Microsoft released the first version of their new application within the Office 365 Suite, Planner. I recently wrote a blog post explaining the features and functions of the application and how I benefit from using it within my job. However as I have been using Planner, there have been a few features that I feel that should be included in the application, I call this my wishlist. I will updated this blog post as I think of new ideas and as new features become available.
Assigning tasks
Planner is a great way tool for teams to use to work efficiently, strategically and collaboratively. Within Planner you are able to assign the tasks to individuals. Although this is a great way to keep track of which individual is taking ownership of particular tasks, you are unable to assign a task to more than one person. For me, this would be a useful feature as myself and my team work together on certain tasks.
Reoccurring tasks
In the past I have used applications similar to Planner such as WunderList that have allowed me to set a reoccurring tasks, weekly, monthly or yearly. For certain tasks that I carry out each week, this would be a great function for the application to have. Currently I have to set the task again as soon as I have ticked it off to complete it.
Adding tasks
When you create, complete or comment on a task within Planner, everybody in the plan receives an email to alert you of the change. This is a great feature as it keeps everybody up to date with tasks without having to log on to the app. However I feel it would be useful to be able to create and comment on tasks via email.
Attaching Files
Another feature of Planner is that when you create a task you are able to attach documents. This is great as it can be used as a central location for all members to find the related documents, however when adding documents to the task, you are only able to upload them one at a time. Although this may not be a big issue, I feel it would make the process easier if users were able to do this.
Filtering
When using Planner I personally like to know what tasks I have set myself to complete by the end of the day. I feel it would be beneficial for Planner to have a filtering option, so you can view the tasks that you have set for the day, or week.
Create an App
Office 365 is known for allowing users to be mobile, being able to access their emails, files and data on any device at any time. In order to comply with this message, I feel that Planner should be created into a Mobile App.
Archiving Buckets (Added 20/7/16)
When you have completed all the tasks within a bucket and have no more to add, it would be great to be able to archive the bucket. At current the options you have are to either Rename or Delete the bucket. Renaming the bucket could possibly make all the past and completed tasks irrelevant and deleting the bucket could mean that I lose track of tasks I completed. Being able to archive the bucket gives me the opportunity to keep the evidence of my completed tasks but also keep my planner dashboard tidy.
Deleting Comments (Added 20/7/16)
As mentioned in my ‘Thoughts on Microsoft Planner’ blog article you are able to add comments to a task. This is a great way to easily update the team of any new actions that have been made to the task. However I have noticed that you are not able to delete these comments from the task. This would be a useful feature and without the ability to delete the comment it may cause confusion as people may accidentally a comment to the wrong task, or mean to put it in the description.
To see the functionality and features of Planner, read my blog post: My thoughts on Microsoft Planner.
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