fast forward five years

“Don’t look back unless you can smile; don’t look ahead unless you can dream.”
— Irish Saying

While we had many ups and downs over the years, we stuck it out with Construction Viz for Microsoft 365, which has paid off! We have deployed Construction Viz for our clients on muti billion-dollar programs across many construction sectors.

So, how did we get here?

Bet on our people

Everyone on our team brings a unique skillset from technical architecture, UI/UX, front-end and back-end developers, and product managers. Everyone played a significant role in the direction of the product. The key was to listen to everyone and let the best idea win. The teams managed themselves; they took ownership of the product and were vested in its success.

Stayed nimble

There have been many challenges along the way that make you want to throw your hands up, like when Microsoft restricted deploying code into Microsoft 365. It literally stopped us in our tracks. We had to completely change our deployment model and fast. Construction Viz’s code now runs in the cloud in Lydon Solutions’ Azure data center while the lists and libraries are deployed into SharePoint. It seemed like a curse at the time, but now, the entire solution can be deployed into a client’s Microsoft 365 or SharePoint on-premises or hosted in our Azure environment.

Allowed for continuous improvement

We continually leverage the latest and greatest technology to compete with the larger companies still stuck on ten-year-old technology. We switched our client-side code to React JS, which has provided many needed benefits and made the entire solution a progressive web app (PWA) so a user on any device with a modern browser can access Construction Viz online or offline. We also created a portal to manage projects and programs across a portfolio.

Focused on time to market

Our clients want products quickly, so we needed to remove as many barriers as possible. We needed to scale the solution so deployments could happen the same day. We built a deployment model that could run with a single line of code and include diagnostics to ensure successful implementations.

Offered an attractive price model

Other vendors charge exorbitant prices for project management information systems (PMIS), which were still on old technology and resisted any product changes. We changed our pricing to a per-user/month model based on the applications selected so that clients weren’t paying for a bloated system where they might only use 5%.

The Future of Construction Viz

“You can’t connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backwards.”
— Steve Jobs

Having an IT company that provides services and products means that you have to be ready to adjust to market conditions. Today, clients want solutions now and don’t want to wait.

Our roadmap for Construction Viz includes a marketplace to purchase our applications online. The game plan is to offer an affordable suite of apps that can deliver 80-90% of the market need. Clients will be able to buy apps using a credit card and deploy them into their Microsoft 365 tenant themselves. A touchless Construction Viz deployment model will allow clients to take advantage of the Microsoft 365 ecosystem they have already purchased.

Stay tuned…

Tips from the Field: List and Document Library Templates

Tips from the Field |

Have you ever wanted to create a standard document library in SharePoint with key columns for the project name, contractor, document types, and owner that you can reuse multiple times or import into another site? You can with SharePoint List and Document Library Templates.

Benefits of List and Document Library Templates in SharePoint

SharePoint’s List and Document Library Templates is a powerful feature that will help speed up site creation. There are many benefits to creating sets of list and library templates that you plan to reuse:

  • Standardize lists and document libraries settings (versions, check in check out, and so on)
  • Standardize lists and document library views.
  • Standardize metadata columns and content types across your content.
  • Include content in the template, such as previously created records, which could be helpful if you are creating an archive, backup, or phase of a project.
  • Reduce errors in rebuilding sites.
  • Accelerate time to build sites with repeatable tasks.
  • Export your list and library templates to other sites.

How to Create a List or Library Template in SharePoint

Creating a list or library template is relatively easy.  Make sure you define a template nomenclature in advance so you can easily determine the latest one to use when replicating. Then follow the steps below.

  1. Once you have created a list or library in SharePoint, go into Settings and click the “Save list as a template” link under the Permissions and Management column.

creating standard document library in SharePoint

2. Fill in the File Name (used when you export), Template Name (what will show in your Site Contents Apps), and a Template Description (a handy way to describe how you will use the template).   Note: make sure to use nomenclature that is consistent and easy to identify.

3. If you want to include the records that are currently in the list or library you created, click “Include Content.”

4. SharePoint will display a confirmation message if the creation step was successful.

5. Once created, your template is now available when you add an app under Site Contents.   You can now use it just like any other app.

Want to do more with Microsoft SharePoint and Office 365?

The Lydon Solutions team knows construction and IT.  Our team can help you keep ahead of your competition by getting the most out of technology solutions like SharePoint and Office 365. Contact us for a free consultation.

And if you need something turnkey, we also offer Construction Viz, a powerful construction project management solution with everything required to manage your construction projects, including document management, dashboards, reports, forms, workflows, and more. Construction Viz is available in the cloud, on-premise, or as à la carte apps deployable in Microsoft Office 365 and SharePoint.

Don’t Mess with Default Content Types in SharePoint

Tips from the Field |

Most of our “Tips from the Field” are how-to guides to help novice SharePoint users better support their construction projects. This tip is different because it focuses on avoiding a problem that can have dramatic consequences. In short, don’t mess with the default content types.  Read on to learn why, and also how to properly configure custom content types if necessary.

Changing Default Content Types Can Break Your SharePoint Site

SharePoint’s default content types are the foundation of SharePoint apps, lists, and libraries. Content types define behavior and include various columns by default. SharePoint users who modify default content types can render an entire site unusable if done incorrectly. (Yes, you read that right.)

To illustrate, let’s look at a document library, which includes a “document” content type by default. If you don’t see a similar view, make sure “management of content types” is activated in the advanced settings of your document library.

content types in Sharepoint

If you click on the “Document” hyperlink under the Content Type column, you’ll see the included fields and attributes. For example, the screenshot below shows that the document content type has the “Name” and “Title” fields, and that name is a required field. 

So, whenever you add documents to this library, it will enforce the attributes of the document content type, and “Name” will be a required field (as denoted by a star).

content types in Sharepoint

With the right permissions, you can modify and add to the default content type, which will change the behavior of that specific document library.

So what’s the big deal?  There are several implications for modifying the document content type at the document library (content) level:

  • Library setting vs. content type. Changing the configuration of the library settings can conflict with modifications made to the default document content type.  For example, different columns could become required fields. This can result in documents being automatically checked out or disappearing.
  • Differences between libraries. Unless you drill into the document content types within the document library, you will have no idea why one library works differently than another. On the surface, they can look exactly the same.
  • Content type hierarchy. Document content types with the same name reside at the content hub or site collection. Sites, lists, and libraries inherit default content types from their parents, so behavior cascades from the highest to the lowest level. If you modify a specific app’s default content type at the document library level, any subsequent changes made at the hub or site collection will overwrite the document library content type. So, lists and libraries will be inconsistent.
  • SharePoint software updates. SharePoint software updates, when applied, could overwrite functionality for the default content types.

So, what do you do about it?  Do not modify the default content types. Instead, you can add your own custom content types.

How to Add Custom Content Types

If you are going to use content types, create new ones at the highest level (hub, site collection or site) for reuse and add them to the document library at the content level. If you click on “Add” from the existing site content types, you can select from the existing content types.

content types in Sharepoint

Choose the content type from the Groups and click “Add” to move each type from the left to the right box. Then click “OK.”  For example, see the project documents content type in the image below.

Once you add a new content type to your document library, you can make it the default setting for that library. From that point forward, every time you add a new document to that library it will use your new content type. Alternatively, you can also have your new content type appear as an option when a user clicks the “New” button to add a document. Both of the above methods will ensure the default document content type stays intact and you can easily see when a new one is being used instead of the default, making it easier to troubleshoot any problems.

If you want to know more, ask questions in the comments below.

Managing content types is an important part of using SharePoint for construction management, and one of the many ways Construction Viz makes your job easier. Contact us for a free consultation.

And be sure sign up for our monthly newsletter in the footer below to get our latest blog updates, tips on using Microsoft SharePoint, and other useful info.

What’s New in SharePoint 2016

Reviews |

Here’s what construction professionals need to know about the latest features in SharePoint 2016.

Microsoft just announced the Release Candidate (RC) version of SharePoint 2016. Below is a preview of a few of the cool new features now available in the latest version of the SharePoint platform.

Ready for on-premises, cloud or hybrid environments 

SharePoint 2016 continues Microsoft’s “mobile first, cloud first” strategy. The platform is chock full of powerful enhancements for cloud and mobile users.

But not everyone is ready to embrace the cloud for compliance or security reasons. This is something we know is true for many of our clients in the construction industry.

Good news. SharePoint 2016 remains a viable option for on-premises environments.

As more and more features are added to SharePoint online, many companies will find moving the Cloud irresistible.

That’s OK. SharePoint 2016’s hybrid model provides a ‘bridge’ between on-premises and cloud environments. This is ideal for organizations that aren’t ready to embrace the cloud just yet, but don’t want to be left behind.

Instead of bringing organizations up to the Cloud, the hybrid approach brings the Cloud down to the organization. We’re already seeing a lot of excitement among the companies we work with for this option.

Best New Features in SharePoint 2016 

Here is a quick rundown of a few of the major new features available in SharePoint 2016:

  • Large File Support – The old SharePoint limit of 2GB files is no more. SharePoint 2016 now allows uploads of files up to 10GB in size.
  • Improved File Sharing – SharePoint 2016 includes UX enhancements for creating and sharing folders. Site members can now share folders.  Seeing who has access to a folder is easier. And the email process for sharing is also streamlined. Share invitations and requests for access can be approved or denied via emails using a single-click.
  • Image and Video Previews – Clicking or hovering over a media file automatically generates a preview in the document library.
  • Extended Filename Support – File names can include special characters, leading dots and GUIDs and are no longer limited to 128 characters.
  • Site Page Pinning – Users can pin sites they access often on their sites page. When a user follows a site (either online or on-premises) they get pinned in the same place.
  • Simpler OneDrive for Business Controls –  Users can perform common tasks (e.g. creating new Office documents or synchronizing, uploading, or sharing files) with a single click in OneDrive for Business.
  • More Powerful Search – Search can index up to 500,000,000 items per Search Server Application.
  • Site Folders View –  Users can directly access document libraries in sites they are following from within OneDrive for Business.
  • Document Library Access –  It is now even easier to move around a site with improved keyboard shortcuts, page landmarks and navigation links.
  • Expanded Scalability –  Content databases can store up to 100,000 site collections.
  • Web Application Open Platform Interface Protocol (WOPI) –  Users can create, rename and share files from within the WOPI iframe on the browser page.
  • 5000 Item List View Threshold – Indexed columns ensure that large lists no longer cause issues.

You can read more about the SharePoint Server 2016 release candidate on the Microsoft Office Blog.

Learn About SharePoint 2016 for Your Organization

Ready to deploy a complete SharePoint PMIS solution for your project team? Contact us for a Free Consultation.

You can also learn more about our Construction Program Management Portal built here.

Create Interactive Visio Diagrams with SharePoint

How-To |

Here’s a powerful way your project team can share interactive diagrams and process flow charts using Microsoft Visio and SharePoint.

If you’ve read our blog before, you know that Microsoft SharePoint is the ideal enterprise Project Management Information System (PMIS) for managing major projects. Plus, it has the added benefit of out-of-the-box integration with the Microsoft Office applications you use every day.  This is why Microsoft SharePoint is the platform powering our award-winning Lydon Solutions Construction Program Management Portal.

We’ve already shown you what the super-duo of Microsoft Excel and SharePoint can do for project teams. Now we’ll introduce you to the super-powered potential of another of Microsoft’s premier Office products. Read on to learn how Microsoft Visio can seamlessly integrate with SharePoint to create a complete solution for you and your team.

Create and Share Interactive Visio Diagrams Using Microsoft SharePoint
You’re probably familiar with Microsoft Visio as a tool for creating business diagrams. Your company likely uses Visio for things like office layouts, org charts and process flow diagrams. Wouldn’t it be great if these types of diagrams could be easily shared and kept always up-to-date? They can be – even if most of your team doesn’t have Visio installed.

Creating and sharing interactive Visio diagrams is simple with Microsoft SharePoint. Assume you have a business diagram created in Visio. Now you want to share that diagram with your team. Microsoft SharePoint Visio Services allows you to connect SharePoint and Excel data with Visio objects. You can then web enable your connected diagram inside SharePoint.

Presto! Your team now has an interactive diagram viewable in SharePoint. Team members don’t even need to have Visio installed in order to view and interact with it in SharePoint. Better still, your Visio diagram will automatically update when changes are made in Excel or SharePoint.

Pretty nifty, right? But how does this feature help you? Consider two common construction project scenarios.

Scenario 1:  Interactive Gate Process
Let’s say you have a gate approval process for your program. It includes all the steps needed to obtain approval for a project.  You have standard templates in Excel, Word, or InfoPath that must be completed at each gate.

You can use Microsoft SharePoint Visio Services to easily turn a manual process into an interactive one. First, link the documents for each gate in your Visio flow diagram. Then post the linked gate process flow diagram to SharePoint. And you’re done.

You’ve created an interactive gate process diagram in just a couple steps. Your users can access the gate diagram in SharePoint to easily pull down the template required at each step in the process.

Below is a sample using the PMI knowledge Areas:


Scenario 2:  Interactive Org chart
Manually updating org charts can be a pain. So make the process dynamic. Use Microsoft SharePoint Visio Services to link your org chart diagram to a contact list. Now your Visio org chart will automatically update when your contact list changes.

You can take it step further and create an always-up-to-date office layout diagram. Simply link a row of data in Excel or a SharePoint List to your Visio office layout diagram and upload to SharePoint. You’ve now created a relationship between location and contact information.  When users are modified in the contact list, both your Visio org chart and office diagram will automatically display the updates.

Below is a sample of an office layout linked to an Excel Contact list:

Save Time and Money on Your Construction Projects
Ready to deploy a complete SharePoint PMIS solution for your project team? Contact us for a Free Consultation.

You can also learn more about our Construction Program Management Portal here.