When the 2019 version of Microsoft (MS) Project was released, a new simple, yet effective, feature was introduced: Users now have the ability to link Task Summary Name Field, Timeline Bar Labels and Task Progress using a drop-down menu.
In the latest release, the “link task” function now allows users to link tasks without the need of an ID. Simply select the down arrow in the Predecessors column and a list of tasks will appear. Is it a major part of the update? No. Does it have a major impact? Yes. The previous 2016 version of the system assigned an ID to each task, and linking items required the user to pull the number. This always was an issue when you had several tasks with several IDs. The latest update, however, allows users to see the list of tasks within the project instead.
Another new feature to the MS Project update is the Task Summary Name field, which assists managers in monitoring their overall project structures. Although different projects may require the same tasks, when a project manager reviews the list of tasks, they previously were not able to determine each task’s project source (e.g., seeing multiple lines of a task called “Create Report”). This new, read-only field simplifies the process of determining the position of the task in the overall project (e.g., “Create Report | Project A” and “Create Report |Project B”).
Although the Timeline bar labels and Task Progress have worked well in the past, the updated version of Project makes it much easier to share a project’s status with your team. Timeline bars have always been utilized to keep track of projects at a glance, but now the bars can be labeled.
These are just some of the several improvements made to the latest version of Microsoft Project. Although there is no date on the next update, one thing is for certain – Microsoft Project continues to evolve and adapt to the changing demands with each version.
What is Microsoft Project?
Microsoft Project is a robust planning, scheduling, and monitoring tool used on team and company projects. It normally is run by a “group” manager who assigns tasks and other instructions to their team and allows the manager to monitor each individual task and project from start to finish. With its multiplatform capability, MS Project has the ability to be run as either a desktop, mobile or cloud application. If your organization is seeking information about Microsoft Project, contact MorganFranklin today to get you started.
