The integration of SharePoint with Planner for comprehensive project management

SharePoint and Planner are two powerful tools in the Microsoft 365 suite that can be integrated to provide a comprehensive project management solution. SharePoint is a web-based collaboration platform that allows teams to store, organize, and share documents and information. Planner, on the other hand, is a task management tool that enables teams to create and track tasks, assign them to team members, and monitor progress.

Benefits of integrating SharePoint with Planner

The integration of SharePoint with Planner offers several benefits for project management:

• Centralized project management: By integrating SharePoint with Planner, project managers can centralize all project-related documents, tasks, and information in one location. This makes it easier for team members to access and collaborate on project-related content.
• Streamlined task management: Planner provides a user-friendly interface for creating and managing tasks. By integrating it with SharePoint, team members can easily create tasks directly from SharePoint and track their progress.
• Improved collaboration: SharePoint's collaboration features, such as document co-authoring and version control, combined with Planner's task assignment and tracking capabilities, enable teams to collaborate more effectively on projects.
• Real-time updates: When tasks are updated in Planner, the changes are reflected in SharePoint in real-time. This ensures that all team members have access to the most up-to-date information.

How to integrate SharePoint with Planner

Integrating SharePoint with Planner is a straightforward process. Here's a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Create a SharePoint project site

To get started, you'll need to create a SharePoint project site where you can store all project-related documents and information. To create a project site, follow these steps:

1. Open SharePoint and navigate to the site where you want to create the project site.
2. Click on the "New" button and select "Site" from the drop-down menu.
3. Choose a template for your project site, such as the "Team site" template.
4. Enter a name and URL for your project site.
5. Click on the "Create" button to create the project site.

Step 2: Enable Planner integration in SharePoint

Once you have created the project site, you'll need to enable the Planner integration. Follow these steps:

1. Open the project site in SharePoint.
2. Click on the "Settings" gear icon and select "Site information" from the drop-down menu.
3. Under the "Integrations" section, click on the "Planner" option.
4. Click on the "Connect to a new plan" button.
5. Sign in to your Planner account and select the plan you want to connect to the project site.
6. Click on the "Save" button to enable the integration.

Step 3: Create tasks in Planner from SharePoint

Once the integration is enabled, you can start creating tasks in Planner directly from SharePoint. Here's how:

1. Open the project site in SharePoint.
2. Navigate to the document library or list where you want to create the task.
3. Click on the "New" button and select "Task" from the drop-down menu.
4. Enter the task details, such as the title, description, due date, and assignee.
5. Click on the "Save" button to create the task in Planner.

Step 4: Track task progress in SharePoint

Once tasks are created in Planner, you can track their progress in SharePoint. Here's how:

1. Open the project site in SharePoint.
2. Navigate to the document library or list where the tasks are stored.
3. Click on the "Tasks" view to see a list of all tasks.
4. Use the filters and sorting options to find the tasks you want to track.
5. Click on a task to view its details, such as the assigned user, due date, and status.
6. Update the task status in Planner, and the changes will be reflected in SharePoint.

Conclusion

The integration of SharePoint with Planner provides a comprehensive project management solution that combines document management, task management, and collaboration features. By centralizing project-related content and enabling real-time updates between the two tools, teams can streamline their project workflows and improve collaboration. Whether you are managing a small team or a large enterprise project, integrating SharePoint with Planner can help you stay organized and achieve project success.