Effectively Managing Mixed Projects with Microsoft Project Tools
Are you struggling to manage a diverse portfolio of projects with varying complexities and methodologies? Microsoft’s project management tools offer a comprehensive solution for seamlessly handling mixed projects. In this article, we’ll explore how to leverage the power of Project Web App, Project for the Web (New Planner), and the Roadmap view to streamline your project management processes.
Project for the Web (New Planner): Simplifying Basic Projects
Microsoft New Planner is integrating the Project for the Web functionalities. It is designed to simplify the management of basic projects with straightforward plans.
Key features include:
- Templates for common project types
- AI-powered co-pilot for planning and tracking
- Ability to create simple plans alongside Planner projects
With the New Planner, you can effortlessly manage uncomplicated projects without the need for advanced features like task dependencies or complex resource management.
Project Web App: Mastering Complex Projects
For complex projects with dependencies and strict timelines, multiple interfaces between projects, external tasks and more activity links, Microsoft Project Online (Project Web App) is the go-to solution.
This powerful tool offers:
- Task scheduling and resource management capabilities
- Access rights by user role (PMO,Project Manager, Team Member…)
- Advance baseline for all the task information
- Gantt charts for visual project planning
- Resource leveling and optimization features
Project Web App empowers you to define resources, assign tasks, and ensure realistic schedules while efficiently allocating resources across complex projects.
Roadmap View: Unifying Mixed Project Portfolios
The Roadmap view in Project for the Web (New Planner) is a game-changer for managing mixed project portfolios.
This feature allows you to:
- Visualize and organize projects managed across different tools (Project Web App, Project for the Web, Azure DevOps, etc.)
- Categorize and filter projects based on criteria like business unit, manager, methodology, or custom fields
- Assess project timelines, dependencies, and resource allocations across the entire portfolio
With the Roadmap view, you gain a centralized overview, enabling better coordination and alignment across teams and methodologies.
Integrating Project Online (Project Web App) with Planner
While Project Web App does not have a direct integration with Planner, you can link individual Project Web App activities to Planner plans for team collaboration.
This integration enables:
- Linking an activity in Project Web App to a desired Planner plan
- Note that only one Planner plan can be linked to a single activity in Project Web App.
- Team members updating tasks and collaborating within the linked Planner plan
- Data Cannot Be Transferred from MS Planner to Project Online! this link do not allow information to be transferred from MS Planner to Project Online. YHving the link just offer he possibility to click on the linka nd be redicerted to Planner where these tasks can be managed.
- Overall this functionality is not very powerfull but it complicates more the updating process, a better approach is to keep a separate track of projects in PWa or in Project for the Web
FAQ
Q: Can I use Project for the Web (New Planner) for complex projects?
A: No, Project for the Web (New Planner) is designed for basic projects with simple plans. For complex projects with dependencies and strict timelines, it’s recommended to use Project Web App.
Q: How can I view projects managed across different tools in a single location?
A: The Roadmap view in Project for the Web (New Planner) allows you to visualize and organize projects managed across different tools, including Project Web App, Project for the Web, Azure DevOps, and more.
Q: Can I link multiple Planner plans to a single activity in Project Web App?
A: No, you can only link one Planner plan to a single activity in Project Web App.
Q: Can I use the Roadmap view to manage resource allocations across projects?
A: Yes, the Roadmap view enables you to assess project timelines, dependencies, and resource allocations across your entire project portfolio.
Q: Do I need to use all the tools (Project Web App, Project for the Web, and Planner) together?
A: No, you can choose to use the tools that best fit your project management needs. The integration and Roadmap view allow you to leverage the strengths of each tool while maintaining a unified view and control.By leveraging Microsoft’s project management tools and the powerful features they offer, you can effectively manage a diverse portfolio of mixed projects, streamline processes, and ensure alignment across teams and methodologies.