Microsoft Project 2019 Professional at a glance

Microsoft Project 2019 Professional belongs to Microsoft's Project family and is the desktop scheduling application of its 2019 generation, released alongside Office 2019. It turns tasks, durations, dependencies and resources into a calculated schedule that updates whenever one of those inputs changes. The result is presented as Gantt charts, network diagrams, timelines and built-in reports.

Within that generation, this edition sits above Project Standard 2019. On top of the Standard feature set, it adds the Team Planner view, inactive tasks, resource booking types, synchronisation with SharePoint task lists and the ability to connect to Project Server, Microsoft's on-premises platform for central project and portfolio management. It is designed for organisations in which the same people work on several projects at once, and the 2019 release also refined task linking and the timeline.

How it is used in everyday work

A typical plan starts with a work breakdown: phases and tasks are entered, indented into a hierarchy, given estimated durations and linked, so the software can derive start and finish dates. Resources are then added with working calendars and cost rates, assigned to tasks, and overallocated people are flagged. Once the plan is agreed, a baseline is saved as the reference against which every later change is measured.

During execution, the file becomes a tracking tool. Actual progress and remaining work are entered, and the critical path shows which delays will move the end date. This routine suits engineering and construction coordinators, IT implementation leads and project office staff who report status to management. Where Project Server is in use, the plan is published there so team members can report their time, while the project manager continues editing on the desktop.

The functions that make a practical difference

The Team Planner view shows each resource as a row with its tasks laid out on a calendar, so work is reassigned by dragging a task from one person to another, and unassigned tasks remain visible. Inactive tasks stay in the plan without affecting dates, costs or workload, which makes it practical to model optional scope or risk responses before a decision is made. Booking types mark assignments as proposed or committed, so tentative staffing for a bid is not mistaken for confirmed demand.

In the 2019 release, the Predecessors and Successors columns gained a drop-down list that lets you link tasks by choosing them from the project hierarchy instead of typing ID numbers. The new Task Summary Name field shows which summary task a line belongs to, which helps when several phases contain identically named tasks. Timeline bars can now also display labels and task progress for status meetings.

Choosing the right edition

Project Standard 2019 offers the same scheduling engine, Gantt views, reports and resource assignment within individual project files, and it suits a planner who works alone and shares results as files or PDFs. The Professional edition is the better choice once several projects draw on the same people, when what-if planning matters, or when coordination runs through SharePoint or Project Server, because Standard cannot connect to Project Server. Microsoft also offers Project as a cloud subscription with the Project Online desktop client, which receives ongoing feature updates, while the 2019 edition keeps the functions it was released with.

Practical limits worth knowing before you buy

Microsoft ended support for the 2019 versions of its Office applications, this edition included, on 14 October 2025, so no further security or quality updates are released. Organisations with strict patch policies should take this into account. Timesheets and resource engagements are server functions that require Project Server, so the desktop application alone does not provide them. If you plan to use SharePoint task list synchronisation or an existing Project Server environment, ask your IT team to confirm that it accepts 2019 clients before ordering.

Common questions before ordering

Can this edition open plans made in older versions of Project?
Yes. Project 2010, 2013, 2016 and 2019 share the same .mpp file format, so plans from these versions open directly. Files from Project 2007 can also be opened and then saved in the current format.

Do colleagues need Project to follow the schedule?
Not necessarily. The timeline can be copied into emails or presentations, and views and reports can be printed or exported as PDF. Team members in a Project Server environment work through its web interface instead of the desktop program.

Which desktop versions work with Project Server 2019?
Microsoft lists Project Professional 2019, Project Professional 2016 and the Project Online desktop client as compatible. Project Standard cannot connect to Project Server, which is one of the main reasons organisations choose the Professional edition.

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