In their effort to continually to build out their workplace collaboration platform, Microsoft has recently introduced Microsoft Planner into their Office 365 suite. It is included in both O365 Business Premium & Business Essentials Plans. Planner is a task & project management add-on designed for both individuals and teams. If you already have an Office 365 subscription, this online tool can be found on the online portal.
To get started, simply select New Plan with Planner. You can create convenient “buckets” and assign tasks within each. Simply drag and drop Team Members to assign tasks to individuals. Here is an example of a Plan to create a blog:
Once assigned, individuals can see their task lists and assigned due dates. From here team members can see a further breakdown of their task, and indicate whether these are in progress or completed. In addition, checklists can be created within the task and members can even leave comments to collaborate with the team.
Within the Planner Hub there are several different views members can take advantage of to better visualize the progress on the project. Here is an example of the charts view:
Microsoft Planner is integrated with Microsoft Teams, so members can link to Plans as well as discuss ongoing projects using an integrated chat feature. In addition, Planner now has a dedicated app for iPhone and Android, allowing members to view their tasks and progress on the go. Microsoft Planner is another great tool added to increase collaboration in your organization.
Click here for a video overview of Microsoft Planner.
If you would like to learn more about Microsoft Office 365 plans and options, call BSC Solutions Group today. We’ve been offering subscriptions, migration services, training and ongoing support for over 5 years.
