Microsoft tends to dominate the areas it occupies. However being huge and loud doesn’t imply it delivers on these huge and loud guarantees. That’s definitely the case with Microsoft PPM (venture portfolio administration) merchandise. They are typically costly and sophisticated.
However let’s give Microsoft venture portfolio administration merchandise their due. We’ll assessment the perfect Microsoft PPM software program and see what every can do and what it might’t do. First, we’ll clarify what it’s and who ought to use it. Then we’ll assessment the perfect merchandise Microsoft has for managing a number of tasks to assist customers make an knowledgeable determination.
What Is Microsoft PPM Software program?
A Microsoft PPM instrument is software program that helps organizations handle and prioritize their tasks, packages and portfolios. Nevertheless, that doesn’t imply that these instruments are solely venture portfolio administration options. Whereas MS Venture is the first PPM providing, there’s a broader Microsoft PPM ecosystem that features the next merchandise that assist handle a number of tasks.
- Microsoft Venture: Plans, schedules and tracks venture duties, timelines and sources
- Microsoft Venture On-line: Cloud-based model of MS Venture
- Microsoft Viva Insights (for PPM): Knowledge-driven insights into workforce collaboration and particular person productiveness
- Energy BI (Enterprise Intelligence): Superior reporting and information visualization
- Microsoft Groups: Permits workforce members to speak, collaborate and share information, duties and updates
The important thing options of venture portfolio administration software program embrace venture planning and scheduling, useful resource administration, reporting and analytics, collaboration and communication and integration with third-party apps. Microsoft doesn’t have a monopoly on these instruments and plenty of venture portfolio administration software program merchandise give Microsoft a run for much less cash.
ProjectManager is award-winning portfolio administration software program that permits customers to group and manage tasks, handle sources throughout a portfolio and accumulate invaluable venture information to make extra insightful choices. The portfolio abstract offers an summary of progress and a breakdown of all of the tasks by time, value, workload and extra. Portfolio managers can monitor progress, prices and hours in actual time with the data that our enterprise-grade safety and project-level tasks are holding information protected. Plus, schedule sources throughout tasks, monitoring time and labor prices with safe timesheets. Get began with ProjectManager at the moment at no cost.
Who Ought to Use Microsoft PPM Software program?
Microsoft PPM is finest fitted to organizations that handle a number of tasks, packages or portfolios throughout varied enterprise capabilities. In these conditions, it’s preferrred for a wide range of professionals because it helps align tasks with enterprise targets, optimize sources and monitor efficiency. Listed below are just some professionals who’re helped by Microsoft venture portfolio administration.
Venture Portfolio Managers
Venture portfolio managers are liable for managing a set of tasks and packages to make sure they align with the group’s strategic plans. They assess and prioritize tasks based mostly on their strategic worth, accessible sources and potential returns.
Venture Administration Workplaces
Additionally referred to as a venture portfolio administration workplace, a venture administration workplace (PMO) is a division or workforce inside or exterior to a company that standardizes and oversees venture administration processes and methodologies throughout the group. They implement venture administration requirements, templates and finest practices, guarantee consistency in venture execution, monitor efficiency towards key efficiency indicators (KPIs) and guarantee tasks align with company technique.
Program Managers
Program managers oversee a gaggle of associated tasks, referred to as a program, that contribute to a bigger enterprise goal. They oversee a number of interconnected tasks, making certain they align with strategic targets and that sources are distributed successfully throughout this system.
7 Prime Microsoft PPM Software program
For these tasked with managing a number of tasks, which Microsoft PPM software program is the fitting selection? Let’s take a look at the highest merchandise the corporate provides and what their execs and cons are to assist shoppers make an knowledgeable determination.
1. Microsoft Venture Commonplace
Microsoft Venture Commonplace is broadly used for venture administration. Whereas it’s primarily designed for managing particular person tasks, it additionally has venture portfolio administration options, although extra restricted than different Microsoft merchandise on this record. Nonetheless, it has complete venture planning and scheduling instruments, comparable to Gantt charts with job dependencies and milestones. There are job and useful resource administration options to allocate sources and monitor progress. Customers can create and handle venture budgets, monitor prices and analyze monetary efficiency.
That mentioned, there are restricted portfolio administration capabilities. It lacks the portfolio-level performance wanted to prioritize, monitor and handle a number of tasks concurrently throughout a company. There’s additionally no on-line collaboration in addition to no choice for these utilizing Apple merchandise. The useful resource administration for a number of tasks can also be missing as is the superior portfolio reporting and analytics to observe KPIs, danger evaluation and different strategic insights with out buying further instruments. It doesn’t combine with Microsoft Venture Server or provide superior PPM options like portfolio optimization, venture governance or automated workflows accessible in Venture On-line.
2. Microsoft Venture Skilled
Microsoft Venture Skilled is a complicated model of Microsoft Venture and provides a variety of options that help extra complicated venture planning, scheduling and useful resource administration. It nonetheless isn’t a full-fledged Microsoft PPM software program.
That mentioned, it helps some points of venture portfolio administration and is often utilized by organizations for project-level administration, useful resource allocation and even managing a number of tasks to some extent. It has complete useful resource administration capabilities, together with monitoring useful resource utilization throughout tasks and resource-leveling.
This Microsoft venture portfolio administration software program remains to be primarily used for particular person tasks. It doesn’t have the superior portfolio analytics, strategic alignment or real-time venture visibility wanted to handle portfolios. It additionally lacks cloud-based collaboration. Like many Microsoft tasks, there’s a steep studying curve and its person interface will be overwhelming for brand spanking new or occasional customers. There’s reporting, however not superior portfolio-level reporting options. There’s additionally no centralized portfolio dashboard. Add to that the expense and this received’t be a good selection for organizations on a price range or small groups.
Associated: Microsoft Venture vs. ProjectManager
3. Microsoft Venture On-line
Microsoft Venture On-line is cloud-based Microsoft PPM software program with instruments for managing tasks, portfolios, sources and schedules throughout a company in actual time. It integrates with different MS 365 instruments and offers enhanced collaboration, reporting and analytics. This can be a true PPM instrument with centralized portfolio administration, superior useful resource administration and venture prioritization and alignment capabilities.
It additionally integrates with Energy BI (extra on that instrument in a second) to supply superior reporting and analytics capabilities, comparable to customized dashboards and experiences to trace portfolio efficiency, useful resource utilization, prices and different KPIs.
This, nevertheless, is a fancy instrument and might want to commit a superb period of time to coaching to clear the training hurdle. There’s additionally a worth hurdle to clear. As a result of this can be a subscription-based Microsoft PPM, the fee will be excessive relying on the variety of customers and the options required. Different points embrace restricted superior customization or customized workflows in comparison with different PPM software program choices. Oddly, it’s not totally built-in with all Microsoft instruments and those it does combine with will be difficult to totally join with. Bear in mind, that is a web-based instrument with restricted offline performance.
Associated: Microsoft Venture On-line: Execs, Cons and Finest Options
4. Microsoft Energy BI
Microsoft Energy BI is a enterprise analytics instrument used for information visualization, reporting and enterprise intelligence. Whereas not particularly designed as a Microsoft PPM software program, it may be used to boost PPM by offering superior reporting, information evaluation and visualization capabilities for tasks and portfolios. Customers can create dynamic dashboards and experiences to show key metrics like venture progress, useful resource utilization, price range well being and dangers.
Perceive that this isn’t a full venture portfolio administration software program. It’s a instrument that gives reporting and evaluation. It lacks elementary options comparable to venture scheduling, job administration, useful resource allocation, time monitoring and collaboration on duties. Due to this fact, one should pay for this instrument and PPM software program to get rounded protection. It’s additionally complicated software program and never really helpful for non-technical customers because it requires information integration setup.
5. Microsoft Dynamics 365
Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a set of purposes for enterprise useful resource planning (ERP) and buyer relationship administration (CRM), nevertheless it additionally offers Microsoft PPM capabilities. That is primarily by means of the venture operations module. It helps organizations handle their complete venture life cycle, from planning and useful resource allocation to execution, budgeting and reporting. Customers can handle a number of tasks concurrently, monitor sources, forecast venture efficiency and optimize operations.
Nevertheless, whereas it provides a strong platform for managing tasks, it is probably not as centered or specialised as standalone Microsoft PPM software program. Like many MS merchandise, it’s additionally sophisticated and has a steep studying curve in addition to a excessive value, particularly for smaller organizations. This instrument isn’t as specialised as different PPM software program, that are tailor-made particularly for venture and portfolio administration. Additionally, take into account that it requires devoted IT sources, which might result in further prices and delays in implementation.
6. Microsoft Sharepoint
Microsoft Sharepoint is primarily a collaboration and doc administration platform, however many organizations use it as a instrument to help Microsoft PPM software program. It provides capabilities like doc sharing, workforce collaboration, workflow administration and integration with different Microsoft instruments. This makes it an appropriate platform for managing a number of tasks, notably in an setting the place doc administration and collaboration are key.
Once more, this isn’t a devoted PPM instrument, however one which have to be used with different instruments. That is going to have an effect on a company’s price range and have to be taken under consideration earlier than buy. There are restricted venture administration options, for instance, no built-in planning instruments, value administration options or instruments to handle sources. It appears like a damaged document, nevertheless it’s necessary to notice as with many different Microsoft tasks, this requires a fancy setup and customization, plus a steep studying curve.
7. Microsoft Energy Automate
Microsoft Energy Automate is a cloud-based service that permits customers to automate workflows and duties throughout totally different purposes and providers. It’s not a devoted Microsoft PPM software program, however it might play a task in supporting PPM processes by automating repetitive duties, streamlining workflows and integrating venture administration programs with different instruments and purposes. This enhances the general effectivity of managing a venture portfolio, even when it isn’t a full-fledged venture portfolio administration resolution.
This has restricted superior venture administration options. It may’t create and handle timelines, assign duties to sources or monitor venture milestones. It’s designed for non-technical customers, constructing complicated workflows should still require some technical experience and time devoted to studying how to take action. There’s additionally restricted reporting and analytics, that are usually a part of PPM software program. The software program helps integrations, however there could also be difficulties in connecting sure purposes, particularly customized or legacy programs.
Easy methods to Open & Edit Microsoft Venture Recordsdata Utilizing ProjectManager
We’ve already proven how ProjectManager is superior to Microsoft PPM, however for a lot of, the choice of abandoning this costly and sophisticated software program isn’t on the desk. It could be built-in inside a big group and customers are caught with it. There’s, nevertheless, an answer. ProjectManager can import and export Microsoft Venture Recordsdata (MPP), which permits one to edit, collaborate after which export the file with all modifications intact. Right here’s how.
1. Begin a Free Trial
First, create an account with ProjectManager. It’s free for 30 days and doesn’t require a bank card. Simply observe this hyperlink and get entry to our venture portfolio administration instruments.
2. Import MPP Recordsdata Into ProjectManager on the Gantt Chart View
Go to the Gantt chart view. Click on on the import icon, which appears like a field with a downward arrow piercing it from the highest. It’s on the highest right-hand facet.
3. Choose the MPP File You Wish to Import
A window will pop up. Seek for the MPP file that you simply need to import.
4. Select Your MPP File Import Choices
You possibly can import a brand new or present venture. If an present one is chosen, select it from the dropdown menu. Give it a reputation for a brand new venture, and it is going to be created when the import is full.
5. Import All Knowledge or Simply the Process Listing
At this level, import solely the duty record or all the information. All the information contains duties, assignees, dependencies and related deliberate job information, not precise job information, attachments or feedback.
6. Shut the Success Immediate
When the success popup seems, it’s executed. Customers now have entry to all of the PPM instruments in our software program to collaborate, edit, and even work with workforce members who use Apple merchandise.
ProjectManager Is a Higher PPM Device Than Microsoft Venture Portfolio Administration Software program
When customers get an opportunity to kick the tires in our software program they’ll see that ours is the superior choice to Microsoft PPM software program. We now have a collaborative platform, the place customers can share information, remark on the job degree and keep up to date with notifications. There are automated workflows which have job approval settings for high quality assurance. We’ve already famous how our useful resource administration options for PPM are in depth, however that’s solely the beginning of how ProjectManager helps packages and portfolios ship on strategic targets.
Actual-Time Price, Time and Price Knowledge Venture Portfolio Dashboards
There are a number of choices for monitoring portfolio efficiency. For a high-level overview, toggle to the portfolio administration dashboard with filters for particular insights. It robotically captures reside information from all tasks and shows them on easy-to-read graphs and charts that present KPIs comparable to time, value, workload and extra. Maintain stakeholders knowledgeable with in-depth PPM instruments to share progress. Customizable portfolio standing experiences will be filtered to focus on standing, buyer, precedence and extra.
Venture, Program and Portfolio Roadmaps
Use PPM roadmaps to gather all of the tasks in a portfolio or program. They’re displayed on one Gantt chart, which is supplied with useful resource administration, time monitoring and job administration options. Filter the roadmap by the assignee, venture supervisor or buyer to make forecasts. View which tasks are open and who’s assigned duties. Spotlight key metrics for stakeholders to maintain them knowledgeable.
Associated Content material on Microsoft Venture Administration Instruments
There are a number of Microsoft venture administration instruments and we’ve reviewed them or have spotlights Microsoft Venture alternate options that do the identical job, however higher. For many who need to delve into extra articles on Microsoft and portfolio administration, beneath are a handful of hyperlinks to observe.
ProjectManager is on-line venture and portfolio administration software program that connects groups whether or not they’re within the workplace, on the job website or out within the subject. They’ll share information, remark on the job degree and keep up to date with electronic mail and in-app notifications. Be part of groups at Avis, Nestle and Siemens who use our software program to ship profitable tasks. Get began with ProjectManager at the moment at no cost.
