How to organize your tasks with Microsoft Planner?

Organize tasks, track deliveries and increase your team's productivity with the practical and visual features of Microsoft Planner.

If you are looking for a simple but really efficient way to organize your tasks, the Microsoft Planner It could be exactly what was missing from your routine. With an intuitive look and practical features such as frames, labels, and integration with other Microsoft tools, it helps shape day-to-day chaos.

In this article, we will explore how Microsoft Planner works, for whom it is indicated and how to extract the maximum from the platform. We will also talk about the difference between Planner and the Project, and at what point is it worth considering this change.

What is Microsoft Planner and why is it useful?
In the midst of so many organizational tools available out there, Planner stands out for a simple reason: it delivers the essentials clearly, visually and without complications.

Created for users of Microsoft 365, it allows mounting task frames, organizing by lists and tracking the progress of projects with few clicks.

Main features for organizing tasks
Planner adopts the concept of frames (similar to Trello), where each frame represents a plan. Inside these paintings, you can:

• Create buckets;
• Add cards with deadlines, responsible, checklist and attachments;
• Use colored tags to categorize activities;
• View in panel, chart or calendar format.

The highlight is simplicity. No hidden menus or functions that require hours to understand. Planner is direct: you create, organize, drag and conclude, all with few clicks.

For whom Planner is indicated
Microsoft Planner is ideal for teams that need to organize small and medium demands. It works very well for:

• Marketing and communication times;
• academic groups or internal committees;
• professionals managing operational tasks;
• Teams that use Microsoft Teams on a daily basis.

It is not a tool focused on large projects with dozens of dependencies or strict schedules. For this, Microsoft itself offers other solutions, such as the Project Online.

But if what you want is basic visibility and control over what is being done, by whom and until when, Planner will take care of you very well.

Tips to optimize the use of Microsoft Planner
Now that you've understood the basics, how about making your use of Planner even more powerful? Some practical tips help make the experience more fluid and efficient.

Use categories and tags to segment demands

Labels are great allies to segment tasks by type, urgency or status. For example:

• Red: Urgent;
• Green: awaiting approval;
• Blue: Finished.

You can name them as you like and use them on quick filters. So even in frames with dozens of tasks, it is easy to visualize what really needs your attention.

A good practice is to create a pattern of tags for the entire team. This helps maintain the organization and avoids different color interpretations for each person.

Integrate with Microsoft Teams for more efficiency
Do you use Microsoft Teams in your routine? Great! Planner can be added to Teams as a tab in conversations, integrating tasks directly with team communication.

This union is powerful: while you discuss deadlines or ideas in chat, you can view the task plan on the side and already update what is needed. All in real time.

In addition, notifications help to remember deadlines or tasks assigned to you. Without leaving Teams or opening another tab in the browser.

When to use Planner and when to migrate to Planner Premium or Project Online
Okay, Microsoft Planner works well for visual organization, routine tasks and basic collaboration. But what about when the projects start getting more complex?

There comes a time when you might need a higher level of control. That's where Planner Premium and Project Online come in.

Difference between Planner and Project in practice You want to know if it's time to change tools? Consider this comparison between them:

If your team is dealing with multiple work fronts, shared resources, interdependent schedules and critical deadlines, the Project may be more appropriate.

In addition, Microsoft itself allows a smooth transition between Planner and Planner Premium (Project for the Web), both of which are from the same ecosystem.

Why rely on MLPro for your Microsoft solution?
Here in MLPro, we are experts in implementing solutions Microsoft focused on project management, such as Microsoft PPM, Project Online, Project for the Web and, of course, Planner.

With over 250 customers and over 75,000 supported projects, we know in practice how to get the best out of each tool. Our focus is to turn good solutions into even better experiences, with:

• customised;
• Practical and didactic training;
• Integrations with the environment already used by the company;
• Smart reports and portfolio views.

And more: If you start with Planner and realize you need to evolve to the Project, we help with this migration in a calm and safe way, without losing data, without rework.

Companies like Azul, Porto Seguro and Camil have already trusted our work. And we love helping new partners optimize their routines with agile, visual and integrated tools.

Organize your routine without complication
Microsoft Planner is the type of tool that delivers much more than it looks. Simple, visual and collaborative, it efficiently solves the essentials and can be the first step towards a more mature journey in managing tasks and projects.

If your company already uses Microsoft 365, it is very worth exploring Planner. And if you want to go further, MLPro is here to help with everything: from implementation to support, from customization to integration with Teams or Power BI.

Organization and productivity need not be complicated, just use the right tool.

Talk to our team and request a demonstration.