Microsoft Project, is it worth it? Should you learn it? What does a professional training company think?

Well project management and Microsoft Project go hand in hand, and we think project management is an incredible skill that can help people achieve their professional goals.

Microsoft Project is one of the most popular project management tools out there, and just like any other software, it has its pros and cons!

We hope that by the end of this post, you’ll have a clear idea of what Microsoft Project really does, and whether or not it can work for you.

If you decide Project is for you, get started with our training courses here. Let’s dive in!

Why Use Microsoft Project?

So, what is Microsoft Project? Put simply, it’s a project management tool developed by Microsoft that helps you plan, track, and manage projects. It offers a range of features and tools that enable you to create project plans, assign tasks, track progress, and collaborate with team members.

It goes without saying but Microsoft create incredible high quality software, that stays available and relevant for decades.

Microsoft Project is designed to help you stay on top of everything and ensure that your project is completed on time and within budget.

In our experience, people use it for a whole bunch of different reasons.

Students use it to manage school projects.
Professionals use it to manage work projects.
Business owners use it to manage their company’s projects.
Government agencies use it to manage large-scale projects.

Essentially, anyone who needs to plan, track, and manage a project can benefit from using Microsoft Project.

It allows you to create and manage project plans, collaborate with team members, and customise templates that fit your exact needs.

So, if you’re looking for a powerful project management tool, Microsoft Project might just be the perfect fit for you.

Pros of Microsoft Project

Microsoft Project has a lot of benefits that make it a popular choice for project management. One of the biggest benefits is that it offers a range of tools and features that allow you to create and manage project plans with ease.

For example, you can use Gantt charts to visualise project timelines and task lists to assign tasks to team members.

To us, the most important pro of Microsoft Project is the collaboration features. They allow team members to share documents, communicate, and track progress all in real time.

You can also customise templates to fit your specific needs, integrate with other Microsoft Office applications, and access the platform from anywhere, making it a flexible and powerful project management tool.

Here’s the short list of the rest of our pros:

Provides a comprehensive and organised view of project tasks and timelines
Offers various project tracking tools to monitor progress and identify delays or issues
It enables you to allocate resources and manage budgets effectively
Allows you to create project reports and analyse data to make informed decisions
Integrates with other Microsoft Office applications such as Excel and Outlook for added functionality
Provides templates and pre-built project plans to save time and effort in planning
Has a large user community and support network for troubleshooting and sharing best practices.

If you’re looking for a project management tool, Microsoft Project is a great choice for a lot of different types of projects.

But it’s best suited for projects that have multiple tasks, team members, and timelines.

For example, if you’re managing a construction project, a software development project, or a marketing campaign, Microsoft Project can help you stay organised and on track.

It’s also a great choice for projects that require collaboration, as it offers features that allow team members to work together, share documents, and communicate in real time.

Overall, Microsoft Project is a powerful and versatile project management tool that can help you plan, track, and manage your projects with ease.

Cons of Microsoft Project

Even though we are pretty big fans of Microsoft Project, there are some downsides to keep in mind.

One of the biggest negatives is the learning curve that comes with learning the software. Microsoft Project is a complex tool that can take time to learn, especially if you’re not familiar with project management terminology or best practices.

Unlike other Microsoft softwares, there isn’t a huge amount of overlap – knowing how to use Excel won’t be help you much learning Project!

If you’re a small team or an individual, the software can also be pretty expensive.

And despite it being great for working in a team, if not everyone is on the same version, or if others are using different tools, you are going to run into compatibility issues.

Here are the cons we found in training:

It can be a complex and time-consuming tool to learn and use effectively
It can be expensive for single users or small teams
Compatibility issues can arise if team members are using different versions or tools
It may not be suitable for very small or simple projects
It may not be the best choice for teams who are not familiar with the software
Limited customisation options compared to some other project management tools.

Microsoft Project Use Cases

1. Project Planning

The main use case we found as project trainers is project planning. Whether you’re planning a new construction project, developing a new software product, or launching a marketing campaign:

Microsoft Project can help you plan out all the tasks and timelines required to get the job done.

It’ll help you create detailed task lists, assign tasks to team members and visualise project timelines.

Additionally, you can use the resource allocation features to ensure that you have the right team members and resources available at each stage of the project.

The Microsoft Project planner function is especially useful for this purpose.

2. Project Tracking

Once you’ve planned out your project, you’ll need to keep track of progress, monitor budgets, and identify any issues or delays that arise.

Microsoft Project offers a range of project-tracking tools that allow you to do this.

You can use the software to track the status of each task, monitor resource usage, and identify critical paths or dependencies.

Additionally, you can create custom reports and dashboards to analyze project data and make informed decisions about how to move forward.

3. Project Collaboration

As we discussed earlier, Microsoft Project offers a range of collaboration features that allow team members to work together, share documents, and communicate in real time.

You can use the platform to assign tasks to team members, track progress, and provide feedback. Additionally, you can use the collaboration features to share documents, such as project plans or progress reports, and receive input and feedback from team members.

Overall, Microsoft Project is a versatile tool that can be used for a wide range of project management tasks, from planning to tracking to collaboration.

Project is also great for doing cost benefit analysis, more on that here.

Recap of the pros and cons of Microsoft Project

From where we stand, Microsoft Project is a powerful tool for project management, with a whole bunch of great benefits.

However even for us, it also has its downsides, mainly the steep learning curve and compatibility issues.

Deciding whether or not you will pick it up will depend on the individual needs you have, and what goals you want to meet. Take time to think about what you want carefully, before you dive head first into Project.

If you’re working on a complex project with many tasks and team members and are willing to invest the time and resources required to learn and use the software effectively, we think it’s definitely worth a shot.

However, if you’re looking for a simpler, more cost-effective solution or if you’re working on a project that doesn’t require the complexity that Microsoft Project offers, there are other options out there.

Decided you want to learn Microsoft Project? Start with our guide on using the waterfall method!

Thanks to Fauxels and Pixabay for the images!