Category: Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the way we work, communicate and collaborate. In this series of articles, we explore how AI can help project managers and their teams deliver better results, faster and more efficiently. We cover topics such as AI tools and techniques for project planning, execution, monitoring and control, as well as the ethical and social implications of AI for project management. Whether you are a seasoned project manager or a novice, you will find valuable insights and tips on how to leverage AI for your projects.

This blog is dead…?

“Dearly beloved, we gather here to remember The Project Corner — a blog that bravely stood between confused PMO managers and Microsoft’s own documentation. It served faithfully as a middleman between people who couldn’t figure out Microsoft Project and a company that couldn’t be bothered to write clear docs. It is survived by approximately 14,000 unread Microsoft Learn articles that said the same thing.”

LAST WORDS “But… but I had REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE configuring Project Server 2016… you can’t just KNOW that…”

That’s what I got when entering the blog’s URL into a lovely (and frightening) website called: Deathbyclawd.com. I was just scrolling on my phone, so the images are “phone sized”.

Brutal response from the website about my blog. — This really got me thinking, so I’m actually happy about this.

Exploring the Planner (Frontier) Agent – first look

What if you could update 50 tasks across multiple plans… without opening Planner once? I tested Microsoft’s new Planner (Frontier) agent, and the results were both impressive… and frustrating.

In March 2026 we were treated with 2 major updates to Planner. The first was a new UI that looked crisp and which I will feature in another article. The second update was much more than “just visuals”. This second update made the Project Manager Agent much more accessible, and closer to where the users are. In this article I’ll dig into the renamed Project Manager Agent: Planner (Frontier).

Note the (Frontier) here, it refers to early access versions of the M365 Copilot license. More on Frontier agents here.

An image showing the first chat window of the Planner (Frontier) agent. — The newly released Planner (Frontier) agent.

What are Workback Plans in Planner and Teams?

Wedged between other new features on the planner blog, we read about “Workback Plans” in public preview. But not much more is shared, which is odd because it can be a cool feature. Well, there is an image, and a one liner with another link:

Workback Plan generation is now available in channels, helping teams quickly create reverse timelines based on a target deadline.

On the second page we get:

Workback Plans in Teams channels: Project Manager Agent and the Channel Agent together now support the creation of AI-powered Workback Plans, automatically generating a reverse timeline of tasks and milestones based on the target deadline and goal provided.

Asking the Channel Agent what it can do. Note: the channel is called Planner

Book review – From Copilot to Commander: Redefining Business with Generative AI

From Copilot to Commander: Redefining Business with Generative AI by Aki Antman and Rozzyn Boy is a fascinating exploration of how AI is transforming the business landscape. As someone who works for the same company as the authors (The Digital Neighborhood), I found their insights particularly relevant and inspiring. The book takes a birds-eye view on the complete AI landscape. And don’t be fooled by the title, the book covers more than just Generative AI. Let’s dive into the review of this lovely 158 page book.

The book I'm reviewing today: from Copilot to Commander. — Me enjoying the weekend with a good book.

Maximizing PMO Efficiency with Microsoft Loop

Let’s return to this great new tool: Microsoft Loop. It’s a really fun, easy and fast way to collaborate. But I think there’s even more potential to maximize the PMO’s efficiency. But first, is it a bird? Is it a plane? No… it’s Microsoft Lodds?! (Gen AI has a way with words, doesn’t it?).

Is the Gen AI winter coming?

Artificial Intelligence isn’t new. The term was first used in 1956 at Dartmouth College. And it has gone through its phases ever since. These phases are termed either summer, where a lot of interest and funding happens. And winters, in which the interest wanes and funding is turned down. Winters tend to happen mostly (I believe) because of disillusion, the fact that the AI didn’t end up delivering that end game (not the Marvel movie) type of technology.

About Copilot (Preview) in Planner

I haven’t done a “about post” in ages! Here we go:

Recently Microsoft has provided us with a deluge of Copilots (company specific Generative AI models). And there is even one for our Planner tool as well. This Copilot is currently available from the Planner app in Microsoft Teams, and it’s in it’s first iteration. This means that the Copilot will likely increate capabilities in the future. For now, let’s take a close look at what the feature can do.

AI Generated image for Copilot and Microsoft Planner. — Prompt in ChatGPT 4o: “Copilot and Microsoft Planner”