What Exactly Is Being Retired?

A common misconception is that Microsoft Project as a whole is being retired.

This isn't the case.

The retirement applies specifically to Project Online, Microsoft's cloud-based project and portfolio management platform that many organisations have used for project governance, portfolio management and reporting. Microsoft has confirmed that Project Online will retire on 30 September 2026.

Microsoft's future direction is centred around:

• Microsoft Planner
• Planner Premium
• Microsoft Power Platform
• Power BI
• Microsoft Copilot

Why This Matters

Many organisations have spent years building processes around Project Online.

These often include:

• Project requests
• Governance workflows
• Resource planning
• Portfolio reporting
• Executive dashboards
• Financial tracking
• Strategic prioritisation

Migrating away from Project Online is not simply about moving project plans.

It's about deciding how those wider PMO processes will operate moving forward. ‍

Option 1: Microsoft Planner Premium

For organisations with relatively straightforward project management requirements, Planner Premium can be an attractive option.

Key capabilities include:

• Timeline (Gantt) views
• Dependencies
• Milestones
• Custom fields
• Templates
• Project scheduling
• Team collaboration

Planner Premium provides a significantly more modern and intuitive user experience than Project Online and integrates naturally with Microsoft Teams and the wider Microsoft 365 ecosystem.

Potential Limitations

Whilst Planner Premium is excellent for project planning and delivery, organisations should understand that it does not provide all the governance and portfolio management capabilities previously available within Project Online.

Examples may include:

• Portfolio management
• Project prioritisation
• Governance workflows
• Business case approvals
• RAID management
• Executive portfolio reporting

These capabilities may need to be delivered through Power Platform or an additional solution. ‍

Option 2: Microsoft Planner Premium + Power Platform

Many organisations choose to build on Planner Premium using Microsoft Power Platform.

This approach allows organisations to retain Microsoft's modern planning experience whilst introducing additional capabilities such as:

• Project request management
• Governance processes
• Approval workflows
• RAID management
• Portfolio reporting
• Resource planning
• Executive dashboards

The benefit of this approach is that organisations remain entirely within the Microsoft ecosystem whilst creating a solution aligned to their specific operating model.

Option 3: A Microsoft PPM Accelerator

For organisations that need a more structured PMO capability, a Microsoft PPM accelerator can bridge the gap between Planner Premium and traditional enterprise PPM platforms.

Solutions such as Q PPM provide:

• Project request workflows
• Business case approvals
• Project lifecycles
• RAID management
• Portfolio management
• Governance controls
• Executive reporting
• Resource visibility
• Power BI dashboards

all whilst continuing to leverage Microsoft Planner for scheduling and Microsoft 365 for collaboration.

This enables organisations to quickly establish a mature PPM capability without undertaking a lengthy custom development project.

Questions Every PMO Should Ask

Before selecting a replacement for Project Online, consider the following:

How Important Is Governance?

Do you simply need project schedules?

Or do you require:

• Approval workflows
• Stage gates
• Governance controls
• Portfolio oversight

How Important Is Reporting?

Do executives currently rely on:

• Portfolio dashboards
• Resource reports
• Financial reporting
• Strategic planning information

How Mature Is Your PMO?

A team managing five projects may have very different requirements from an organisation managing hundreds.

Your replacement solution should reflect your current maturity level and future ambitions.

How Much Do You Already Own?

Many organisations are surprised to discover that they already own much of the technology needed to build a modern PPM capability through Microsoft 365 licensing.

An Opportunity Rather Than a Risk

Whilst Project Online retirement may initially appear disruptive, many organisations are using this as an opportunity to modernise how they manage projects.

Rather than simply replacing one system with another, organisations now have the opportunity to:

• Simplify project delivery
• Improve governance
• Increase portfolio visibility
• Enhance reporting
• Leverage Copilot and AI
• Reduce reliance on disconnected tools

all while making better use of existing Microsoft investments.

Conclusion

The retirement of Project Online is not simply a migration exercise.

It's an opportunity to rethink how projects, programmes and portfolios are managed across the organisation.

For some organisations, Planner Premium will provide everything they need.

For others, combining Planner Premium with Power Platform or a dedicated PPM solution will deliver significantly greater long-term value.

The right answer depends on your project management maturity, governance requirements and future objectives.

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Ready to Explore Your Options?

Book a complimentary Microsoft PPM Discovery Workshop with QDC and we'll help you assess your current environment, understand your options and define the most appropriate path forward.

👉 Book a Discovery Workshop Today

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