Project management tools are essential in today’s fast-paced business environment, where managing tasks efficiently can be the difference between success and failure. Microsoft Planner is a project management application that helps teams organize their work, track progress, and collaborate seamlessly.
Before you put Excel aside for managing your projects, it is worth investigating whether Microsoft Planner can simplify your project management and workflows today, or whether you need more advanced project management solutions such as Asana, Trello, Wrike, …
This article explores the benefits and limitations of Microsoft Planner in a nutshell and gives you a step-by-step guide on how to get started with Microsoft Planner in no time.
There are of course numerous pros and cons specific to the type of project and organization where you use it, but let’s focus on the top five most common ones.
Benefits of Microsoft Planner:
- Integration with Microsoft 365: Planner is part of the Microsoft 365 suite, making it easy to integrate with other Microsoft applications and assign tasks to Office 365 users in your organization.
- User-Friendly Interface: The app boasts a visual, intuitive design with drag-and-drop capabilities that simplify task management. Users can quickly create tasks, set deadlines, assign responsibilities, and add flags to tag for example the risk status or task category.
- Collaboration Features: Planner simplifies team collaboration. Team members can comment on tasks, share files, and get updates on progress, which promotes transparency and accountability.
- Kanban Boards: The use of Kanban-style boards and cards allows teams to visualize progress at a glance, which is great for managing simple projects that do not require complex Gantt charts.
- Mobile Accessibility: With mobile apps available for iOS and Android, team members can access and update their projects on the go, ensuring continuous productivity.
Limitations of Microsoft Planner:
- Limited Features for Complex Projects: Planner is not as robust as some other project management tools like Asana or Wrike. It lacks the advanced features needed for managing complex projects, such as detailed resource allocation and in-depth reporting.
- No Task Dependencies: For projects that need detailed dependency management, Planner may fall short. You cannot make tasks dependent or block consecutive tasks. (At least for now, as it looks like we can expect this feature coming in 2024)
- Limited Customization: Compared to other project management tools, Planner has limited options for customization. Users who require extensive custom workflows or fields may find Planner constraining.
- Not multitasking friendly: Completing the activity log can be frustrating. Once a comment is added you cannot edit it. Also, you have to keep the focus on the log entry open until you submit it, otherwise, you lose the text.
Conclusion: While Microsoft Planner may not cater to the complexities of large-scale project management, its strengths lie in its simplicity, ease of use, and excellent integration with the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
For teams embarking on straightforward projects, Planner offers a practical and collaborative platform to stay organized and productive. By weighing its pros and cons and following the steps to get started, teams can effectively employ Microsoft Planner to enhance their project management processes.
Getting started
How to quickly set up a new planner dashboard? Ensure that you have access to Office 365, as Planner is one of the suite’s applications.
Microsoft Planner offers users two ways to access the application besides the mobile app: via the web client or the Teams desktop client. Each has its advantages, which affect the user experience and available features.
While the desktop client may offer a more integrated experience with other Microsoft applications and potentially smoother navigation, the web client often provides additional features and functionalities that are not accessible through the desktop client. This variation in capabilities may make it necessary for users to utilize the web client.
Setup a new “Plan” using the Web Client:
Access Planner: Go to the Office 365 portal, select the Planner icon, or access it directly at https://tasks.office.com.
Create a new Planner space: Once in Planner, create a new plan for your project.
- In the left corner, click “+ New plan“
- You can name your plan after your project and add a description.
- Under privacy and sensitivity, you can select who can see the plan
- Public plans allow anyone in your organization to see the Plan’s content.
- Private plans only allow members you add to see the Plan’s contents.
Using the Desktop Client:
Access Planner: Open Microsoft Teams (classic or new)
- Navigate on the left side to the “Teams” icon.
- Select an existing “Teams site” and “Channel” or create a new one.
- On the horizontal ribbon of the channel, click “+” to create a new tab.
- Select “Tasks by Planner” to set up a new planner board.
- You can name your Plan after your project.
- Select Save to create the Planner board and publish it as a new tab under your channel.
You are now ready to start organizing your planner board and create tasks.
Organize into Buckets (swimlanes): Organize tasks into buckets to represent different stages or types of work. This can help you manage workflows and priorities.
Add Tasks: Start by adding tasks to your plan. You can set due dates, assign tasks to team members, and categorize tasks using labels for easy tracking. The more detail you provide, the better you will be able to manage and monitor your project status.
Collaborate with Your Team: Invite your team members to join the plan. They can view and update tasks, add comments, and upload documents.
Monitor Progress: Use the Charts feature in Planner to monitor progress on tasks and the overall project. The Board view gives a Kanban-style status of where things stand.
Adjust as Needed: As your project evolves, use Planner to adjust deadlines, reassign tasks, and update your team.