Agile with Microsoft Project
Microsoft Project provides several features for Agile Project Management, including visual planning boards, burndown reports, and additional agile enabling features.
Agile work can be conducted solely with the visual task board views, not needing any typical task views. In this method, tasks do not get updated for traditional duration, work, dates, or progress. If desired, tasks may still be updated with the task-oriented views and tables.
A typical task-driven approach may also be used for agile projects, facilitated with the agile features. Agile tasks may also be mixed with traditional or waterfall in the same schedule, using the Agile field to enable agile features for the agile work.
Scrum & Kanban
The Office 365 version includes agile projects with a visual task board to easily add activities and drag to plan and execute. Use File, New, and choose Scrum or Kanban.
Agile Project Management Template
Starting with the 2013 version, Microsoft provides an Agile template in a more typical schedule file, that includes special agile task-oriented views and tables. Use File, New and choose Agile project management. It opens with a report, Scrum Template Instructions. Click the Spring, Product Backlog, or Sprint Backlog to begin. To return to the Scrum Template Instructions, use Report, Custom.
Download here.
Custom Agile-Hybrid Sample
Agile projects are often part of a larger overall project or program, with multiple functions or workstreams representing the work breakdown structure, and may mix agile and traditional activities. This download includes an overall program, with several agile samples, from simple high-level iterations, to agile life cycle steps, and mixed waterfall with agile. Determine the scope of your project, and simply delete unneeded tasks. This uses Text 9 to designate iteration or sprint numbers for filtering, or as the Identifier for use with CV Projects.
For ongoing, repeated Agile projects, a template should be created with your standard agile process to easily start a new project, release, or iteration.
Download here.
Points-driven Sample
Some agile methodologies plan and measure with points-driven estimates, to determine velocity. Microsoft project normally uses duration or hours for estimating. This sample lets you plan and execute using points to calculate velocity and predict completion.
Download here.
Task Board
The Task Board is included with the Office 365 version, and is available for agile, traditional, and mixed projects. Use View, Task Board.
Burndown Report
Starting with the 2013 version, Burndown reports by hours and tasks are included. Use Reports, Dashboard, Burndown. Clicking on the chart provides abilities to customize, or use Filters, such as for Iteration or Sprint number.