SharePoint

Keeping it Simple: Cost Report Using Microsoft 365 Lists

How-To | October 3, 2023

Many construction organizations have transitioned to Microsoft 365 but might not leverage all the applications included in their subscription. Microsoft Lists is an often overlooked application that can provide unique features for tracking project deliverables such as issues, asset management, action items, and even a simple cost report. Read on to learn how to build a simple cost report using Microsoft 365 Lists.

What is Microsoft 365 Lists?

Lists is a Microsoft 365 application that allows you to create a configurable data grid, with multiple views, that can be shareable with your team members. Lists is a modern application that stores its data behind the scenes in good old-fashioned SharePoint lists. Within Lists, you can view all the lists from all the SharePoint sites you can access. The benefit of having the separate Lists application is that users don’t have to go to every SharePoint site to create or find the needed list.

Let’s create a cost report!

Let’s create a simple cost report list to demonstrate how easy Lists is to use.

Navigate to the Lists app in Office.com, click New List, and select a Blank List.

You can name your list “CostReport” and add some basic theming.

Select where to save the list. You can save your list to an existing SharePoint site or My Lists, which is saved to a SharePoint site that is automatically created for you, and you can get to My List directly through OneDrive. For this exercise, select My Lists to save your data. Note: If you intend to extend the functionality of this simple cost report, I recommend choosing a SharePoint site to save your data instead of My Lists.

Create Columns

Once you create the list, you can begin creating columns. Note: The title field is automatically created. Consider using cost code/WBS name as the title.

For your cost report’s actual cost code field, you could create a column and name it CostCode. Select “choice” as the field type and add each corresponding WBS/cost code identifier choice.

For each financial column of your cost report, create currency columns:

To calculate fields such as budget or forecast variance, create calculated columns. Calculated columns are not readily apparent from within the Lists “create a column” menu. You have to select “see all column types” and click next, which then navigates you to a SharePoint list settings create column menu

From the SharePoint list settings “create column” menu, select calculated for the “type of information in this column” and select currency as the “data type returned from this formula.”

Formulas allow you to select columns that you have previously created in your list and add them to a calculated column. Here is a list of common formulas you can use for a calculated column.

You are going to want to create your variance columns using calculated fields.

Once you create all the columns you need to track your project costs, click New to add records for each row of your cost report.

From the SharePoint list settings “create column” menu, select calculated for the “type of information in this column” and select currency as the “data type returned from this formula.”

While every cost report for every project can be different, we created a simple cost report so you understand how it can be built and customized.

Sample of a simple cost report:

Title = WBS/code description text field
CostCode = choice field
Budget, commitment, spends, and forecast are currency fields
ForecastVariance and BudgetVariance are calculated columns
- ForecastVariance = PreviousForecast-Forecast
- BudgetVariance=Budget-Forecast

Going outside the box

If you are looking for something a bit more complex than a simple cost report using Lists, you could extend the functionality further by incorporating other Microsoft 365 applications into your solution. For example:

Integration from your financial systems for commitments and spends using Power Apps and Power Automate workflows.
Standardized WBS/cost codes across cost reports using SharePoint site columns for consistent reporting.
Build Power BI reports for slicing and dicing the cost report data.
Automatically save cost reports by period and compare variances between periods using Power Automate to copy the list and update the PreviousForecast column.

We hope this simple cost report exercise provides an easy way to spin up a straightforward tracking tool for your project. If you need help customizing Lists to your specific project needs or need help with Microsoft 365, you can contact us for a free consultation.

If you need a more robust solution for Microsoft 365, you can request a demo of Construction Viz, our enterprise construction management solution that can be deployed to your Microsoft 365 tenant.

Visualize Your Project Data with Microsoft Lists Calendar View (constructionviz.com)

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

Company News | April 7, 2023

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.

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:

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.
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.
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).

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.

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

How-To | February 16, 2023

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.

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.

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

Tips from the Field | November 21, 2022

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”

<b>Step 1:</b> Click the three dots and select “Get more visuals”

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

<b>Step 2:</b> 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.

A Case Study on Using Microsoft 365 for Construction Project Management

Case Study | September 21, 2022

Many organizations want to use Microsoft 365 to manage their construction projects. Unfortunately, figuring out where to start and how to bring all the Microsoft applications together into a cohesive solution can be overwhelming. We posted a three-part blog a little while back that includes some tips and considerations to help you on your way. You can check out that series here:

Starting with this new post, we are kicking off a new series to describe a case study of a real-world implementation of Microsoft 365 for construction project management. We will detail the challenges, explain some of our decisions, provide sample deliverables, and reiterate critical takeaways that might help your organization develop its construction program management solution in Microsoft 365. In this first post, we will discuss the client’s challenge and then provide a detailed analysis in follow-up posts.

The client’s challenge: How to use Microsoft 365 for effective project management

The client in this case study contracted Lydon Solutions to develop a Microsoft 365 project management solution for a multi-billion-dollar program with over eighty active projects. Meeting the client’s requirements required re-engineering their current processes and tools to deliver a solution using out-of-the-box Microsoft 365 applications effectively.

Below are the requests by the client, the systems they were using, and the Microsoft 365 applications and approaches we are implementing to solve their unique challenges.

Request	Current Applications	Microsoft 365 Applications & Approach
Scheduling in Project Online with schedule updates possible via email	Project Online	Project Online with resource management and schedule updates via Adaptive Cards.
Cash flow forecasting driven by Project Online schedule activities	Excel	Resource loaded scheduling with payment milestones in Project Online. Power BI reports by period and cumulative cash flows.
Document management migrated into SharePoint	External file share	SharePoint Online sites for each project with permission-managed document libraries and lists.
Forms (issues, risks, etc.) that are responsive across devices with data stored in SharePoint	Excel, Word, and PDFs	Power App forms connected to Project Online and SharePoint data and stored in a centralized SharePoint location.
Automated approval workflows	Email	Power Automate workflows, Power Apps for approval signatures, and Adaptive Cards for approvals via email.
Internal project communication	Email and voice	Teams with tabs for SharePoint sites and Power BI reports.
Reporting project statuses weekly, monthly, and quarterly	Excel, Word, and PowerPoint	Power BI reporting utilizing Project Online, Power Apps, and SharePoint data. Reports include data across all disciplines with a rollup and drill-down capability depending on the report.

Diagram of the applications with Project Online at the core of the solution

Before we dive into the solution space, we cannot stress enough the importance of collecting requirements. Without detailed requirements, it’s like building a house without a design. In many cases, we don’t have the luxury to perform a complete requirement gathering session since clients want a solution sooner rather than later, don’t have the resources to support the effort, and often see requirements gathering as unnecessary costs. Fortunately, we have the experience to work with whatever clients can provide and fill in the gaps where needed. But if you use a third-party vendor without this type of experience, you will end up with a disjointed solution that costs an arm and a leg to build.

In the next post, we will discuss how we approached and implemented a Project Online solution.

About Us

Lydon Solutions has been developing and implementing construction management solutions in Microsoft 365 since its inception way back in 2011. We also provide a turnkey construction management product called Construction Viz that can be quickly deployed into a client’s Microsoft 365 or hosted externally. You can check out a video of the CMAA product demo here.

Using Microsoft Power BI for Reporting with Project Online

How-To | December 7, 2021

More than likely, your organization uses the project-specific reports available out of the box with the Microsoft Project desktop application. But as your portfolio grows, you may need to move to Microsoft 365 Project Online. Project Online offers many advantages over the desktop version, including enterprise resources and codes, permissions management, project templates, and integration with the Microsoft 365 Power Platform. Unfortunately, you will quickly realize that there are no canned reports in Project Online like those you are familiar with in the desktop application. So, what do you do?

Using Microsoft Power BI to create Microsoft Project Online reports

The “official” reporting solution for Microsoft Project Online is Power BI. Power BI is another Microsoft 365 subscription. If you are going to build custom reports, you may want to have at least one Power BI Pro license. Note: Power BI Pro comes with a Microsoft 365 E5 subscription or is available for $9.99/user/month for an individual license.

Next, you will want to install the Microsoft Project add-in for Power BI, which you can download here. The add-in includes some key data fields from Project and some visually appealing pre-defined dashboard report templates.

Project Online Add-In for Power BI

So, you are all set to create your custom reports across your portfolio! Well, not exactly…

You will find out pretty quickly that if you want to create a “simple” report like a monthly resource cash flow across all your projects in Power BI, it is much more complicated than you would think. The good news is that Lydon Solutions has built several configurable Power BI solutions that can generate monthly expenditures for any resource or activity across your portfolio. The report can be further customized to your organization’s needs and added to Teams or SharePoint.

Project Online Cash Flow Report for Power BI

Get Help with Microsoft 365, Project Online, and Power BI

As you know, setting up a portfolio cashflow report in Microsoft Project Online is more than just building a report in Power BI. Lydon Solutions can assist you with everything from Microsoft 365 configuration to delivering custom Power BI reports so you can focus on managing your construction projects. You can find out more by requesting a free consultation here.