SharePoint BI Basics: Set a KPI Column in Your Lists and Libraries as a Visual Reference

Business Intelligence is a hot button with most managers and executives these days, because the immediacy of having real-time data turned into actionable insights is priceless for strategic decision-making. In a recent class on “Business Intelligence Training – The Microsoft Self-Service BI Toolset,” one of our most popular courses, a student asked me an excellent question. With a little research, I came up with a better answer than I was able to give in class off the top of my head. So I thought I’d share it with you.

The question is, “How do I set a KPI (Key Performance Indicator) column for every object in my SharePoint list or library?” Our answer will be applicable to SharePoint 2010 and 2013, but I’ll be using screenshots from SharePoint 2010. 

Is Microsoft Pressing the “Delete” Key on InfoPath?

What is the future of InfoPath?

I frequently get asked variations of that question in my SharePoint training classes.

Microsoft’s official guidance released earlier this year declared that InfoPath 2013 will be the last version of InfoPath.  This led to widespread panic (not the band) on the part of many individuals, and numerous rants about how InfoPath should be avoided at all costs and how migration to alternatives should be initiated immediately.

Mark Twain once said, “The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” The same could be said for InfoPath.