Microsoft Planner Review (2024): Is MS Planner Worth It?

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Key features:?

• File storage and sharing.?

• Real-time collaboration.?

• Advanced dependencies with lead and lag.?

• Resource, program and portfolio management.?

• Interoperability and integrations with Microsoft and other apps and solutions.?

Microsoft Planner is a tool for team collaboration and task management that belongs to the Microsoft 365 suite. It lets teams make, assign and follow tasks and projects using an interface based on boards and visuals.?

Microsoft has recently launched Copilot in Planner, now available in preview for users with a Project Plan 3 or Project Plan 5 license. This new feature uses generative AI to make planning, management and execution easier, helping teams stay updated and aligned with their goals.?

This review examines the pros and cons of Microsoft Planner for your project management requirements and presents some of the best options available.?

Plan?Cost?Features?Microsoft 365 Business Basic?￡4.75 user per month (annual commitment)?Web and mobile versions of Office apps, email hosting, 1 TB OneDrive storage, Teams and SharePoint?

Microsoft 365 Business Standard?￡9.87 user per month (annual commitment)?Desktop versions of Office apps, all features of Business Basic, plus additional business apps?

CSG's Recommendation: Microsoft 365 Business Premium?￡17.37 user per month (annual commitment)?All features of Business Standard, plus advanced security, device management and more?

Microsoft 365 Apps for business?￡10.45 user per month (annual commitment)?Supports desktop versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. Plus 1 TB of cloud storage per user

Microsoft Planner’s key features?

Task management?

With Microsoft Planner, teams can manage their work visually. They can make plans, create tasks, give them to team members and set due dates. Each task can have details like descriptions, checklists, attachments and labels for grouping. The tool also lets users track progress with dashboards and charts, showing task statuses easily.?

Multiple project views?

Users can plan and manage projects using the Grid view, which shows tasks in a list that can be organised easily. The Board view gives a visual way of seeing project tasks on task boards that can be prebuilt or customized, helping to improve work processes and status updates. The Timeline (Gantt) view helps to follow and see the time, assignments and connections of project tasks.?

This flexibility allows teams to choose the view that best suits their working style and project needs.?

Task dependency?

Dependencies are crucial in project management, as they show the order in which tasks must be done, making sure each step depends on the previous one.?

Microsoft Planner uses task dependencies to define their order of execution and create a structured workflow. There are two main types of dependencies: “Finish-to-Start” (FS) and “Start-to-Start” (SS). A “Finish-to-Start” dependency requires one task to finish before the next one starts. A “Start-to-Start” dependency allows a task to start at the same time as the task it depends on.?

Reporting?

Microsoft Planner has reporting features that let you monitor and evaluate project progress with easy-to-read dashboards. These dashboards have charts that show live data on key metrics and goals.?

Microsoft Planner offers both ready-made and customised dashboards and reports. This feature enables teams to adjust their reporting tools to suit their requirements, whether monitoring the status of single projects, allocating resources or supervising whole programs and portfolios.?

Microsoft Planner ease of use?

Microsoft Planner is easy to use because of its simple design and smooth integration with other tools. It works well with Microsoft 365 applications, so users can access Planner from places like Teams and Outlook that they already know how to use. The tasks are easy to see and organise, with changeable task cards and labels in different colours. ?

Security?

Security is a top priority for Microsoft and they offer many features to protect data and logins for all of the business plans for Microsoft 365. All plans have email filtering, the option to set password policies and MFA sign-ins. You can also make groups with different permissions for users.?

The top-tier plan has better security features, such as more protection from ransomware and phishing attacks. You can also erase sensitive information from business devices when needed, for example, when an employee quits or a device goes missing.?

Conclusion?

Microsoft Planner is an efficient and productive way to work. It helps you organise and manage your projects, tasks, and teams in a simple and intuitive interface. You can collaborate with others, share files and feedback, and track progress and deadlines. ?

Microsoft Planner is a great benefit of Microsoft Business Premium, as it integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft apps and services, such as Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive. With Microsoft Planner, you can streamline your workflows, improve your communication, and achieve your goals faster and easier.

Sign up to our FREE webinar so that you can learn all the features and benefits before you commit.