Tool & Feature Update: What’s New in Microsoft Planner Premium & OnePlan

Your guide to the latest capabilities shaping the future of work and project management.

As more organizations prepare for the retirement of Microsoft Project Online, PMOs are looking closely at the tools that will power their next chapter. Two platforms stand out in the modern Microsoft ecosystem: Microsoft Planner Premium and OnePlan. Both continue to deliver major enhancements designed to offer clarity, collaboration, and portfolio-level visibility.

In this month’s tool update, we’re highlighting the newest features, why they matter, and how they support organizations transitioning off Project Online.

What’s New in Microsoft Planner Premium

Planner Premium is evolving quickly as the enterprise-grade version of Microsoft Planner — bringing structure, scheduling, and AI-driven support to organizations that need more than a basic task board.

Here’s what’s new:

1. Bulk Editing in Grid View

Teams can now select multiple tasks (using Ctrl or click-and-drag selection) and update:

  • Start and due dates
  • Assignments
  • Priorities
  • Status

This is a huge time-saver for PMs handling larger plans or frequent updates.

2. Automated Status Reports (Public Preview)

Status reporting has historically been a pain point in light-weight tools. Planner Premium now lets users automatically generate:

  • Progress summaries
  • Risks and blockers
  • Milestones
  • Upcoming tasks

These can be shared as Loop components or embedded directly into Teams conversations.

3. New Project Manager Agent (AI Assistant)

A new floating chat button allows you to interact with an AI assistant that can:

  • Help structure your plan
  • Surface upcoming risks
  • Suggest next steps
  • Answer questions about planning or scheduling

This is an early look at how Microsoft is infusing AI into everyday work management.

4. Premium-Only Advanced Views

With Premium licensing, users unlock:

  • Timeline (Gantt) View
  • Dependencies
  • Custom fields
  • Workload/People View
  • Goal tracking & OKR alignment

These features close many of the gaps between Planner and more traditional PM tools.

Why it matters:
For teams migrating from Project Online but not ready for a full PPM platform, Planner Premium offers a modern, Microsoft-native, budget-friendly alternative.

What’s New in OnePlan

OnePlan continues to lead the way for organizations that need full portfolio, resource, and financial management — particularly for complex PMOs migrating from Project Online.

Recent updates include:

1. Configurable Dashboards & Improved UX

Users can now build their own dashboards by choosing chart types, metrics, and visuals. This empowers PMOs to tailor insights without relying on IT or Power BI for every view.

Additional UX improvements include:

  • Streamlined navigation
  • Better filtering
  • Consistent layout across modules

2. Performance Upgrades for Large Financial Plans

OnePlan has significantly improved performance for multi-year, monthly financial plans — even with large datasets. This is critical for enterprise PMOs managing dozens of portfolios.

3. New & Enhanced Integrations

OnePlan now provides:

  • Auto-add of OnePlan users to connected Planner plans
  • Expanded ServiceNow bi-directional sync
  • A refreshed Power Automate connector
  • Better Teams app experience with configurable landing pages

These updates strengthen OnePlan’s role as a centralized hub for project, portfolio, and work data.

Why it matters:
For organizations replacing Project Online with a true enterprise PPM platform, OnePlan provides the flexibility, depth, and integration capabilities that PMOs expect — and the updates make scaling even easier.

What These Updates Mean for Your PMO

With Project Online entering retirement, organizations are actively evaluating how to modernize their work and project management stacks. These new Planner Premium and OnePlan capabilities highlight a few key themes:

✔ Microsoft is accelerating innovation around Planner Premium and AI-driven work management.
✔ OnePlan continues to lead for enterprise PPM — especially when reporting, financials, and integrations matter.
✔ Hybrid environments (Planner + OnePlan + Teams) are becoming the new standard.
✔ Now is the right time to pilot new tools, build readiness, and align stakeholders.

Whether you’re exploring quick wins with Planner Premium or designing a full enterprise portfolio solution in OnePlan, staying informed on updates ensures your migration decisions align with your long-term strategy.

Next Steps

If you’re planning your Project Online transition, these updates should be part of your evaluation.

Here are helpful resources from PPM Works:

Project Online Migration Options

Project Online Migration Checklist

Upcoming Webinar: From Project Online to OnePlan — Real Customer Success Stories

Our team can also walk you through the latest Planner Premium and OnePlan capabilities in a personalized session.