Microsoft Project: Features, Access, and Comparison

Summary

Microsoft Project is a robust project management tool within the Microsoft 365 suite, designed to support complex planning, resource allocation, and performance tracking. It offers advanced features such as Gantt charts, reporting dashboards, and portfolio management. In 2024, Microsoft Project integrates with the new Planner experience in Teams, combining simplicity and power in one application.

Audience

Platform

Introduction

For 2024, Microsoft Planner in Teams unifies the simplicity of Microsoft To Do, the collaboration of Planner, and the power of Microsoft Project into one application.

Key Features and Use Cases

Key features:

• Robust Project Planning: Microsoft Project allows the creation of detailed project plans, facilitating the breakdown of complex projects into manageable tasks. It supports the establishment of task hierarchies and dependencies.
• Resource Management: The software provides tools for resource allocation and management, enabling managers to assign resources to tasks, track resource utilization, and identify bottlenecks.
• Gantt Charts and Timelines: It offers Gantt charts and timelines for visual project scheduling and tracking, providing a clear view of project timelines and milestones.
• Integrated Project Portfolio Management: Microsoft Project supports portfolio management, allowing organizations to prioritize and manage multiple projects efficiently.
• Reporting and Business Intelligence: It features advanced reporting capabilities, with built-in templates and the ability to create custom reports for tracking project performance, resources, and budgets.
• Customizable Views and Dashboards: Users can customize views and dashboards to monitor various aspects of the project, including overall progress and individual team member workload.
• Collaboration Tools: The software integrates with other Microsoft products like SharePoint and Teams, facilitating collaboration and communication among team members.

Ideal use cases:

• Complex project management.
• Large-scale project planning and resource management.
• Projects requiring reporting and analytics.

Every project in Project must be connected to a team in Microsoft Teams or a Microsoft 365 group.

Comparison with Microsoft Planner

Planner is designed for simpler, team-based task management. It is ideal for organizing and tracking tasks for small to medium-sized projects or teams. Planner's interface and functionality are more straightforward, focusing on ease of use and basic project tracking. Project, on the other hand, is a more robust project management solution suitable for complex, large-scale projects. It offers detailed project planning capabilities, including resource management, advanced scheduling, and comprehensive reporting. The complexity of its features caters to professional project managers.

Planner has a user-friendly interface, offering a Kanban-style board for task management. This visual approach is intuitive and easy for teams to adopt without extensive training. Project provides a more traditional project management interface, including Gantt charts and detailed timelines. Its interface and features require a steeper learning curve and are more aligned with professional project management methodologies.

Access Project

• Go to https://project.microsoft.com/ to access Microsoft Project through a web browser.
• Open the Project app through Teams. It integrates as an app through a channel within a team.

Once your license has been assigned you may also download the Windows 11 desktop version of Microsoft Project.

1. Go to https://portal.office.com/account#installs through a web browser.
2. Under the Project header, select Install Project button.

Further Reading

• Project help & learning (microsoft.com)