List Reporting and Actions

MS Lists can be configured or integrated with Power Automate or Power BI, two MS365 applications, for more functionality, such as creating reports with visualizations and automating actions with the list. These can be created directly from your MS List and have templates and defaults for ease of getting started.

Power Automate is an MS365 online application used to automate actions and can be connected to your MS List. For example:

  • For MS Lists tracking project tasks, send a customized email to the person a new task is assigned to.
  • Update an entry in an MS List when there is an action taken on any MS List. 
  • Using start and end date/time columns, add a new event from a list entry to an Outlook calendar. 

A Power Automate flow consists of two main parts:

  1. Trigger: When something happens
  2. Action: What should Power Automate do?

A trigger would be a new item created with an action of sending an email

A Power Automate flow can be integrated to your list by:

  • In MS Teams, Sharepoint Sites, and the apps directly on the MS Office website. The functionality is the same in all three!
  • Directly from your list, a Power Automate flow can be created by going to Integrate -> Power Automate -> Create a Flow
    Integrate is in the top menu when on your MS List page

 

Power BI is an MS365 online application used to create charts, visualizations, and reports and can be connected to your MS List. When you first integrate your list with Power BI, default reports are already generated for you that you can customize, edit, and change.

For example, you might create this report:
pie chart with list items

You can publish the reports to your list so everyone with access to your list can see it. 

Directly from your list, a Power BI visualization can be created by going to Integrate -> Power BI -> Visualize the list.

Integrate is in the top menu