Anna Shalomova
PPM Consultant
Implementing a functional project management platform in an organization is a challenging task. The platform must suit the needs and desires of the business, stakeholders, and sponsors and simultaneously provide intuitive, easy-to-use tools for teams to collaborate on projects smoothly and cohesively to achieve maximum results. Organizations often opt for Microsoft Office 365 suite for their project management needs, namely Microsoft Project Online and Microsoft Planner.
Microsoft Project Online
Project Online is an advanced platform for enterprise projects, programs, and portfolio management with advanced functionality for intake and execution of projects, portfolio analysis, prioritization, and resource management. Thousands of organizations use it to deliver the consolidated PPM view and visibility businesses and PMOs need.
Microsoft Office 365 Planner
With the power and advanced functions of Project Online comes increased complexity. Team members of some organizations find the Project Online user interface a bit complicated to navigate. Luckily, Microsoft has another product, Microsoft Planner for Office 365, that is a more lightweight project management product. Microsoft Planner allows teams to work and collaborate on their projects and tasks using a more intuitive UI and still benefits from all the functionality available in Office 365 Groups, such as Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, and Skype, to name a few.
Although the platforms are different, organizations absolutely can benefit from using both. Is Microsoft Planner Project Online integration essential? The answer is YES.
Challenges that Prompt Microsoft Planner Integration with Project Online
Microsoft Planner integration with Project Online offers project teams outstanding resource planning and portfolio visibility. The connection facilitates project execution by providing a robust, user-friendly interface that fosters scalable team management processes. However, PMO directors face several challenges with Microsoft Project and Planner integration, including:
- The absence of real-time data synchronization creates room for task duplication and misalignment in project objectives and execution.
- Disjointed workflow due to lack of guaranteed and automated synchronization.
- Difficulty efficiently planning and strategically organizing project workflows.
- Difficulty resolving poor usage tracking and inaccurate resource planning.
- Lack of prompt and precise portfolio visibility.
- Challenges with updating project teams.
- Difficulty accessing completed task status and project updates in one location.
- Difficulty optimizing costs.
With these pressing challenges, you need to find a result-oriented and all-encompassing solution for your Microsoft Planner Project integration needs. Experience suggests that the most practical solution is getting a third-party integration tool that solves all the problems mentioned.
How FluentPro Integration Hub Connects MS Planner to Project Online
FluentPro Integration Hub is a dedicated cloud-based third-party solution that solves all your Microsoft Planner integration problems. With this tool, you can link financial systems, project portfolios, and work management together in one place.
It contains powerful features and functionalities:
Customizable integration setup
Upon installation, FluentPro Integration Hub offers users two integration solutions: one-way or bidirectional. The one-way Microsoft Project Online Planner integration option enables users to integrate specific plans from the selected Planner account and your projects from Project Online instance provided during configuration. This functionality makes it easier for project managers to monitor their portfolios and projects on Project Online. It simultaneously enables teams to track daily operational activities and maintain plans and tasks in Planner. Moreover, with a less complex configuration, your data is automatically and speedily transmitted from your Planner to Project Online environment.
On the other hand, the bidirectional or two-way integration option allows project teams to work on assigned tasks and provide accurate updates and reports. You can upload your projects directly from Planner into Project Online and back. The process improves as precise updates flow to and from Planner, enabling updating related project schedules. With this feature, you can create projects on MS Project Online but allow your team to provide feedback on progress using MS Planner.
Automated workflows
FluentPro Integration Hub offers automated data synchronization, enabling users to blend complex enterprise project management and agile methodologies. Your project team will receive accurate, prompt, and regular workflow updates once you connect the two systems. This effectively eliminates the need for manual updates, ensuring real-time data synchronization. The project team works within their assigned environment while leveraging auto-sync data to scale performance. Moreover, PMO directors can have a real-time overview of project portfolios without ‘double reporting’. This robust, customizable solution integrates Project Online and Planner, enabling your team to create selected tasks to meet schedules.
Enhanced data consolidation
FluentPro Integration Hub assists businesses in consolidating their mission-critical data in one place, offering users real project visibility. This also ensures your projects align perfectly across different organizational levels.
Lastly, with the increased visibility enhanced by FluentPro Integration Hub comes accurate resource planning and usage monitoring. This allows teams to know the actual status of their project, reducing the time, cost, and energy needed to accomplish the project.
Benefits Offered by FluentPro Integration Hub
There are lots of benefits that come with using FluentPro Integration Hub for your Microsoft Planner integration. These include:
- Getting your data automatically synchronized allows your teams to spend more time on achieving strategic project results.
- Automated Microsoft Project Online and Planner integration allows your business to blend and simplify complex and hybrid project management initiatives.
- Instant data synchronization saves your team time on reporting and maintains consistency in working in an assigned management environment without switching sides.
- With centralized visibility, you gain more insight and enhance your decision-making ability.
- Teams can keep working in their usual project management systems without switching to a new one.
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