Project Management using 365 apps

Question

Hello!

I am hoping to connect with other project managers that use SharePoint, Planner, and or Loop as their primary sources for managing tasks, notes etc. (Please note we currently do not have Teams) We have only just started utilizing 365 for project management and already it seems to be getting messy.

• What recommendations do you have?
• how do you keep track of cross-functional projects in a streamlined way?
• Do you have a matrix for what size projects get what resources?
• How do you collect data on these projects using premium planner?
• how do you track recurring projects since Planner premium does not allow recurring tasks?
• What rules do you have in place for project sites?
• How do you organize your SharePoint sites?
• What would you suggest we avoid doing?
• What do you use lists for vs. planner tasks? loop vs. one note, sharepoint vs. something else.

Any help or suggestions would be highly appreciated.

Thank you!

Kristyn Hillman

* Changed to a question

Answer 1

Hello Kristyn,

Did you have time check the previous reply? Did it help you with your concern? Any updates would be greatly appreciated.

Please feel free to reach out to us if you need any further assistance.

Kind regards,

Hendrix-C - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Answer 2

Hello Kristyn Hillman, 

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Community. We're happy to support you with your concern.  

Good to hear that you started using our Microsoft 365 for Project Management. We want to show a great gratitude that you've trusted and chosen our products for your work. 
 
We will give you a simplified overview of how to approach project management using SharePoint, Planner, Loop, OneNote, and Lists so you can move forward with clarity:  

1. Understand the Core Tools and Their Roles 

Tool	Purpose / Use Case
Planner	Task assignment, tracking progress, managing small to medium task lists.
SharePoint	Central hub for each project or team: files, links, status pages.
Loop	Real-time, collaborative notes, checklists, and brainstorming.
OneNote	Detailed documentation, meeting notes, long-term knowledge.
Lists	Structured data tracking (e.g., milestones, risks, deliverables).
Outlook	Scheduling meetings, email notifications, calendar integration.
(Optional) Power Automate, Power BI	Automations, reports, dashboards if/when needed.

2. Organize Projects with a Simple Structure 

Use a consistent layout for every project: 

• One SharePoint site (or folder) per project
• Stores files, links, and important information
• Planner board embedded or linked for task tracking
• Loop page or OneNote notebook for meeting notes, discussions
• Lists for tracking structured project data (timeline, risks, decisions)

This creates a single place where everyone knows where to go for: 

• Tasks
• Documents
• Notes
• Status

3. Manage Project Types Consistently 

Use a basic classification: 

Project Type	Tools Used
Simple	Planner + Loop + SharePoint folder
Standard	Planner + Loop/OneNote + SharePoint site + Lists
Complex	All above + Power BI dashboards, Automations

Create template structures (sites, plans, notes) to copy for repeated projects. 

4. Use Premium Planner & Lists to Collect and Track Data 

If using Planner Premium: 

• Use custom fields to track priority, budget, risk, etc.
• Group/filter tasks based on those fields
• Export or connect to Power BI for portfolio dashboards

Use Lists when: 

• You need formal status reporting
• You're tracking approvals, dependencies, or KPIs
• You want to sort/filter/group structured data

5. Handling Recurring or Repeatable Work 

Since Planner doesn’t support recurring tasks directly: 

• Create a template board or plan with all tasks
• Duplicate it for each new cycle (monthly, quarterly, etc.)
• Or use Power Automate to trigger task creation

The range of knowledge that you've asked is very wide and large, which require you to spend time and effort to read a lot of articles about SharePoint, Planner, Loop, OneNote, and Lists each. Moreover, there's also a need of your organization size, your end-goal, your preferrable requirement that suitable for your workflow, etc, to give you the right guideline for you and your company. Therefore, for the most appropriate solution, we suggest you create a support ticket directly to Microsoft Support.  For detailed instructions on how to get support, please refer to Get support - Microsoft 365 admin. 

With this, you can connect to our backend agents, and you can share them about your company's condition, situation, your specific request, etc, then they can review and give you the most suitable suggestion for your currently concerns with Microsoft 365 apps. 

Thank you for your understanding. If you have any other questions or need further guidance, feel free to let me know.  

Best regards,      

Hendrix-C - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist