In SharePoint Online, and other Microsoft 365 Applications, finding and consolidating information across various tools and platforms can be a significant challenge. Copilot will provide the ability to find such content from a prompt, but what if you want reports of the content relevant to you that you can glance at when you need it, despite which site, library or App it is contained within? Trying to find content, not recalling where it was stored and manually searching can lead to inefficiencies, wasted time, and missed opportunities. The Lightning Conductor changes that. Designed as a powerful content aggregation web part for Microsoft SharePoint, and also available in Microsoft Teams, the Lightning Conductor simplifies how you access and display content from multiple sources. While many customers rely on it for basic SharePoint list or library aggregation, its full potential is often underutilized. Let’s explore how this tool can centralize content, enhance productivity, and drive business efficiency.
What Is the Lightning Conductor?
The Lightning Conductor is designed to aggregate content from across SharePoint sites, site collections, and Microsoft Teams, all while adhering to SharePoint’s security trimming. Whether you’re looking to display tasks, documents, or custom lists, the Lightning Conductor makes it easy to bring together relevant information in a single view.
The below screenshot shows the results of a Task list aggregation from across multiple associated sites within a SharePoint Hub.
Beyond SharePoint lists and libraries, the Lightning Conductor extends its functionality to aggregate content from Microsoft Graph entities, including:
- Microsoft To Do
- Planner
- Teams
- OneDrive
The below example shows the Lightning Conductor aggregating content from Microsoft Planner. Rather than the default list view, the Lightning Conductor is displaying the content in a JSON planner view. This view can be customised, but out-of-the-box offers the ability to mark planner tasks as completed, reassign members, add new planner tasks to a plan, and sort and filter the results.
Additionally, with search-based queries, you can bring in content that matches specific keywords or metadata. For businesses requiring external integrations, the Lightning Conductor can also connect to external content through Microsoft 365 External Connectors.
The below image shows how the Lightning Conductor can be configured to show aggregated content across multiple types of data source.
Underused Features That Drive Business Efficiency
1. Advanced Reporting and Aggregation
While many customers use the Lightning Conductor to consolidate lists, its capability to configure complex reports often goes untapped. For example, you can:
- Combine data from multiple sources, such as SharePoint and Microsoft Graph, into a single report. e.g. Tasks from lists, Microsoft To Do, and Planner Tasks in one view that can be sorted or filtered.
- Use filters, sorting, and grouping to present only the most relevant content. The Lightning Filters web part can be connected to the Lightning Conductor instances allowing a centralized filter control. Multiple Lightning Conductors can also be connected together allowing one to many type filters between different views.
- Customize reports to align with business-specific requirements, making it easier to identify trends or monitor key metrics. The Lightning Conductor has granular configuration options making the report specific to your needs.
Below, you will see the contextual options to configure each column. This includes Display Format, Column Alias, Conditional Formatting, Summary Functions, and Inline Editing controls. These options can all be configured without any JSON or other forms of coded configuration.
2. Versatile Display Options
The Lightning Conductor provides multiple ways to display aggregated content, ensuring that the information is not only accessible but also visually engaging:
- Standard List View: Customize columns, apply conditional formatting, and make data actionable.
- Built-in JSON Views: Use predefined views like Calendar View or Tile View to present information in a more intuitive format.
- Microsoft Adaptive Card Designer: Leverage this powerful tool to design personalized layouts that enhance data presentation and usability.
Below is an example of the Lightning Conductor configured to show aggregated tasks within the Calendar view. The Calendar shows conditional formatting indicating that some tasks are overdue. The Calendar View overcomes all restrictions of Calendar Overlays. There is no limit to the number of lists that can be displayed in the calendar view, and the calendar view can be displayed for any content containing a Start Date, End Date, and Title column.
These versatile display options ensure that your teams can consume data in ways that best suit their workflows and preferences.
3. Integration with Microsoft Viva Connections
In addition to the web part, the Lightning Conductor offers a Microsoft Viva Connections Adaptive Card. This allows you to surface aggregated content directly in the Viva Connections Dashboard, ensuring that users can access critical information at a glance without navigating multiple systems.
The Lightning Conductor Adaptive Card below is displaying aggregated documents that are relevant to the current user.
4. External Content Integration
Through Microsoft 365 External Connectors, the Lightning Conductor can pull content from external systems, such as third-party CRMs or databases. This capability is invaluable for organizations seeking to centralize information from disparate sources into a unified SharePoint or Teams experience.
The below demonstrates the Lightning Conductor configured to display content from JIRA using the External Data Connectors.
How the Lightning Conductor Improves Business Efficiency
Centralized Content Access
The Lightning Conductor eliminates the need to switch between multiple sites, libraries, or tools by consolidating data into a single, user-friendly interface. This reduces time spent searching for information and allows teams to focus on what matters most—taking action.
Enhanced Collaboration
By displaying aggregated content in Microsoft Teams or SharePoint, the Lightning Conductor ensures that team members have the information they need to collaborate effectively. Whether it’s tracking tasks from Planner or monitoring document approvals, the tool keeps everyone aligned.
Customization for Business Needs
With its advanced reporting, display customization, and integration capabilities, the Lightning Conductor can be tailored to fit the unique needs of any organization. This flexibility empowers businesses to adapt quickly to changing priorities.
Unlock the Full Power of the Lightning Conductor
If you’re already using the Lightning Conductor, take a moment to explore some of these underused features and consider how they could simplify your workflows and enhance productivity. For those new to the tool, it’s time to discover how centralizing content with the Lightning Conductor can revolutionize your SharePoint and Microsoft Teams experience.
Need help unlocking the full potential of the Lightning Conductor? Contact us for a demo or explore our extensive documentation and tutorials. Let’s work together to make your business more efficient, one aggregated report at a time.
