Announcing Microsoft Lists - Your smart information tracking app in Microsoft 365

Hi Mitul Sinha - that a great observation, and I hope to clarify here in comments - knowing that clarity really comes as you begin to use each side by side across differing use cases. When I think about what to use when – this is how I differentiate a few of the Microsoft 365 apps - with the broader notion of difference between work management and task management:

• Microsoft Lists [Work management, work tracking] | Create, share and track structured information with the ability to create, collect, view, filter, sort, collaborate, share, etc. across status, life cycle, ownership, etc. Lists can further integrate with the Power Platform to design and build productivity apps alongside Power Apps (custom forms) and Power Automate (custom flows); think of Lists then as the underlying database for IW-led 'productivity apps.'

• Microsoft To Do [Task management] | For individuals - a complete view of all their tasks, including tasks assigned to them. It is their view on their tasks. When completed, tasks disappear.

• Microsoft Planner [Task management] | For the team; task management for the team; tasks assigned to individuals on the team. When completed, tasks disappear.

• Microsoft Tasks [Task management] | an app within Teams to help users manage and prioritize their work generated, aggregated tasks from across Microsoft’s portfolio of productivity and collaboration tools: Office docs, Planner plans, emails, chats, and more.

• Microsoft Excel [Analysis tool] | Create spreadsheets using built-in tools to help turn data into insights and to visualize via charts and graphs – to help calculate, analyze and predict. In Excel, the individual cell is the focus; related information sits next to each other. With Lists, an entire row is the collective focus; related information with each other. Note: You can import data from Excel, manage with the list and one-way export up-to-date info back in Excel or Power BI for further analysis.

Building on the value of SharePoint lists, we’re extending Microsoft Lists as a fundamental element throughout Microsoft 365 to help users track and prioritize content calendars, contact lists, issue tracking, inventory, contract renewals, event itineraries, ticket submission, status reporting, employee on boarding, business trip approvals, deal milestones, roadmap, FAQs, spend, KPIs, patient rounding in healthcare and more.

Interested to know more on your thoughts now and as you begin to work with Lists in the near future. 

- Mark