Microsoft 365 security What are Microsoft Lists: Part 1 March 30, 2022 By: Syskit team 4 min read While working hard on improving business results, internal processes can get neglected and go their own way. Everyone needs them to be simple, defining yet flexible, easy to follow and effective – just what Microsoft Lists are made to do. Table of contents What is Microsoft Lists?What is Microsoft Lists used for?How it integrates with SharePoint and OneDriveUnlock the potential of Microsoft Lists Part 2: Creating and managing Microsoft Lists Part 3: Using Microsoft Lists That’s why we prepared a meticulous three-part blog series that will help you navigate the world of this smart information tracking app across Microsoft 365. So, let’s dive in. Microsoft Lists has undergone plenty of evolution since its introduction in August 2020. Back then, the Microsoft list app was designed, in Microsoft’s words, to “help you track information and organize work”. Nowadays, enabling collaboration has also become an integral part of its feature set. With that in mind, let’s take a look at how the Microsoft 365 app currently helps you track, organize and collaborate. What is Microsoft Lists? Microsoft Lists was introduced as a new option for people who wanted to create a SharePoint list. Previously, users were using SharePoint lists as a web-based alternative to using Excel. There were options to organize different lists into SharePoint sites, such as Contact Lists, Custom Lists, and Announcement Lists. Of course, this gave users different solutions for different use cases. Which was fine – apart from it also meant different lists would reside in different sites. The result was often siloed information. Microsoft Lists is a centralized way of solving the separation that went before. What is Microsoft Lists used for? You can use Lists for any data you usually store in SharePoint. Anything from processes, inventories, customer feedback, support tickets, and more. Think of Microsoft Lists as an option for activities that relate to workflows, outcomes, and situations requiring collaboration. Not so much for task-related activities – these are probably better suited for other Microsoft apps, such as Tasks or Planner. You can create and share lists using the Microsoft 365 app, Microsoft Teams or SharePoint. Choose to start with a blank page in Microsoft Lists, use an Excel file, or take a readymade shortcut with a template: Whichever option you choose, you can customize its appearance to match your preferred style or corporate branding. How it integrates with SharePoint and OneDrive Full SharePoint and OneDrive integration means users can access Recent lists from their connected devices. Just like accessing any document from other recently used Microsoft apps. Naturally, this comes with many Microsoft 365 capabilities you’ll know and recognize, such as: SyncingLists are available in real-time, to support internal and external collaboration across multiple users, devices and regions. SharingLists can be shared, with or without Microsoft 365 permissions such as edit and read-only. SecuringThere are options to add expiry dates, set passwords, and configure approval processes. TrackingYou can track versions of lists and list items and find out when a value has been changed, and who changed it. IntegratingThe OneDrive integration also means users can create personal lists, rather than using SharePoint and potentially causing content sprawl. OrganizingFurther control comes from the ability to filter, sort and create custom views. Microsoft Lists is available in any Microsoft 365 or Office 365 plan that includes SharePoint. So it’s easy to integrate with your current M365/O365 activities. The above-explained features and options will help you understand the capabilities and possible benefits of Microsoft Lists, and hopefully motivate you to implement it as your everyday tool that does what you need without any bells and whistles. Unlock the potential of Microsoft Lists However, if you’d like to maximize its potential to your advantage and learn how to properly create and manage them, read next blogs in this series: Part 2: Creating and managing Microsoft Lists Part 3: Using Microsoft Lists Digital transformation has become an integral part of successful businesses, so keeping your environment secure is now more important than ever. Make it sealed with Syskit Point. With it, you can control external sharing, know at any point in time who has access to critical files, automate M365 governance, set-up alerts to get notified of suspicious activities, know how many orphaned or inactive resources you have, and much more. Discover, secure, and control M365 Manage your company’s Microsoft 365 ecosystem with Syskit Point, a scalable platform that will help you govern and secure your environment while giving you deep visibility into your entire inventory. Try for free Related Posts Microsoft 365 security Office 365 Security Hacks for Admins Check out our security checkups and Office 365 best practices that every admin … December 10, 2018 3 min read Microsoft 365 security Retrieve associated SharePoint site URL for Microsoft Teams Find out how to retrieve the associated SharePoint Site URL for Microsoft Teams… November 23, 2018 3 min read Microsoft 365 security Impacts of digital transformation on IT admins report What are the most significant challenges for IT admins today? Find out in our n… January 25, 2023 9 min read