Overview

Project and Task Management tools help teams to plan, track, and deliver work in a clear, organized, and collaborative way. The following tools can be used in a variety of ways such as individual task coordination or large cross-departmental initiatives. Choosing the right tool ensures projects are aligned with university priorities, while making work easier to manage and report on at every level. 

In this article:

• Task or Team Management Tools
  • Microsoft Lists
  • Microsoft To Do
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Loop
• Project Management Tools
  • Microsoft Planner
  • TeamDynamix Portfolio and Project Management
• Information Collection / Survey Tools
  • Microsoft Forms
  • Qualtrics
• Not finding what you're looking for?
  • Non-enterprise Procurement Policies

Warning 

Please note that all technology solutions must comply with university policies and ITS standards including data security and IT risk. 

Task or Team Management Tools

Microsoft Lists 

Microsoft Lists provides a simple, smart, and flexible way to organize work and track issues, assets, routines, contacts, inventory, and more. With customizable views, smart rules, and notifications, teams are kept up to date with real-time data. 

Tool Overview: Strengths and Applications:

• Use calendar, grid, gallery or custom views to manage request intake, recurring processes, or operational checklists.
• Monitor assets or statuses across teams. 
• Configure basic form elements and highlight important details with conditional formatting. 
• Create a list from a Microsoft 365 template. 

Ways to learn more:

• Check out Microsoft Support Introduction to Lists and Microsoft List Adoption.
• Additional Microsoft Lists Help & Learning.

 

Microsoft To Do

Microsoft To Do is a simple task management application to plan your day and manage important tasks from any device. Tasks are synced across Microsoft Outlook, Teams, Planner, etc., and can be shared with colleagues.

Tool Overview: Strengths and Applications:

• Use My Day to help focus on daily tasks. 
• Group to-do lists by topic.
• Set due dates and reminders on tasks with notes, tags, importance, steps, and categories. 

Ways to learn more:

• Start with Welcome to Microsoft To Do 
• Then check out the Microsoft To Do Quick Start

 

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet program that features calculation, graphic tools, pivot tables, and macro programming. However, Excel can also assist with simple project management for small to medium sized projects that requires visualization of progress, but not complex scheduling tools.

Tool Overview: Strengths and Applications:

• Free editable templates to schedule deadlines and assign tasks to collaborators.
• Automate repetitive tracking tasks with formulas and macros. 
• Include an issue log tab in the project workbook to record roadblocks and manage risks.
• Easily integrates with Microsoft 365 applications for sharing and collaboration.
• Organize with trackers, time lines, Gantt charts, to-do lists, and conditional formatting.

Ways to learn more:

• Check out Microsoft Excel for Project Management. 
• If interested, read more on How to use Excel for Project Management from ONLC Training.

 

Microsoft Loop

Microsoft Loop is a co-creation experience that keeps relevant content in a centralized work space. Loop combines three elements: Components, Pages, and Workspaces, which provides a powerful and flexible canvas that stays in sync across Microsoft applications - enabling teams to think, plan, and create together.

Tool Overview: Strengths and Applications:

• Coordinate project planning and brainstorming.
• Capture meeting notes, decisions, and action items collaboratively.
• Track and respond to shifting requirements as projects evolve from concept to delivery.
• Promote transparency,  and alignment with shared, live content. 
• Loop uses lists, tables, project boards, and more to work across Microsoft applications such as Teams, Outlook, OneNote, and Whiteboard.

Ways to learn more:

• First, check out Microsoft Loop Learn for a high level overview.
• If interested in the tool, try Getting Started with Microsoft Loop.
• Learn more with this 5-part learning series. 

 

Project Management Tools

Microsoft Planner (and Project Plan 3)

Microsoft Planner is a tool that gives you a visual way to organize teamwork. Create new plans, organize and assign tasks, share files, set due dates, and update statuses with your team. 

Tool Overview: Strengths and Applications:

• Coordinate ongoing operational or departmental initiatives from a range of featured templates.
• Organize team work visually using plans, buckets, and task cards that can be assigned with due dates and document attachments. 
• Track progress and collaborate through task-level conversations and comments. 
• Integrate seamlessly with Microsoft Teams for day-to-day collaboration that reduces context switching. 
• Additional premium Planner with Project licensing options available (updates expected by Sept 2026).

Ways to learn more:

• Check out Microsoft Planner service description. 
• Additional Microsoft Planner Help & Learning Support.

 

TeamDynamix Portfolio and Project Management (Application)

The TeamDynamix Project & Portfolio Management Application helps bring structure and visibility to project work without requiring overly rigid processes. It serves as a central place to manage projects, track progress, and keep teams aligned.

Tool Overview: Strengths and Applications:

• Supports task tracking, timelines, and dependencies to keep projects organized.
• Provides portfolio-level views to understand priorities and overall progress.
• Includes dashboards and reporting to simplify status updates and communication​​.

Ways to learn more:

• TeamDynamix provides a Knowledge Base - Project Management Training for their out of the box tools, but additional NU specific materials are being developed and will be made available soon. 
• Email nusupport@nebraska.edu with your idea for the Project Management tool to receive support and guidance on what might work best!

 

Information Collection / Survey Tools

Microsoft Forms

Microsoft Forms allows for the quick and easy creation of custom quizzes, surveys, questionnaires, nominations, registrations, and more. As results are submitted, built-in analytics assist in evaluating responses. Forms data can be exported to Excel for additional analysis. 

Tool Overview: Strengths and Applications:

• Gather feedback, pulse checks, or stakeholder input on any project.
• Responses can be collected from any device using a simple web link. 
• Use professionally designed templates. 

Ways to learn more:

• First, check out the Microsoft Forms overview. 
• Then get additional information from Microsoft Forms Help & Learning Support.

Qualtrics

Qualtrics Research Suite is a platform designed for managing highly customized online surveys. Easily create and distribute surveys to collect feedback, analyze gathered information, and securely store data.  

Tool Overview: Strengths and Applications:

• Easy user interface with a question library featuring thousands of existing survey questions. 
• Piping and branching with randomization on three levels. 
• Customization based on respondent answers to eliminate irrelevant answer choices. 
• Track respondent participation and send reminders to non-respondents. 
• Custom reports with export capabilities to a range of files including SPSS. 

Ways to learn more:

• First, check out the NU Qualtrics Survey Tool overview.
• If interested, start the Qualtrics Quick Training. 

 

Not finding what you're looking for?

Non-enterprise Procurement Policies

Users who choose not to move to an enterprise-supported tool should carefully review university procurement and security requirements before pursuing other solutions. The university Procure-to-Pay website provides guidance related to software, contracts, purchase orders, and purchasing cards. Please note that all technology solutions must comply with university policies and ITS standards including data security and IT risk.