Easy-to-use Microsoft 365 tools ensure smooth project work. The familiar operating environment with its versatile tools enhances project management from project communication to planning and managing tasks.
Project work progresses smoothly when the use of easy-to-use tools is supported by consistent ways of working. In addition to ease of use, the findability, accessibility, timeliness, accuracy and transparency of information, documents and other resources are important factors in the management of project information.
Often, organizations plan and manage individual projects well, but challenges can be posed when it comes to managing the project portfolio and entities. The maintenance of information in project entities is usually perceived as a demanding task that takes a lot of time from project management.
From a comprehensive range of project management solutions, you can find options for different sizes and types of needs, depending on the organization and its project culture. Less often, however, one tool manages to meet all the needs of those working on projects.
In this case, it is worth concentrating the information on one tool that supports the work of project management, project managers and team members. In our experience, leveraging Microsoft 365 services in a familiar Microsoft operating environment streamlines project work.
Centralize your project work into Microsoft Teams
With Microsoft Teams, project work is made easier and faster when the application combines data and document management with project communication and reporting. Project-specific teams centralize information and documents, as well as other useful tools and data sources, in one place. For example, channels created according to the different phases and milestones of a project help to structure resources clearly.
Teams offers versatile functionalities for communication, online meetings and document management. Basic functionality, combined with other components of Microsoft 365, helps streamline your own work as well as that of your project team and management. Various workflows to automate project routines and data storage work through the Teams application with a few clicks.
In addition to self-directed work, Teams’ functionalities, such as processing information and documents with co-editing and commenting functions, as well as common project and task management tools, promote project team collaboration. With transparent work, information and communication, management of all aspects of the project from start to finish can be ensured.
Manage your project portfolio in Teams
In terms of project communication and data processing, Teams’ basic tools are well suited for working on an individual project. The easy integration of other tools and data sources into Teams makes it easier to maintain information about project entities.
Organized project portfolio management can increase transparency and consistency with project practices, as well as facilitate the maintenance of information in project entities, speeding up work and saving time. We offer various options for project portfolio management for both light and more robust project activities.
Project portfolio management in SharePoint
A project portfolio implemented on SharePoint is our lightest solution that centralizes all key project information into one place conveniently and easily. Projects can be filtered by different project metadata such as project manager and project type.
Our solution is adapted to the customer’s project process and is implemented using other tools in Microsoft 365, such as Planner task containers. Each project is displayed according to the project phase and, if necessary, gates with review questions can be added to the solution to facilitate the progress of the project in a coherent way. If necessary, the tool can also include resource management and project-related investments.
Microsoft Project for the Web for seamless project portfolio management
Microsoft Project for the Web (PfW) facilitates project management by visualizing information that is central to project management into a clear, comprehensible entity. The overall management of individual projects and the project portfolio is facilitated and accelerated by various functionalities such as visual views, roadmaps as a summary portfolio view, and interdependencies between tasks.
With the Power Apps interface, PfW compiles all the necessary information into an easily editable list view and project form. The usability of the tool is complemented by project reporting implemented with Power BI reports, which enhances the flow of information and smooth project work.
Project portfolio solution with Project
By utilizing Project Online or Project Server services, we can implement a more robust project center. Project’s visual views and various work management features also enhance the planning and management of project work tasks. For example, intelligent scheduling and interdependencies between tasks help to organize work tasks and outline the parts of the project.
Project Online also has comprehensive functionalities for managing larger programs and project portfolios, as well as managing resources and finances. Project Online is available as a desktop application in addition to the web version used with a browser.
Managing information and documents is greatly facilitated and time saved when the project portfolio is integrated into Teams and all the tools used in project work are part of an ecosystem of Microsoft 365 cloud services and Office 365 teams.
Solu 365 tool automates project management
Starting a project involves certain routine tasks, such as selecting and configuring appropriate tools and setting up a project team, which can be time-consuming.
Our Solu 365® automation tool helps you significantly simplify, speed up and streamline your project creation process. All the user must do is enter the required information and click a few times, and Solu 365 will create a new project with the Project for the Web tool and a Teams project group containing all the necessary tools.
An effortless and simple form guides the user through the project and project team setup steps. Predefined information for the new Teams group and its resources is automatically created in the metadata. Solu 365 creates Teams channels, document templates, or project and task management solutions defined for different usage needs in a new Teams group.
Want to hear more about our project management solutions? Contact us or book a project management demo!
Jari Kyläjärvi
Director, Partner
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