Web link to player: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Mj3on7OLOSPF2EsF7oedf?si=H8DHbcVgT-S7bgkrA5bgYw
AI Generated Segment‑by‑Segment Summary (by Timestamp)
00:04–00:27 — Introduction
- Introduces the episode (Level Up M365, Episode 17).
- Joe Cole welcomes listeners and notes he’s slightly under the weather.
- Outlines the agenda: personal updates, 2026 plans, M365 news, Gantt chart options, and tip of the week.
00:27–01:24 — Sponsor & Support
- No external sponsors; everything is self‑funded.
- Mentions companies have approached him for product reviews but he hasn’t accepted any yet.
- Encourages listeners to support the show through shares, ratings, or buying a coffee.
01:24–04:58 — Preamble: Personal & Website Updates
- Joe discusses diving deeper into software development, especially extending SharePoint and Power Apps with custom code.
- Notes his long-term investment in M365 and desire to maximize ROI by extending the platform.
- Plans to blog more about value‑added extensions rather than deep technical tutorials.
- Mentions his YouTube channel (Level Up M365) as a repository for demos and product walkthroughs, not a polished content channel.
- Here is the link to the youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@levelupm365
05:04–09:22 — Message Center Radar (M365 News)
A curated list of updates that personally impacted Joe’s admin work:
MC11820 — Teams Chat with Any Email Address
- Released November.
- Allows chatting with anyone via email.
- Potential security concern; admins may want to disable it.
MC1138798 — SharePoint Workflows Aligned with Teams
- Rolling out Feb–Mar 2026.
- Modernizes SharePoint automation using Power Automate.
- Provides a simpler UI for non‑technical users to build workflows.
MC792601 — SharePoint Framework Domain-Isolated Web Parts Retirement
- Retires in April 2026.
- Developers using domain‑isolated web parts must modernize to Azure App Registrations.
- Low usage and security concerns cited as reasons.
09:27–15:23 — Main Topic: Gantt Chart Options in Microsoft 365
Joe outlines three practical approaches:
1. Buy It — Planner Premium (formerly Project for the Web)
- Best experience, built‑in dependencies, clean UI.
- Requires additional licensing.
- View‑only access for unlicensed users.
2. Out‑of‑the‑Box — SharePoint List Gantt View
- Legacy but still functional.
- Free and widely accessible.
- Clunky, dated UI; not responsive; good for screenshots or simple visuals.
- Joe has a YouTube walkthrough on configuring it.
3. Build It — Custom Power Apps Gantt Chart
- Joe built his own using Power Apps + SharePoint list.
- Embeds cleanly in Teams or SharePoint.
- Near real‑time updates.
- Considering whether to sell or release it.
- Good for organizations that can’t buy Planner Premium.
Important Caveat
- A Gantt chart alone ≠ full project management.
- If you need dependencies, resource management, or time tracking, Planner Premium or a third‑party tool is required.
- Full write up of post with photos and video here – https://levelupm365.com/2026/01/02/gantt-chart-options-in-m365/
15:50–18:31 — Tip of the Week: Azure B2B Access Packages
- Many organizations invite external users but forget to remove them.
- This creates security risks, especially with AI tools surfacing data.
- Access packages allow time‑bound external access (30/60/90 days).
- Renewal requires an internal sponsor.
- You can also restrict external users to specific Teams or SharePoint sites.
18:31–22:12 — Tip of the Week #2: Finding Files with OneDrive Shortcuts
- Windows Search often fails to surface cloud‑only files.
- Using OneDrive Shortcuts syncs SharePoint/Teams folders to your local machine.
- Tip: A full write up on the OneDrive Shortcut is here: https://levelupm365.com/2022/12/07/sharepoint-sync-vs-one-drive-shortcut/
- This makes files discoverable via Start Menu search.
- Sync uses “link‑only” placeholders by default, so it doesn’t consume full disk space.
- Joe recommends syncing only active project folders.
- Notes file count limits (300k → 500k soon).
- Full write up of this post here: https://levelupm365.com/2025/12/26/cant-find-files-on-your-pc-m365-can-help-with-a-single-click/
22:12–End — Closing
- Encourages listeners to subscribe on any podcast platform.
- Directs everyone to levelupm365.com for all posts and episodes.
- Thanks the audience and signs off.
Follow
- Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/level-up-m365/id1718776415
- Spotify – https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/levelupm365/
- Newsletter/Socials – https://levelupm365.com/subscribe-social-page/
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