Perfect for team task and project management! What is Planner [Microsoft 365]

With the spread of remote work, team members often work from remote locations.

Because we can’t see each other, the importance of visualizing and managing tasks is increasing.

Furthermore, communication between members is essential to help improve the productivity of the entire team, rather than just ending tasks with individual to-do management.

In this article, we will explain in detail the features of the Microsoft 365 task management tool “Planner” that strongly supports team task management.

Microsoft 365 task management tool “Planner”

“Planner” is a business task management tool provided by Microsoft.

Since it is a cloud service, you can always access it from your computer, tablet, or smartphone, and you can check the progress of your tasks in real time.

In addition, there are many functions for linking with Microsoft 365 apps, and especially if you link with Teams, you can aim to strengthen communication between members.

Plans that include Planner

Planner for team use is included in the following Microsoft 365 paid licenses for business.

• Microsoft 365 Business Basic / Standard / Premium
• Microsoft 365 E3/E5
• Office 365 E1/E3/E5
• Microsoft 365 F1/F3
• Office 365 F3

Planner is not available in Microsoft 365 for individuals. My personal task management tool is Microsoft To Do.

Features of Planner

Planner is a Kanban-style task management tool that is easy to use even for beginners.

The screen structure is simple, but there are many types of views and filter/sort functions, so you can classify and organize your tasks as you wish.

Intuitive operation possible

Planner allows you to create and manage tasks with simple operations, so even those who use task management tools for the first time have a familiar UI.

Creating a new task is OK just by setting the task name.

Create a task before you forget, and you can add details later.

A checklist can be completed with a click, and will automatically move to completed when the task itself is completed.

Tasks are layered

The hierarchical structure of tasks allows you to focus on the entire project, individual tasks, and smaller tasks.

Plan (major item)

A plan is the largest unit on Planner.

It is a good idea to set the project name as the plan name so that the purpose can be clearly understood.

bucket

Below the plan is a “bucket”.

Use when you want to classify tasks that fall under categories.

If you create a bucket for each progress and move the cards by dragging and dropping, you can see the overall progress at a glance.

task

A task is a unit of work managed by a card on Planner.

The guideline is “a group of tasks that can be assigned to one person”, and detailed processes can be managed with a checklist within the task.

Checklist

A checklist is a subdivision of task work down to the smallest unit.

You can feel a sense of accomplishment every time you complete one of the checklists created on the task, so it will be easier to keep your motivation.

Change view according to usage

Planner is a task management app based on Kanban display, but you can switch the view according to your purpose.

board

This mode displays tasks in Kanban format, and is the basic display method of Planner.

list

The list view displays a list of task titles, priorities, deadlines, etc.

You can select multiple tasks by holding down the Shift key or Ctrl key and change them at the same time, or sort them in order of due date.

graph

You can visualize the progress of your project by graphing the status of your tasks.

Since you can see the start status, the status of each bucket, the progress by priority, etc. at a glance, you can also get hints for improving business processes from here.

schedule

Click “Schedule” to view your tasks in a calendar format.

By looking at the calendar, you can get a sense of the actual schedule, so it is useful for adjusting the priority of tasks and making a workable plan.

Benefits of managing team tasks with Planner

Planner is especially good for team task management because it has features such as:

• Associated with Microsoft 365 Groups and Channels
• Collaborative work via cloud services
• Integrate with Teams to share tasks in groups and channels
• Centrally manage the progress of the whole team and your own progress

Also, since Planner (or Teams) serves as a hub, you can do tasks such as updating tasks, chatting, and sharing files without stress, without the need to switch apps. .

Works with Microsoft 365 Groups

When you create a new plan in Planner, a Microsoft 365 group is automatically created as well.

It is an image where you can create a plan for a project and invite members at the same time.

You can also share tasks with all channel members by adding a tab to the channel as described below.

Collaborate

In addition to being able to share Planner tasks among users within the organization, it also has the effect of promoting collaborative work among members by linking with Microsoft 365 apps.

By sharing files via cloud storage “OneDrive” or “SharePoint Online”, members with access rights can edit simultaneously.

You can also communicate in real time via chat or video call, which helps eliminate the handicap of remote work.

Task management on Teams

Planner is an application that can be used on a web browser, but it can also be incorporated into Teams.

Add it to Teams to access Planner anytime from the Teams desktop app. No need to go back and forth between multiple apps.

It is possible to move from task management to communication immediately, so it seems that tasks can also be a trigger for casual conversations within the team.

Link the Planner app to Teams

This is how to display Planner in the menu on the left side of Teams.

1. Click “…” on the left menu of the Teams app.
2. Search for “Planner”.
3. Click the Planner icon to add it to the menu.
4. If you want to pin it to the Teams menu, right-click the icon and select “Pin”.

Add Planner tabs to channels

This is the procedure to add a plan to the tab at the top of the channel.

1. Click the “+” (Add Tab) at the top of the channel.
2. Select Planner.
3. Choose to create a new plan or use an existing plan.
4. Once you have made the necessary settings and clicked “Save”, the created (or selected) plan will be added as a tab at the top of the channel.

Cross-check only your own tasks

When working on multiple projects, it’s easy to lose track of the priorities of the tasks assigned to you.

In Planner, if you select “My Assignments”, you can list only your tasks.

You can also narrow it down with filters and sort by deadline, so even if you have a lot of tasks, you can easily prioritize them.

Easy assignment and change of person in charge

You can easily add, delete, and change the number of people in charge while the project is in progress, or if you want to pass the task to another person.

Newly assigned members will be notified by email, so you won’t miss anything.

Communicate on task

There is a comment field in the task card, and you can communicate by posting messages to other people in charge and things you noticed while proceeding with the work.

Since comments are left on the task, it is also convenient to check the process later.

When a comment is posted, the member assigned to the task will receive a notification email.

Schedule can be displayed in Outlook

For many Microsoft 365 users, Outlook is their primary method of managing their schedules.

Planner tasks can be added to your Outlook calendar, so you can consolidate your schedule and tasks into the familiar Outlook calendar.

Microsoft 365 and other task management tools

We introduced Planner as a team task management tool, but it’s not the only way to manage tasks in Microsoft 365.

Below is an example of how to manage tasks using Microsoft 365 apps other than Planner.

• Manage personal tasks with “To Do”
• Creating a Gantt chart with “Excel”
• Task request by e-mail using “Outlook”
• Make a list of To Dos with “Lists”
• Create task templates in OneNote

You can see that even if it is not a dedicated task management tool, it can be used in a wide range of ways depending on your ingenuity.

With Microsoft 365, you can use multifunctional tools as much as you want for a flat rate. It’s also a good idea to take advantage of the benefits and try out apps you’ve never used before.

A completely new usage may be born by utilizing the cooperation between applications.

Article Summary

Planner is included in most Microsoft 365 business license plans, so please use it to improve the productivity of your project team.