Microsoft Planner is a to-do app that comes with Office 365 and is a must have tool and belongs if your business toolbox.
Planner is used for personal and teamwork planning, with a simple card-based interface that can help your team stay organized. If your business does not have a plan for growth, for profitability and for competitiveness then your company is not moving forward. Modern businesses have a lot of technological planning tools at their disposal, but your team still need to use those tools effectively.
How Does Microsoft Planner Work and What Are the Benefits?
Microsoft Planner is part of the Office 365 environment. That makes it accessible to companies of many different sizes. If your company has purchased a license for Office 365, you should be able to access Microsoft Planner in addition to other tools in the suite.
The heart of Microsoft Planner is its accessible and easy-to-use web interface. Once implemented at your business, team members can plan tasks and handle simple projects without the hassle, complexity, or time commitment of a traditional project planning platform.
Microsoft Planner gives users the ability to assign team members to projects or assignments and set deadlines so supervisors can create projects, establish expectations, and let members of the team work to meet them. And since Microsoft Planner allows for easy communication between team members, no one feels left out or underappreciated. Microsoft Planner also provides guest access, so users who do not yet have formal accounts can share their ideas, provide input on current projects and contribute to the team. This is a useful feature for many companies, especially fast-growing firms who need to bring new employees or partners up to speed quickly.
One of the biggest advantages of Microsoft Planner is that it integrates so well with other parts of the Office 365 family. Users of Microsoft Planner can work on projects while they interface with Outlook, Teams, SharePoint and other popular Office 365 tools. It also is a great tool for fostering teamwork and communication as well as higher levels of cooperation and sharing.
How to Organize Teamwork with Microsoft Planner
These tips can help you organize and foster teamwork in Microsoft Planner.
- Create and assign team members. The makeup of your project team is critical to the success of a project, so think carefully about whom to assign.
- Assign tasks based on experience and abilities. Create a list of tasks and assign tasks to team members based on everyone’s individual talents and abilities. Try to assign tasks thoughtfully to ensure the success of the project.
- Set realistic deadlines. If deadlines are not realistic, they are likely to be delayed. Be honest about the amount of work to be done, then set your project milestones accordingly. If you want to keep your project on target, you need regular progress reports. Whether you meet in person or virtually, getting updates on major milestones is vital.
- Encourage Sharing and Communication: Microsoft Planner is one of the most powerful tools for sharing and communication, but effective project management is still required. Set weekly or bi-weekly meetings to keep your project on target and get update on the status of your project.
If you already have an Office.com login and password, you can use it to access Microsoft Planner and get started on planning and collaborating with you team! If you do not have an O365 account, you will first need to create one. Our team is available to help get you started and teach you how it can be leveraged to help meet your business needs.
