Exciting new features and improvements Microsoft Planner (Project for the Web)
Microsoft has unveiled exciting new features and improvements for its popular task management tool, Planner. These updates aim to streamline workflows, enhance collaboration, and leverage AI to boost productivity across teams.
Copilot in Planner: AI-Powered Assistance
The star of the show is the integration of Copilot, Microsoft’s AI assistant, into Planner. Copilot brings powerful capabilities to help users:
- Generate goals and task breakdowns
- Create buckets for different teams
- Provide status updates and reports
- Answer questions about the plan
This AI-powered tool promises to make planning and task management more efficient and intuitive[1].
New Templates for Quick Starts
Microsoft has introduced a variety of templates tailored to different professional needs. These templates cover areas like marketing, HR, operations, and software development. Available in both basic and premium versions, they provide pre-populated tasks, estimated durations, and recommended start dates to help teams get started quickly[1].
Baselines for Better Tracking
The new Baselines feature, now generally available, allows users to create a snapshot of their plan’s schedule. This enables easy tracking and comparison with the current plan status. Users can view variances in finish dates, with upcoming updates to include start, duration, and effort variances at both plan and task levels[1].
Web Experience Sneak Peek
A preview of the upcoming Planner web experience was shared, showcasing a unified interface that combines elements from To-Do, Planner, and Project. This new version will aggregate plans, projects, and tasks from across Microsoft 365 in a single place[1].
Other Enhancements
Additional improvements include:
- Persistent filters and sorting options
- Customizable column sizes in various views
- Easier plan sharing via links
- Government Community Cloud (GCC) support
- Performance optimizations
Microsoft continues to refine Planner based on user feedback, making it a more powerful and user-friendly tool for professionals across all disciplines[1].
See official schedule for Microsoft Planner (Project for the Web) updates:
Microsoft 365 Roadmap | Microsoft 365
As these updates roll out, users can expect a more streamlined, intelligent, and collaborative planning experience within the Microsoft ecosystem.
See Microsoft’s video announce of new features:
Need support in implementing Microsoft Planner?