Overview

Microsoft Planner is a task and work management application included with NEOMED employee and student licenses. It helps individuals and teams organize work, track progress, assign tasks, manage deadlines, and collaborate on projects.

Planner can be used for:

• Project management
• Team task tracking
• Department initiatives
• Event planning
• Personal task organization
• Meeting action item tracking
• Research project coordination

Because Planner integrates with Microsoft Teams, Outlook, To Do, Loop, and SharePoint, it provides a centralized way to manage work without requiring additional third-party applications.

Accessing Microsoft Planner

Option 1: Web Browser

1. Sign in to Microsoft 365 at:
   • https://www.office.com
2. Select Apps.
3. Choose Planner.

You can also access Planner directly at: https://planner.cloud.microsoft

Option 2: Microsoft Teams

Planner is available directly within Teams.

1. Open Microsoft Teams.
2. Navigate to the appropriate Team or Channel.
3. Select the + (Add Tab) button.
4. Choose Planner.
5. Create a new plan or select an existing one.

Option 3: Mobile App

Download Microsoft Planner from:

• Apple App Store
• Google Play Store

Sign in using your NEOMED account.

Creating Your First Plan

A Plan is the top-level container that holds tasks, buckets, and team members.

Create a New Plan

1. Open Planner.
2. Select New Plan.
3. Enter:
   • Plan Name
   • Optional description
4. Choose whether the plan should be:
   • Personal
   • Shared with a Microsoft 365 Group or Team
5. Select Create.

Example Plan Names

• Curriculum Committee Tasks
• IT Infrastructure Projects
• Research Study Coordination
• New Employee Onboarding

Understanding Planner Components

Plans

A plan contains all project-related information.

Examples:

• Network Upgrade Project
• Accreditation Activities
• Faculty Search Committee

Buckets

Buckets organize tasks into categories.

Example:

Bucket	Purpose
To Do	New work
In Progress	Active work
Waiting	Pending dependency
Completed	Finished work

Tasks

Tasks represent individual work items.

Example

Task: Review Security Policy

Task details may include:

• Assigned users
• Due date
• Checklist
• Priority
• Notes
• Attachments

Creating Tasks

1. Select Add Task.
2. Enter a task name.
3. Assign a due date.
4. Assign task owners.
5. Select Add Task.

Enhancing Tasks

Open a task and add:

Checklist Items

Example:

• Review draft
• Obtain approvals
• Publish policy

Notes

Add:

• Meeting outcomes
• Requirements
• Project details

Attachments

Attach:

• Word documents
• PDFs
• Excel files
• SharePoint files

Labels

Use color labels to categorize work.

Example:

Label	Usage
Urgent	Immediate attention required
Compliance	Regulatory work
Project	Project-related tasks
Research	Research activities

Assigning Tasks

Planner supports multiple assignees.

To assign a task:

1. Open the task.
2. Select Assign.
3. Choose one or more team members.
4. Save changes.

Assigned users receive notifications and can track work from:

• Planner
• Microsoft To Do
• Teams

Tracking Progress

Each task can be assigned a status:

• Not Started
• In Progress
• Completed

Project progress updates automatically as tasks are completed.

Using Planner Views

Board View

Default Kanban-style layout.

Best for:

• Task tracking
• Workflow visualization
• Team management

Grid View

Spreadsheet-like layout.

Best for:

• Bulk task updates
• Reviewing deadlines
• Managing assignments

Schedule View

Displays tasks on a calendar.

Best for:

• Planning upcoming work
• Reviewing due dates
• Resource scheduling

Charts View

Provides visual dashboards for:

• Task status
• Completion rates
• Workload distribution
• Assignment tracking

Managers can quickly identify overdue tasks and workload imbalances.

Planner and Microsoft To Do Integration

Tasks assigned to you automatically appear within Microsoft To Do under:

Assigned to Me

Benefits include:

• Unified task management
• Personal and team tasks in one place
• Mobile access
• Reminder support

Planner and Microsoft Teams Integration

Planner works seamlessly in Teams.

Common uses include:

• Meeting action items
• Committee work
• Department projects
• IT project tracking

Recommended setup:

Team
 └─ Channel
     └─ Planner Tab
           ├─ To Do
           ├─ In Progress
           ├─ Completed
           └─ Reporting

Best Practices

Keep Tasks Small

Good:

• Configure printer deployment
• Review vendor contract

Avoid:

• Complete entire project

Break large projects into manageable tasks.

Use Due Dates Consistently

Adding due dates:

• Increases accountability
• Improves reporting
• Enhances schedule visibility

Create Meaningful Buckets

Examples:

• Not Started
• In Progress
• Waiting on Others
• Completed

or

• Planning
• Procurement
• Implementation
• Testing
• Go-Live

Review Plans Weekly

Schedule recurring reviews to:

• Update statuses
• Close completed tasks
• Reassign work if necessary
• Identify overdue items

Common Use Cases at NEOMED

Department Project Management

Track:

• Technology initiatives
• Accreditation activities
• Administrative projects

Committee Management

Track:

• Action items
• Deadlines
• Meeting deliverables

Event Planning

Manage:

• Registration
• Communications
• Logistics
• Follow-up activities

Personal Work Organization

Track:

• Daily priorities
• Professional goals
• Recurring responsibilities

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Planner included with my Microsoft 365 license?

Microsoft Planner is included with Microsoft 365 licensing available to NEOMED students and employees.

Can I use Planner without Microsoft Teams?

Yes. Planner is available directly through the web interface.

Can multiple people be assigned to a task?

Yes. Planner supports multiple assignees per task.

Can I attach files to tasks?

Yes. Files can be attached from:

• OneDrive
• SharePoint
• Local computer

Will assigned tasks appear in Microsoft To Do?

Yes. Tasks assigned to you automatically appear in Microsoft To Do.

Additional Resources

• Get started with Microsoft Planner | Microsoft Support