More than 600,000 businesses get started every year in the US. Even more so since the pandemic has lifted restrictions.
And while the dream of entrepreneurship is strong, the probability of failure is high. That is, unless you know how to keep your company organized and manage projects seamlessly with your staff.
That’s why you need a program like SharePoint. SharePoint is an extremely popular business management tool used across the board, from Fortune 500 companies to small and medium-sized organizations that are just getting started.
And one of the most used features is the SharePoint list. SharePoint users rely on the list functionality for so many different reasons.
Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of lists for Microsoft teams, and how to set up a SharePoint list for yourself.
Lists in SharePoint are similar to spreadsheets. They are containers where data is stored and organized. But they offer much more flexibility when it comes to using data versus a typical spreadsheet.
In a list, you’ll have Fields (columns), items (data), and views, which change how you can sort and view the information in a list, unlike in spreadsheets.
For example, one of your columns might be labeled “Status.” You can then change the view to organize items in your list by the status to ensure your team focuses on the most urgent matters at hand before moving on to lower priority tasks.
If you’re using Office 365 and looking to make the most of SharePoint, then you need to know how to make a list for yourself. Luckily, it’s a pretty intuitive process.
From the SharePoint website, just head to your home page. Click “New,” and then click “List.”
You can choose to use a SharePoint template to make it easy to get started. Just swap out the names of the columns and start inputting data.
You’ll find existing templates for tasks like issue tracking, employee onboarding, content scheduling, and so forth.
Or, you can create a blank list to build one from scratch. Alternatively, you can import data from an Excel spreadsheet to create a list, or duplicate an existing list in your SQL server database
Alternatives to Lists and Spreadsheets
There are countless different ways companies can organize information and manage workflows in all aspects of the organization. While working out of spreadsheets (primarily in Excel) has been the norm for decades, most organizations are moving past this.
Spreadsheets are static, inflexible, and limited, even with the latest features. For many organizations, moving to SharePoint is the best option. For others, Microsoft Dynamics is a good way to track progress in real-time.
Making Lists to Move Forward
Making a SharePoint list is easy to do. While it will take a bit of time to get used to the platform, once you know how to create and manage lists, it will be one of the most important skills you have in your current job.
SharePoint lists are very effective at keeping teams in sync and companies on track.
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