Many would say that MS Project is dead, or at least dying. Microsoft’s Project for the web (P4W) is being used more and more in everyday project management. The software still has a lot of things missing compared to the good ol’ desktop version and/or the online version, but it’s inevitable that P4W is becoming a replacement to previous versions. Every single month, Microsoft adds new features to the P4W software. It is fairly easy to use it, but, one still needs to be careful! For example, if you make some errors in setup, you may bump into unexpected results and find yourself frustrated.
If you are asking yourself if you should switch to Project for the web, you are asking the wrong question. It is not about if you should or shouldn’t, but when and how! There are many reasons for this, but most important is that Microsoft is not improving “old” Project, but rather investing all efforts into P4W.
5 Project for the Web Tips
I’d like to share five tips for using Project for the web successfully.
- Be cautious, but make a generic resource for the calendar template.
- Apply the proper calendar template when you create your project. If you make a mistake and have to edit the calendar template, you will not see those changes.
- Be aware of Microsoft Groups, which will be used in conjunction with your project. You cannot change these settings after the new project is created.
- Use the MS Teams channel associated with your project for the best communication,
- Use Accelerator, the wonderful Microsoft app made by Powerapps, to manage your projects, programs, and portfolios.
If you are still wondering how P4W is structured and how to easily start using it, I’ve teamed up with MPUG to offer a course on the topic. It begins here: Project Management with Project for the Web.
The course will provide an overview of Project for the web, as well as cover the differences between “classic” Project desktop and P4W. You will learn how to create a new project, which fields are available, and how to create custom fields for specific project needs. After that, you will learn how to create a project from a template, customize it, copy the project, and delete it, as needed. I will also cover how to create a good schedule and track project progress in different way.
In the second class, you will learn how to assign resources to project tasks, create groups, and how to apply filters on a project. You will learn about creating notes and attaching files to tasks. Finally, you will learn how to create a project right from Teams and how is Microsoft Teams is connected to P4W. There is a lot of collaboration potential here!
The third class will cover Project Accelerator. You will learn how to create projects using it, how to customize choices, and how to define risks, issues, and changes using the Accelerator app.
I look forward to having you join me. Links to the course lessons are below:
- Project Management with Project for the web: Lesson one – Using Project for the web from creating thru scheduling to tracking
- Project Management with Project for the web: Lesson two – Resources, groups, attachments, collaboration, and using Teams with Project for the web
- Project Management with Project for the web: Lesson three – How to use the Project Accelerator application as an extension for P4W
Susan Bell
Hi – I’m curious to know if you’ve seen examples of organizations that have transitioned to Project for the Web and use timesheet actuals to update the project plans. We are heavily invested in this process, but would love to take advantage of many of the features of P4W. Thanks.