Aggregating List Content Across Project Sites

Another one of those functional limitations of SharePoint that impacts project managers is the inability to aggregate content from lists across multiple sites.  For example, if you are managing multiple projects, you probably have set up a separate project or team site for each initiative.  On each project site you likely have a list of tasks, documents, milestones, resources etc.  Current versions of SharePoint don't provide any convenient way to "rollup" or aggregate these lists.  So, if you or a team member want to see a list of all tasks due this week, or all milestones at risk, across multiple projects, you're pretty much stuck.  That hurts.  Wouldn't it be great if team members could see a list of all tasks assigned to them, across projects, sorted by priority or due date?  Better yet, imagine the power and efficiencies of taking this aggregated list data and displaying it in a calendar or a chart.

The solution to this challenge comes in the form of a Web Part like the List Rollup Web Part from Bamboo Solutions.  The List Rollup Web Part allows you to combine lists from across sites in a single data view.  Further, you can apply sorting and filtering (e.g. only show tasks assigned to me, only display documents of a certain type, etc.) to further refine the aggregated data. 

You will probably need the assistance of your SharePoint administrator to add a third-party Web Part to your SharePoint deployment.  But once in place, even the average end user can add the Web Part to a page and start creating list rollups to augment your project sites.  You simply locate the lists to be combined, apply any desired filtering and you're off and running.  The List Rollup Web Part from Bamboo offers "Auto-Discovery", which means that as team members add new list items or update list items (e.g. mark a task as complete), your aggregated list view will be updated in real-time.

The next step in supercharging your project management site is to display the aggregated data views you've created in more interesting ways.  You can plug your list rollup into a calendar to create a single master calendar, or create charts (e.g. burn down, resource allocation, etc.) to quickly communicate status.

There are a handful of companies that offer list aggregation Web Parts.  Naturally, we believe that Bamboo's List Rollup Web Part is the best, offers the most functionality, is easy to use and available at a very reasonable price (starts around $600.00 depending on the size and configuration of your SharePoint deployment).  But if you're committed to shopping around and evaluating the competition, here are a couple of options to look at:

• Roll-Ups Connections and Displays from CorasWorks
• SharePoint List Aggregator from KWizCom

To get even more ideas about how list rollups can benefit your project management activities, you can check out this Hands On Guide to List Rollup Web Part from The Bamboo Team Blog.  Project Manager Jeff Kozloff provides a detailed exploration of all the functionality provided by the Bamboo List Rollup Web Part.  Also keep in mind that all Bamboo Web Parts are available to try free for 15 days.  Download it and check it out.

Do you have questions or comments regarding Bamboo's List Rollup Web Part?  Please visit the List Rollup Web Part forum and share your thoughts with Bamboo Nation!