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reviewer1863798 - PeerSpot reviewer
Solutions Manager, Support Analyst at a retailer with 10,001+ employees
Real User
The interface is intuitive, so anyone can jump in and start, but reporting could be better
Pros and Cons
  • "Microsoft Project integrates well with the Microsoft Office family of applications. It has plugins that interact with it and you can use it with Microsoft Teams. We can use plugins to communicate with JIRA, Projectplace, and Planview. It's not widely used in the company, of course, but it's something that can interact with the official tools that we have."
  • "Planview FLEX licensing gives us a central repository where all the projects are stored so you can check the finances, resources, etc. It's quite useful to have everything connected. We don't have that for Microsoft Project. It's disconnected. The reporting capabilities could also be better, especially with finance and resources. Everybody complains about reports. That's why we need another tool."

What is our primary use case?

Microsoft Project is one of the main tools our teams abroad use for planning, and it's very flexible. Local teams use it to manage small projects locally. It's also a repository for storing financial information that we don't want to track down. 

Teams use Microsoft Project for tracking tasks, managing requests, assigning resources, and following up. Workers can submit work to managers for approval and then it's submitted to the main process. 

How has it helped my organization?

Microsoft Project provides a starter tool that project managers can learn before moving on to solutions that are more convenient or widely used in the company. The interface is intuitive, so anyone can jump in and start planning. 

It's also a tool that is common among many companies, so if I take a new job at another firm, there's a good chance they will be using Microsoft Project, too. When we hire a new person, they can usually start working right away without any training. We only need to teach them how to apply that knowledge to the other tools we use.

What is most valuable?

Microsoft Project integrates well with the Microsoft Office family of applications. It has plugins that interact with it and you can use it with Microsoft Teams. We can use plugins to communicate with JIRA, Projectplace, and Planview. It's not widely used in the company, of course, but it's something that can interact with the official tools that we have. 

What needs improvement?

You can do a lot of stuff with Microsoft Project, but the licensing is for individual computers, so it's not connected to a central platform like the one that we have in Planview. 

Planview FLEX licensing gives us a central repository where all the projects are stored so you can check the finances, resources, etc. It's quite useful to have everything connected. We don't have that for Microsoft Project. It's disconnected. The reporting capabilities could also be better, especially with finance and resources. Everybody complains about reports. That's why we need another tool. 

Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Project
February 2025
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Project. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: February 2025.
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For how long have I used the solution?

I've only been using Microsoft Project for a year. I have more experience with Planview Projectplace, but we use this as well. I'm primarily responsible for Projectplace in my role. I do onboarding for other teams, create the workflows, and work with use case scenarios for various teams worldwide. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's an on-premise solution. It's never going to break down because it's installed on a local computer. It's highly stable from that point of view, but our use case is also limited. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

A project management application is only as powerful as the information you put inside. Projectplace is available to time reporters, developers, engineers, resource managers, and financial controllers. It is a powerful tool that provides a centralized way to gather information. 

A director can access Projectplace and see every project involving their teams. You can create custom reports. We have teams that design new reports for the various needs we have. That's the most powerful feature a project management solution can have—the ability to pull out information. That's something we don't have with Microsoft Project.

What other advice do I have?

I rate Microsoft Project seven out of 10. Better tools are available. Microsoft Project is a decent tool for small startups and medium-sized projects, and it's widely used. 

We work with customers to develop products from scratch. The process involves multiple design teams, financial controls, and planning. Each project is part of a larger program, and we have to follow up on that. There are tons of tools that can do this way better. Microsoft Project, in my opinion, is for small and medium-sized projects.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Engineer at Advanced Military Maintenance Repair & Overhaul Center (AMMROC)
Real User
Offers comprehensive project overviews but could improve its consultant support for setup and integration features
Pros and Cons
  • "Microsoft Project offers comprehensive project overviews and the ability to rate down what we have and what we need in terms of software."
  • "I would like Microsoft Project to better align with our business needs, with improved consultant support for setup and integration features that show all relevant aspects at the top level."

What is our primary use case?

We use Microsoft Project to capture customer requests, explore details like function and performance, and consider operational and maintenance aspects. Then we mix this with the budget and the customer's mission.

How has it helped my organization?

Using Microsoft Project benefits our company by providing necessary insights such as SKU and manpower requirements, estimated project costs, and critical paths. It helps identify critical tools and events of communication, aiding in problem-solving and avoiding threats to project success.

What is most valuable?

Microsoft Project offers comprehensive project overviews and the ability to rate down what we have and what we need in terms of software.

What needs improvement?

I would like Microsoft Project to better align with our business needs, with improved consultant support for setup and integration features that show all relevant aspects at the top level.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Microsoft Project for ten years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Microsoft Project has always been stable for us.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Microsoft Project is scalable enough for our needs.

How are customer service and support?

I would rate the technical support as a seven out of ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

How was the initial setup?

Setting up Microsoft Project in our company was relatively straightforward, taking a short amount of time.

What other advice do I have?

We integrate Microsoft Project into our project management processes to handle both technical and business aspects.

Integrating Microsoft Project has been challenging, particularly regarding harmonization across departments. While integration is beneficial, achieving harmonization is essential for seamless collaboration.

Microsoft Project's reporting function helps decision-making by offering clear insights.

My advice is to use Microsoft Project along with other tools for capturing detailed requirements, not just focusing on function but also considering performance, operations, maintenance, and certification. This ensures project success and timely completion.

Overall, I would rate Microsoft Project as a six out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Project
February 2025
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Project. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: February 2025.
837,501 professionals have used our research since 2012.
reviewer1991439 - PeerSpot reviewer
Information Technology Program Manager at a government with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Integrates with Visio and allows us to have a milestone schedule and a breakdown of work
Pros and Cons
  • "Being able to get a milestone schedule or a breakdown out of it is valuable. It can integrate into Visio, which is helpful."
  • "Its user interface could be a little bit more intuitive. Not everybody has the luxury of going to training and understanding which button does what and the functionality. The user interface should be improved to make it a little bit more intuitive. It is not user-friendly. I've dealt with it for a number of years, so it is not hard for me to figure it out, but you would need a quick reference guide or something to say, "Here are the basics. This is how you do X.""

What is our primary use case?

We use it for the Gantt functionality. We can do project schedules and use the WBS piece to break down the work. We are able to generate reports for leadership to show project schedules, milestone schedules, etc.

It is installed on the desktop. It is not connected to the project server or anything like that. 

What is most valuable?

Being able to get a milestone schedule or a breakdown out of it is valuable. It can integrate into Visio, which is helpful.

What needs improvement?

Its user interface could be a little bit more intuitive. Not everybody has the luxury of going to training and understanding which button does what and the functionality. The user interface should be improved to make it a little bit more intuitive. It is not user-friendly. I've dealt with it for a number of years, so it is not hard for me to figure it out, but you would need a quick reference guide or something to say, "Here are the basics. This is how you do X."

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for about five or six years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is stable.

How are customer service and support?

I haven't contacted them.

How was the initial setup?

It takes a while to build, but it will probably depend on the project size and all the dependencies. So, it isn't exactly straightforward, but it also depends on the size of the project or the scope of the project.

What other advice do I have?

It is pretty straightforward. There isn't anything heavy about it.

I would rate it an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Kati Arndt - PeerSpot reviewer
Associate Partner - Cognitive Process Automation Practice Leader at IBM
Real User
Good performance and a useful Gantt char view but does not work well on a Mac
Pros and Cons
  • "The Gantt chart view is great."
  • "I find the setup a little bit cumbersome."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for project management. For example, IT implementation projects. 

What is most valuable?

The Gantt chart view is great. It shows all activities, and the planning of durations is very easy. We can see our suppliers and everything. 

The solution is stable.

It's scalable.

What needs improvement?

It doesn't really work too well on a Mac.

The initial setup was a bit complex. I find the setup a little bit cumbersome. Sometimes there are certain rules that automatically update something else, and it's not always visible. When that happens, you are left with a surprise.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used the solution for six years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution seems to be stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

With some assistance, it is possible to scale the product.

We have around 1,000 people using it in our company.

How are customer service and support?

I have not used technical support and therefore cannot speak to how helpful or responsive they would be if you needed help.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I have used other products in the past.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was a bit complex. It wasn't overly simple. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The licensing is handled centrally within the company. I don't have any visibility on the pricing aspect. I can't say how much it costs our organization precisely.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I have evaluated other products. 

What other advice do I have?

I'm not sure which version of the solution we're using. I don't know the version number off-hand. 

I'd recommend the solution. I find it to be quite useful, especially for waterfall-type projects.

I would rate it seven out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Vishnu Ramachandra - PeerSpot reviewer
Security Engineer at Suraksha
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Along with an excellent GUI and high scalability, the solution also ensures that its users experience a return on investment
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature of the solution stems from the fact that the product's GUI is very good...The product's scalability is good."
  • "The stability of the solution is an area with certain shortcomings that need improvement."

What is our primary use case?

I have used Microsoft Project for mapping out projects and stuff like that. Though I am not heavily involved with Microsoft Project, I can say that it helps with project management purposes in my company.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of the solution stems from the fact that the product's GUI is very good since it is very visual in nature. If you are in a project meeting and the customers want estimates of when the project will be done, I think they get the point instantly.

What needs improvement?

The stability of the solution is an area with certain shortcomings that need improvement.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Microsoft Project for a couple of years. I use the solution's latest version.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Stability-wise, I rate the solution an eight or nine out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The product's scalability is good. We have been using it in our company for quite some time. In our company, we have done many project plans with the help of the solution and haven't found issues yet with the solution.

Microsoft Project is a solution used by three or four people from the senior management in our company.

My company does not have plans to increase the solution's usage.

How are customer service and support?

I have not dealt with the solution's technical support team directly. Some of my team members who have dealt with the solution's technical support team directly told me that Microsoft's technical support is good.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of Microsoft Project was straightforward.

Microsoft Project's installation process took around two hours.

The solution is deployed on-premises.

Only one junior engineer is required to deploy and maintain the solution.

What about the implementation team?

A consultant carried out Microsoft Project's installation process.

What was our ROI?

Microsoft Project's ROI has been good so far since we have had no issues in our company, because of which the company plans to renew the licenses whenever they expire.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I am not aware of any additional costs apart from the standard licensing fees of the solution.

What other advice do I have?

I recommend this solution to those planning to use it.

Microsoft Project's potential users should plan their projects well enough before planning to use it. In general, Microsoft Project is one of the best tools available in the market.

I rate the overall solution somewhere between eight and nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
IT consultant at Secoptrial
Real User
Beneficial reminder feature, efficient work flow, but should be more inclusive
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature of Microsoft Project is the reminder feature. This feature allows for the system to send notifications or reminders to individuals who have a task to complete once someone has finished their task. This has been especially useful in situations where multiple people are involved in a task. For example, if I have completed my task and the next person is just beginning, the system will send them a reminder to notify them of my completion. This feature has proven to be very beneficial and convenient for me in my tasks."
  • "In a future update, the system should be more inclusive and open to everyone, not just limited to one organization. For example, there may be instances where we want to bring in a guest from outside our organization and integrate them into our project. It would be beneficial if the system was more accessible and easy to integrate with other projects. Additionally, it would be great if there was a way to receive notifications, regardless of whether they come from a Gmail domain or another domain, to keep us informed of any incoming tasks."

What is our primary use case?

Microsoft Project can be used for a variety of purposes, one of which is creating a Gantt diagram. This feature is particularly useful for projects that require establishing a timeline and determining the duration of each task. Additionally, Microsoft Project can be integrated with cloud solutions, such as Teams and Insight, making it a valuable tool for collaborative projects. By integrating with Teams, you can share tasks with team members and collaborate more efficiently. Integrating with Insight allows you to gather data and insights about your project, enabling you to make informed decisions and improve your project management process.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of Microsoft Project is the reminder feature. This feature allows for the system to send notifications or reminders to individuals who have a task to complete once someone has finished their task. This has been especially useful in situations where multiple people are involved in a task. For example, if I have completed my task and the next person is just beginning, the system will send them a reminder to notify them of my completion. This feature has proven to be very beneficial and convenient for me in my tasks.

What needs improvement?

In a future update, the system should be more inclusive and open to everyone, not just limited to one organization. For example, there may be instances where we want to bring in a guest from outside our organization and integrate them into our project. It would be beneficial if the system was more accessible and easy to integrate with other projects. Additionally, it would be great if there was a way to receive notifications, regardless of whether they come from a Gmail domain or another domain, to keep us informed of any incoming tasks.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Microsoft Project for approximately a few months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

In my organization, the stability of the solution has been good.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability of Microsoft Project is good.

How are customer service and support?

I did not use the support.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I used previously Microsoft Visio.

I used Microsoft Visio to build network architecture and especially for drawing a structure.

How was the initial setup?

In the setup of Microsoft Project, the process was a bit challenging initially. The main reason was that I was not sure where to start in a safe and secure manner. Microsoft frequently updates its software and resources, but it can be difficult to find the necessary documentation for a specific solution. It is crucial to have some prior experience with similar products to effectively locate the necessary information. For someone who is just starting out and does not have the proper training, guidance from an instructor, or hands-on experience, the setup process can be quite complex.

The implementation of the solution was swift and effortless. The amount of time it took to deploy would largely depend on the specificities of your project and what features are required or optional. From my personal experience, creating the project was simple and straightforward, and did not require a significant amount of time. The deployment process was smooth and efficient.

What was our ROI?

I have received a return on investment using the solution.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The license fees for the professional version, which is estimated to be approximately $1,600, and the standard version, which is approximately $1,200, may be considered expensive by some users. This is something that could be improved to make the platform more accessible to a wider audience.

You can purchase other solutions from Microsoft and receive this solution in the package, such as Visual Studio, it offers numerous benefits, including access to a variety of Microsoft solutions, including Project, Visio, Office 2021, and more. This makes it easier for me to access everything I need.

What other advice do I have?

I highly recommend the solution due to its ability to enhance organization and improve task management within projects. It is possible to stay informed and up-to-date with any delays or discrepancies in the work being done. The solution is immensely valuable. I wholeheartedly endorse this process.

I rate Microsoft Project a seven out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1548543 - PeerSpot reviewer
SVP, Emerging Data Platforms at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Good project planning features, good charts, and good at doing what it is supposed to do
Pros and Cons
  • "The standard project planning features and charts are most valuable."
  • "When a project plan becomes huge, it is painful to arrange and structure the project in Microsoft Project. Currently, you require a separate product for managing agile projects, and people are using Jira and Rally to manage stories in agile. Primarily, on the software development side, people are kind of moving away from Microsoft Project."

What is our primary use case?

We use it for IT project management. It is mainly used for managing tasks.

What is most valuable?

The standard project planning features and charts are most valuable.

What needs improvement?

When a project plan becomes huge, it is painful to arrange and structure the project in Microsoft Project.

Currently, you require a separate product for managing agile projects, and people are using Jira and Rally to manage stories in agile. Primarily, on the software development side, people are kind of moving away from Microsoft Project.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for 15 years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is stable but not for huge project plans.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I am using its desktop version. They also have an online version where you can collaborate and do things like that. It is Office 365, which I don't use. 

In terms of users, around 10,000 people might be using it. Its users include service delivery managers, project managers, and business analysts.

How are customer service and technical support?

I never had to use tech support for Microsoft Project.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I have used a competing product that was free and open-source, but it didn't have as many features as Microsoft Project.

We are kind of migrating to Jira for the agile model because we mostly have agile-based developments. All task stories and other things are managed in Jira. We are not using Microsoft Project that much now. It is only being used for project planning and for creating task dependencies.

How was the initial setup?

In my organization, it is already packaged and available. 

What other advice do I have?

I would advise others to learn about project planning. There is good enough information available online on Microsoft's website.

I would rate Microsoft Project an eight out of ten. It is good at doing what it is supposed to do. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Sr. Project Manager at Stradley Ronon
Real User
Included with Microsoft 365 and does everything I need it to do
Pros and Cons
  • "It comes with our Office 365."
  • "The new version has made it a bit more complicated."

What is our primary use case?

Microsoft Project helps to manage our projects.

How has it helped my organization?

We can't say that there has been an improvement. We are trying to get to that point, but we are only into it with the new version for a month.

What is most valuable?

It comes with our Office 365. 

We started using it and we stopped using LiquidPlanner. 

I am most comfortable using Microsoft Project just because I have used it for so long, but we are still trying to figure out the new version at the moment.

What needs improvement?

The new version has made it a bit more complicated. We are trying to synchronize Project Online and Planner.

In Team Planner, there is supposed to be a way that you can sync your tasks in the Project Plan with Planner so that the project team doesn't necessarily need to use Microsoft Project. They can see what tasks are assigned to them, do them and update the status.

But, we haven't been able to figure that out yet.

They can make it easier to streamline the product. 

When using Microsoft Project, the desktop and Planner don't seem to talk to each other as seamlessly as I would hope. It is possible that it is a user error and we have not configured it correctly. My IT team is new to it as well.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have had approximately 20 years of experience with Microsoft Project.

I just started using the latest version a little over a month ago.

I have the desktop app and on the cloud.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

At the moment we have an issue with synchronization with the planner. We are trying to get it to work by watching YouTube videos and the IT director has been working with the vendor to see how to get the functionality to work.

It's unknown if we need a plug-in or not. It is difficult to decipher whether or not it's us or them because we are so green with the product.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

From what I can tell, there is a lot that you can do with it. Power BI, reporting, SharePoint, and Teams are all supposed to connect in some way, but, it's not as intuitive as I thought it would have been.

There isn't a lot that is available that tells you how to do this. You have to figure it out which is what we are trying to do. I wish that it was a bit more straightforward.

Currently, there are two of us who use Microsoft Project because we are trying to get it configured in a way that makes sense for our organization before we can bring in the rest of the team that may need to use it.

How are customer service and technical support?

We have not used technical support.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Previously, we were using LiquidPlanner.

LiquidPlanner is a tool that you would use in an ideal situation for project management, which almost never happens. I can't get my organization to punch a time clock, and that is what LiquidPlanner is.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is a bit more complex than I would have hoped for or that I am used to. Again, it is possible that it's a lack of know-how and education with this product.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

It gets expensive when having to add all of the plugins and everything that you need.

What other advice do I have?

I would suggest using an expert. Get an implementation vendor to set it up for you.

This solution probably does everything that I need it to do, but I just don't know how to do it yet.

I like Microsoft Project and it does everything that I need it to do, but it doesn't do everything. That's Microsoft; they always get you to about 80% there, and then you need some type of plugin or API. It never quite does everything.

I would rate Microsoft Project an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
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Download our free Microsoft Project Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: February 2025
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Download our free Microsoft Project Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.