MS Project Capabilities

[BruceTweedie]

I am trying to evalute whether MSP is the right product for our company, but there is so much information out there it's difficult to work out if it can meet our specific requirements, so I thought I would ask the Forum.

We are a small business, 6 people, and we would use MSP to track Jobs that we work on.  We are an Office365 company, so I'm looking at MSP because it should be able to integrate.  Here are the key things we need, can you tell me if MSP can do this easily:

1. Customised Fields at both the Project and Task level.

2. Calculated Fields - For example, "Probability of Success" x "Forecast Fee for the Job" = Revenue Forecast

3. When someone finishes a Task, the Project can be setup to automatically trigger other Tasks for allocated people, and MSP will send those people an Outlook email notifying them to start their Task.

4. When someone finishes a Task, the Project can be setup to automatically trigger a Reminder Task at a future date, and when the date arrives it will trigger a reminder email via Outlook.

5.  Summary Reports than can extract data from any field in the Project or Task.  Perhaps via a fully integrated real time interface with Excel.

thanks ... Bruce

Thanks ... Bruce 

[#2 · Accepted solution]

Bruce --

In spite of the confusion, you basically have three choices for a PPM tool from Microsoft:

1. Project for the Web
2. Microsoft Project desktop application only
3. Microsoft Project desktop with Project Online

To answer your questions, Project for the Web cannot meet any of those five needs.

Microsoft Project desktop only can meet needs #2 and #5.

Microsoft Project desktop with Project Online can meet all five of those needs. Keep in mind that if you want to use Microsoft Project with Project Online, your organization will probably need help setting up the system and training people how to use it. Hope this helps.

[#3]

Thanks for the advice Dale, that's very helpful. I think you are right - even though I have used Project previously, that was over 20 years ago. Are you available to help with setup and generally be a mentor? Thanks ... Bruce

[#4]

Bruce --

Are you looking for free help or paid help? Let me know.

[#5]

Paid. It didn't even occur to me that it might be free.

[#6]

Bruce --

While waiting for your reply, I did some research on LinkedIn and found a Bruce Tweedie in Australia. If that is you, I don't think I can help you as the time zone differences would be too challenging. And if you are in Australia, I would encourage you to reach out to Sensei Project Solutions. I used to work for their US branch, but they have multiple locations in Australia, with top notch people. Hope this helps.

[#7]

Hi Dale, Yes indeed that would be me. And yes the time zones can be very challenging. I have a son in NY so I do understand that. Thanks for the referral to Sensei, I'll reach out to them. Cheers ... Bruce

[#8]

Hi Dale, can you please clarify what you mean by "Microsoft Project desktop with Project Online". When I look at the various products available to me, MS talks about Plans 1, 3, and 5: https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/microsoft-365/project/compare-microsoft-project-management-software?...
How does that align with your product description? Thanks ... Bruce

[#9]

Bruce --

The Plan 1 subscription provides access to Project for the Web, and provides team member access to Project Online. Project Plan 3 provides project manager access to Project Online, and provides a license for Project Online Professional (aka the Microsoft Project desktop application). Project Plan 5 provides Administrator access to Project Online and provides a license for Project Online Professional.  Hope this helps.

[#10]

Hi Dale, thanks that's very helpful. With regard to "You never answered my other questions", I thought I had answered them all in the chain above. Let me know if I haven't.

[#11]

Bruce --

My bad. I wrote my reply without reading all of your previous replies in this thread. My apologies to you, my friend! Yes, you DID answer my other questions.