Microsoft project management software includes both Microsoft Project and Microsoft Teams.
Project management software is designed to plan, organize, and facilitate collaboration around any given project. It might be used by individuals, agencies, construction managers, marketing teams, or startups. Anyone who needs to get something done neatly and efficiently will benefit from a robust set of project management tools.
Like any Microsoft product, MS Projects and MS Teams might seem a little hard to parse at first. There is lots of information, different subscription plans, use case questions, and more thought-work that you need to do before you settle on what software to use. This article is designed to help you breakdown two things about these project management office tools:
- What is MS Projects and how can I use it for project planning?
- What is MS Teams and how can I use it for project planning?
Microsoft has so many “project management” tools scattered throughout their more familiar offerings that things can get a bit confusing.
What is Microsoft Project?
Microsoft Project is a project management tool employed by different types of users with varying levels of access. Being as scalable as it is, MS project online can accommodate everyone from startups to enterprises across numerous industries no matter their project plan.
The software provides tables, views, filters, fields, calendars, and a database for doing things like:
- Developing project plans
- Assigning resources
- Tracking time & progress
- Creating Gantt charts
- Creating & managing budgets
- Balancing workloads
- Scheduling tasks & resources
- Creating graphical reports
- Storing project data in a shared database
Is Microsoft Project Included In Office 365?
No, Office 365 contains only the following: Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Access (PC only), Publisher (PC only), as well as OneDrive and Skype services.
Microsoft Project 2019 is a stand-alone app and requires a separate purchase.
Is Microsoft Project Free?
No, Microsoft Project is not free as a stand-alone solution. It is included in the Office for Windows Suite, so users who already pay for Office for Windows can use Projects for free.
If you happen to be a student with an active college email address, then Microsoft Teams (along with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) are free to use. There is, unfortunately, no free Microsoft Projects “Student” edition at this time, though.
How Much Does Microsoft Project Cost?
It’s simple and affordable to subscribe to an Office 365 version of Microsoft Project for just $10/user/month. There are also one-time, on-premise packages starting at $620. If you are looking for a better deal, try a certified reseller. For example, you can buy Microsoft Project on Amazon for less than $600.
Microsoft products used to be seen as on the “expensive” side but there’s also been an interesting pricing trend shift in the universe of Microsoft Project alternative software. These cloud-based, online Microsoft Project alternatives are now almost all charging by the user- rather than by the number of projects-which is making common Projects alternatives on average cost about $180/user/year; much more expensive than they used to be. This trend makes MS Projects on par with many Microsoft Project alternatives that may have vied for your attention in the past.
What Are The Benefits Of Microsoft Project?
Project management software by Microsoft, an industry titan, comes with many advantages. MS project is known for being easy to use, flexible for a variety of project sizes and goals, and employing a visually intuitive and familiar UX. Users who have worked with Microsoft products in the past will have no problem adopting this Microsoft project software.
You might be wondering how to use Microsoft Project with your team. If used correctly, any Microsoft project management tool can add substantial value to your business and workflow. Here are some of the main benefits that MS Project can provide:
- Deploy resources as efficiently and effectively as possible, reducing downtime and increasing utilization.
- Provide a big picture view of organizational capacity to prevent overbooking and support hiring decisions.
- Forecast revenue by providing reports on upcoming projects and planned resource deployment.
- Employ a Microsoft scheduling software that outputs easy to read charts and graphs with flexible, data-rich interfaces.
- Team management software that excels in ease-of-use, meaning quick onboarding time as staff is inducted into the project.
- Seamless integration with Microsoft Teams, which allows workplace chat, video meetings, file storage, and application integration.
What Are The Disadvantages Of Microsoft Project?
Like any program, Microsoft’s project online has its share of problems. A common complaint is that while it is highly integrated with Microsoft’s own software, it lacks the third-party app connections that other PM software revolves around. Any project manager can check out the Microsoft Project free trial before deciding whether or not it suits their needs.
Is Microsoft Project Easy To Use?
Yes and no. Microsoft Project is used by many large organizations, and MPP files are still an industry standard. However, for many of the digital projects that we manage, Microsoft Project management does far more than we ever need it for. It’s got stacks of features that most people never use, hasn’t really changed that much in 30 years, and doesn’t necessarily do much to streamline processes. MS Project is still useful, but there are reasons why some agencies are looking for more lean and collaborative Microsoft Project alternatives.
In many cases, the default project management tool for creating project plans is still Microsoft Project, and it provides a lot of useful tools. For starters, Microsoft Project is not just a fuzzy old tool that Microsoft doesn’t really care about-they’re introducing some really smart integrations with Power BI, Internet of Things, bots, and machine learning that are awesome. In fact, your best choice might be to buy MS Project.
The MS Project download is fast and easy, at least, are you want the desktop version. There is also a web browser version of the program, making it even easier to access, particularly on-the-go.
Microsoft Office (and other MS software) has become the workplace standard so many current employees are familiar with the shortcuts, layouts, icons, and interface set-up. This might make MS Projects “easier” to use only in that it looks so much like programs that your team most likely has ample experience with already.
Is Microsoft Project the Best Project Management Software?
It depends on what you need to use it for. MPP files are still the industry standard and Microsoft Project is a secure, trusted legacy system. For complex, enterprise-level project planning, Microsoft Project should be at the top of your list. However, there are alternatives to MS Project that have better support for collaboration and are rated as being much easier to learn and use-many of which are in the list below.
Still, have questions? Luckily, there is a 30-day Microsoft Project trial for some hands-on experience.
What is Microsoft Project Online?
Microsoft Project Online is just what it sounds like: an app for those who want a cloud-based, web browser version of MS Projects. Microsoft Project online shares all the features.
Project Online is similar to MS Project in that it is a flexible solution for project portfolio management (PPM) and everyday workflow needs. Like it’s the desktop counterpart, it offers resources to help plan, prioritize, organize, and manage any workflow.
Project Online is built on the SharePoint platform, and it stores data in the SharePoint data store. Project Online is available through two subscriptions: Microsoft’s Project Plan 3 and Project Plan 5. Features listed in the Project Online features section interact only with data in the Project Online SharePoint data store.
Some Project Online features include:
- Alerts and reminders: Stay on schedule for important upcoming tasks and project events with reminders in Outlook and Microsoft Teams.
- Baselines: Set project baselines to monitor current performance against past performance using the Project Web App.
- Board view: Visually track project tasks for improved workflow and status monitoring.
- Critical path: Visually track the tasks that represent the longest path through the project using the Project Web App.
- Deliverable management: Track and manage deliverables using start and end dates and automated scheduling.
- Project versioning: Compare different versions of a project with a report that shows what changed between versions.
- Timesheet approvals: Team members can submit timesheets for approval. Resource managers and supervisors can review, approve, and decline submitted timesheets.
Team member functionality for Project Online is available through a? Project Online Essentials? subscription. Project Online Essentials is a team member?add-on?subscription for customers who have Project Plan 3 or Project Plan 5 subscriptions. It gives team members a web interface to perform tasks and time updates to projects managed in Project Online.
Microsoft Projects online, versus regular Projects, is better for collaboration, hosting different working spaces, having easy access by a public URL, making project calendars, and offering a supportive API. Projects Online also have a mobile app.
What is Microsoft Teams?
Ms teams is a project management solution focused on communication and collaboration. Microsoft Teams offers workplace chat, video meetings, file storage, and application integration.
You need a Microsoft 365 account with the appropriate Microsoft 365 license plan (Business Essentials or higher) to access Teams. The service is once known as “Skype For Business” has now transitioned into Microsoft Teams with a heavy focus on chat and video calls.
Some features of MS Teams are:
- A “Walkie-talkie” features where users push-to-talk using a smartphone or tablet app connected to wifi or cellular data.
- URL invites to chat or collaborate for communities, groups, or teams.
- Channels to organize threads by topic, groups, or project.
- Instant messaging, Voiceover IP (VoIP), and video conferencing.
- Supports a “public switched telephone network” to call any client’s business or personal phone number.
- Scheduled or created ad-hoc with Outlook integration for invites and notifications.
- Task management with to-do lists, flagged emails (Outlook), or other planners in a unified view by lists, boards, charts, or calendar.
- Connection with Yammer, an in-company: social network” for posting news, updates, and announcements.
- Ability to share OUtlook emails directly to a Team user or group of users.
- Customized backgrounds during video calling for privacy concerns (or fun).
- Live captions for video meetings.
If you are subscribed to Microsoft Office 365 already, then using MS Teams is a no brainer. If you don’t need the other Microsoft Office programs, then using another communication tool would most likely be a more cost-effective option.
If you are already knee-deep in Microsoft products during your day-to-day, then you will love to know that Teams integrates seamlessly with Outlook, OneNote, Microsoft Planner, and Projects. It’s a no brainer if you are already in the Microsoft ecosystem.
For higher functionality video meetings, Teams fall a bit behind. For example, there is no way to easily “breakout” large meetings into smaller groups nor is there a native polls or whiteboards tool for better engagement.
Is Microsoft Teams included in Microsoft Project?
No. Unfortunately, these applications are sold separately. The good news is that if you have Microsoft Office 365, you are qualified for the free version of MS Teams. With an easy Microsoft Project download + Microsoft Office 365 subscription, you will be able to access both projects and Teams.
If you aren’t vibing with MS Project, that’s okay. There are plenty of Microsoft Project alternatives out there.
To name just a few from the list:
Additionally, there are some alternatives to MS Project specifically for people who use Salesforce.
No, MS Project does not work on Mac, although there are some workarounds to get MS Projects on Mac. MacOS and iOS users need not despair! There is plenty of software for project management that runs on Mac, too, which I’ve included in the workarounds article as well.
In general, though, Microsoft Project won’t run on Mac because they can’t talk to each other. Unfortunately, it doesn’t get more fundamental than that. MS Project was designed and optimized specifically for the Windows operating system.
Smaller teams may not have the initial budget for big brand project management software. And that’s okay, too! There are plenty of free project management software alternatives available for users to choose from.
If you just need a solid Gantt chart, then MS Projects might be a little bit much for you. Luckily, there are plenty of tools to make a Gantt chart online.
Yes! Plenty of them, in fact. Start with the Microsoft Project tutorials offered by Microsoft themselves. That should give you a good baseline. There are also paid courses available that are very content-rich, like MS Project classes through Udemy or LinkedIn. You can also find plenty of free Microsoft Project tutorials on YouTube.
Originally published at https://thedigitalprojectmanager.com on June 25, 2020.
FAQs
What is project management and project management teams? ›
The project team is the group of people responsible for executing the tasks and producing deliverables outlined in the project plan and schedule, as directed by the project manager, at whatever level of effort or participation defined for them.
What is MS Project software used for? ›Microsoft Project is designed to help users set realistic goals for project teams and customers by creating schedules, distributing resources and managing budgets. The Project Guide helps users create projects, track tasks, and report results.
Which Microsoft software is used for project management? ›Microsoft Project and Microsoft Teams, the power of two
Use Project and Teams to empower collaboration and management of projects, including file sharing, chats, meetings, and more.
In Microsoft Project resources can be anything required to perform tasks – people, equipment, facilities, materials, and even costs. These are categorised into three main resource types: work, materials and costs.
What is project management The Ultimate Guide? ›Project management is the discipline of planning, executing and completing projects. Project managers achieve this by using a set of methodologies, processes and tools to guide their teams and manage resources.
What is the primary purpose of the project management team? ›In other words, the purpose of project management is to plan and manage a project to successfully complete its listed goals and deliverables. It involves identifying and managing risks, careful resource management, smart budgeting, and clear communication across multiple teams and stakeholders.
Is MS Project easy to learn? ›Microsoft Project is undoubtedly one of the most powerful projects management tools on the market today. The learning curve is steep, especially compared to more beginner-friendly tools out there. But if you need an advanced solution for project management at scale, you should definitely consider MS Project.
Why is MS Project better than Excel? ›While Excel requires some fancy formulas, MS Project provides a work-breakdown structure with more meaning, showing users a hierarchy of dependencies between tasks. In this article, we will review an in-depth analysis of what makes MS Project better than MS Excel in certain cases.
Is Microsoft teams a project management software? ›Overview. From real-time chat to video meetings, document management, and more, Microsoft Teams is a powerful platform for project management.
What 3 Microsoft programs can you use to manage time? ›- Teams.
- Outlook.
- To Do.
- Planner.
- Word.
- Excel.
- PowerPoint.
Is Excel a project management tools? ›
Integrate with Excel
By exporting your project data to Excel, you can continue to use its powerful spreadsheet functionality while taking advantage of Project to track your project's schedule and resources. You can also import or embed Excel data into your project plan.
You can manage projects and assign tasks to team members by adding task lists and calendars to your team site. Click the Working on a deadline? tile on the Get started with your site web part. Click Add Them.
How do Teams benefit from project management? ›Project management can help your team plan, manage, and execute your work in order to meet your project's requirements on time. With a project management tool, your team can organize all of the details of your work in one place, share feedback and progress, and, ultimately, collaborate more effectively.
What are the top 3 things in project management? ›Communication, leadership, and management are three key attributes that you need in a successful project manager.
What is the key to good project management? ›A great project manager sets the right goals and milestones to complete projects and manage stakeholder expectations. With project or product management, you must understand the overall mission before diving into the many tasks needed to complete it. Doing so helps keep everyone on track toward that specific goal.
What is project management explained to beginners? ›➤ Project Management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to perform several tasks to meet project requirements, to make the final deliverables in a finite time and budget.
What are the 5 stages of project management? ›- initiation.
- planning.
- execution.
- monitoring and control.
- closure.
Project management is the science and art of organizing all the components of a project. For example, the launching of a new service, a marketing campaign, or the development of a new product are projects. In fact, even a wedding is a project that requires management.
What are the 4 C's in project management? ›To solve this problem, PBL has evolved to include a new Gold Standard that incorporates the “Four Cs” of the Partnership for 21st Century Learning: communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity.
What are the 5 key elements of project management methodology? ›- IDENTIFYING CLIENTS NEEDS. Accurately identifying the client's needs is the key to ensuring that you produce the right product. ...
- PLANNING. ...
- MONITORING. ...
- COMMUNICATION. ...
- COLLABORATION.
What are the six stages of project management? ›
The phases of project management consist of six distinct project phases. These phases are project initiation and strategy development, project design and planning, execution and testing, project launch and training, support launching and project closing.
Who uses project management? ›Project management is the process of using knowledge, methods and tools to complete projects successfully. Many companies use project management processes in various industries, including technology, construction and manufacturing.
How many hours does it take to learn MS Project? ›The duration of MS Project Training is 9 hours. It has 50+ Lectures, and you will learn about these topics: Create Project Plan with Realistic Project, Budget Saving Tricks, Create Project Plan Step by Step.
Why is Microsoft Project so difficult? ›Project comprises several tables, containing tasks, resources and calendars. They all need to work together. Use them incorrectly and you'll wind up with a jumble of data. That's different to Excel and Word.
Is MS Project just Excel? ›Microsoft Project helps businesses plan projects & collaborate from anywhere using tools such as task assignment, due-date... Excel is a spreadsheet management software program with data analysis tools to help users track and visualize data for greater...
Does anyone use Microsoft Project? ›Professional Project Management
MS Project is widely used in various industries for its ability to track and manage complex project timelines and schedules. Its grid, board, and timeline (Gantt) views give teams the flexibility to plan and monitor projects in different ways.
Excel has more advanced options for copying the content, and therefore, it can copy the data in more ways than MS word. MS Excel allows us to use calculations and a wide range of formulae. On the other side, we can manually write formulae in word, but there is no option to perform calculations accordingly.
Do you need to know Excel for project management? ›Hence, different types of project management need managers to utilize various tools and methods. Also, when they are setting out new projects, the need the best set of tools to get the best out of them and excel is an essential element of that list.
What is the best way to learn Microsoft Project? ›- Enter the Project Start Date. ...
- Change the Default Task Setting from Manual to Auto Schedule. ...
- Define Project Calendar. ...
- Start with a List of Tasks. ...
- Avoid Putting Dates and Duration of Tasks in the Beginning. ...
- Create WBS using Indent and Outdent. ...
- Define Task Relationships.
- Open Project. Or select File > New if you're already working in a project plan.
- Select a template or type in the Search for online templates box and then press Enter. Or, choose Blank Project to create a project from scratch.
- When you select a template, select the options you want, and select Create.
How do I get progress in MS Project? ›
You can track progress by comparing baseline and scheduled or actual start and finish dates. On the View tab, click the arrow on Gantt Chart, then select Tracking Gantt.
Can Microsoft Teams do Gantt charts? ›Add Gantt Chart Pro to a Microsoft Teams channels to share the project schedule with your team. You can choose who can edit the Gantt Chart Pro, only the owner or everybody in the team.
What type of software is Microsoft Teams? ›Microsoft Teams is a collaboration app built for hybrid work so you and your team stay informed, organized, and connected — all in one place.
What tool is MS teams? ›Microsoft Teams is an application that integrates people, content and tools to help companies be more productive through effective communication. Teams is available for use via a web browser, as a desktop application or as a native mobile application for both iPhone and Android devices.
Does Office 365 have a project Planner? ›A project management tool focused on Office 365 users is Microsoft To Do and Planner. With the combination of these tools, you can manage tasks personal to you and tasks for a project where you collaborate with others, all in one location.
What is the most commonly used program in Microsoft Office? ›#1 Microsoft Office Word
Out of all the different components, the Microsoft Word Processor is the most common and widely used application throughout the world. You can easily open the application on both Windows and Mac Operating Systems.
- Choose File > Options.
- In the Project Options dialog box, choose Schedule.
- Under Scheduling options for this project, in the Duration is entered in list, select a duration unit.
Microsoft 365 for business subscriptions include Project for Office (Plan E1), Project for Office (Plan E3) or Project for Office (Plan E5).
What is Microsoft Project management tool? ›Microsoft Project is project management software that's used to create schedules, project plans, manage resources and keep track of time. It has features such as Gantt charts, kanban boards and project calendars for project management professionals.
What is difference between team management and project management? ›Key Difference:
A Project Team comprises of all human resources involved in the project and project manager is one of them. On the other hand, the Project Management Team includes the human resources responsible for effectively managing and controlling the project.
What are the four major responsibilities of a software project manager? ›
Software project managers are in charge of the planning, scheduling, budgeting, execution, and delivery of software and web projects. They ensure the successful completion of all software projects and also oversee the people performing work on the projects.
How do I keep track of projects in Microsoft Teams? ›Tracking Group Projects in Teams
First, there's the “Planner” app within Teams, which a Teams administrator can add. You can add a Planner tab to any Team channel and work on plans within Teams. Planner also allows you to set up notifications within Teams and assign specific tasks with due dates to team members.
A change in organizational priorities is the most common reason. A change in project objectives is also common as are poor communication and unclear risk definition.
How do I track project and tasks in Microsoft Teams? ›Users can access Tasks as an app on the left side of Teams and as a tab in a channel within individual teams. With My tasks and Shared plans, users can view and manage all their individual and team tasks and prioritize their work. Tasks is available in Teams desktop, web, and mobile clients.
What is the main purpose of project management? ›'Project management' provides structure and control of the project environment so that the agreed activities will produce the right products or services to meet the customer's expectations. Projects are temporary structures which must be properly managed and controlled in order to meet their stated objectives.
What can I learn from project management? ›When you study project management, you learn how each project can be broken down into a clear process of assigned tasks, milestones, and deadlines, and how to delegate each component to an assigned task manager to manage stakeholder expectations.
What are 3 project examples? ›Examples of Project:
Construction of a bridge. Development of software for a new business process. Installation of machinery in a factory. Relief efforts after a natural disaster.
There are three basic types of control mechanisms- cybernetic, go/no-go, and post-performance.
What are the three pillars of project management? ›It has been given many names – the Project Management Triangle, Iron Triangle and Project Triangle, we shall be referring to it as the three pillars of Project management.
What are the 7 element for a project management? ›There are seven core elements that if considered will contribute to the organization's project decision-making process. The seven elements (7 C's) are: customers, competitors, capabilities, cost, channels, communication, and coordination.
What are the four common types of projects? ›
- Walking in the fog.
- Making a movie.
- Going on a quest.
- Painting by numbers.
Start by taking on small projects and gradually increase the size and complexity of the projects you manage. As you gain experience, you'll start to develop your own project management style. Finally, networking with other project managers is a great way to learn about new methods, tools, and approaches.
How do I start entry level in project management? ›- Earn a degree. ...
- Study the Project Management Body of Knowledge Guide. ...
- Obtain a CAPM certification. ...
- Obtain a PMP certification. ...
- Renew your certification.
The Waterfall methodology is, perhaps, the most simple and effective project management methodology. Also referred as Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), it focuses on making a solid plan and effective execution. That's why this traditional project management methodology is simplest and easiest to understand.
How long does it take to learn project management? ›How long it will take to become a Project Manager depends on your education, experience level, and career goals, but it can take anywhere from three months to years and years. Let's first consider the more negative scenario where it takes a long time.
What are the five major project fundamentals? ›- Conception and initiation.
- Planning.
- Execution.
- Monitoring.
- Project close.
Definition. Project management is the application of processes, methods, skills, knowledge and experience to achieve specific project objectives according to the project acceptance criteria within agreed parameters.
What are the 5 types of project management process? ›- Initiating.
- Planning.
- Executing.
- Monitoring/controlling.
- Closing.
Key Difference:
A Project Team comprises of all human resources involved in the project and project manager is one of them. On the other hand, the Project Management Team includes the human resources responsible for effectively managing and controlling the project.
Planning, build-up, implementation, and closeout.
What is the difference between project management and project management it? ›
Project management refers to the management of the work of a team engaged in the completion of the project to meet the client's desires in the specified time. It involves applying knowledge, skills, experience, tools, methods, and resources in the project. IT manager refers to Information Technology management.
Does teams have a project management? ›Overview. From real-time chat to video meetings, document management, and more, Microsoft Teams is a powerful platform for project management.
Can a team manager be a project manager? ›Absolutely! As defined before, a Project Manager is a position, and a Team Lead is a role. One does not cancel out the other. In fact, at the time of writing this blog post, I am both a Project Manager and a Team Lead in the company I work for.
What are the 5 roles in a team project? ›Here, we'll explain five project team roles – project manager, project team member, project sponsor, executive sponsor and business analyst – and describe each of their responsibilities.
Is IT worth going into project management? ›Project management is a rewarding career choice that offers high salaries and a lot of variety in the workplace. However, it is also a demanding profession that is often extremely stressful.
What are the 3 main types of roles within a team? ›Dr Meredith Belbin identified nine "team roles" that different people assume in a typical team. These roles are grouped together in three categories: Action Oriented, People Oriented, and Thought Oriented.
What are the 3 roles that can be performed in a team? ›The three different types of role that people can play in the team – technical, functional and team roles.