What’s new in Microsoft Planner – December 2024

As the year draws to a close, Microsoft Planner has unveiled a series of exciting updates that promise to enhance project management for both administrators and end users. These enhancements, inspired by valuable customer feedback, aim to streamline workflows, improve collaboration, and provide more intuitive control over tasks and plans. Let’s explore these new features and their impact from the perspectives of both admins and users, while also highlighting upcoming innovations that will further elevate the Planner experience.

A Recap of Microsoft Ignite Announcements: Empowering Project Coordination

At the recent Microsoft Ignite conference, several new capabilities were introduced to make project coordination more seamless and efficient. These updates reflect Microsoft’s commitment to integrating AI and user-centric design into Planner, ensuring that teams can work smarter and more collaboratively.

Planner for the Web: A Unified, AI-Enhanced Experience

The newly launched Planner for the web is now generally available, offering a robust platform that integrates Microsoft To Do, Planner, and Project. This unified experience is further enhanced by the AI capabilities of Microsoft 365 Copilot for Planner (currently in preview), which assists users in managing tasks more intelligently.

Impact for Admins: Administrators will appreciate the streamlined management of tasks across multiple Microsoft 365 tools, reducing the complexity of overseeing diverse project workflows. The AI integration can help optimize resource allocation and task prioritization, potentially reducing manual oversight.

Impact for Users: For users, this means a more cohesive and intuitive interface that adapts to their work style. The AI-powered suggestions can help users stay on top of deadlines and dependencies, making task management less overwhelming and more productive.

Portfolios: High-Level Visibility and Organization

With the introduction of Portfolios, users holding Planner and Project Plan 3 or 5 licenses can now group related plans, track progress from a high-level perspective, and visualize tasks using the Roadmap view. This feature centralizes oversight, ensuring that no task or project detail slips through the cracks.

Impact for Admins: Portfolios provide administrators with a powerful tool to monitor multiple projects simultaneously, enabling better resource management and strategic planning. The visual Roadmap view simplifies reporting and helps identify bottlenecks early.

Impact for Users: Users benefit from a clearer understanding of how their individual tasks fit into broader project goals. The ability to see related plans in one place fosters better collaboration and alignment across teams.

Learn more about Portfolios in this detailed blog post: Manage Multiple Plans Effortlessly with Portfolios.

Project Manager Agent: AI as Your Virtual Assistant

The Project Manager agent introduces AI-driven assistance directly into your plans. Acting as a virtual project manager, this agent helps automate routine tasks, freeing up users to focus on strategic decision-making and creative problem-solving.

Impact for Admins: This AI agent can reduce administrative overhead by automating task assignments, reminders, and progress tracking, allowing admins to focus on higher-level project governance.

Impact for Users: Users gain a proactive assistant that helps keep projects on track, reducing the cognitive load associated with managing multiple deadlines and dependencies.

App-Powered Tasks: Tailored Experiences in Microsoft Teams

Currently in public preview, the app-powered tasks feature allows organizations to customize the task experience within the Planner app in Microsoft Teams. Instead of a generic task view, users can interact with workflows tailored to specific needs, complete with custom fields and step-by-step guidance. This is enabled by integrating a Teams app with the task, enhancing task relevance and usability.

Impact for Admins: Admins gain the ability to design task experiences that align closely with organizational processes, improving compliance and consistency across teams.

Impact for Users: Users benefit from a more guided and context-rich task interface, which can reduce errors and improve task completion rates.

Watch the feature overview video below and explore more details here: App-Powered Tasks Public Preview and Managing App-Powered Tasks in Planner.

Integration with Project Operations and Project Online

Another significant update is the ability to view Dynamics 365 Project Operations and Project Online plans directly within the My Plans section of Planner. This integration simplifies project tracking by consolidating diverse project data into a single, accessible location.

Impact for Admins: This consolidation reduces the need to switch between multiple platforms, streamlining project oversight and reporting.

Impact for Users: Users enjoy a unified view of their responsibilities, enhancing clarity and reducing the risk of missed tasks.

Bug Fixes: Enhancing Reliability and User Experience

Thanks to ongoing customer feedback, two notable bugs have been addressed in the new Planner. First, labels associated with tasks now correctly transfer when copying a plan, preserving important categorizations. Second, date formats now respect users’ locale settings, ensuring clarity and reducing confusion.

Impact for Admins: These fixes improve data consistency and reduce support requests related to task duplication and date misunderstandings.

Impact for Users: Users experience a smoother, more intuitive interface that respects their regional preferences and maintains task organization.

What’s Coming Soon: A Glimpse into the Future of Planner

Building on user feedback, Microsoft is preparing to roll out several exciting features designed to further enhance planning and collaboration:

• Smart Backgrounds: This feature, returning from the legacy Planner experience, will allow users to customize plan backgrounds for quick visual identification. Admins can leverage this to help teams organize projects more intuitively, while users will find it easier to navigate multiple plans.
• Board View for My Tasks: Scheduled for early 2025, this kanban-style board view will complement the existing grid view, offering users a visual and interactive way to track task progress. Admins can expect improved task status visibility across teams.
• New Planner Tab in Teams: Collaboration will be simplified by enabling any plan—basic or premium—to be added directly to Teams channels. This integration fosters real-time teamwork and communication.
• Removing the Default Filter: Responding to user preferences, the default filter that hid completed tasks will be removed. Users now have full control over task visibility, enhancing flexibility and personalization.
• Additional Column Customization: Users will soon be able to reorder and hide columns in the Grid views of My Tasks and My Day, allowing them to focus on the most relevant information. Admins can encourage adoption by highlighting these customization options to improve productivity.

Engage and Share Your Feedback

Your input remains vital in shaping the future of Microsoft Planner. Users are encouraged to share their thoughts directly through the Feedback button located in the top right corner of the Planner app. Additionally, feature requests and suggestions can be submitted via the Planner Feedback Portal. This collaborative approach ensures that Planner continues to evolve in ways that truly meet the needs of its community.

Additional Resources for Getting the Most Out of Planner

• Explore the Planner adoption page for guidance on integrating Planner into your organization.
• Sign up to receive updates and communications about Planner’s latest features.
• Stay informed about upcoming features and release timelines on the Microsoft 365 roadmap.
• Watch Planner demos for practical tips and inspiration on maximizing Planner’s capabilities within Microsoft Teams.
• Access the Planner help page for detailed support and documentation.
• Catch up on the latest insights by watching the recording of the What’s New and What’s Coming Next + AMA session from September.

With these updates and upcoming features, Microsoft Planner continues to evolve as a powerful tool that supports both administrators and users in managing projects with greater ease, clarity, and collaboration. Whether you’re overseeing multiple portfolios or managing daily tasks, these enhancements are designed to empower you to work smarter and achieve more.