Microsoft Project: Which Version Fits Your Needs

Navigating the diverse landscape of Microsoft Project versions can be a daunting task, with each iteration bringing its own set of features and improvements. From the legacy Microsoft Project 2010 to the more recent releases like Microsoft Project 2013 and beyond, understanding the nuances of each version is crucial in finding the one that aligns perfectly with your project management needs.

In this guide, we will cut through the technicalities and delve into a straightforward comparison, helping you identify the Microsoft Project version that best suits your requirements. Let’s unravel the complexities and pinpoint the ideal solution for your project management endeavors.

Microsoft Project Standard or Microsoft Professional: Which One Fits Your Business Perfectly?

Microsoft Project actually has two editions.:

• Microsoft Project Standard 
• Microsoft Project Professional

Similar to the professional edition, the standard version of Project allows you to manage tasks, business intelligence, schedules and costs, and reports.

It is perfect for users who run small businesses. In addition to the features listed above, Microsoft Project Professional also comes with Skype for Business, resource management, business presence, syncing with Project Online and Project Server, and the ability to submit timesheets for the purpose of recording project and non-project time for billing, payroll, and other business needs.

Which Microsoft Project Version would fit the bill?

1. Microsoft Project 2010

Project 2010 offers all of the fundamental project management features you will need, depending on your requirements. However, many features in later versions of Microsoft Project may be worth the small additional cost. Microsoft Project 2010 is still a very strong project management tool with lots of amazing features.

It is helpful for managing small-scale projects that a modestly sized nonprofit or charity organization might handle, but it can also handle large projects for big businesses with a variety of professional management components.

One excellent way for your project management team to take advantage of the power of a feature-rich project management software is to use Microsoft Project 2010. In conclusion, Project 2010 includes all of the essential features for project management, such as resource and time management.

2. Microsoft Project 2013

In the area of project planning, Project 2013 offers a lot of changes over 2010 in addition to a plethora of tools to help automate certain tasks. Almost every feature in Project 2010 has been improved, and it adds a ton of new templates and tools to make your job easier.

To make setting up new projects easier, there are new themes, wizards, and enhanced formulas and filtering options. The primary reason you should at least upgrade from Project 2010 to 2013 is because of its improved reporting features.

Using pre-made templates to jumpstart your project is one of the additional features. Your project can be arranged according to any method you choose, geography, deliverables, phases, or other criteria. You can add more details to the information using the outline format.

Here are the Microsoft Project 2013 features you need to know:

• Start your project quickly by using the pre-made templates. Prebuilt project templates are available for common business projects. With just a few clicks, you can use them to begin almost any kind of project.

• Sort your project according to deliverables, stages, locations, or special requirements. Depending on how specific you want your plan to be, you can gradually delve deeper into the details using the outline format.

• Calculate expenses based on your requirements. Duration, kind of resource, deliverable, kind of cost, and any other kinds you select.

• Sort resources according to their type. Level your resources to prevent overspending; as resources change, ascertain how it will affect the task’s duration.

• Utilize reports and views to gain access to a multitude of data. To accommodate last-minute requests, a report on total costs to date does not need to be manually created.

• Oversee intricate algorithms to accomplish tasks such as allocating resources evenly to resolve conflicts, filtering assignments based on specific standards, simulating potential outcomes, and computing the total cost of completed work. Find out more than you ever thought possible.

You can also arrange resources according to type, compute timing and costs, see reports, and handle intricate algorithms, in addition to choosing any method you like for calculating costs. You can solve resource conflicts by completing tasks such as leveling resource assignments, filtering tasks based on different criteria, creating what-if scenarios, and figuring out the total cost of work completed so far.

With a slew of new features and enhancements to all of the features from Project 2013, Project 2016 is a viable substitute for Microsoft Project 2019 without breaking the bank.

3. Microsoft Project 2019

But if your company prefers to stay up to date with the newest software, Microsoft Project offers ways to elevate project management. A completely new level of project management is introduced with Microsoft Project 2019. Use built-in reports to obtain insights, share information with staff and clients, and obtain results quickly. You can also understand task relationships by using task path highlighting in Gantt charts, copying and pasting project information from Project into Office apps, and using built-in reports.

There is no better way to see how your projects are coming along and get insight into them. Additionally, startup has been enhanced to enable you to get going more quickly than ever before, and you now have access to an increased number of templates. This saves time when you have to quickly set up a project. Additionally, you receive visual timelines that make project tracking easier than before. Quickly see the most important information. To get going, all you need is Windows 10.

Here are the Microsoft Project 2019 features you need to know:

• The ability to link tasks with a drop-down menu. Remembering the task ID you want to link to is not necessary. After choosing a cell in the Predecessors column, you can select the down arrow to view a list of all the tasks in your project. The task hierarchy and order precisely match your project, so it will be simple for you to find the relevant task and check the box next to it.

• The name field is now visible in the task summary. Anyone who has ever worked on a project with a long list of tasks knows that it can be a little difficult to figure out which tasks belong under the project plan overall. You can better understand your project by organizing the read-only “Task Summary Name” field as a column in your Task View. It displays the name of the summary task for a specific task. Simply right-click on the column title (to the right of the desired field location) and choose Task Summary to add this field.

• Task progress is now displayed, along with timeline bar labels. This feature makes it easier than ever to communicate project progress. It is now easy to quickly show your plan and the work in progress when you share a status because timeline bars can now be labeled and task progress is displayed on the tasks themselves.

• Numerous accessibility enhancements have been made. Microsoft made a special effort in Project 2019 to make it simpler for Windows Narrator and other assistive technologies to read more Project elements. Advanced enhancements have been made to the keyboard support and contrast.

Conclusion

So, which version should you use? Technically, any version of Microsoft Project that is available to accomplish your goals is a great choice. Remember that older versions of MS Project might not function at all if your organization is utilizing cloud computing and running on newer hardware.

In a few years, support for earlier versions of Microsoft Project will also come to an end. When choosing whether to upgrade or stick with an older version of Microsoft Project, keep these things in mind.