Microsoft Project has what many project management software options wish they had: a well-known, billion-dollar company backing it with endless resources. Yet, with all of these resources at its disposal, Microsoft has created a complex and sometimes confusing project management tool that requires a lot of training to master.
However, once you tackle the steeper-than-average learning curve and price tag for Microsoft Project, there are very few limits to what you can accomplish, so long as you have access to the rest of the Office suite. We may receive compensation from partners and advertisers whose products appear here. Compensation may impact where products are placed on our site, but editorial opinions, scores, and reviews are independent from, and never influenced by, any advertiser or partner.
Microsoft Project is best for existing Office suite users that require additional project management functions in their day-to-day work. This PM tool is definitely not for the average project manager due to its confusing user-interface and expensive pricing structure. This software offers up a wide range of features, including documentation, collaboration and even budgeting.
Microsoft Project is lacking in file storage capabilities, which is key for sharing relevant project materials. The biggest benefit of using Microsoft Project is the massive ecosystem it connects with. Document storage can be handled with Microsoft Teams or with a Dropbox I know, not Microsoft integration. Additional checklists can be created in Microsoft Excel and Word, tasks can be broken down through Microsoft Planner, and communication is covered by Microsoft Teams and Outlook.
The trick is to make sure you have all of these tools so that you can do everything you would naturally be able to do in other project management software options like Podio or Mavenlink. Think of this product like a gear in a fancy watch. That means this tool is not well-suited to small businesses with even smaller budgets , at any pricing tier. Instead, it is best for larger enterprise clients with large teams and an existing relationship with Microsoft products.
Not much has changed in terms of pricing since my initial review of Microsoft Project, with the exception of the cloud-based solution names and a slight price increase for the first pricing tier.
Nothing monumental, but these little price increases definitely add up over time when counting every user every month.
Fair warning to anyone considering Microsoft Project: This tool is not for beginner project managers. I pointed out earlier that Microsoft Project is a giant tool loaded with lots of functionality, however much of that functionality is tied to integrations with other Office suite tools.
There are no native communications, document storage, or file-sharing features outside of saving projects and emailing them included with this program that I could readily find.
At a glance, this software looks very similar to other current Microsoft Office suite tools, especially Excel color scheme wise. The startup page offers you lots of different project templates to choose from, such as creating budgets, software development plans, and market research schedules. These templates have basic formulas and functions pre-programmed into them, so you can dive right in without any unique project requirements.
The complexity comes into play once you want to move outside the basic functions and build specific things your project needs. The main project screen includes a task list, a timeline scroll bar, your toolbar, and a Gantt chart of your project.
It seems pretty simple:. For example, if you want to show task progress, you must click and drag from the left end of a Gantt chart bar to represent a percentage of completion. These kinds of useful features are not exactly obvious to the average user, and would go unused unless you and your team go through detailed training sessions with Microsoft. Not only that, but thinking in percentages is not easy when it comes to task completion.
Who knows what kinds of roadblocks and issues will hold me up. Additionally, communication is not readily available on Microsoft Project. Overall, this software felt robotic, rather than a human-minded user-experience. It lives and breathes numbers, charts, and percentages, but lacks that human touch to make it enjoyable or intuitive to use. At least Data was striving to understand what it means to be human. Microsoft does not readily advertise a free version of its project management software.
They do offer a free day trial, without any hint of possible trial extensions. This is a little concerning considering that their software is so expensive and requires an annual commitment right out of the gate for their cloud-based product.
I would recommend extensive testing of this tool within that day trial and implementation period. Be sure to use their support teams as often as you need, and ensure that all of your questions and hiccups are addressed before committing money to either the on-premise or cloud-based version of Microsoft Project. Unlike other software like Basecamp , which is limited in its use, Microsoft Project bills itself as a project management software that can do it all.
It can handle everything from projects in construction to software development and creative projects. In fact, since it can handle any kind of team or project, the real question is, can you handle this software? One thing Microsoft excels at is providing customer support.
When it comes to Microsoft Project they offer all kinds of support including video tutorials, topic articles, community forums, and most importantly, phone support. Considering the steep learning curve, these tools will certainly come in handy during implementation and regular use. The Motley Fool has a Disclosure Policy. The template includes a layout with all the sections you need for a stellar proposal, including descriptions and what information to include in each section.
It also comes with a pre-built table of contents! Easily save this file to your computer or print it using the link below. You will also receive an email with your download. The Motley Fool. About The Blueprint. Review Methodology. Advertiser Disclosure We may receive compensation from some partners and advertisers whose products appear here. Enter your email address: Search. Our Top Picks Accounting AccountEdge Pro AccountEdge Pro has all the accounting features a growing business needs, combining the reliability of a desktop application with the flexibility of a mobile app for those needing on-the-go access.
License model and use rights for Office is documented in " Office Perpetual Licensing Largely Unchanged " on page 15 of the Jan.
Skip to main content. Project Packaging, Pricing, and Licensing. Other Changes May Impact Overall Costs While most licensing rules and use rights for Project Standard and Professional remain relatively unchanged, mirroring those for Office client-side applications, a variety of other changes raise the overall cost of deploying Project. Related Content December 29, July 25, Executive Considerations for Office Adoption.
Office promises cost reduction, global deployment, and advanced capabilities, but new skills and connectivity are required and limited control over changes increases audit risks. Licensing Reference Set. Summarizes knowledge to determine which Microsoft licenses an organization needs to buy and the best way to purchase them.
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