Microsoft Planner is a task management tool included in Microsoft 365 that can help you organize, assign, and track tasks and projects. Microsoft Planner can be used by anyone at anytime and can help you better organize your daily, weekly, or monthly tasks. However, this blog will focus on how to use Microsoft Planner for project management, its key features, and benefits.  

Getting Started with Microsoft Planner

You can access Microsoft Planner through your Microsoft 365 account. You can create a new plan by clicking on “New Plan” and you’ll want to give it a clean name and description to outline its purpose. You can then add different team members to the plan which gives them access to tasks and project updates.  

Organize Tasks in Microsoft Planner  

Planner is extremely user friendly and easy to navigate and organizing tasks is no exception. You can create buckets to categorize tasks by phases, department, completion date, or any other criteria you might need for a specific project.  

Within each bucket you can create tasks, assign due dates, priorities, or whatever else you may need to remain on task and organized. You can use labels for extra clarity. You can also break these tasks down into smaller steps by using checklists – this allows you to ensure nothing is overlooked and provides a clear visual for all details that need to be completed.  

Track the Project’s Progress  

Ensuring the project deadlines are being met is an essential part of project management. You can use the Board View in Microsoft planner to see all the tasks organized into buckets. You can also drag and drop tasks to easily and quickly update their status. Additionally, Schedule View shows you tasks on a calendar, which can help you manage those deadlines effectively.  

You can also use Charts View to help you better visualize progress. You can see task status, priority, and assignments in visually engaging and dynamic charts. These visuals help you better and quickly understand where your team is in the project, as the charts are easily scannable and digestible.

Collaboration Made Simple with Microsoft Planner

Microsoft Planner makes it easy to communicate and collaborate with your team, no matter what stage of the project you are in. You can add comments and attach files to tasks, keep track of changes and updates with activity logs, and use Microsoft Teams to discuss tasks and the project in real-time.  

This is especially important for complex projects with multiple steps. Communication is key when it comes to any project but is further compounded when the project is long and elaborate.  

Microsoft Planner and Change  

Projects are often dynamic, and keeping up with change is an essential skill for any project manager. Planner can aid in your ability to monitor and adjust the project as needed. Project managers can regularly update task statuses and reassign tasks as needed to keep the project on track.  

Additionally, you can set up notifications to keep yourself and your team informed of any updates, changes, or looming deadlines. 

In conclusion, flexibility and organization are a project managers’ best friends. Microsoft Planner can assist in helping you stay on top of every part of a project with its user-friendly design and ease of use. If you are looking for more information on Microsoft 365 features, fill out the form at the bottom of the page and someone will be in touch.  

Thanks for reading! Make sure you subscribe to our blog. We publish technology tips, tricks, and updates every week.  

Discover More