Microsoft Loop, A Project Management Tool That Shows Promise
November 3, 2021Since the pandemic began to unravel early last year, companies like Microsoft have done their best to leverage digital technology to help businesses remain productive. Now, the company is taking this initiative to the next level with the introduction of Microsoft Loop. It’s an “all-encompassing” app that aims to keep you and your team informed on project workflows and communication.
In Microsoft’s words it “combines a powerful and flexible canvas with portable components that move freely and stay in sync across apps”. The Loop components are units of productivity that help you with your workflow whether that be a chat, email, meeting, document, or Loop page. They can consist of lists, tables, notes, tasks or something more complicated. Basically they are widgets that work within an app.
The following are some examples of what Loop components can be:
- Voting table that makes it easy for teams to ideate, drive consensus, and finalize decisions together
- Status Tracker that gathers information from your team, tracks project progress and ensures everyone is kept up to speed.
Loop components will also be built into workflows like Dynamics 365, but third-party applications developers can build Loop components by extending their existing message extensions applications. Microsoft will share more details on this topic at its developer conference, Microsoft Build, which will take place next year.
Loop Pages
These are used to organize components and attach things like files, links or data that your team might find useful during a brainstorming session. There are no limits to the volume of your content, it’s built to accommodate your ideas and projects.
Credit: Microsoft
Loop Workplaces
These are shared spaces that can be used to group everything important in a single place. It will allow you to see what’s going on, react to ideas or track goal’s progress. Here team members can collaborate together or individually, it’s up to you.
Credit: Microsoft
Microsoft Loop is meant to keep teams organized and ensure projects are completed in a timely fashion. It’s components for Microsoft 365 apps like Teams, Outlook and OneNote will be available this month. The app itself will take a little longer to make its way to general consumers. The company says that will divulge more about it in the coming months.
