Mastering Microsoft’s New Planner with Copilot: The Ultimate Guide for Project Managers from Initiation to Closure

In today’s fast-paced business environment, effective project management is crucial for delivering successful outcomes. Microsoft’s Planner, combined with the power of Copilot, offers a comprehensive solution for managing projects from initiation to closure. In this blog post, we’ll explore how you can leverage this powerful duo to streamline your project management workflows.

The Problem: Unique Challenges for Every project

• Ambitious project managers often struggle with effectively planning, scheduling, and tracking complex projects.
• Agile team members may find it difficult to collaborate seamlessly and maintain visibility into project progress.
• High-level managers require robust reporting and insights to make informed decisions and ensure project alignment with organizational goals.

Microsoft Planner and Copilot working methodology for project managers from Initiation to Closure

Project Initiation

• Inside Microsoft Teams, display Planner
• Create a New Plan: Start by creating a new plan in Microsoft Planner for your project. Give it a descriptive name, e.g., “Office Renovation Project.”
• Define Project Scope: Ask Copilot to “Add tasks for an office renovation project.”

Planning and Scheduling

• Refine the Plan: Review the initial plan structure generated by Copilot and modify it to align with your specific project requirements, add missing tasks, milestones, detail more the schedule.
• Establish Dependencies: Link predecessor dependencies between tasks to show the proper sequence of work.
• Share to a New or existing Microsoft Teams Group
• Assign Resources: Assign tasks to team members by clicking on each task and typing “@” to bring up a list of members.
• Identify Critical Path: Filter for Critical Path or Request Copilot to “Highlight the critical path tasks that cannot be delayed without impacting the project timeline.”
• Create a Baseline: Once your plan is finalized, you can save a baseline (currently this feature is limited at one baseline and delays are being tracked compared to the overall schedule)

Execution and Monitoring

• Update tasks (each project team member is updating tasks
• Track Progress: Throughout the project, leverage Copilot to track progress by asking “Which tasks are behind the baseline schedule?” or “What is the team’s workload this week?”
• Collaborate and Communicate: Export timeline to pdf
• Check assignments and see allocations, modify assignments if needed

Project Closure

• Verify Completion:use the filter and see if there are completed tasks
• Conduct Lessons Learned: Prompt Copilot to “Prepare a lessons learned report highlighting successes, challenges, and areas for improvement.”
• Archive Project Data: Once the project is officially closed, archive the plan and associated data for future reference.

Going further with the Project Accelerator for Project for the Web (New Planner)

• With the Project Accelerator developed in Power Apps, you can add more details to your project as Risks, Issues, Reports…
• You can have an overall Portfolio view at the Company level
• You can create reports via Power Bi for a better overall view on your ressource allocations/projects delays…

By leveraging the powerful combination of Microsoft Planner and Copilot, you can streamline project management processes, enhance collaboration, and ensure successful delivery of your projects, from initiation to closure.

Our Solution: Personalized for Your Needs

Our approach incorporates cutting-edge tools like Microsoft’s New Planner and Copilot, along with industry-standard methodologies, to ensure exceptional results tailored to your specific challenges. We provide a comprehensive project management toolkit and standards to help you navigate the complexity of project management.

Comprehensive Project Management Toolkit

Our toolkit includes a wide range of resources to support your project management efforts:

1. Methodologies: We follow industry-standard methodologies like PMBOK® Guide, and Agile frameworks, ensuring alignment with best practices.
2. Templates: Our library of customizable templates covers project charters, plans, schedules, risk registers, and more, saving you time and effort.
3. Reporting Tools: Leverage our reporting tools, including Power BI dashboards, to gain real-time insights into project performance.
4. Knowledge Base: Access our extensive knowledge base, community, featuring articles, tutorials, online training and case studies to continuously enhance your project management skills.

Industry-Specific Standards

We understand that different industries have unique project management requirements. Our standards are tailored to address the specific needs of various sectors, including:

1. Construction and Engineering: Specialized standards for managing complex EPCC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Commissioning) projects.
2. IT and Software Development: Agile-focused standards aligned with Scrum, Kanban, and other iterative methodologies.
3. Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals: Stringent standards to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and quality control processes.
4. Manufacturing and Supply Chain: Standards optimized for managing production schedules, inventory, and logistics.
5. Professional Services: Tailored standards for managing consulting engagements, resource allocation, and client deliverables.

Training Services for Mastering the New Planner

At Ecostar Plan, we understand the importance of proper training and support for successful adoption of new tools and methodologies. That’s why we offer comprehensive training services to help you and your team unlock the full potential of Microsoft’s New Planner and Copilot:

1. Customized Training Programs: Our certified experts will design tailored training programs to meet your organization’s specific needs and project management methodologies.
2. Hands-on Workshops: Participate in interactive workshops where you’ll learn best practices and gain practical experience using the New Planner and Copilot.
3. Ongoing Support: Benefit from our ongoing support and guidance as you implement and utilize the New Planner and Copilot in your projects.
4. Consulting Services: Leverage our consulting services to optimize your project management processes and align them with industry best practices.

By combining the power of Microsoft’s New Planner and Copilot with our expert training and consulting services, you can transform your project management workflows, enhance collaboration, and achieve greater success in delivering projects on time and within budget.

Contact us to schedule a consultation and explore how we can help you and your team master the New Planner and Copilot for project management excellence.