Microsoft Planner is a tool that enables businesses to organise, prioritise, manage, and work on all the individual tasks needed to drive successful project outcomes. From assigning work to setting timelines, it does it all.
When it comes to managing big projects, there’s a tool called Microsoft Project that you may have heard of. This covers everything you need to handle entire projects from start to finish, including scheduling, reporting, risk analysis, and so on. What it doesn’t do, however, is dig deep down to a more granular, per-task level. That’s the job of another powerful tool called Microsoft Planner.
Microsoft Planner is the task-based equivalent of Microsoft Project. It’s a tool that enables businesses to organise, prioritise, manage, and work on all the individual tasks needed to drive successful project outcomes. From assigning work to setting timelines, it does it all. It even allows you to gather the resources you need, produce status updates and reports, and collaborate.
How to use Microsoft Planner
One of the main highlights of Microsoft Planner – and one of the reasons why it’s such a popular tool – is that it’s versatile. It can be used in multiple different ways, as needed, to effectively manage each individual task at hand. Ways that businesses are using Planner to drive top results include:
1. Organising information & resources
Planner can be used as a digital directory, where all information relevant to a particular task is stored in one single, easily accessible place. No matter who’s working on a task, they have what they need.
2. Keeping track of progress
Businesses also use Planner to track the status of individual tasks to help inform project timelines. The app automatically generates visual reports – like pie charts and bar graphs – to show progress.
3. Collaborating with others
When multiple people are working together on the same task, Planner helps them communicate, collaborate, and work together in real time to improve efficiency and workplace productivity.
4. Visualisation & planning
As the name suggests, this app is ideal for visualising your next steps, and for planning work in a way that aligns with the overall project. It allows you to see what needs to be done – instantly.
5. Sharing
As Planner is part of the Microsoft 365 productivity app, it integrates seamlessly with other 365 apps. Businesses are using this to their advantage to track tasks across To Do, SharePoint, and more.
It might seem like Planner is quite comprehensive – and it is. But it’s also easy. In fact, Microsoft states that there’s no need for any specialist skills, even for creating kanban boards. Planner is designed to be used by anyone who needs it, for whatever task they’re working on, in any industry.
Task management, on the go
As Planner is a cloud-based app, it can be accessed and used anywhere, at any time, from any connected device. And that’s something that elevates Planner above other task management tools. There are two clear benefits to this. Firstly, it allows you to keep a grasp on your tasks, even if you’re away from the office. Secondly, it means your data is protected by Microsoft’s cloud security protocols, giving you peace of mind that your confidential information is always safe.
Manage tasks with confidence
Are you ready to take more control over your tasks, and manage them with complete confidence? We’re here to show you how, with Microsoft Planner. Get in touch with Reliable Networks to learn more about how digging deeper into your Microsoft 365 subscription could benefit your business.
