Project Status (Chart)
Overview
- Column chart rendering project count by status, one of the thirteen chart forms the Chart web part can draw
- A headline count of 78 projects with a 44 percent completion badge beside it, generated from the same prompt rather than added as a second web part
- A value label above every column and staggered status names along the axis, both placed by the web part rather than configured
- An expand control in the corner for viewing the chart full width, standard behavior in this web part rather than a setting to switch on
- The whole visual described in plain language in a chat on the page, with follow-up prompts to add data, change the look, or undo a step
- Roughly thirteen chart forms available – bar, line, pie, donut, area, scatter, histogram, heatmap, funnel, sankey, gauge and more – so the shape follows the question rather than the tool
- Authoring needs a Microsoft 365 Copilot license while readers need none, and the chart holds its data as a snapshot that is refreshed by asking
Benefits
- Gives leadership one completion percentage they can track meeting to meeting
- Separates On Hold from Cancelled, so stalled work is never quietly counted as closed
- Shows the in-progress load next to the finished count, which is the ratio that predicts next quarter
- Small enough to sit in a corner of a project hub page rather than needing a report of its own
- Takes minutes to build, because the chart is described in words rather than configured field by field
- Needs no Power BI workspace, no gateway, and no report developer
- Expands to full width when the detail matters, and collapses back into the page when it does not
Details
- Chart Types: Column chart
Common Questions About the Project Status Chart
What is this project status chart built with?
The Chart web part, the AI-powered chart web part that sits under the AI category in the SharePoint web part toolbox. The columns, the headline count, and the completion badge all come from a plain-language prompt rather than a property pane. There is no project reporting tool to buy and nothing to license beyond Microsoft 365 and a Copilot seat for whoever builds it – the kind of low-maintenance reporting Greg Zelfond builds for delivery teams.
What does the project status chart show?
Seventy-eight projects in total, with a badge showing 44 percent completed, above five labeled columns: Completed 34, In Progress 21, Not Started 12, On Hold 7, and Cancelled 4. The axis runs from zero to 40, and an expand control opens the chart full width when someone wants to look closer.
Where does the chart data come from?
A two-column dataset of status and project count, held in a file the web part reads when the chart is created. The Chart web part does not bind to a SharePoint list the way the classic Quick Chart web part does; it takes the numbers it is given and draws them.
Does the chart refresh automatically when the numbers change?
No. The Chart web part holds its data as a snapshot, so editing the source file does not redraw the chart on its own – you ask the web part to refresh the data and republish the page. Portfolio status suits a steering cadence, so a refresh before each meeting is enough. When a live-refreshing view is the requirement instead, the classic Quick Chart web part can point straight at a SharePoint list, and Power BI handles scheduled refresh.
Should we use the Chart web part, a Copilot dashboard, or Power BI?
It depends on how much you need. The Chart web part is the quickest way to put one good-looking chart on a page, described in a sentence and styled by asking. A Copilot-generated dashboard suits a full page with filters and several linked charts that move together. Power BI earns its place when data volumes are large, sources need joining, or row-level security and scheduled refresh matter.
Can Greg build this chart for our organization?
Yes – this is exactly the kind of work Greg Zelfond does. As an independent SharePoint consultant and Microsoft MVP, he shapes the underlying data so the chart is worth drawing, picks the visual that answers the question your leadership actually asks, and puts it on a page your delivery teams already visit. Reach out through the contact page.
