“MS Project” is the original project management software from Microsoft. But what other solutions does Microsoft now offer to support project management? This article provides an overview of Microsoft’s current portfolio.
Total portfolio on project management software from Microsoft
Microsoft’s overall portfolio for project management support now includes many different tools and small helpers. Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) in particular holds some treasures for the project manager:
- MS Project Standard/Professional
- MS Project Server
- MS Project Online
- MS Project for the Web
- Office 365 Planner (now Microsoft 365 Planner)
MS Project Standard/Professional
With the classic applications for project management, Microsoft offers very comprehensive possibilities in planning work packages, costs or resources as well as controlling during the project duration. MS Project Standard or Professional offers a lot of potential especially for the individual project manager who monitors his project and the work packages in direct contact with the team. Lack of collaboration capabilities makes proper contribution from the team rather difficult. Due to the fact that the MS Project Server version is so comprehensive, the training period for employees is relatively long.
The software is distributed in the form of installation licenses: With one license you can use the tool as long as you want. Updates are currently available approximately 6 years after the release of a version (using MS Project 2021 as an example).
MS Project Server
MS Project Server is also a tool made for the project manager. In terms of scope, the server variant offers somewhat the same as MS Project Standard/Professional. Its advantage is local installation on a server, so you can log in from anywhere to work on your projects/programs. You can plan projects of any size and have many options for controlling.
MS Project Online (Project Web App)
The online version of MS Project now has about the same range of functions as MS Project Standard/Professional or Server. MS Project Online is suitable for the management of medium to large projects.
Cloud hosting and distribution as a SaaS solution facilitates collaboration between project partners. Furthermore, this tool remains in the field of application of experienced project managers rather than the project team, as the software remains quite complex.
You buy MS Project Online via a monthly license per user. In addition, you have the option to use a local installation of the software in the form of a desktop client. This is currently considered a replacement for the classic MS Project Standard/Professional and allows you to link to your projects stored online.
MS Project for the Web
In the individual Microsoft subscription plans* has also included MS Project for the Web since around 2019. With MS Project for the Web, Microsoft has created a very intuitive solution for project managers just starting out. The focus is on ease of use and minimal distraction from the software. The software is well integrated into M365, making it easy for the entire team to use.
Compared to the versions mentioned above, a few functionalities are still missing, but these are always being developed further. According to Microsoft, as of today (2022), much of the work and innovation is being put into Project for the Web, be it integration with M365 or further feature expansion.
How the tool covers the most important functions and remains clear at the same time, you can read in the MS Project for the Web Review.
By the way:
The integration of Project for the Web with PowerApps and Power BI is particularly interesting. With the Project Accelerator , Microsoft offers a free way to cover portfolio planning in your company—from project proposals to project monitoring. In Project Operations , Project for the Web is directly integrated into Dynamics 365 with pre-built dashboards and solutions for your lead management and more.
Office 365 Planner (Microsoft 365 Planner) as project management software from Microsoft
Integrated into Office 365, Microsoft’s Planner is a tool well-suited for smaller projects. Especially when the effort required to maintain a project management software is too high, you can still keep track of your project using the Office 365 Planner. At the heart of Planner is the visualization of tasks on a Kanban board and the overview of all tasks on a project dashboard.
By the way:
You can find a great comparison of MS Planner and MeisterTask here.
MS Teams
The MS Teams supports the communication in your project and thus is definitely important as project management software support from Microsoft. You can add the Office 365 Planner tab to Teams and with this integration you have even more options to manage smaller projects without a separate tool. In addition, you have the possibility to communicate via chat, video telephony and with the group function.
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SharePoint TaskList
Office 365 also includes SharePoint. In SharePoint, you can create and manage task lists. This gives you a clear overview of your tasks—even with a Gantt chart. By assigning tasks to specific users with due dates, you can keep your small project under control. In 2022, Microsoft also announced that list entries would be displayed in the form of a Kanban board.
Outlook Tasks
If you use Microsoft Services, you will also use Outlook as your email client. Integrated in Outlook is the task function. You can assign priority, category and status of the task. Reminder and documentation of working time is also possible. However, the task function in Outlook is actually intended for personal tasks. Thus, the overview suffers, so that Outlook tasks are no longer suitable for larger projects.
Microsoft To-Do-List App
There was a big outcry when Microsoft decided to discontinue the Wunderlist app. But Microsoft has sent an alternative into the race: The Microsoft To-Do List app. While this app is not yet as complete as Wunderlist, it already has integration to Outlook tasks. Otherwise, it’s a simple to-do list app that can track personal but also business tasks.
Conclusion on project management software from Microsoft
In Office 365 or Microsoft 365*, Microsoft has integrated several project management support tools. Especially if you’ve already adopted Microsoft in your company, it makes sense to explore these tools before looking into alternative project management software from other vendors.
If necessary, you can already manage a large part of your smaller projects with Office 365 Planner or MS Project for the Web. This is especially useful for departments or teams of a size of up to 15 employees. Only for extensive and complex projects that require long-term planning should you then rely on the classic MS Project.
What tools do you use from Microsoft’s project management software?
Alternatives to project management software from Microsoft
Are you dissatisfied with Microsoft for project management and would rather rely on other service providers?
- Atlassian offers a larger portfolio of tools that can help you with project management.
- Wrike is an all-in-one software for project management
- InLoox offers a tool that you can integrate with Outlook to better manage projects.
Change history of the review
| Date | Updates |
|---|---|
| 22.02.2022 | Major update to the article: – MS Project Standard/Professional added – MS Project Online Desktop Client mentioned – Microsoft’s focus on further development of MS Project for the Web – Project Accelerator and Project Operations in Dynamics 365 – SharePoint lists in Kanban view |
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