Projects always produce a paper trail. These could be deliverables, a specific form, or files that accumulate as work progresses.

Poor document management will almost certainly lead your project off track. What if someone is looking at an outdated project plan? Or two people have been editing an offline version of the same document? Issues like these slow down the progress of your project.

Read on to learn how you can use SharePoint Online in Microsoft 365 to manage all your project documentation.

Why is Project Document and Deliverable Management Important?

Sometimes project documents are for internal use. Business cases, project proposals, project charters, and status reports are examples of internal project documents.

Project deliverables are the output of a task or stage of a project. Some examples of project deliverables could be:

• Content drafts and imagery if you’re a publication,
• blueprints if you’re working on architectural projects,
• or maybe a website audit from an external marketing agency.

Typically, project deliverables require collaborative input from the entire project team. They often require multiple iterations for team members to review, approve, and give feedback before a final version is agreed upon. That is why an efficient document management system is so important.

Key Requirements for Effective Document Management

You need to make sure that all project team members are working off the same version of the same document at all times. It is also helpful to be able to track how those files have changed over the course of the project.

Here are a few key requirements that we would suggest for any file management system for your projects:

• Keep all the files in one central location, ideally in a secure cloud-based solution
• Enable version control, so you can track changes over time and revert to an older version if necessary
• Use folders, proper tags, and metadata to properly  categorize and organize documents
• It must be easy to find and access files from any device.

Managing Project Documents with SharePoint Online

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It is especially useful for managing project files for a number of reasons we’ll explain in this section:

Permissions

You can set user permissions to ensure the right people can access the library. This can be extremely important for sensitive or private projects where you need to restrict access.

Permissions in SharePoint Online can even be set at the individual file level if required.

Metadata

You can use the SharePoint properties in your document library to track information, such as the date and time a file was created or uploaded, when it was last modified, and who made the last change.

Link sharing

SharePoint Online allows you share links to documents, removing the need to share email attachments.

Workflows

A structured approach to SharePoint documentation ensures files remain organized and accessible.

SharePoint has out-of-the-box workflows to manage document approvals, collect signatures, or notify certain team members when something in the document has changed.

File management

You can upload files directly to the SharePoint document library or create new documents in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote from the document library itself.

Co-authoring

Since SharePoint Online is so tightly integrated with the Microsoft Office 365 Suite, co-authoring and collaborating on documents is incredibly easy.

BrightWork 365 with SharePoint Online Integration

BrightWork 365 uses the right Microsoft 365 app for the right project management process using project management templates.

Every project template should include a dedicated space for storing files.  In BrightWork 365, we’ve built a tight integration using SharePoint Online to manage documents in your Microsoft 365 secure environment.

In the screenshot below, you can see a document library in a BrightWork 365 project management template. You can upload files or create new documents right from the project site (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or OneNote).

Selecting a SharePoint document opens options to Edit, Check In/Check Out, or modify properties.

It has all the usual SharePoint functionality you need to manage project documents.

Use SharePoint Online in Your Project Processes

Managing your project documentation is critical to project success. It keeps teams aligned and prevents delays. When you set up SharePoint properly, you gain a structured system to organize, store, and collaborate on project files securely.

BrightWork 365 enhances this process with pre-built project management templates that integrate seamlessly with SharePoint Online. Teams can store, track, and manage documents within a familiar Microsoft 365 environment, improving visibility and control.

Get started with BrightWork 365 to simplify SharePoint document management and ensure consistency across all your projects. Watch our demo to see it in action.

SharePoint Server is a practical platform for project teams. Managers can easily apply a standard approach to project management, allowing teams to collaborate on projects easily with improved visibility.

Quite often, project managers rely on familiar and available tools such as Word or Excel for project tracking. As a result, they miss the collaborative features of a platform like SharePoint.

SharePoint Server’s strengths lie in the fact it is highly secure, highly configurable, and seamlessly connects to the Microsoft suite of products. Here are four tools that will help you to manage a project using SharePoint Server.

Native SharePoint

Vanilla SharePoint is great if you want to introduce the idea of team collaboration to your organization but may not be too sure how people will react to a new process.

You’ll need to configure your SharePoint site with the right lists and web parts for your project. This takes time and requires both SharePoint and project management experience.

SharePoint, a versatile collaboration tool, is used for:

• Document management and sharing
• Intranet portals
• Building websites
• Managing workflows
• Controlling permissions and access to documentation
• Collaboration and problem-solving via wikis and forums
• Web parts
• Knowledge management
• Centralizing business intelligence from Excel, Power BI, and other Microsoft apps.

SharePoint doesn’t look like a project management software out of the box. Customization requires planning before adding project-specific elements.

Building a SharePoint Project Site

Gregory Zelfond has a brilliant guide to creating a SharePoint project site where he outlines 10 steps, including:

• Deciding the site architecture, i.e., where the site will be in your SharePoint environment.
• Figuring out what lists and web parts you need to add to the site.
• Creating the site.
• Adding and configuring the web parts.

Once you have determined your Site Architecture and Site collection structure, you are presented with the SharePoint equivalent of a blank page.

Adding Web Parts

Next, you need to consider adding SharePoint Web Parts. A SharePoint web part is a type of list used to store content on your site. Like an app or tool like a widget on a smartphone, web parts such as contacts and announcements enhance the functionality of your site.

A web part functions like a widget, displaying key information on a page. For example, adding the ‘project tasks’ web part to the project homepages provides a snapshot of the underlying tasks list. Simply click on the information to get more details.

Before you start adding web parts, you need to create your first subsite from your Site Contents.

1. Choose Team Site from the Template Selection
2. Assign a name and corresponding URL slug.

1. Complete the form and hit Okay.

Setting Up Tasks and Issues Tracking

Project management in SharePoint includes a Document Library by default, but additional lists improve task management.

To add a Tasks List and Issues List:

1. First, open Site Contents from the Quick Launch on the left of your screen.
2. From here, you can add an app.

1. Choose to add them.

Now the Tasks List and Calendar will be added to the Quick Launch.

The Tasks List is where you can build out your project plan in SharePoint.

1. Click on the third tile.

Your Apps gives us a sense of SharePoint’s potential with 17 web parts to choose from.

1. Select Issues Tracker, choose an appropriate name, and navigate back to the home screen of your subsite.

1. Return to the home screen to find them in Quick Launch. Select it to add an issue.

The Time Investment of Native SharePoint

The more time you spend configuring your team site, the clearer it becomes that you’re only scratching the surface of SharePoint.

It can take many valuable hours to plan out the structure of your site, add web parts, and configure your site to make it simple and easy to use. All of this before you have even started managing your project!

Creating a SharePoint project site is not just adding lists or web parts. It also needs a structured approach based on a proven project management process. While the work can be saved as a template for future use, what if all of this work was done for you?

Free SharePoint Project Management Template

The problem with SharePoint for Project Management is that despite it being highly configurable, it does not look like a project management tool out of the box.

Using pre-built project management templates for SharePoint saves you from planning and building out a SharePoint site.

Fast and Easy Setup

The BrightWork Free Template provides a structured way to manage projects in SharePoint. It removes the need for manual setup, saving time and effort.

Team members can install the template and launch a project site in under five minutes. All you need to do is download and install the template and deploy a pre-planned project site—no coding required. The free template is based on Project Lite, making the move to BrightWork easier!

The template includes the following essential features to help you plan, track, and re-plan the project:

• Getting started Tiles
• Project Homepage with ‘at-a-glance’ information
• Quick Launch
• Wiki (Collaborative Project Management Process)
• Tasks list (mapped to the Wiki)
• Project Reports and Metric Tiles
• Document repository.

Best Use Cases

The Free Template is ideal for managing individual and simple project sites. Users can create as many sites as needed, but it is not possible to report across projects or manage portfolios.

The pre-planned web parts are connected to homepage dashboard reports, which are updated automatically as each report is updated.

If you need to implement project portfolio management (PPM) processes, the full BrightWork Solution has everything you need.

BrightWork Project Lite for Managing Multiple Projects

The full BrightWork solution comes with pre-configured PPM templates, including the Project Lite Template.

Many project managers start with the Project Lite template as it closely resembles the Free Template, which they might already be familiar with.

​Key Differences Between the Free Template and Project Lite

The main difference is that with the free template, you can manage one project per site. With Project Lite, you can manage and report across multiple sites.

The following features are available in both the Free Template and Project Lite: 

(* indicates features available in native SharePoint)

Another distinction is reporting flexibility. The Free Template allows you to report on 3 set metrics on your dashboard, which cannot be changed nor configured.

Project Lite allows you to use as many tiles as you need for whatever metrics you like.

Once we start digging a little deeper, we see other advanced features available in Project Lite that are not available in the Free Template.

Why Project Lite is a Scalable Solution

Project Lite is completely configurable and adaptable to different project management approaches across multiple projects.

While not all advanced features come pre-configured, BrightWork customers can customize and activate the full range of functionality to match their needs.

These capabilities give Project Lite significant flexibility, but four key features stand out in transforming project and portfolio management.

Manage Projects and Portfolios with BrightWork

If you want to report across portfolios and programs, track progress, or implement project request management, you should consider the BrightWork solution for SharePoint On-Premises (server editions of SharePoint 2019, 2016, 2013).

Key Features for Project Management

Key BrightWork capabilities include:

• Pre-configured, flexible templates for managing projects and portfolios
• Real-time portfolio dashboards and reporting
• Project Request Management
• SharePoint Kanban Boards
• Enhanced Gantt Web Part
• Project metric tiles and scorecards
• Resource Management
• Resource Allocation
• Report Automation
• Template Design Sync

BrightWork guarantees greater simplicity for project managers, better visibility for senior executives, and the ability to deliver better and more consistent organizational project management.

SharePoint vs. Free Project Management Template vs. BrightWork

Many people ask about the difference between native SharePoint, the Free Project Management Template, and the full BrightWork solution for SharePoint On-Premises. Which one is the right fit for me?

To make things a bit easier, we’ve prepared a simple table to compare SharePoint, our Free Project Management Template, and BrightWork to help decide which direction you should take when managing projects on SharePoint.

Comparison Chart

Feature	SharePoint	Free Template	BrightWork
Document Management
SharePoint Workflows
SharePoint configuration options
Mobile Access
Microsoft Office Integration
SharePoint Custom Style Sheets
SharePoint Designer
Project Reporting
Access to all Standard BrightWork Templates
Portfolio Reporting
Kanban Boards
Boards Swimlanes
Task Scheduling
Basic Gantt Lists
Interactive Gantt Charts
Gantt Scheduling
My Work Reports
Personal Reports
Report Sharing
Report Configuration
Automated Project Metrics
Automated KPIs
Manual Metrics
Project Request Management
Resource Management
Resource Allocation
Manual KPIs
Manual Status Reports
Automated Status Reports
Basic Microsoft Project to SharePoint Syncing
Enhanced Microsoft Project to SharePoint Syncing
Enhanced SharePoint Lists
Site Collection Hierarchy Support
Better SharePoint Navigation
Template Management Area
Template Configurations
Template Design Sync
Charting
Nintex forms support
Nintex workflow support
Copying and Synching Workflows
Work Cache
Project Cache
Status Report Cache

In summary:

• Native SharePoint can be used for project management, but extensive configuration is required to set up a functional site.
• The Free Project Management Template from BrightWork is a pre-configured, no-code template. It helps manage individual project sites and does not support cross-project reporting.
• The full BrightWork PPM Solution for SharePoint On-Premises includes configurable templates, project request management, portfolio dashboards, Power BI reports, and more.

How SharePoint Online Enhances Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 brings familiar tools together in one cloud-based subscription. SharePoint Online, a key part of the platform, helps organizations share and manage project information.

It serves as the perfect tool for project document management, providing a secure place to store files for your team to work together and access at any time from any device.

BrightWork 365 is a complete project portfolio Management solution that expands on SharePoint Online by integrating Microsoft Teams, Power Automate, Power BI, and Power Apps within the Microsoft environment. Watch our demo today for more information.

Microsoft Teams and SharePoint Integration

Microsoft Teams is a collaboration hub for project teams, integrating various Microsoft 356 apps into one easy-to-use platform. User adoption of Teams shows continued signs of acceleration, with 320 million active monthly users recorded in Microsoft’s FY24 Q1 results.

The relationship between Teams and Microsoft 356 apps, especially SharePoint Online (SPO), can get confusing. Users often wonder which tool to use and when or if they even need both. The simple answer is SharePoint and Microsoft Teams work together as SPO powers document management in Teams.

This article explores their relationship and covers how to manage files in Teams and SharePoint Online.

What is Microsoft Teams?

Microsoft Teams is a collaboration platform that provides users with several key features, including:

• Real-time chat and messaging
• Video meetings for up to 250 people
• Live events for up to 10,000 people
• Cloud calling
• Document storage
• Task Management
• Real-time co-editing
• Integration with third-party apps and connectors
• Search
• Public or private channels
• Robust security and privacy capabilities.

Components of Microsoft Teams

MS Teams has two key channels:

1. Standard – A collection of people, conversations, files, and tools that are available and visible to everyone.
2. Private – These are typically focused, private conversations with a specific audience on a particular topic, like a project.

Every Team has:

• A SharePoint Online Team Site for document management
• A Microsoft 365 Group
• An Exchange mailbox and a shared calendar
• Planner
• A Notebook in OneNote

What is SharePoint Online?

SharePoint is a highly configurable platform used by organizations to build intranets, manage documents, and collaborate on projects in a secure environment.

SharePoint On-Premises vs. SharePoint Online

SharePoint is available as an On-Premises installation or as a cloud-based solution.

• SharePoint On-Premises is hosted on local servers, maintained by an organization’s IT team, or in a private cloud. Organizations retain full control over configurations, updates, and data protection.
• SharePoint Online (SPO) is a cloud-based version of SharePoint hosted by Microsoft.

SPO offers two site templates:

1. A Communicate Site is ideal for organizational news and updates.
2. A Team Site is used for collaboration within a team or department or during a project.

Document and Information Management

Although SharePoint has multiple business applications, the platform is commonly used for document and information management.

For project teams, a SharePoint document library is a must-have communication tool. In addition to storing all project information in one place, a SharePoint library allows users to:

• Co-edit documents in real time.
• Manage quality with version control.
• Share files with your team using links instead of emails.
• Add workflows for approvals and feedback.
• Review processes.
• Utilize metadata for quick searches.

Collaborate on Files and Chat with SharePoint and Teams

MS Teams and SharePoint Online are two different platforms that work together to provide an integrated experience. SharePoint Online powers document management in Microsoft Teams.

Team members can work on documents in SharePoint or Teams, with updates instantly synced between the two platforms.

A document library in a Teams channel

The same library in the associated SPO site

SharePoint Online and OneDrive Integration

SharePoint Online also integrates OneDrive for Business. OneDrive powers chat (1:1 and group chats) in Teams.

It is a single document library stored in a single SharePoint site collection, ideal for storing documents that you don’t want to share with a wider group.

Any files shared in a private Teams chat are stored in OneDrive within the folder “Microsoft Team Chat Files.”

Storing Files in Teams vs. Chats

It’s better to store files in Teams and share a link to that file in a chat, as OneDrive permissions and archiving work more effectively that way.

It is possible to use Teams without SharePoint Online, but users can only share files in standard channels. Likewise, users will not be able to share files in private chats as OneDrive requires SharePoint Online.

Although Teams does not integrate with SharePoint On-Premises, you can easily add a link to your SharePoint project site to a channel in Teams.

Synergy Between Teams and SharePoint

Teams and SharePoint Online work best together. Think of Microsoft Teams as the collaboration and communication hub, while SharePoint Online handles file and information management.

Both platforms provide features the other cannot, making their integration essential for successful teamwork.

Microsoft Teams, SharePoint Online, and Document Management

Every Team has an associated SharePoint site, including a document library. Files uploaded or created in Teams are stored in the SharePoint document library, not within Teams itself.

That said, it doesn’t matter if you upload files to a Team or the related SharePoint document library– the files are accessible in both applications.

Every Team has a default channel called “General,” which cannot be deleted or renamed. Files in this channel are stored in the General document library in SharePoint.

When you add a Public Channel to a Team, a folder for that channel is also added to the SharePoint document library.

Microsoft Teams Channels

Files stored in a particular Teams channel are stored in the associated document library.

The name and file path of the folder is based on the name of the channel. While you can change the name of the channel as often as you like, the underlying file path remains the same.

Private Channels and Document Management

A Private Channel is a little different. These channels have a separate SharePoint site collection with a separate document library.

Only invited users, including the team owner, can access the channel. Non-members will not know the channel exists! A private channel cannot be converted to a public one later, so choose carefully based on your needs.

Depending on your goals and requirements, a private team may offer a better alternative. In terms of permissions, Teams uses the principle of security trimming found throughout Microsoft 365 products.

Access and File Sharing in Microsoft Teams

Users can view and search for content they have access to. When a user is added to or removed from a Team, they gain or lose access to the underlying SharePoint site, including documents.

Microsoft recently introduced a new file-sharing experience that allows users to create a shareable link and set permissions for any files in Teams.

Working with Documents in Microsoft Teams

Microsoft aims to align the document management experience in Teams with SharePoint Online.

If you’re familiar with SharePoint Online, you’ll get up and running with the Files tab in a Team site in no time.

Finding Your Documents

There are a few ways to find your documents in Teams:

• Look for the ‘Files’ tab in the relevant channel in a Team.
• Click ‘Files’ in the left-hand navigation for recently accessed files.
• Filter search results by file. Refine results further by team, file type, and modified by.

Managing Files in Teams

Using the File tab, you can:

• Upload existing files and folders.
• Create a new folder or file (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote).
• Sync files to your desktop for quick access.
• Open and work with files in SharePoint.
• Move or copy files between folders, channels, or Teams.
• Copy and share links to documents.
• Open, edit, and save a file in Teams, in your browser, or on your desktop.
• Co-edit documents in real-time.
• Start a conversation about a document.
• Add comments to a document.
• Bookmark important files within a library with the ‘Pin to Top’ option.
• List documents as a tab within a channel so they are easier to find.
• Add existing SharePoint document libraries to a team.

This comprehensive document management experience streamlines project team collaboration, making it easy to work together and keep projects moving, no matter when or where they work.

Using BrightWork 365 with Microsoft Teams and SharePoint Online

BrightWork 365 is a project and portfolio management solution deployed on the Microsoft Power Platform in your Microsoft 365 cloud environment.

It leverages apps like SharePoint Online and Microsoft Teams for document management and collaboration.

BrightWork 365 and SharePoint Online

BrightWork 365 uses SharePoint Online for document management. Users can upload or create a new Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file or add a new OneNote Notebook to the project site.

For editing options such as link sharing, permissions, and version control, simply open the relevant SharePoint Online library from the project site. All changes are synced instantly in your BrightWork 365 site.

BrightWork 365 and Microsoft Teams

BrightWork 365 integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Teams – no need to add links to an external site or switch between apps.

Each program in BrightWork 365 has a dedicated Microsoft Team, with individual projects organized into channels within that Team.

How Microsoft Teams and SharePoint Online Work Together

Get the Most Out of Teams and SharePoint Online with BrightWork 365

Microsoft Teams and SharePoint Online work together to improve project management collaboration, document management, and organization. These tools help project teams work more efficiently while keeping files accessible and secure.

BrightWork 365 takes this integration further, providing a seamless project and portfolio management experience within your Microsoft 365 environment. To see BrightWork 365 in action, check out this short video demo.

Related resources to help improve team collaboration with Microsoft Teams

• How to Use Microsoft Teams for Project Management

• Make Hybrid Work Easier for Project Teams with Microsoft 365

• 6 Ways to Master Chat in Microsoft Teams

• 15 Essential Microsoft Teams Apps for Project Teams

• 9 Ways Microsoft Teams can Improve Your Team Collaboration

• How to use Microsoft Teams for Remote Project Management

• 3 Ways to Use BrightWork 365 with Microsoft Teams

• How Microsoft Teams and SharePoint Online Work Together

• How to Use SharePoint Permissions for Secure Collaboration

• How to Run Project Meetings with Microsoft Teams

• Excel, Planner, Teams, or Microsoft 365 – What is the Best Tool for Your Project?

What is Project Tracking?

If you are working on or managing a project, you’ll need to know how the project is progressing at all times.

Project tracking is a process used to track the status of a project to identify what has been done, what is still left to do, and if any issues are affecting the health, budget, or schedule.

SharePoint for Project Management

The best way to track projects is by using collaborative project management software with your project team. Both SharePoint Server and SharePoint Online (part of Microsoft 365) offer valuable features for project tracking.

We’ll touch on how to use SharePoint on-premises (SharePoint Server 2013, 2016, and 2019) and highlight the tools available in Microsoft 365 to streamline tracking across the platform.

What are the Basics of Project Tracking?

Mark Twain once said, “The secret to getting ahead is getting started.” We believe this to be true when it comes to project tracking!

Many project teams are not quite ready for fully structured project management processes, so that would not be a good place to start. For smaller projects, a high level of the process may not even be necessary.

Starting with High-Level Details

At BrightWork, we like to think of project management as being a spectrum. Some projects can range from highly structured to ultra-light approaches.

So why not start out tracking just the high-level details of a project? At least then, you’ll have a record to refer to and show senior management.

If you’re just starting with collaborative project management using a software tool, you can start by tracking the essentials. These might include:

• Project name
• Project manager
• Project type
• Customer or department involved
• Required finish date from the customer
• The likely finish date based on the current progress
• Overall project health
• Current project status (e.g., on track or facing challenges)

Benefits of Tracking Essentials

Tracking even the most basic details helps you manage projects more effectively. If you track and report these items to the project stakeholders— such as the team members, senior management, and the customer— it encourages valuable feedback to improve project outcomes.

Project Tracker Template for SharePoint Server

Looking at the list of project tracking essentials above, you can see how a simple spreadsheet could be used to keep track of the data. Keeping the project info in a spreadsheet has many disadvantages. So why not move your project tracker to SharePoint?

Benefits of Using SharePoint for Project Tracking

A project tracker in SharePoint mimics the ease of Microsoft Excel but adds valuable features. It allows you to track project essentials in a grid similar to Excel, with added benefits:

• A single source of project truth
• It also has a version history and an audit trail to see who made what changes to the project status and when.
• The ability to transform data into a project dashboard

This SharePoint tracker eliminates common challenges found in Excel, such as version confusion and data integrity issues. Plus, the dashboard view is visually appealing and intuitive.

You can see multiple projects in one place, click for more details and access version history. Using SharePoint provides a simple, organized approach with no unnecessary complexity.

Collaborative Project Tracking in Microsoft 365

SharePoint Server offers benefits for project tracking, but many organizations now prefer the cloud-based Microsoft 365 platform. Microsoft 365 and SharePoint Online provide several tools for project management, including:

• Microsoft Lists
• Microsoft Planner
• Microsoft Teams integration.

While these apps differ significantly from the Projects Tracker in BrightWork for SharePoint Server, these management tools provide all the essential project tracking information noted above.

Microsoft Lists

Microsoft Lists evolved out of SharePoint Lists a few years ago. It is an app within Microsoft 365 that simplifies information tracking and work organization.

You can use Microsoft Lists to create a project tracker and issues tracker list to help manage and track project details with your team.

Your Microsoft Lists are easily added to your project management site in SharePoint Online and can be built from scratch or based on pre-built templates.

Microsoft Planner

Microsoft Planner simplifies task management with an intuitive, visual approach using a Kanban board.

Users can organize project tasks into customizable buckets or columns to help teams see the work status at a glance.

Team members can comment on project task lists, attach files, and discuss details directly within Planner, enhancing communication. Plans can also be added to SharePoint pages.

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Integration with Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is a great way to enhance collaboration.

Create a dedicated Teams channel for each project and link it to the corresponding project site in Microsoft 365.

This keeps all collaboration and communication within the Teams app if that’s where your team likes to work.

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How Does BrightWork 365 Improve Project Tracking?

BrightWork 365 is a project and portfolio management solution for Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Power Platform, including SharePoint Online.

It provides templates for various project types, including project management, portfolio management, and day-to-day work management. These templates cater to different levels of project complexity, ranging from light to structured, based on their Start-Evolve Approach.

Start Quick with BrightWork 365 or BrightWork for SharePoint Server

BrightWork 365 combines apps, reports, and collaborative features in Microsoft 365 to help project managers increase project success while providing senior executives with high-level visibility in one complete solution.

Our free Project Management Template for SharePoint Server 2013, 2016, or 2019 allows you to start quickly. This pre-configured template includes lists, web parts, and reports, integrating seamlessly with your existing SharePoint On-Premises infrastructure – no coding required.

The steps and screenshots of the template in this article apply to SharePoint 2016, SharePoint 2019, and SharePoint Server Subscription Edition. The template used in this guide requires SharePoint classic mode.

Manage Projects Efficiently with SharePoint Online on Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 allows users to use cloud technology by combining familiar project management tools in one subscription. SharePoint Online is a cloud-based collaborative platform that organizations use to share and manage information.

It provides a secure place to store files for your project team to work together and access at any time from any device.

BrightWork 365 enhances SharePoint Online by integrating it with Microsoft Teams, Power Automate, Power BI, and Power Apps to create a complete project portfolio management solution.

What is a Project Status Report?

A project status report summarizes the current status of the project, including health, schedule, and risks against expected performance. The report is often displayed in a SharePoint project dashboard to provide a visual overview.

The frequency of the status report is often based on the duration of a task, typically one week.

Importance of Regular Status Reports in Project Management

The report is a useful communication tool, especially for team members or stakeholders who are not working on the project regularly.

The report also provides more context about completed and upcoming work.

A typical Project Status Report includes red-amber-green indicators (RAG) for health, cost, and time, along with information and comments you feel are important.

The metrics included in the report are often decided during the project planning phase.

Key Components of a Status Report

A status report typically covers:

• Complete and upcoming work
• Overall progress, including budget updates if required
• SharePoint status indicators (RAG) for project health, time, and costs
• Action items, risks, and issues affecting the project

SharePoint Project Status Dashboard Template

In the free SharePoint project management template, there is a section in the Quick Launch called Status Reports where all of the status report records are housed. This area can be customized to display key metrics, RAG report template formats, and status indicators.

Here is a brief video explaining the SharePoint project status dashboard:

Step-by-Step Video: How to Create a SharePoint Project Status Report

Reviewing the SharePoint team sites and updating the project status report dashboard ensures accurate tracking of project tasks, providing real-time visibility for stakeholders and team members.

1. Review and Update the SharePoint Dashboard for Project Management

Before adding a new report, review the SharePoint site to check the status of work. This ensures that your SharePoint reporting dashboard is up to date.

With the free SharePoint Project Management template, the various dashboards on the project homepage are updated as your team works on their project tasks.

Use this information as the basis of the status report. Ask team members for more details as needed.

2. Find the Status Reports Section

When you’re ready, navigate to the ‘Status reports’ area in the Quick Launch menu (under ‘Execute and Control’). Here, you’ll find a list of previous status reports with RAG reporting, completion date, and comments.

3. Add or Edit a Project Status Report

Simply add a new item or click “Edit this list” to add a new status report. You can also use a dashboard project status report template to streamline this process.

4. Update Key Project Metrics in the Datasheet View

Now you have a datasheet view to quickly update the status of the project and add some comments for the team. Work through each column:

• Overall health, time, cost – color status
• Date of report
• Current project phase
• Expected finish date
• % complete
• Status comment
  • How are you feeling about the project?
  • Why are things going wrong?
  • What do you have planned next?
• Activities planned.

Save that information and you have a status report.

The homepage of the project site is also updated with the latest indicators for the entire team to see.

5. Save the Report and Update the Status Report Dashboard

Save that information and you have a status report. The homepage of the project site is also updated with the latest indicators for the entire project team to see.

Using the dashboard in SharePoint, stakeholders can view real-time project status updates.

In BrightWork, project status reports logged in individual SharePoint project sites automatically roll up to portfolio-level dashboards.

This creates instant visibility for project stakeholders and senior management at a high level.

What you will learn: In this comprehensive guide, we will take you on a journey through the world of SharePoint project tracking, showing you step-by-step how to plan, track, and manage your projects with ease. Whether you’re using SharePoint 2019, SharePoint 2016, or SharePoint Online, we’ve got you covered. 

Get the Free Project Management Template for SharePoint

Gone are the days of juggling endless spreadsheets and emails to stay on top of your project’s progress. SharePoint offers a powerful and flexible platform that can streamline your project management processes and foster collaboration among team members. We’ll walk you through the essential features and tools that will make your project management experience a breeze.

But that’s not all! As a bonus, we’ve prepared a free, downloadable SharePoint project tracking template that you can start using right away. This template is designed to save you time and effort by providing a ready-to-use framework for your project management endeavors.

So, whether you’re a seasoned SharePoint user or just getting started, this guide has something for everyone. Let’s dive in and unlock the true potential of SharePoint for your project tracking needs. Are you ready to take control of your projects and propel them to success? Let’s get started!

Please note: the guide based on the BrightWork Free Template in SharePoint 2019 environment using the SharePoint classic experience.

Plan the Project

So in terms of planning the project with the free template, why not follow the Getting Started links?

Set up the project

Click the first tile Setup Project. That brings you to the Project Statement, or maybe you might want to call it like a Project Charter.

Here you can fill in the information like Project Name, Purpose, Customer Organization, Status, Due Date, and Assumptions. Now with SharePoint, you can add or subtract fields to this as needed.

Once you have filled in this information, press Save. Now you have added a Project Statement or Charter.

Add Tasks

Second thing we might want to do is add some tasks, so we click on the Add Tasks icon.

Here is a look at the Tasks List, which comes pre-populated with a set of tasks in the Free Template as a starting point.

Click Edit mode to enable this very simple grid.

And here you can do all your planning, like adding tasks, assign work, setting due dates, and updating the status if necessary at this stage. (Note, you can use drag and drop to quickly populate fields for speedy planning!).

And then just press Stop Editting to save all your changes.

Manage Deliverables

Back on the home page, you click on the third tile which is Add Documents or deliverables in terms of your planning the project.

To add a document, you simply click on Upload, browse, select the file, and do okay.

So now you’ve added more deliverables, more documents for us to work on this project.

There are lots of other things you can do to plan the project in SharePoint, but there are three simple ones, well outlined on the tiles that come by way of guidance.

Work the Project

Now it’s time to work on the project. So let’s see what this free template give us for this stage of a project – especially for Team Members.

Find and track work

Click My Work on the Quick Launch. My Work will show you all the tasks that you have to do on this project. You will see tasks, as well as any other items assigned to you like project issues. This is the total collection of your work for this one project.

Documents

Click into the Documents area on the Quick Launch where you could collaboratively work on some of the deliverables.

You have all the standard document management capabilities of SharePoint, such as check in and check out. Here you can work with your team on the deliverables in one place, one version of the truth for this particular project.

Issues

Open the Project Issues and to check if there are any issues on the project, and then work on the issue that’s assigned to you.

Open that issue, go into edit mode, think about it, work it through, make some updates, and so on.

Project Wiki

As a new person on the project to the group, to the company or a person who is maybe new to project management, you could go to the Project Wiki. I could start working through this very simple and pragmatic approach to collaborative project management or anything else you add in to the template for your project teams.

Track and Re-Plan the Project

Next you want to track what’s happening with your project. So what does the free template give to track what’s happening and re-plan the project?

Track the Status of the Project

Project Homepage

Look at the Project Home page to begin with.

You can see key information, like:

• There number of tasks that are late.
• The current finish date
• The last time it was changed.

This is a very colorful project. They’re not all green, so it’s not all good.

I can see the visual summary, open issues, overdue items. And, of course, you can configure this dashboard as well. That’s a pretty good start.

Project Schedule

Click here on the homepage to Project Schedule, and you can actually see the schedule of the project at a glance.

Project Status

Click into Project Status to see a very good status report. All of this information is automatically being fed from the site from the first entry.

Configuration

You can also do Configuration. For example, maybe you want to change the site now that it’s up and running. Maybe a very simple change might be to share this site with more people so I can get more people involved in collaborating and working on the project.

So in summary, when you’re tracking the project as a manager, click on the Project Home page and follow this bread crumb trail all along, to get a very good sense of what’s happening.

Work Reports

Under Execute and Control, click into the Work report. You can see, for example, the overdue project tasks and there are four, as well as who has them and when were they due.

You can keep clicking along the menu to check upcoming work, here to open work, closed work, and very importantly, to work that’s not assigned.

Re-Plan the Project

Having done the tracking, you’ll have a good sense of what you need to do. So now you want to re-plan.

Update the Project Schedule

So next you will want to click back into Project Tasks on the Quick Launch to get to the project schedule. Click on Edit and make the necessary changes to the tasks (for example, mark work complete, update the status, change dates, etc.)

You can change very easily here, as you can imagine, the task, names, details, dates, statuses, and assignments in in one quick and easy go.

Add a Status Report

Now let’s say you’ve done all of that. Based on what you’ve tracked, you can then do the re-planning in this one place.

Next you want to add a status report. As one of our customers says “status reports should be able to add in less than three minutes or people won’t do it.”

So the last thing you’re going to do is click Status Reports. And since we’re working with SharePoint click Edit this list. That will open up the datasheet view for you to add your status report to the stack.

The standard project status report in the template has entries for:

• Overall Health indicator
• Time indicator
• Cost indicator
• Score indicator
• Week ending
• Current phase
• Current finish date
• Percent complete
• Project status comments
• Major accomplishments
• Major activities planned

Then click Stop editing this list, you will see all the status reports here coming up on screen, including the different ones that have been logged over time.

Finally, if you navigate back to Project Home, you will see all the reports are updated based upon the latest changes you made while tracking and re-planning the project.

Microsoft 365 and Power Platform – Using More than Just SharePoint for Project Management

It’s worth noting that SharePoint has evolved, and there are newer versions available beyond SharePoint 2019 and SharePoint 2016, such as SharePoint Online in Microsoft 365.

Some of you may know that BrightWork has been building a product for the Microsoft SharePoint platform for over 25 years at this point, which is the BrightWork solution we have today. BrightWork for SharePoint also happens to be the basis for the Free Template discussed in this blog post.

With the evolution of the Microsoft 365 platform, of course, there is still SharePoint, but there’s also Teams and other extensible features including Power Platform. In addition to SharePoint Online, Microsoft 365 includes additional features, apps, and improvements that can all be leveraged for their project management capabilities.

With that in mind, you may wish to move beyond strictly using SharePoint to manage projects. Instead of building something in Microsoft 365 just on SharePoint Online, we looked at all of what’s in Microsoft 365 and used the best pieces to build a brand new project and portfolio management system called BrightWork 365.

If your organization is moving away SharePoint as a standalone project management tool, but would still like to manage your projects within the Microsoft ecosystem, then Microsoft 365 is a good place to start.

Summary

By leveraging SharePoint’s robust features and tools, you can say goodbye to the hassles of traditional project management methods. Embrace the efficiency of SharePoint and experience the benefits of streamlined collaboration, real-time updates, and centralized project data.

Remember, successful project tracking isn’t just about the technology; it’s also about fostering a culture of communication, transparency, and accountability within your team. Encourage your team members to actively participate, update their progress, and utilize SharePoint’s collaborative features.

Don’t forget to make use of the free SharePoint project tracking template we provided. It will save you time and ensure you start off on the right foot with a well-structured project management framework.

In SharePoint, a project site is a dedicated site or subsite that is created to support the management and collaboration of a specific project. It provides a centralized location for project teams to organize, share, and collaborate on project-related information, documents, tasks, and discussions. This blog post will cover how to create a project site in SharePoint 2016, SharePoint 2019, or SharePoint Online using the free template from BrightWork.

A SharePoint project site typically includes various components and features tailored for project management, such as:

• Document Libraries
• Task Lists
• Calendars
• Discussions and Announcements
• Issue Tracking
• Project Summary Web Parts
• Integration with Office Tools

If you have some SharePoint knowledge and the right permission, you could create a project site in SharePoint and configure all of the key elements yourself.

That is where BrightWork comes in – we have done the entire configuration for you in our SharePoint Project Management Template. We have taken all the elements list above and wrapped them up in a neat template that is pre-configured for project management and based on best practices.

Note: If you are using SharePoint 2019 or SharePoint Online – you will need to first create a SharePoint classic site collection in order to use this template and follow the steps in this guide.

Step 1: Install the Template in Your SharePoint Environment

1.  Download the SharePoint Project Management Template from BrightWork here.

2.  Unzip the downloaded folder and save the SharePoint template (.wsp file) to a suitable location on your desktop.

3.  Log in as a Site Collection Administrator* to the chosen on-premises Site Collection.

4.  Click Settings | Site settingson the site collection home page.

4.  Click Solutions.

Note: if you can’t see Solutions here, make sure you are not trying to add the template to a subsite.

5.  Select the Solutions Taband click Upload Solution.

6.  Click Browse and navigate to the location where you unzipped the downloaded file.

7.  Select the SharePoint Project Management Template.wsp file, and click OK.

8.  Click Activate.

Your template is now installed!

*  Site Collection Administrator is the permission level required to add a SharePoint solution to a site collection. If you need a higher permission level to install the free template, simply contact your SharePoint Administrator.

Step 1A: Create a Classic Site Collection in SharePoint 2019/SharePoint Online

1.  Log in as a Site Collection Administrator to the SharePoint Admin Center in Office 365.

2.  On the left hand side, click Sitesand then Active Sites.

3.  Click + Create.

4.  Select Other Options.

5.  From the dropdown, select More templates (this will open in a new tab).

6.  Add the Title, Web address, and Administrator information for your site collection. Under Template Selection, select Team site (classic experience).

Step 2: Create a Project Site in SharePoint Based on a Template

1.  Navigate to the location in the Site Collection Hierarchy where you want to create the new Project Site.

2.  Click Settings | Site contents.

Note: If you are using SharePoint 2016 or 2019, click Return to classic SharePoint next.

3.  Click new subsite.

4.  Give the new site a Title and URL.

5.  Click the Customtab.

6.  Select SharePoint Project Management Template.

7.  Select the appropriate Navigation and Navigation Inheritance options for your environment.  The defaults selected in your environment are fine.

8.  Click Create.

Wait a few moments and your new project site will be created!

Microsoft 365 and Power Platform – Using More than Just SharePoint for Project Management

It’s worth noting that SharePoint has evolved, and there are newer versions available beyond SharePoint 2019 and SharePoint 2016, such as SharePoint Online in Microsoft 365.

Some of you may know that BrightWork has been building a product for the Microsoft SharePoint platform for over 25 years at this point, which is the BrightWork solution we have today. BrightWork for SharePoint also happens to be the basis for the Free Template discussed in this blog post.

With the evolution of the Microsoft 365 platform, of course, there is still SharePoint, but there’s also Teams and other extensible features including Power Platform. In addition to SharePoint Online, Microsoft 365 includes additional features, apps, and improvements that can all be leveraged for their project management capabilities.

With that in mind, you may wish to move beyond strictly using SharePoint to manage projects. Instead of building something in Microsoft 365 just on SharePoint Online, we looked at all of what’s in Microsoft 365 and used the best pieces to build a brand new project and portfolio management system called BrightWork 365.

If your organization is moving away SharePoint as a standalone project management tool, but would still like to manage your projects within the Microsoft ecosystem, then Microsoft 365 is a good place to start.