What Microsoft Planner is (in plain words)

• Microsoft Planner is a simple, all‑in‑one place to organize tasks, plans, and projects—from quick to‑dos to full team initiatives. It lives inside Microsoft 365, so it feels familiar and works smoothly with the tools you already use. The latest Planner brings together the best of To Do, classic Planner, and Project so you can scale from personal tasks to enterprise projects without switching apps. (techcommunity.microsoft.com)

Core things your team will use on day one

• Create and assign tasks fast. Add owners, dates, checklists, labels, files, and comments so everyone knows what “done” looks like. You can work in Board, Grid/List, Schedule, and Charts views—so you can plan, track, and report without extra spreadsheets. (microsoft.com)

• See work at a glance. The Board (Kanban) view keeps work moving; Charts show what’s on track or late; Schedule drops tasks onto a calendar for week or month planning. Drag and drop to reschedule in seconds. (support.microsoft.com)

• Work where conversations happen. Use Planner right inside Microsoft Teams, and keep task updates, files, and chats together. Team members also get email and Teams notifications when tasks are assigned or due, so nothing slips through the cracks. (techcommunity.microsoft.com)

• Bring tasks into your calendar. Publish a plan or “Assigned to me” as an iCalendar feed so you can see Planner tasks in Outlook alongside meetings and deadlines. (eus.prod.support.services.microsoft.com)

When you need more than the basics (premium capabilities)

• If your work needs timelines, sequencing, or formal oversight, Planner’s premium capabilities step in:

• Timeline (Gantt‑style) view to map the schedule visually. (support.microsoft.com)

• Task dependencies (Finish‑to‑Start, Start‑to‑Start, Finish‑to‑Finish, Start‑to‑Finish) so changes auto‑adjust your plan. (support.microsoft.com)

• Advanced scheduling tools like baselines and critical path (in higher plans) for deeper project control. (microsoft.com)

• People and resource capabilities, program/portfolio views, and demand management in upper tiers for PMOs. (microsoft.com)

• These features align to the new plan names: Planner Plan 1, Planner and Project Plan 3, and Planner and Project Plan 5. (support.microsoft.com)

Why this matters for a solid Back Office

• Standardize how work is requested and tracked. Use common templates and labels so Finance, HR, Ops, and IT run the same playbook across recurring processes.

• Make status reporting effortless. Charts and timelines give leaders a clean, real‑time view of progress, risks, and workload—no manual slide decks.

• Tighten accountability. Clear assignees, due dates, and notifications help tasks move on time and reduce follow‑ups.

• Cut tool sprawl. Because Planner lives in Microsoft 365 and Teams, your Back Office doesn’t need extra logins or shadow tools to get organized. (microsoft.com)

Built for security and compliance

• Planner benefits from enterprise‑grade security, privacy, and compliance standards across Microsoft 365, with data protected at rest and in transit and governed by Microsoft’s compliance offerings. (learn.microsoft.com)

What’s new and timing to know (so you plan rollouts smartly)

• April 2024: The new Planner experience started rolling out in Microsoft Teams (the “Tasks by Planner and To Do” app became “Planner”). (techcommunity.microsoft.com)

• Fall 2024 onward: The new Planner for the web began rolling out, aligning the web experience with Planner in Teams; Project for the web features are coming into the new Planner experience. (support.microsoft.com)

• September 18, 2024: Plan names refreshed to Planner Plan 1, Planner and Project Plan 3, Planner and Project Plan 5. (support.microsoft.com)

• Late 2024–2025: Quality‑of‑life updates (like a Board view in My Tasks and better column customization) and continued endpoint upgrades are shipping in phases. (techcommunity.microsoft.com)

Licensing at a glance (keep it simple)

• Included with Microsoft 365: Core Planner features—Boards, Charts, Schedule, My Day/My Tasks, Teams integration. Great for team tasking and light projects. (microsoft.com)

• Planner Plan 1 (add‑on): Adds Timeline (Gantt), task dependencies, premium templates, reports, backlogs and sprints, and people management—ideal for structured projects. (microsoft.com)

• Planner and Project Plan 3: Adds Copilot in Planner (preview), advanced dependencies, baselines/critical path, program management, and resource requests—good for PMOs. (microsoft.com)

• Planner and Project Plan 5: Adds portfolio management plus enterprise resource management and allocation—for enterprise‑scale oversight. (microsoft.com)

How Back Office teams typically roll this out

• Start small and standardize. Pick one process (e.g., vendor onboardings or month‑end close), build a reusable plan template, and agree on labels and buckets.

• Connect the dots. Pin the plan in your Teams channels and publish key tasks to your Outlook calendars so deadlines show up where people already look. (techcommunity.microsoft.com)

• Level up as needs grow. Move to premium views like Timeline and dependencies when you need sequencing, then add program/portfolio views as volume increases. (support.microsoft.com)

Bottom line

• Planner gives your Back Office a clear, friendly system of record for work. It’s simple enough for everyday tasks and strong enough to scale into formal project management—without leaving Microsoft 365.