Microsoft Undertaking could also be one of many prime undertaking administration software program choices available on the market, however is it the precise resolution to your improvement crew’s wants? We are going to provide help to determine that out by breaking down MS Undertaking’s execs, cons, and pricing on this evaluate.
Microsoft Undertaking’s Execs And Cons
As with most undertaking administration instruments, MS Undertaking has each its execs and cons. Fortunately, it has extra of the previous, making it a super undertaking administration resolution for skilled developer groups and undertaking managers who can get previous its quite steep studying curve.
What Are MS Undertaking’s Execs?
In case your crew already makes use of Microsoft merchandise, reminiscent of Microsoft 365, which may be the largest cause to make use of MS Undertaking. MS Undertaking works seamlessly with different Microsoft choices, giving developer groups entry to sturdy messaging, workplace productiveness, and database instruments by way of easy integration. And, if it’s essential handle complicated initiatives at scale, it is best to discover the next options proper up your alley.
Learn: Greatest Undertaking Administration Instruments for Builders
Versatility
Builders shouldn’t really feel constrained when utilizing Microsoft Undertaking, because it permits you to handle initiatives in a number of methods. It helps Agile and waterfall undertaking administration, hybrid methodologies, customized workflows, Kanban, Scrum, and extra. Should you place a premium on such versatility, you will see it right here, not like another PM software program that restricts its assist to extra fundamental initiatives.
Moreover providing assist for numerous software program improvement methodologies, Microsoft Undertaking will also be simply custom-made to suit your PM fashion of alternative. Whether or not you wish to add new duties, tweak the length, or add newsprints to a undertaking, you are able to do all of it with only a few clicks of your mouse.
Familiarity for Microsoft Followers
As talked about, MS Undertaking is right for customers of different Microsoft merchandise. It has an identical really feel to Excel, so if in case you have expertise with that software program or related spreadsheet options, it is best to have a neater time getting used to Undertaking. Nonetheless, simply as Excel has its personal studying curve that you will want to navigate to benefit from its options, you’ll have to do the identical right here.
Straightforward-To-Use Dwelling Display
Microsoft Undertaking’s dwelling display makes it tremendous easy to handle numerous initiatives at scale. It has a centralized view that offers you immediate entry to the data you want, and you should utilize it to open latest initiatives or begin new ones.
Learn: Undertaking Administration Software program for Builders
Highly effective Sufficient For Bigger Organizations
As you seek for undertaking administration software program, chances are you’ll discover that many are fitted to smaller groups or freshmen. That’s not essentially the case with Microsoft Undertaking, as it really works exceptionally effectively as PM software program for medium or massive organizations and improvement groups.
A number of Views
Workforce members and undertaking managers will love the truth that MS Undertaking permits you to handle initiatives through numerous views. Even higher, it offers you the ability to change between your favourite views on the fly. As your undertaking administration fashion and desires change, the software program can change with you, and this flexibility is one among MS Undertaking’s prime promoting factors.
Listed here are a number of the viewing choices that make Microsoft Undertaking an important undertaking administration software for software program improvement groups:
- Kanban board – Preferrred for taking a look at a software program undertaking’s general standing.
- Gantt chart – A visible timeline that helps you view the connection between duties and monitor dates.
- Grid view – Lists pending duties so you’ll be able to plan initiatives with ease.
Past a number of undertaking views, Microsoft Undertaking permits you to customise process boards to your liking.
Time Monitoring Instruments
One of many greatest causes groups use undertaking administration software program is to spice up effectivity. One technique to increase effectivity is to make sure that your builders’ time is effectively spent. That’s the place MS Undertaking’s timesheet submission characteristic comes into play. It lets every member monitor how they spend their time to higher estimate how lengthy it is going to take to finish duties and initiatives, whereas additionally seeing the place enchancment is required.
Microsoft Undertaking takes time monitoring to a different degree because it permits you to measure time spent on a process and allows you to classify the work accomplished. As an example, a crew member might fill out their timesheet, logging how lengthy it took to finish a selected process, reminiscent of coding a module or implementing a patch. As an added element, they might classify that process as upkeep, a system improve, or including performance, which may then be used for job costing, invoicing, and payroll.
Since many PM software program choices don’t embody time monitoring options, getting it through MS Undertaking on this superior format helps it stand out from a number of the competitors.
Learn: Undertaking Administration Software program for Sport Builders
Customized Reporting
You need to use Microsoft Undertaking to generate skilled experiences for private use or for sharing with stakeholders and executives by way of displays. Though MS Undertaking’s experiences could possibly be thought of complicated and high-level, they’re surprisingly easy to generate. Go to a web page’s reporting part and choose the specified knowledge, and you can be good to go. To make the report simpler to digest, you’ll be able to customise it with tables, visible components, and extra.
Useful resource Administration
Out of Microsoft Undertaking’s options, its useful resource administration could also be its most superior providing. With it, undertaking managers can assign duties primarily based on every crew member’s capability. You may also handle different objects moreover human sources, reminiscent of gear, {hardware}, software program, supplies, and extra, with loads of element.
Many undertaking administration options don’t embody useful resource administration as a normal characteristic, if in any respect, so getting it here’s a particular plus.
MS Undertaking’s Cons
Whereas Microsoft Undertaking has many execs in its favor, it additionally has just a few cons which will make you assume twice earlier than making it your PM software program of alternative.
Steep Studying Curve
MS Undertaking appears to be constructed beneath the belief that its customers are well-versed in undertaking administration ideas. As such, there are two sorts of people that profit most from Microsoft Undertaking: Technical customers and skilled undertaking managers. The PM software program isn’t engineered for freshmen. Even if in case you have normal technical data, you’ll probably battle to benefit from its sturdy characteristic set, even with tutorials at your disposal.
In case you are on the lookout for a undertaking administration resolution that you just and your total crew can get the deal with of proper off the bat, chances are you’ll wish to look elsewhere. MS Undertaking’s steep studying curve may show to be extra of a hindrance than a assist to your crew should you lack the technical data to navigate the software program efficiently.
Restricted Integrations
Should you place a premium on third-party integrations, MS Undertaking will not be your best match as a undertaking administration resolution. It’s primarily geared to work with Microsoft apps, so chances are you’ll be out of luck if you wish to combine with widespread developer instruments like Slack, Zapier, Salesforce, GitHub, and the like.
Collaboration
Microsoft Undertaking comes up brief within the collaboration division regardless of its many strengths. As an alternative of speaking with crew members inside MS Undertaking, you’ll have to accomplish that exterior of the software program with one thing like Skype, Groups, or Outlook.
Learn: What’s Agile Undertaking Administration Software program
How A lot Does Microsoft Undertaking Price?
MS Undertaking’s pricing is break up between cloud-based and on-premises options. Listed here are the cloud-based choices:
- Undertaking Plan 1 – Lets undertaking managers shortly handle initiatives by way of their net browser for $10 per person, per 30 days.
- Undertaking Plan 3 – The preferred choose, it provides scheduling instruments and superior options to execute initiatives through a desktop consumer or browser for $30 per person, per 30 days.
- Undertaking Plan 5 – Comes with demand administration options, portfolio optimization instruments, and extra for bigger organizations at the price of $55 per person, per 30 days.
Listed here are MS Undertaking’s on-premises choices:
- Undertaking Normal 2021 – Presents bare-bones undertaking administration with out superior options or collaborative instruments for $679.99.
- Undertaking Skilled 2021 – The really helpful choose, because it gives timesheets, useful resource administration instruments, and many others., for $1,129.99.
- Undertaking Server – A scalable on-premises undertaking portfolio administration resolution accessible by way of a neighborhood accomplice and could be bought by way of a 3rd get together.
Learn extra undertaking administration tutorials, comparisons, and software program critiques.