track Keep track of project schedule, discussions, files, who’s working on what and reports from beginning to end—all in one place with Project Online.

Project Online allows you to quickly and easily keep your team on the same page, work together however that’s best and provide relevant information to the right person at the right time.

More importantly, you can make the most out of Project Online by integrating it with tools that you already use like Microsoft Windows, Office, mobile devices and even non-Microsoft technologies. Are you excited?

Let’s get started!

Author Dux Raymond Sy delivered an in-depth look at the Fast Track to Project Management Success during a live webinar with MPUG on May 17. Watch the session on-demand to gain a better understanding of the topic.

Deliver Effective Team Collaboration

1. Quickly Get Your Team On The Same Page

The way in which many information workers get their jobs done is through tools like email, and other local system technologies to capture information, share information, and participate in the collaboration activities. Typically this results in every user using their own tools; and that information is stored locally on their client system. Presuming a number of comprehensive processes are in place, having information residing at each user level, then this may not be an issue. However, most organizations (regardless of size) have limited capability to develop and support complicated, automated processes to surface local information for all to see. Often, organizations have teams (large, globally dispersed teams) who have different responsibilities and levels of participation.

With Project Online, the days of disparate information and disconnected groups across the organization are over. The key to enabling teams and members of various teams to quickly access, contribute and consume project-specific information is utilizing Project Sites. Project sites are the project management information management repository where documents, discussions, calendar events and anything support the project will me. Every project can and should have its own information management site. Creating project sites with unique configurations is literally a few clicks. This allows users and teams to quickly spin up the proper technology, without sacrificing the integrity if governance, policies or inevitably burying critical information.

Relevant Links

2. Facilitate Efficient Communication

Project management effectiveness in any organization is conditional upon consistence and relevant information. Information that is more centralized and accessible by many users leads to more efficient tracing and decision-making related to programs. The lifecycle of a program includes disseminating relevant information (such as assignments) to responsible parties. Adding efficiencies is having the ability to collaborate on assignments as a team, regardless where you are and what device you are using.

Team progress and jointly completing assignments is successful when users are empowered to use many tools and access devices, as well as various means of work. Questions may arise, and jumping on an instant message is an effective way business users can communicate.

By not limiting user group’s access to the information, as well as abilities to communicate and collaborate, organizations using Project Online will enable users to instant message and update progress using a smart phone, or other web-based device. Because the project information resides in one, central location, teams will be scheduling meetings, facilitating discussions, answering emails and updating documents from anywhere, anytime. This is an intelligent way to rally around one versions of the project truth. Governance and organizational policies are maintained without restricting the rhythm of the project.

Relevant Links

- Report the status of your tasks
- Add or remove a timesheet task (line)

Overview: Track your time and task progress

3. Utilize Project Professional for Advanced Scheduling

Collaborating around relevant project information is key to project success, but fundamentally it is the breakdown and sequencing of work packages that is the foundation. Going a step further, successful project delivery is impossible without scheduling assignments, progressing those assignments and tracking towards completion. Until Project Online, options were limited for users to have the ability to do light-duty project progress, and more comprehensive project planning and control. The options were an either/or scenario, where some user groups operated at a more advanced project scheduling level, while others were immature.With Project Online’s Click –to Run, users can easily install Microsoft Project Professional 2013 from the browser. Now, highly skilled project managers can take advantage of all Project Online has to offer for both web-based tools and Microsoft Project Professional on the local client machine.

With Project Online, complex schedules and resource plans can be created, progressed and changed; while the out from the schedule propagates through the system. Users will receive updates/assignments in Outlook, their personal page, or web device such as pcs, smart phones, or tablets.

Relevant Links

4. Streamline Document Management

Now, teams can use Project Online applications as they would with local tools. Time is money, and saving time translates in to real bottom-line results. Typically, timesaving initiatives are more of a cultural change, then a complimentary advantage. Imagine enabling business user groups to share information more quickly without sacrificing the integrity of the content. Drag and drop one or multiple files enables quicker sharing of information. Now add co-authoring (regardless of device or access). This is project information management in hands of the users that are accountable.

Relevant Links

Export your project to Microsoft Excel

Work Together Proactively

1. Update Project Status Effectively

Project management effectiveness, as a function of work management lifecycle, really only works if the work packages move from a ‘planning’ cycle to a ‘execution’ cycle. Keeping with the theme of user-based business results, having consistent project updates regardless of the situation is bottom-line results. Company assumptions are that people will be multi-tasking (yes, that 1990’s term). In reality, providers of action are responsible to meet many demands. Capturing the status of activities in Project Online means users can update via a Project Management web app, email or newsfeeds and even via mobile devices — all this without sacrificing information integrity or adding excessive demands to already busy business users. Moreover, these actions are not isolated in silod technologies. These updates will be propagated to the appropriate managers and owners of the assignments.

Relevant Links

- Work with a SharePoint task list in Project Web App
- Overview: Track your time and task progress

Change permission management in Project Web App for Project Online

2. Manage Multiple Projects and Resources Across Your Enterprise

The global workforce continues to adapt to the growing demands of assignments, requests and actions. While information is now being driven via multiple devices, business users are able to manage the workload effectively. Historically, the efficiencies of workers was constrained by the technological capabilities. Project Online is designed to enable workers to balance many assignments, across multiple project/program campaigns.

Project information is located across the entire organization, at varying degrees of details.

Project Online centralizes the people details in a Resource Center that allows companies to consolidate the project information from many locations and states to view against availability of people.

Now organizations can allow parts of the company to use Project Online for their work management needs, without limiting the visibility of actions by the people.

Relevant Links

- Add an existing SharePoint task list to Project Web App

3. Automate Project Processes

Project management leverages the use of company processes, governance and policies. These often are constraints, as time, costs and decisions threaten the progress and successful completion of projects. Project Online enables more business users to contribute to the project requirements, and processes can be tailored across the organization, without the limitations of a specific tool. Putting the ability for workflows and other automations of the project in the hands of the users will enable organizations to self-mature at their pace. Microsoft 2013 has improved demand management capabilities. Now that the technology is easier to use, and actions quicker to initiate; business user habits will naturally adopt to the tools, and results will be measurable.

Relevant Links

- Use Excel 2013 to create a new Project Web App report

Visualize Relevant Project Metrics

1. Gain Insight Into Key Performance Indicators

One version of the truth, and then report on it! The use of metrics is an organizations’ way to visually and more quickly surface relevant status of programs. Programs and projects WILL change over time, and as they progress. The nature of iterative progress is without intervention a program’s tendency is to trend towards failure. Similar to driving a car, it takes consistent, incremental movements to keep the car on the road. Additionally, the driver needs to know critical details, such as destination, path to destination, resources (e.g. petrol), etc. The driver (as the decision maker) depends on dials, gauges, audio and other visual input to ensure success to destination. Programs and their projects provides a plethora of raw data, that can be converted to metrics.Project Online enables decision makers to roll down/up data, filter and analyze through the use of a variety of visual artifact and various metrics; initiated by the end user. This self-service project intelligence will be a fundamental component to project and program success. Business intelligence using Microsoft’s Project 2013 is really Project Intelligence.

There are more ways to access and display the information, with rich reports and functionality available out of the box. Whether you need an Agile report, or dashboards, Microsoft 2013 provides an advanced business platform for most users in your organizations.

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