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Microsoft Forms and SharePoint Integration

SharePoint Lists are a great way to store and manipulate business data. I have used them to help transform many business processes over the years. However, in many cases I have required more dynamic and interactive front-end forms than what can easily be configured in a SharePoint List. That’s where Microsoft Forms comes in. Microsoft Forms allows you to build out short surveys, polls and more and it also allows you to build in some logic (think if-this-then-that) with its branching capabilities. Now what if you could tie the two together? Well, you totally can and in my latest video titled How To Save Microsoft Form Responses To A SharePoint List, I demonstrate how to do this. In this tutorial, I walk through the process of creating a Microsoft Form that will be used to receive project proposals. I then demonstrate how to create a corresponding SharePoint list and how to build a Power Automate workflow to pass the MS Form response values and attachments to a newly created list item. That’s right, I’ll even demonstrate how to move attachments to the SharePoint list. Check it out below!

How To Save Microsoft Form Responses To A SharePoint List Watch Now

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SharePoint List Email Notifications

While this tutorial isn’t new, I thought that I would include it here as the steps covered in this video can actually be used to augment the workflow created above. In this video, I demonstrate how to create a Microsoft Power Automate workflow that creates an email using content from a SharePoint list item and sends that email to the individual listed in a person type column when a new item is created or modified. This workflow is a great way to augment the workflow covered in the tutorial above, OR even as a standalone way to keep your stakeholders aware of changes being made to data in your SharePoint list.

How To Add Email Notifications To A SharePoint List Watch Now

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Easy Data Collection In Microsoft Teams Using The "Updates" App

While this video is also not new, I am featuring it here as I will be publishing a new tutorial shortly outlining enhancements and changes made to this awesome FREE app. If you have never heard of the “Microsoft Teams Updates App”, it is basically an app built by Microsoft using Power Apps that is natively available in Teams and that allows you to create and share simple data collection forms within Teams. This app literally lets you build out basic forms with custom fields and questions that can be sent on an ad-hoc or scheduled basis, anywhere in Teams (i.e. through chats, channel posts and more). If you are wondering what changes have been made to this app before my new video drops, you can check out this article.

How To Use The Microsoft Teams Updates App Watch Now

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Tip Of The Month: Don't Be Fooled By This New Microsoft Teams Feature!

This month's tip was inspired by a viewer who submitted a question about whether you can permanently set your MS Teams status to "Available". This viewer noticed that Microsoft recently released a new feature that allows you to set a duration for your presence status (featured in the screenshot below).

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Now, if you are thinking that you will try to earn an extra week of vacation by simply clicking "Available" and then setting the duration to "this week", think again. The reason being is that MS Teams features a hierarchy of availability that is automatically determined by your activity with various Microsoft 365 apps. For example, when you join a meeting, Teams will automatically set your status to busy OR when you are sharing your screen it will automatically set your status to do not disturb. The order of statuses as per Microsoft is as follows:

1. Available
2. Busy
3. In a meeting
4. In a call
5. Do not disturb
6. Be right back
7. Away
8. Offline

Now, users can manually override a status BUT only to one that is less available than the automatically calculated status. For example, if a user's calculated status is do not disturb, they could choose a status of away but not available. So, to get to the point: you still cannot permanently set your Microsoft Teams status to show as always "available" and don't be fooled by the new presence duration feature. To learn more about presence in Microsoft Teams, check out this article.

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News: GANTT Charts & Custom Fields In Microsoft Planner Coming Soon!

Microsoft has announced a new unified experience for Microsoft Planner, bringing together Planner and To Do. The new Planner will be integrated into Microsoft Teams, providing a seamless experience for users. The integration will allow users to create tasks in Teams and track them in Planner, without having to switch between apps.

The new Planner will also include features from To Do, such as smart lists and personalized daily planner. Users will be able to create tasks in Teams, assign them to team members, and track their progress in Planner. They can also create personal tasks in To Do and view them in Planner, providing a unified task management experience.

The new Planner will also allow users to create custom fields on task cards within plans (which is totally awesome) and will also bring native Gantt chart views directly into planner (bye bye MS Project!).

The new Planner is expected to be available in Spring 2024. Check out Microsoft's announcement here.

Product Feature: Jabra Evolve 2 Microsoft Teams Certified Headset

If you are in the market for a new Microsoft Teams certified headset, look no further than the Jabra Evolve 2. This headset features 8 microphones, adjustable noise cancellation and up to 36 hour battery life on a single charge. Check it out here.

News: SharePoint Roadmap Update – Fall 2023

In the latest SharePoint Roadmap Update for Fall 2023, Microsoft has announced several new features and improvements to enhance user experience and productivity. The update includes a new SharePoint Spaces feature, which allows users to create and share immersive or browser-based mixed reality experiences.

The update also introduces a new SharePoint Syntex feature, which uses advanced AI and machine learning to automate content understanding and processing. This feature can help organizations save time and improve efficiency by automating routine tasks.

In addition, Microsoft has improved the SharePoint Migration Tool, making it easier for users to migrate their content to SharePoint Online. The tool now supports migration from more sources and includes new features to help users manage and monitor their migrations.

Overall, the Fall 2023 SharePoint Roadmap Update brings a host of new features and improvements designed to enhance user experience and productivity. Microsoft's continued investment in SharePoint demonstrates its commitment to providing users with powerful tools for collaboration and content management. Check out this article to learn more.

News: Microsoft Introduces SharePoint Premium (Yes...Another "Premium" Product)

Microsoft has announced the launch of SharePoint Premium (yes...Microsoft is now introducing a more expensive version of SharePoint...sighs). SP Premium is a new AI-powered content management system that is designed to help businesses manage their content more effectively and efficiently. SharePoint Premium uses AI to automate content management tasks, such as tagging and categorizing content, claiming that it will make it easier for users to find and use the information they need.

The platform also includes features like smart content suggestions, which use machine learning to recommend relevant content to users based on their work patterns and interests. SharePoint Premium also offers advanced analytics capabilities, allowing businesses to gain insights into how their content is being used and by whom. Check out this article to learn more.

News: You'll Soon Have To Say Goodbye To The Old Microsoft Teams Desktop App

Microsoft has announced that it will retire the classic version of Teams on March 1, 2024. The company is encouraging users to transition to the new Teams experience, which offers several enhancements and new features. The new Teams version includes features such as Together mode, large gallery view, breakout rooms, meeting reactions, and live captions with speaker attribution.

Microsoft has also introduced a new feature called Teams Advisor, designed to help users transition smoothly to the new Teams experience. Teams Advisor provides a personalized plan, including recommended actions and resources, to help users understand and implement the new features. Check out this article to learn more.

News: Microsoft Loop Is Now Generally Available - Hooray!

Microsoft has officially launched its new productivity tool, Microsoft Loop, which is now generally available with a host of new features and improvements. The tool is designed to boost productivity by integrating various Microsoft services into a single platform, allowing users to work together in real-time. Microsoft has also added a ton of new features such as integration with Microsoft Planner and even third-party apps such as Trello and Jira. Check out this article to learn more.

Tool of the Month: SharePoint List Formula Cheat Code

If you rely on SharePoint list formulas to handle a lot of your data manipulation and processing then, you will definitely want to check out this book by Michael T. Smith. It features a ton of examples of SharePoint list formulas that you can use to manipulate numerical data, text and even date formulas. This book even features a pretty neat solution to calculating working days in a SharePoint list calculated column. Grab yours on Amazon here.

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