The MPUG Community

Microsoft Project Online retires September 2026. Learn why now is the time to plan your transition to modern portfolio management and join our free webinar on January 28.

Learn why CPM schedules are unrealistically optimistic due to merge bias and how understanding schedule uncertainty helps make better project crashing decisions.

Discover why experienced project managers are switching from traditional tools like Microsoft Project to modern platforms like Jira for better real-time visibility and collaboration.

Learn why Microsoft Project resource assignments fail due to calendar intersection rules and master advanced resource loading techniques to fix scheduling conflicts.

Discover five proven strategies to boost Microsoft Planner adoption in your organization, from starting with champions to integrating with Microsoft 365 tools.

Learn how to identify and engage hidden project stakeholders who can make or break your project success, with practical frameworks and real-world examples.

Discover key insights from Atlassian experts on implementing Jira effectively, from small team setups to enterprise-scale deployments, including practical tips for transitioning from traditional project management tools.

Discover how Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM) revolutionizes project delivery by optimizing schedules, managing buffers, and eliminating multitasking to deliver projects up to 25% faster than traditional methods.

Discover the unique value of accidental project managers, their challenges, and how targeted training can transform them into effective leaders in project management.

Discover how to balance AI and human expertise in project management using the 4 C’s Framework: Critical thinking, Communication, Creativity, and Collaboration.

Explore the new Microsoft Planner’s features, capabilities, and potential impact on project management, including insights from user experiences and details on live lessons.

Learn how to leverage mission statement analysis for effective stakeholder management, aligning organizational goals with stakeholder needs for better business outcomes.

For the past few months a number of MPUG members have been working with Envorso on a new AI tool for project managers called Empwr.ai. They recently started inviting project […]

Congratulations on earning your Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification! As a college graduate or project manager, you have demonstrated your expertise in the field of project management by successfully completing […]

Erik van Hurck is a Microsoft MVP and respected voice in the project management space. He’s a Senior PPM Consultant at Projectum, a Microsoft MVP, a prolific blogger at TheProjectCornerBlog.com, […]

The Project Management Institute’s latest Pulse of the Profession report highlights the rise of flexible, hybrid approaches, remote work trends, and the importance of continuous learning and empowering teams for driving project success.

Discover 5 proven tips for effectively managing conflicts in project management, fostering open communication, understanding root causes, practicing active listening, separating people from problems, and seeking win-win solutions to drive team collaboration and project success.

Project Management is a systematic and organized approach to planning, coordinating, and overseeing the work of a team to achieve a specific goal. It involves defining the project scope and […]

Discover the power of generative AI for your business with Microsoft Copilot Studio and the types of intelligent chatbots you can create.

Project managers, boost your reporting game with Power BI’s data modeling, calculated columns, custom visuals, dashboards, and Q&A features.

Learn key areas where AI is transforming project management and get simple ways to reduce overwhelm as you get started with AI.

Explore Buffer, lead and lag times for task dependencies, the latest enhancements in Microsoft Project for the web.

As we move further into 2024, the question of whether to upgrade to the latest version of Microsoft Project remains a common concern for project managers and organizations. With Microsoft […]

Discover the new unified Microsoft Planner, integrating task management tools for seamless work collaboration and efficiency across teams and projects.

Join our webinar on PfMP certification – your path to career growth. Learn the value of PfMP, explore exam domains, and discover the top five must-knows to become a PMI-PfMP. Elevate your portfolio management skills with us!

Pivot tables are powerful tools for data analysis. Learn how to create a pivot table, customize its appearance, and seamlessly alter its structure to suit your needs. This article provides a step-by-step guide, using a sales dataset as an example.

Jira is a popular project management tool with a specific structure and workflow. Understand Jiras project hierarchy, from initiatives and epics to stories and tasks. Learn how to set up a project, customize workflows, and follow best practices for effective team collaboration.

Jira is a powerful tool for agile project management. Learn about agile methodologies like Scrum and Kanban, and how Jira supports them. Understand Jiras project structure and workflow, and discover best practices for effective team collaboration and communication.

As Microsoft transitions away from Project Online to the new “Project for the web,” OnePlan’s innovative tools show promise for the future.

Microsoft Teams now allows users to convert chat messages into actionable tasks. Learn how to create tasks from messages, assign them to individuals or Planner plans, and explore additional features for streamlined task management within Teams.

Filtering data in Excels Pivot Tables allows you to focus on specific details. Learn how to use the dropdown arrow and filters box for basic and advanced filtering, and discover the power of Slicers for intuitive and visually appealing data refinement.

Get to grips with the essential prerequisites for the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification in our comprehensive guide. We detail the educational requirements, unique non-overlapping professional project management experience, and the necessary training, providing real-life examples and advice for aspirants.”

Are you looking to expand Microsoft Project’s PPM capabilities and want to include AI as well? Look no further than OnePlan!

Discover the seven symptoms of Business Professional Innovation Deficiency Syndrome (BPIDS) and learn strategic insights on fostering innovation in your project management practice. Transform failure into learning and embrace calculated risks for a thriving, dynamic business environment.

MPUG’s annual Vendor Showcase is a virtual event where you can explore the latest project management tools and services, earn PDUs, and connect with industry leaders. Learn about the benefits of attending and discover the exciting sessions lined up for this year’s showcase.

Scrum is a popular Agile framework for project management. This overview covers Scrum fundamentals, including its three pillars of empiricism, the Scrum framework cycle, and the roles and responsibilities of the Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Developers.

MPUG’s Vendor Showcase is a virtual event where you can explore the latest project management solutions, learn from industry experts, and connect with like-minded individuals. Discover the benefits of attending, including convenience, a welcoming environment, and privacy protection.

Participating in MPUG’s Vendor Showcase offers several benefits for product and service providers serving project managers. Learn how the showcase can help you save time and costs, connect with industry leaders, and expand your network through our platform.

How Jira works, how to avoid Jira faux-pas, creating a Jira ticket, Jira and agile, popular features, and Jira Project structures

OnePlan Project Portfolio Management provides a comprehensive view of an org’s strategic portfolio including costs, resources and timelines

Discover the power of Jira and data collaboration in Agile Project Management with expert insights, best practices, and Visor integration in this webinar.

Conflicting stakeholder interests can be a challenge in project management. Learn how to address these conflicts by promoting transparent communication, facilitating negotiation and compromise, relying on objective data, and implementing a stakeholder engagement plan.

This webinar discusses continuous development and introduces techniques and actions that will enable project managers to enhance their leadership skills/styles

According to PMI, among a diverse pool project professionals surveyed, “…there was consensus around the most critical power skills: communication, problem-solving, collaborative leadership, and strategic thinking.” However, project professionals seem to still be struggling to get support from organizations to develop their power skills.

Join us for a webinar series on Project for the web where we cover beginner to advanced topics about this tool.

Please find below highlights from Nenad Trajkovski’s session “Project for the web – Project creation through Scheduling” being provided by MPUG for the convenience of our members. You may wish […]

As discussed in our previous article, globalization has meant project managers have had to find different tools and different ways to manage a project successfully. Team members now aren’t only […]

Please find below a highlights from Dharmesh Patel’s session, Leveraging Office 365 and Microsoft Teams for Project Management, being provided by MPUG for the convenience of our members. You may […]

Please find below highlights from Dharmesh Patel’s session, Leveraging Office 365 and Microsoft Teams for Project Management, being provided by MPUG for the convenience of our members. You may wish to […]

What is Microsoft Teams chat? Microsoft Teams Chat is at the center of everything that Microsoft Teams does, be that on a one-to-one basis or in a group, or in the teams or channels area. Knowing how to use teams optimally will ensure better collaboration and communication amongst teams.

We’re pretty excited about this event lineup,so we saved a seat just for you. UPCOMING LIVE WEBINARS WBS Schedule Pro presentation with Critical Tools September 14 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 […]

Certificate Programs Have Launched MPUG is working for you to enhance training opportunities and offerings. In addition to 800 hours of on-demand classes and courses for tools like Excel, JIRA, […]

It’s been a busy summer here at MPUG. We launched two courses, Scheduling Practitioner and Advanced Scheduling Practitioner, which follow PMI’s Scheduling Professional fundamental guidelines….and we’re getting ready to bring […]

We are excited to announce that in partnership with author, Sam Huffman, MPUG is giving away a not-to-miss project management resource to all our current and new members! As we’ve […]

As you may have seen, we’ve taken a short break on live events this summer. That doesn’t mean things are quiet here at MPUG, though! We are excited to provide […]

Did you know that if you are a PMI member, the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK)® Guide Seventh Edition in PDF format is available to download for FREE? You […]

The export option in Power Automate allows you to package a flow as a ZIP file, which can be shared across different environments or organizations. This is the ultimate way […]

We found Microsoft’s recent publication, Modern Project Management for Manufacturing, to be an excellent read explaining how project management within the field of manufacturing can be streamlined with one connected […]

Are you a PMP who has recently attended a MPUG webinar or course? We always provide an Activity Code for you to report your earned credits to PMI. Here’s how […]

MPUG experts have developed quick reference guides so you can efficiently run with the big dogs using Microsoft Project, Project Online and Project for the web.  

Event Description: This course provides an overview of how to manage a project’s resources, timeline and cost through effective critical path modeling using Microsoft Project. This step by step approach addresses […]

Please find below a transcription of the audio portion of Sam Bell’s course, Critical Path Modeling Using Microsoft Project (Lesson 2: Leveraging Work and Predecessor Types to Structure the Plan), […]

Event Description: This course provides an overview of how to manage a project’s resources, timeline and cost through effective critical path modeling using Microsoft Project. This step by step approach addresses […]

Last year, we ran a poll and asked which tools, alongside Microsoft Project, you’re using within the Microsoft ecosystem and beyond to manage your projects. One of our top responses […]

Please find below a transcription of the audio portion of Sam Bell’s course, Critical Path Modeling Using Microsoft Project (Lesson 1: Estimating Resources and Using Resource Calendars), being provided by […]

Event Description: This course provides an overview of how to manage a project’s resources, timeline and cost through effective critical path modeling using Microsoft Project. This step by step approach addresses […]

We know it takes a community to build top-quality, useful content. In 2021, we asked you to share your biggest frustration with the project management tool(s) that you use. Then, […]

Community leader and Master Scheduler, Angelo J. Arcoleo, shared this cool Microsoft® Project holiday wish with us: Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas and a Happy & Healthy New […]

Remember the time we interviewed Microsoft Project Do’s and Don’ts author, Sam Huffman, and asked the question, “Do you think Santa might use MSP?” Sam’s response was a good one: […]

We are surveying MPUG members and asking, “What are you using besides Microsoft Project to round out your project management toolbox?” Here are the results that we have got so […]

We wouldn’t be the community we are with our members, and we want you to know how thankful we are. Every time you interact with MPUG, whether it be with […]

We surveyed MPUG members asking, “What is your biggest frustration, issue, bug, or pain point with the Microsoft Project tool?” The results are in….     We’re addressing these frustrations […]

Create your own user feedback survey

We recently got this message from MPUG member, Varun Gupta: I was hired to work for a residential and commercial real estate development company recently. On my first day of […]

We searched through our MPUG archives to bring you the scariest project management stories of all time. Have one of your own to add? We welcome your submissions between now […]

We’re featuring 99 of our favorite “tips and tricks” to celebrate this month’s $99 Sale! Members and teams get 23% off your annual membership renewal or annual subscription now through September 30th! To […]

$99 Sale!  Members and teams get 23% off your annual membership renewal or annual subscription now through September 30th!  To lock in a discount on your annual subscription price use […]

With so many MPUG members taking advantage of our live and on-demand webinars and courses, we often get questions about how to download a transcript or class history from our […]

MPUG holds live events almost every week. We have an ever-expanding library of expert led courses, and our content is always available on demand. It’s exciting to have so many […]

We recently ran a survey asking you to share your biggest frustration with available project management tools. As you can imagine, we’ve gotten some interesting results. One user responded and […]

We’d like to invite you to take a moment to share your biggest frustration, problem, issue, bug, or pain point with the project management tool(s) that you use. We’ll use […]

PMI recently rolled out a new Authorized Training Partner Program (A.T.P.) designed to help project managers find high-quality training from trusted organizations. For MPUG, there’s really no change here. We’ve […]

MPUG is trusted by over 700,000 enterprise project managers worldwide, is a PMI® REP, and the Microsoft Industry Association for over ten years. We are offering an opportunity to get […]

The NY Times recently featured a piece by J. D. Biersdorfer on the topic of continuing education via online courses. Many of us finding our routines shaken up right now, […]

The new MPUG.com is live! We are excited about improved usability and making learning about project management easier than ever for you across all platforms. If you missed it, check […]

Due to Covid-19, MPUG has seen many in our network experience sudden changes in their projects and/or employment. Some have lost their jobs entirely. Emily Gray has been working in […]

MPUG wishes to congratulate a few of our own contributors on being presented (yet again, for many) with the 2020-2021 Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) award.   Having just been […]

  We’ve all heard that the PMP Exam is changing. It has also been strongly suggested that anyone who is considering taking the PMP exam should take the test before the […]

Do you represent a business who offers products or services designed to support project managers? Each year MPUG holds a vendor showcase – a virtual “trade show” – designed to […]

Health care organizations team with cross-industry partners to address the shortage of personal protective equipment, increase safety. In response to a nationwide shortage of personal protective equipment, or PPE, for […]

Have extra time on your hands? Complete a MPUG educational webinar series for PDU’s today. We offer sessions at Beginner, Intermediate, and Expert levels. Not a MPUG member? Get instant […]

At the Project Management Institute (PMI)® Global Conference in Philadelphia, PA last year, Cornelius Fichtner from The PM Podcast had the opportunity to attend two workshops which addressed the development […]

Cornelius Fichtner of The PM Podcast recently recorded an episode on how Brightline is bridging the gap between strategy design and delivery. He welcomed Brightline’s Executive Director, Ricardo Vargas, to […]

We heard from Jared Spataro, Corporate VP for Microsoft 365, a few days ago with a big announcement! The new MS Project has rolled out to customers worldwide, and with […]

As project managers, we depend on certain tools to help steer our teams and our projects. Last year, PCMag rolled out a survey to their readers on which of these […]

As Tim Runcie’s recent excellent article on the topic pointing out, Agile methodology helps to create processes, procedures, and ultimately results. Infused with a time-phased, metrics-driven engine that delivers visibility […]

Originally published on Wrike Blog. Used with permission. Happy employees are an invaluable asset to any company. They radiate positivity, camaraderie, and tend to stick around for a while. In […]

  Download the Presentation Slides   Project Management Institute (PMI)® Professional Development Units (PDUs): This Webinar is eligible for 1 PMI® PDU in the Technical category of the Talent Triangle. […]

We hope you enjoyed MPUG’s 2019 Vendor Showcase. We heard from companies like Prosperi, Critical Tools, and Barbecana. There’s no better way to learn about the latest Microsoft Project-related apps, […]

Originally published on Wrike Blog. Used with permission. Critical path, scope creep, Kanban. If these words are foreign to you, you probably aren’t a project manager. Additionally, you may not […]