Remember the old days, when teams relied on sticky notes and endless email threads to manage tasks? With today’s hybrid work environments and fast-moving deadlines, that approach just doesn’t cut it anymore. Effective project management is now essential to stay on track and ahead.
The average worker spends 28% of their week managing email and nearly 20% just hunting for information or colleagues to help, according to The McKinsey Global Institute.
Among other useful insights, that article ‘introduced’ Microsoft Planner (MP), which we wrote about in July 2024. It’s a very versatile tool that's just as effective for simple task management as it is for complex enterprise projects. It’s easy to get started with, yet powerful enough to keep multiple projects organized and on track.
With a bit of guidance from a good IT services partner, Planner can transform the way you organize, collaborate, and deliver results. Disorganization is like cancer on a business.
What are the consequences of disorganization?
Here are some examples of how your team's progress is inhibited when tasks are not properly organized:
Missed deadlines.
Essential details are missed through conversations.
Miscommunications cause projects to stall.
Management is often unable to get a comprehensive overview.
These are more than mere irritants - they get in the way of productivity and make it harder for your team to stay motivated and move forward.
What does Microsoft Planner do?
Microsoft 365 boasts several tools that make task management easy, like Microsoft To Do, but Planner brings everything together in one place, making it simple and intuitive for small teams to jump in and start using right away. Here’s how Planner helps you stay productive:
Organizes Task Boards
Planner is like a shared to-do board where your whole team can carry out the following:
Create tasks quickly
Assign responsibilities
Add due dates, checklists, files, and notes
Move tasks through stages like To Do > In Progress > Done
An organized view like this allows everyone to stay on track without the need for long email threads or disappearing messages.
Flexibility for Better Oversight
MP offers multiple ways to view proceedings to help you track your work, including:
Grid View: This is a list-style layout showing tasks with details like due dates, assignees, and progress. Useful for quick scanning and editing.
Board View: In this view, tasks are displayed as cards grouped in columns (buckets). You can drag and drop tasks to update their status or move them between buckets. Great for visual task management.
Schedule View: As the name indicates, this view displays tasks on a calendar by week or month. You can drag tasks onto the calendar or view unscheduled tasks separately.
People View: This displays workload distribution across team members so it’s easy to see who is doing what.
Timeline View: A Gantt-style chart which is a graphical representation of activity against time, this view shows how tasks connect, and which ones are key to keeping the project on track.
Assignments View: This view gives you detailed control over how much effort tasks take and when they’re scheduled.
This variety of views help teams at every stage, from daily task completion to big-picture planning.
Detailed Tasks Keep Teams on Track
Vaguely defined tasks start swirling the drain right away. Every task in Planner comes with all the details you need. Just click on a task to:
Establish start and end dates
Prioritize tasks and create checklists
Attach files and assign responsibility
Set dependencies to ensure tasks are completed in the correct order
Link to relevant Teams channels for context and collaboration
Following these simple steps makes sure nothing important falls through the cracks and keeps conversations right where they belong.
Save Time with Templates
You don’t have to start from scratch with every new project. Planner offers ready-made templates. Some are available in the free version, while more are available in paid plans. Just pick a template, customize it, and you’re ready to go. It’s a quick way to launch projects without reinventing the wheel.
Easy Integration with Microsoft 365
MP isn’t a standalone app; it’s designed to work seamlessly with the tools you already use. Here’s what it integrates with:
Teams: Create and assign tasks right from chat or channels.
Outlook: Turn flagged emails into actionable tasks.
SharePoint and Loop: Embed Planner tabs in project sites for seamless updates.
Power Platform: Automate repetitive workflows with Power Automate.
Excel and Power BI: Export data to analyze tasks, timelines, and workloads.
Viva Goals: Align tasks with company-wide objectives.
With everything linked together, you gain clarity, reduce friction, and create real momentum.
Supercharge Efficiency with Built-In AI
Microsoft added Copilot to Planner in July of 2024, which helps you with the following:
Summarizing tasks and plans.
Creating tasks or subtasks using natural language.
Getting progress updates and reminders automatically.
Microsoft’s new Project Management Agent goes further, analyzing goals, breaking work into tasks, and even suggesting who should handle them. These helpers free your team to focus on creative work, not mundane task management.
Getting Started with Planner
1: Open Planner in Teams or the web app (obviously).
2: Select “New Plan” and choose a template.
3: Build your board. Add buckets and tasks and assign people.
4: Customize each task with dates, checklists, attachments, and links.
5: Consider which views work best to track daily work and overall progress.
6: Automate reminders or notifications.
7: Invite your team and show them the basics – perhaps set up a more formal training session.
You’ll find that it’s a simple, step-by-step setup that helps your team start collaborating quickly and smoothly.
What Will You Gain with Planner?
There is much to gain with Microsoft Planner, including reducing email overload and meeting grind, keeping everyone accountable and aligned, and being able to visualize project progress easily. You’ll also be able to launch new initiatives faster, use AI to save time and reduce manual effort, and connect tasks with the tools your team already uses.
Look to Planner to keep your projects moving, which gives you more time to focus on your customers.
Chaos Wins if You Do Nothing
Problems are bound to happen when tasks are scattered and tools don’t connect. You’ll be more apt to miss deadlines, employees will be confused about who’s responsible for what, and team members will feel overloaded and overworked.
Wasting time in meetings and having poor visibility on project status will slow your business down and waste money.
Planning Should Be a Habit, Not a Hassle
Microsoft Planner is more than a convenient tool. It keeps your team organized, on track, and connected, without the hassle of scattered tasks or missed updates.
Call IT Support LA to help you every step of the way. From setup to confident use, we’ll tailor Microsoft Planner to fit your team’s unique needs. Let’s simplify project management together, schedule your consultation today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Microsoft Planner free?
The basic version is included free with eligible Microsoft 365 subscriptions (like Business Basic, E3, etc.). This version offers core task management, Kanban boards (Board, Grid, Schedule views), and Teams integration. while more advanced features (Timeline view, dependencies, roadmaps, Copilot) require a paid Planner Plan 1 (starting around $10/user/month) or higher-tier Project/Planner licenses.
Is MS Planner the same as MS Project?
They are similar, but the major difference is that Microsoft Planner is for simple, visual team task management (Kanban boards), ideal for basic collaboration, while Microsoft Project (especially premium/online versions) offers advanced features like Gantt charts, resource management, budgeting, and dependencies, suited for complex projects with larger teams and detailed tracking.
What is the difference between Microsoft Planner and Microsoft todo?
It's a matter of scope Microsoft To Do is designed for personal or individual task management, which is ideal for organizing daily activities, reminders, and to-do lists.
Microsoft Planner is a team-oriented project management tool. It allows teams to plan, assign, and track tasks through project phases.
Can a Planner become a project manager?
It depends on the size and complexity of the project. In theory, Planners can be an excellent project manager, but that doesn't mean it fits every project.
How secure is your network?
As a reputable member of the IT Support Los Angeles community since 2002, IT Support LA offers a FREE, no-risk network and cybersecurity assessment. It is a non-intrusive scan that allows us to deliver a comprehensive report that is yours to keep. No strings, and no obligation to ever use our Managed IT Services.
The best defenses are expert cybersecurity to protect your data from theft, and a top-notch Managed Services Provider (MSP) to ensure continued reliability and defenses against newly emerging threats.
With our 100% Money Back Guarantee in writing, we offer a risk-free way for prospective clients to try us out. Because we do not require a ‘hard’ contract, our clients can fire us at any time with 30 days’ notice. We have to be good.
Among the Managed IT services we provide:
IT HelpDesk Service
Onsite IT Support
Cybersecurity
Cloud migration and management
Email migration services
Backup and disaster recovery
VoIP phone systems
IT disposition and recycling
Office moves
White label services (IT to IT)
IT Support LA is an award-winning Managed Services Provider (MSP):
o 3 Years awarded Best IT by the Small Business Expo
o Awarded 2nd best company of any type in the US by the Small Business Expo SB100
o Awarded Best IT Support in California by Channel Futures
o Winner of Best IT in Los Angeles by Channel Futures
o Listed as one of the world’s Top 501 MSPs by CRN and in the top 250 in the ‘Pioneer’ listing
o 4 years listed as one of the Top 501 MSPs in the World by Channel Futures
o Listed as #21 MSP in the World in Channel Futures NextGen 101
o Globee 2021 Bronze Award winner for Chief Technology Officer of the Year
o Globee 2022 Gold Award winner for Chief Technology Officer of the Year
o Named one of 2022’s 50 ‘Best’ businesses in California by UpCity
o Named Best of IT winner by UpCity
o Winner of Local Excellence Award for 2021, 2022 and 2023 by UpCity
o Named Best of Cloud Consulting winner by UpCity
o Certified as Top Managed Services Providers and Cybersecurity Pro by UpCity
o Named Best IT in Los Angeles by Expertise.com.
Planning an Office Move?
Contact IT Support LA today! We have the experience to ensure a seamless transition. After the office move, your employees will arrive at the new location to find their IT infrastructure ready and open for business!
For more information on office moves, or to receive your FREE no-risk network and cybersecurity assessment, just fill out the form on this page or call us at:
818-805-0909
