Microsoft Project Reviews

Microsoft Project is one of the only solutions you can use in just about any industry. It's difficult to do that with most other project management tools. There is a lot of flexibility within the product assets. Most sectors can utilize Microsoft Project successfully because it doesn't have any generic adapters. Primavera is a competitor from Oracle, and they've got adapters for some industries but not others. For example, they have adapters for construction management, so people who are on construction projects usually go for Primavera because the adapters make it easy for them to scale out a project.

With Microsoft Project, you need to do more work to get the same thing, but that is the advantage of having adapters. Adapters make it easy for certain sectors to implement their projects, but Project doesn't have that, so anybody can use it. That is the best thing about Microsoft Project

Microsoft Project has much room for improvement. The solution is still stuck where it was in 2013. Not much has changed since then. There is a lot that can be changed in the enterprise segment.

There hasn't been a significant addition to the enterprise part of Microsoft Project since 2013. The biggest change was the integration of Power BI reporting into Microsoft Project. Other than that, we are seeing still the same features 

Some of the underlying things have changed. For example, data management is quite different. It's called Dataworks, and database management is different. Data is handled differently, but there haven't been any new features on an enterprise scale. 

Microsoft has developed more user-friendly Project implementations beyond enterprise use cases. They're transitioning from the enterprise platform to something that everybody can use, but they are losing out on features.

We have been selling Microsoft Project for a couple of years.

Microsoft Project is stable, but it requires a lot of customization. 

Microsoft Project is highly scalable. It can handle anything from one user to 10,000. What makes Microsoft Project different is that a single person can handle thousands of tasks in a project easily.

We haven't spoken to anybody at Microsoft support because they do not have a big team on Microsoft Project for this region, but we learned about production solutions through implementation. 

We picked up a couple of orders for Microsoft Project for certain shipbuilding companies. We took their projects and did a study, then implemented a solution for them that was tailored to their particular needs. We learned on the job, but there was no guidance or support from the vendor.

Project is essentially an extension of an Excel sheet. You need to configure a lot of things to get your project management done correctly, and the use case scenario is different for each customer. Some require Project for certain needs, which may not be the same for the next customer. We need to understand the customer's work requirements, and we will build a solution on Microsoft Project.

Seven out of 10. My advice for Microsoft Project or any project management solution is to set clear goals. You need to have a vision in mind when thinking about Microsoft Project deliveries or any other project team delivery. If you don't have a clear vision, you may not realize project value, and that might lead to issues.

I mostly use it for big projects and rolling out solutions. I have used it for rolling out a new POS system, clientele programs, and clientele loyalty. I have also used it for process changes that impact multiple departments, and there are key players in it to keep everybody on track. Once we move forward with a new forecasting tool, I would use it for that.

Over the last couple of years, it has been more of the newer version with it. I'm really basic with it because of the end-users. It means that I use it for all the pieces on certain things, but when it comes to the output, it is pretty basic for the end-users. It is an easy read for the end-users.

It did keep everybody organized. Everything was outlined, and everyone knew the expectations. It was a good check and balance for everyone to make sure that we weren't missing anything. When the project ends and you do the takeaway, it is like, "Okay. Next time, we got to make sure that we add XYZ to the plan for the scope of the plan." We make sure it is a good takeaway lesson in terms of what we missed.

It can auto-connect based on the dates, which makes it easy. It auto-assigns people, and when you're starting to type in, it auto-fills and populates for you, which is great. It provides little time savers when you're typing everything out. It is just like, "Oh, I can just click from a dropdown." Those types of features are really great, and this is where it kind of gets a little bit intuitive. At the same time, if you don't like what it is doing, it is easy to change it.

I like using it just because it is easy to use. It is pretty user-friendly and easy to figure out. It is definitely one of the better ones out there. 

It should be easier to break things. Breaking up the visualization from the task is sometimes a little bit tricky to do. You can do it, but it takes a minute. It's not an easy function to do. The way you have to format it and stuff like that takes a minute.

I have been using this solution on and off for the last five years. 

It is good.

Its scalability is good and up there. It is not extensively used in our organization. We're a small organization, and currently, only two people are using it. We don't have any plans to increase its usage.

At my past organizations, there were multiple people who used it. There were different types of users who used it, but it was always in the IT world. The IT users had different backgrounds. So, it was leveraged within each department, but with an IT-focused person as a relationship manager.

I have not had any encounters, but overall, my interaction with Microsoft has been great. Whenever I've talked to anybody or inquired about something further, it has always been positive.

I've used Gantt Chart before, but I don't like it. I'd rather do it in Excel. I just don't like the format and layout of it. It comes down to personal preference on some of that stuff. With my background and how I came about to even become a project manager, it makes more sense to do it in Excel than in some of the other ways.

I wasn't around, but it would have been pretty straightforward for the person who did it.

It probably would have been an in-house job. I know that's how it was with the old one. They might have had someone to help, but it mostly would have been done in-house.

You have to find the right tool that helps make it easy and streamlined for you to manage. You just need to find the right platform. I would advise others to get out there and play with all of them and then find the right one. Do tests with them, and then figure it out. That works best.

I would rate Microsoft Project an eight out of 10.

Whenever we have a client with a complicated situation, we create a project plan. And we use Microsoft Project (MS Project) for administrating, monitoring, and tracking the project.  For most small projects, MS Project is satisfactory.

We can input information and then share it with the project team and stakeholders. That helps a little, but if somebody changes their mind, it could change how we manage the project. There are some new features in MS Project 2021. However, more features aren't necessarily useful because now you must train people to use them. They may say, "Why do I need this new feature?" Newer versions of MS Project display a warning when a task runs behind schedule. However, it is necessary to input a date change for that warning manually, and administrative action takes precious time.

It's possible to get input from other programs, such as Outlook, but we don't use Outlook for anything other than email, even though it could do other things. Time is a critical resource. We don't have time to learn about these features and use them productively, so they are of no value to us.

MS Project's resource leveling capability is beneficial. We like this feature. We want to be able to expand tasks and look at different resources and task usage. It is good at assigning tasks to teams.

It's generally compliant with the Project Management Institute approach to project management, which means MS Project helps us be more uniform and consistent in conducting each project.

MS Project can insert objects, like a drawing or an Excel worksheet, but cannot handle business rules. Also, I would like to see better integration with graphics applications such as MS Visio. The graphics are primitive and need some major work. I would like to have the ability to insert some small macros within the project for Monte Carlo risk analysis. For example, if you're unsure how much time a task may require, you can generate a reasonable guess.

MS Project is very time and labor-intensive to keep current. You need to update it continually. You may find that you are spending more time maintaining the MS Project file than working on your project. I don't want to devote a person to do that.

MS Project should have the capability to link it to other applications to make the program dynamic when a real-time resource or schedule changes, but it is not dynamic. It would be helpful to insert real-time input data for each project, subproject, or task. If something is going on, I want to see the impact in real-time, if possible.

I want to be able to specify globally what weekend we want or what we want to call a weekend. Also, we might have a project underway seven days a week.

External data sources, like third-party manufacturing processes, impact some tasks. Embedding external processes within MS Project is almost impossible because we don't have programming resources here in a practical sense. Also, the interface of Microsoft Project is proprietary. We want to link different tasks to external sources of inputs and outputs and integrate them automatically with our master project plan, e.g., specific third-party CNC machine data. The supplier's system does not interface with ours'. We have to get the outputs from their system serially and manually update the MS Project file to determine the schedule impact. That takes time. There is a risk of data entry errors at both ends. On tight projects, every minute counts.

I would like to see a control system interface with Microsoft Project. Real-time system data helps predict cost and schedule variances. For example, if you had to finish a day ahead of schedule, you could "talk" to the systems' software and determine if a given machine works for another four hours, then you could meet the accelerated schedule. MS Project requires manual data entry with a risk of mistakes. Presently, there is no automated data entry capability in MS Project. It just doesn't exist. That's why I say it is only suitable for small-sized to medium-sized companies and small projects. Most companies don't have the same problems we have with MS Project.

When you're working on a project that has to get done, you will spend most of the time wrestling with Microsoft Project, whereas you should be using these hours to manage the project.

Thinking on a slightly bigger scale, I would like better integration with Office, Visio, and Access. If you make a change in one application, it should cascade to others and vice versa. It doesn't do that, at least not easily. It is not a dynamic program. I would like to see an active program or at least the capability to be dynamic, even if it is close to real-time where it outputs to a module, and the module then talks to real-time systems. The real-time data goes back into the module, and the module updates the project plan. Such dynamic capability would be superior to what exists now. It may not be genuinely real-time, but it is at least closer to it.

I want to link directly to the data in an Excel spreadsheet so that I don't have to keep going back and forth updating it. I don't want to have to create a dynamic link library or write a macro. Whenever I change the data in an Excel file for a given project or task, it should update the corresponding Visio or PowerPoint file. If I'm doing a pie chart or any graphic, I don't want to manually update my graphics. I want to link them together, and I want them updated automatically. I know it is a wishful thing. Microsoft doesn't make significant changes every time they come out with a new version. However, they don't appear to fix the issue. Instead, they add a few features.

I have been using Microsoft Project since it was released in the mid-1980s. Although MS Project can be helpful, it does not teach project management.

It's relatively stable. I've never had a crash. I can't remember it ever crashing. If I  entered some information that it can't resolve, it usually comes up with an error message.

I think it is limited to around 400,000 tasks. I am not sure. I never had to go that far. We have five consultants who are remote users.

I've never really needed any support. When Microsoft has a seminar or a meeting locally, I might go to it and give my feedback.

Neutral

Installation is automatic and simple, we had no issues.

The implementation was done in-house.

MS Project pays for itself by helping me keep my thinking straight.  The purchase price of the application is insignificant when compared with the time involved in trying to do project management manually on paper attached to large poster boards. We did it that way before the advent of PCs.  There is some benefit to seeing an entire project plan on paper to provide a visual idea of project scope and progress, but intelligent use of MS Project can generate the same information.  It takes a lot of time to become so proficient with MS Project that these key bits of information are generated automatically through accurate and complete task definitions, WBS, and project schedule updates.

Make sure you have a good business reason for purchasing MS Project. It isn't cheap and there are free alternatives, with simple capabilities, available.

MS Project was sufficient for our requirements, so we did not evaluate any other options.

Make sure you understand what MS Project can do and what it cannot do. It cannot read your mind. Just like any other program, it only does what you tell it to do. If you give it the wrong information, it will provide you with incorrect output. It is very labor-intensive. There are minimal capabilities to help you write routines. So, you have to change dates and task names. If you don't understand project management concepts well, you're just going to delude yourself into thinking MS Project helps you. You have to understand the process of project management to use the application effectively. Otherwise, you are wasting your time. It will not teach you how to do project management.

I would rate MS Project a five out of ten because it hasn't evolved that much. Microsoft added lots of bells and whistles, but they don't add much new value. They don't save me much time. I want MS Project to be a dynamic program, but it remains a passive program after more than 30 years. I've made comments about it at some seminars hosted by Microsoft. We've told them to make it a dynamic program or at least have an option to make it active. We would be willing to pay more for this capability. It's worth it, but they don't do it. I guess they don't see enough business potential in doing it that way, and I don't have the resources to create an internal application to make it that way. I am not in that business.

Our company has a project department that is responsible for project deployment. When a new client comes up, they will have a lot of PMPS packs which have a list of activities. We use the tool to plan projects.

The tool has a simple and excellent approach.

The solution is a basic tool that does not give you analytical insights. It does not have any AI capabilities which can also help to plan.

The solution is stable. I would rate the solution’s stability a seven out of ten.

The tool is scalable. You just need to send a requirement for more licenses. There are around five users for the solution in our company.

We do not use any paid support services from Microsoft since our requirements are not high.

The solution’s setup is very easy.

I would rate the solution a seven out of ten.

We use Microsoft Project to develop IT projects for a pharmaceutical company. It helps us coordinate between teams of developers and admins. 

Microsoft Project is easy to use and helps our teams visualize the evolution of our projects.

The Microsoft license is relatively expensive. 

I have used MS Project for about five years.

I rate MS Project nine out of 10 for stability.

MS Project is scalable. Twenty-five people in my company

We had another project management solution, but we switched to Project when the company adopted 365.

Installing Microsoft Project is effortless. The initial installation took me about two or three days. It was easy to install after I took the online courses. I didn't need an integrator or a consultant. 

I rate Microsoft Project nine out of 10. 

The solution allows users to manage projects and project portfolios. 

The solution makes it very easy to plan and has great customization capabilities. 

The setup is very simple and straightforward. 

It is stable.

It's a scalable product, especially the online version. 

There's a lot of great documentation available online. Users can teach themselves to use the product.

It would be ideal if the solution integrated more with  Azure DevOps and other work management platforms like Jira.

I've used the desktop and cloud version for about three or four years.

The solution is quite stable and reliable. There are no bugs or glitches, and it doesn't crash or freeze. It offers good performance. 

The online version of the solution is quite scalable. The desktop version is just for one user.

The number of users varies according to the project. On one, we had maybe 40 users, on another, we had 500.

It is being used quite extensively at this time. We do plan to increase usage.

We've never reached out to technical support in the past. I can't speak to how helpful they are. 

It's easy to set up the solution. It's not a complex process. 

We only need one person to deploy and maintain the product. They are an admin.

We did the setup in-house in one day. We did not need outside assistance. 

The solution is part of Office 365, and it is an annual subscription.

We can use the solution on-premises and on the cloud. 

I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.

I'd recommend potential new users seek out videos and documentation to help learn the solution. There's a lot of good content that is very helpful to new users, and a lot of it is free. 

I primarily use the solution on my desktop for my personal needs.

It is very easy to deploy. 

The solution is stable. 

Microsoft offers good support.

I'd like the solution to be less expensive. 

It's a Microsoft product and therefore it is stable. The performance is good. There are no bugs or glitches, and it doesn't crash or freeze. 

I cannot say that it's scalable. It's on MS sources, so it's on the desktop. We don't really scale the product.

I haven't really relied too much on technical support, however, they are good.

Positive

I did not previously use a different solution.

The solution is very straightforward and simple. It's not as complex. You can connect the license in less than 30 minutes on a desktop.

I handled the initial setup by myself. I did not need the help of outside resources such as consultants or integrators. 

The licensing costs vary. It's largely very expensive. 

I'd recommend the solution to other users and companies. 

I would rate the solution nine out of ten.

The most valuable feature of Microsoft Project is scheduling. The solution is useful on a daily basis.

Microsoft Project could improve the dates. Sometimes the dates are not aligned. This occurs even when you auto-schedule the dates. We have to go and define the schedule daily this should more easily accessible.

I have been using Microsoft Project for approximately 10 years.

Microsoft Project is stable.

The scalabiltiy of Microsoft Project is good.

We have three or four people using this solution in my department.

I have not used the support from Microsoft Project.

I have not used another solution prior to Microsoft Project.

I rate Microsoft Project a nine out of ten.