TrustRadius Insights for Microsoft Project are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, third party data sources.
Pros
Collaborative Features: Users have expressed appreciation for the collaborative task assignment feature in Microsoft Project, citing its usefulness in streamlining project scheduling and enhancing team coordination. This feature allows users to assign tasks collaboratively, ensuring that all team members are aligned on project timelines and responsibilities.
Robust Resource Management Tools: Numerous users have found the resource management tools in Microsoft Project to be comprehensive and detailed, facilitating effective tracking of resource utilization across various projects. By utilizing these tools, users can optimize resource allocation, monitor availability, and prevent overloading specific team members.
Timeline Visualization: Chart functionalities have garnered praise from users for their ability to offer a visual representation of project timelines, aiding in planning tasks and managing resources efficiently. Users rely on this feature to visualize dependencies between tasks, identify critical paths, and track progress effectively throughout the project lifecycle.
Microsoft
Project is used for que PMO Team and all Project Managers to organize tasks,
create schedules, planning resources capacity, create Gantt Charts and issue
reports. The product helps to estimate deadlines, calculate workload,
estimate budget, analize future scenarios for the projects and also is an
important tool to monitor the projects execution.
Pros
It organizes and groups tasks easily.
It allows to input resources costs and calculates totals.
It's possible create different types of fields customization.
It issues many types of usefull reports.
Cons
Implement some intelligence into formula creation by checking for errors in real time.
Have the planning percentage field as default.
In the print functionality, create an option to omit the table on the left showing only the Gantt chart.
Likelihood to Recommend
Microsoft
Project is well suited for waterfall projects, considering some features such
as task sequencing and timelines with phases and milestones. For agile
projects, Microsoft Project is not so good, especially when using an agile
methodology, such as Scrum. Agile projects need some specific features, such
as backlog control and sprint backlog.
VU
Verified User
Project Manager in Information Technology (1001-5000 employees)
We use Microsoft Project to manage new product launches, engineering changes and supplier transitions.
Pros
Team collaboration
Create To-Do plans
Advanced scheduling
Task management
Cons
Integrate "Agile" methodologies functions like Jira/Miro
Incorporate burn down charts
Provide quick and easy tutorials to integrate Power BI and Copilot
Likelihood to Recommend
I personally prefer Microsoft Planner or Jira. I think is very intuitive, easy to use and have a lot of drag and drop options; which we appreciate when we use with people with a lot of experience in the company (older team members).
We use it to track jobs for all 12 members of our engineering team. As we have a number of tasks and many members we are able to easliy see everything in our weekly meetings and assign new tasks based on workload. It is quite valuable to everyone including our manager for scheduling especially during our busy season.
Pros
easily assign resources everyone can see
drag and drop in timeline view saves time
puts everyones workload in a calendar view
Cons
it is integrated to other microsoft products
it is not a fully standalone solution
took work to integrate web version with desktop version
Likelihood to Recommend
This works well since we have other tools in microsoft 365 enfiroment. This is also a good tool for simple project management where you need a timeline and need to keep track of tasks. We have a large team to manage and it works well so everyone can see the tasks for the whole team.
Personally, I am using Microsoft Project mainly to track my progress in my tasks. This is very helpful for me as I am doing a lot of tasks every day. Also, I'm using this to create a schedule so I would what would be my priority on the specific day.
Pros
Project Tracker
Scheduling
Project/Tasks Management
Cons
There's just one I don't like about it, or I don't know if it's just my computer that it hangs sometimes.
Likelihood to Recommend
I am the person who easily forget things, I can really track my progress, or I don't have the best time management when it comes to work. So, Microsoft Project is platform that helps me manage my schedule and almost every detail in work that I need to do. I always record my progress here.
Use : Project Monitoring, Scheduling, reporting Business Problem: To record project progress quantitatively and time consumption by getting data from third party contractors Online Product : Project Online bundled with Share point helps to record progress collaboratively online. With Custom Fields and Custom JS code approval flow, Quantity Schedule Format was designed. Use Case: Turnkey Construction Projects around 700 Km radially geographically distributed needed to be tracked. Project Progress by Time Schedule and Quantity Schedule executed by third party is to be reported.
Pros
Scheduling of Tasks on time basis or on custom criteria
Collaborative Task Assignment and getting Progress Inputs Online
Road Maps, Numerous Reports help assess the projects
Readily available apps from Share point Store MS Office store are useful for extending the functionality of the product eg Custom Dashboards
Cons
Calculating Project Progress based on Custom Fields( which are used to measure Task Progress on Special Performance Criteria )
Simplifying CSOM and JSOM customization
Not limiting Support to Only Out of The Box features
Likelihood to Recommend
Microsoft Project Online is suited to Turnkey Projects where more Collaboration is required in Project Progress monitoring, risk assessment and conveying, issue recording and tracking. It is less appropriate when ERP Suites other than MS Dynamics are used, i.e when Enterprises need to integrate Finance / Accounting with It and having straight project management workflow
VU
Verified User
Manager in Information Technology (1001-5000 employees)
Our company has a business that invests in land and then builds and sells houses on these plots. We use Microsoft Project for resource management and job tracking, especially in construction works, in the management of this whole process.
Pros
connecting works as precursors and successors,
determining the critical path
Cons
A more effective collaboration with excel
user friendly interface
autorun for some data entry
Likelihood to Recommend
Since processes such as pre-construction design and project development are somewhat more human-related, the programs made in Microsoft Project may be delayed, but very accurate results can be obtained when machine equipment data and resource assignments are made for construction. I have witnessed many times that it correctly calculates the deviation of the result when the delays are processed and the program is updated.
It is used for Project lifecycle management across organizations to track the projects and also to manage the dependencies across the teams. It also helps in identifying the delays and also helps in tracking milestones.
Pros
project management
Dependency tracking
resource management
task management
reporting
Cons
scheduling concerns
UI could be improved
Resource utilizations charts
scope management
Likelihood to Recommend
Dependency tracking of one task on another is very well captured and tracked in this software.
Microsoft Project is the tool that most helps in the planning of a large number of projects; the delivery time of projects and tasks is essential for success in all departments and this tool allows us to know specifically in which task we are doing a good job and in which we have different problems or delays. I can also say that Microsoft Project is very easy to execute and control according to our specifications and requirements. We have success in our hands and this is thanks to the good performance of Microsoft Project.
Pros
The ability to diagram specific aspects of each project or task
The ease of execution
Ability to make modifications (assignments, dates, schedules, diagrams, monitoring)
Cons
Has some limitations related to performance in areas of visual analysis
The configuration is not the simplest--the use is perfect, but after configuring it
Likelihood to Recommend
All projects and tasks require effective planning. It is necessary to use tools that can execute impeccable planning. Microsoft Project has shown that it is a tool capable of handling large projects that require large planning. A great example of efficiency is the virtue of make changes to projects and tasks at any time. Microsoft Project is very easy to execute after going through a complex configuration--that is the only annoyance of this tool. I want to recommend it to expand the planning of projects that always require robust tools.
Microsoft Project is the right software for all companies that want to maintain a general control of the projects they handle in the various areas of the company. For us, this software has become very essential, because it has helped us to maintain an order in the planning and in the fulfillment of the tasks to be able to complete a specific project. In our Marketing work sector, it has become a very important software, since I have been able to plan projects, assign tasks for each employee in order to complement the project, review each of the tasks that my employees completed and I can also have a broad visualization of progress, performance and where my project is going. Microsoft Project is present in all areas of my company, it is the main project planning software of our entire company, and it has had a really remarkable success since it arrived in the area of marketing. With this software I have been able to track the activities that my employees are carrying out, I can know which employee is behind schedule with the fulfillment of the tasks and it also allows me to see Gantt-type charts, which helps me to know much more exactly the trend of growth or decline of my project.
Pros
I love the Gantt Chart that Microsoft Project offers me, because it provides me with a view from various aspects, it provides me with exact details about the fulfillment of tasks over a period of time, it also allows me to make comparisons with the necessary data and the fulfilled data. by the employees, in order to know exactly if the project's expectations have been met.
I love the Gantt Chart that Microsoft Project offers me, because it provides me with a view from various aspects, it provides me with exact details about the fulfillment of tasks over a period of time, it also allows me to make comparisons with the necessary data and the fulfilled data by the employees, in order to know exactly if the project's expectations have been met.
The alert system for the fulfillment and delay of assignments is perfect. Microsoft Project allows me to configure the task system, I can assign the necessary tasks to fulfill the project, and the software alerts me immediately if the managers are fulfilling the assignments.
Cons
The main drawback encountered while using Microsoft Project is that it does not allow me to modify the template or the general user design. For me, the UI that this software has is quite simple, and I would like to apply different templates or modify the layout of my MS Project workspace, currently it is not possible.
Sometimes the software crashes suddenly, throwing an error code, and the software closes immediately. This has happened to me when I am going through the detailed reports on my gantt chart, it is not something that affects me that much, but I think they should fix it.
I have not had any other problems with Microsoft Project, it has been an exemplary software that has helped me to maintain a very good project planning in general.
Likelihood to Recommend
Microsoft Project is the perfect platform for medium and large companies. I do not recommend this software for small businesses, because all its functions in the work plans are high cost and this would cause the small business to not perform well in the use of MS Project in the long term. It is very easy to use software, it allows adding, modifying and eliminating all kinds of assignments and tasks for all employees, it allows monitoring the progress of all projects in real time and it also shows the gaps in the planned project. It has a very good performance, it does not take up many computer resources and all the information is stored in sync with the Office 365 service. It occasionally has crashing problems, but this is something that does not affect users as much.
Microsoft Project is used across the organization in different areas to support high complexity projects that require a large number of steps and detailed control about resource utilization and multi-level project complexity. Due to the time commitment on using it it is not widely used for short term projects that are basically managed on different tools.
Pros
DETAILED PLANNING ON LARGE SCALE/COMPLEX PROJECTS. Task interactions dependencies.
Very detailed resource management. You're able to track across the projects the utilization of all of your resources.
Powerful cost management. You can track costs for your resources, for your individual tasks, and quickly update any additional cost requirements for the projects, map those costs against your budget and get a detailed report of your burn rate to mitigate possible budget risks.
Cons
Complexity. With great power and flexibility comes a high level of complexity that makes some of the more advanced features very difficult to use on a day-to-day basis. i.e. being able to get several calendars integrated into a project for different kinds of resources is great but it takes a long time to get a handle on that and make it work for you.
Unless you have an MS Project Server setup and all of the team members licensed with an MS Project Account working on a project are limited to those PMs and collaborators with a full license even for minor updates.
The tools to present projects to other team members and present updates have not been updated to reflect the needs of the current PM, every view and presentation has to be manually cured to be presentable to the board and that is a very time consuming process.
Changing status, colors or updating items automatically based on dates or other tasks is out of the question unless you really have a full set of VBA knowledge and the time to make it happen.
Likelihood to Recommend
If you have a large project with a large number of stakeholders, many resources, and the need to keep detailed costs controls for the enterprise then this is the tool for you, not only you're able to define a very large number of fields to help you manage your project but the default fields on the application are certainly going to help you move forward with tracking control of resources, costs and burn rates on your projects.
If on the other hand, you have less than 50 tasks and two or three stakeholder or members on your team then the MS Project is definitely overkill because it demands the full attention of the PM for extended periods of time to make sure that the information is relevant.
