The New Microsoft Planner and OnePlan: A Unified Experience for Strategic Portfolio Management in the Microsoft Cloud
Microsoft recently announced the new Planner which will converge To Do, Planner, and Project for the web into a singular, unified experience. Customers will get more value from existing Microsoft 365 investments as well as a more integrated way to add robust work management capabilities for users and the enterprise. Here’s what the new Planner announcement means for you, and how you can leverage it with OnePlan for a robust strategic portfolio management solution.
The New Planner
Microsoft’s announcement to combine Microsoft To Do, Microsoft Planner and Microsoft Project for the web marks a significant shift towards a unified work management tool. It can address simple work management for individuals as well as collaborative work management with your team, and even enterprise work management for your enterprise organization. View the offical annoucement
The new Planner is available now and has started rolling out to M365 tenants. The new Planner experience will be available first in the context of a Microsoft Teams app and later in the year as a web experience.
Microsoft Copilot capabilities will be coming for the new Planner in 2024. This brings generative AI capabilities focused initially on planning scenarios, project management scenarios, and execution scenarios.
The Best Choice to Improve your SPM (Strategic Portfolio Management) Capabilities
The announcement leaves a gap in the Microsoft landscape for advanced project portfolio management. OnePlan stands out as the best candidate to fill this gap. As a seasoned player in the strategic portfolio management space, OnePlan’s comprehensive solution aligns with Microsoft’s cloud offerings and als addresses the sophisticated needs of enterprise project management offices (EPMOs).
Key Features and Benefits of OnePlan
- Comprehensive Portfolio Management: OnePlan provides a holistic view of all projects and portfolios, enabling organizations to align their strategies with execution effectively. Its ability to integrate with existing Microsoft tools (Planner, Project, Teams, Viva Goals, Power BI, and more) ensures seamless transition and adoption.
- Enhanced Visibility and Control: The platform offers robust analytics and reporting capabilities (natively and in Power BI), allowing decision-makers to gain insights into project performance, resource allocation, and budget management.
- Flexible and Scalable: OnePlan’s Microsoft Azure cloud-based nature makes it highly secure, scalable, and adaptable to the changing needs of organizations, regardless of size or sector.
- User-Friendly Interface: Designed with user experience in mind, OnePlan offers an intuitive web browser interface that provides easy navigation and quick onboarding for teams.
- Advanced Integration Capabilities: OnePlan’s integration with Microsoft Cloud tools like Teams and SharePoint ensures that communication and collaboration are streamlined across projects.
Strategic Alignment and Execution
The core value proposition of OnePlan lies in its ability to bridge the gap between strategy and execution. By offering a solution that not only aligns with the Microsoft platform but also caters to the nuanced needs of EPMOs, OnePlan enables organizations to:
Align Project Portfolios with Organizational Goals: OnePlan aids in prioritizing projects that align with the strategic objectives of the organization, ensuring that resources are allocated efficiently.
Improve Decision-Making: The insights generated from OnePlan’s analytics capabilities empower leaders to make informed decisions, enhancing overall project success rates.
Facilitate Agile and Flexible Project Management: In an era where agile and hybrid methodologies are increasingly prevalent, OnePlan offers the flexibility needed to adapt to various project management approaches.
Addressing the New Microsoft Strategy for Work and Project Management
The investment and emphasis on a Planner-based approach by Microsoft means organizations that require advanced PPM capabilities need to build a Power Apps solution or obtain a partner solution. As stated in the Microsoft Ignite Planner presentations, the focus for Microsoft over the next year will be on re–platforming Microsoft Planner and Project for the web to operate as a single product working with Microsoft Copilot. OnePlan’s compatibility with Microsoft’s cloud platform, coupled with its advanced features, positions it as the go-to solution for organizations seeking to maintain and elevate their PPM practices in this new environment. OnePlan already integrates Microsoft Planner, Project for the web, Project Professional, Azure DevOps, and PowerApps. An organization can easily leverage its investment in Microsoft and reach its strategic portfolio management objectives by selecting OnePlan.
OnePlan: A Proven Partner in Strategic Portfolio Management
OnePlan’s track record as a proven partner in the strategic portfolio management space for Microsoft clouds adds to its credibility. Its success stories across various industries show its capability to adapt and deliver results in diverse organizational contexts. Read Case Studies and Stories
Conclusion
The integration of Microsoft Planner and Microsoft Project for the web represents a significant shift in the project management landscape within the Microsoft Cloud platform. For organizations looking to bridge the gap between strategy and execution, OnePlan is the key for organizations with advanced PPM needs. Its comprehensive features, strategic alignment capabilities, and proven track record make it an indispensable asset for organizations looking to thrive in this evolving environment.
OnePlan offers a robust, user-friendly, and strategically aligned solution, making it the best candidate for enterprises looking to transform their project management practices and achieve their strategic objectives effectively within the Microsoft Cloud platform.