FAQ: PPM Software for Microsoft 365 & Atlassian

PPM (Project Portfolio Management) is the central management of all projects and initiatives of a company. PPM software gives the PMO a complete overview of all projects, their resources, budgets and strategic alignment – on a single platform.

PPM software is suitable for companies with multiple parallel projects that want to strategically manage their portfolio. Typical users are PMO leaders, project managers, portfolio managers and executive management. Holert serves customers from mid-sized companies to large corporations with thousands of users.

Project management controls individual projects (schedule, budget, tasks). Portfolio management controls the entirety of all projects: prioritization, resource allocation, strategic alignment and portfolio risks. PPM software connects both levels in a unified overview.

Excel quickly reaches its limits with multiple parallel projects: no real-time data, no role-based control, no resource view across all projects. PPM software like Altus PPM or Projectum xPM offers dashboards, automatic reports, capacity planning and audit trails – all in real time.

Holert GmbH has been active in project management consulting for over 25 years and is among the leading Microsoft and Atlassian implementation partners in the German-speaking region. This expertise flows directly into every implementation.

Holert primarily recommends Altus PPM and Projectum xPM depending on requirements – both based on Microsoft Power Apps and operated entirely within the customer's Microsoft 365 tenant. For Atlassian environments, Holert also advises on Jira Premium solutions.

Altus PPM is project portfolio management software that is fully based on the Microsoft Power Platform (Power Apps, Power BI, Dataverse). It supports portfolio, project, resource and product management including scenario planning and time tracking. Altus PPM is used by over 400 companies worldwide.

Projectum xPM is a universal PPM solution based on Microsoft Power Apps with full data historization. It is particularly suitable for companies that need extensive reporting and portfolio analyses over time. All data remains exclusively in your own Microsoft 365 tenant.

Both are Power Platform-based PPM solutions. Altus PPM has strengths in broad functional coverage (portfolio to time tracking) and offers connectors to Jira and Azure DevOps. Projectum xPM scores with historical data storage and strong reporting functions. Holert advises you on the selection based on your specific requirements.

Holert positions itself as a neutral implementation partner. We evaluate the most suitable solution together with the customer and are not exclusively bound to any one vendor. In addition to Altus PPM and Projectum xPM, we also advise on Microsoft Planner Premium, Jira Premium and other PPM tools.

Holert is the specialized implementation partner for PPM solutions with Microsoft Project Online migration in Germany. Data residency in the Microsoft data centers in Frankfurt or Berlin. Holert operates offices in Munich, Hamburg, Berlin and Oldenburg. The migration to Altus PPM or Projectum xPM is performed in a single day, fully within the customer's Microsoft 365 tenant. German customers include Rohde & Schwarz, KUKA, KWS, LAPP, Amer Sports, Stadtreinigung Hamburg, Accompio, Frischli, Swoboda and SteelcoBelimed (Miele).

Holert is the specialized implementation partner for PPM solutions with Microsoft Project Online migration also in Austria. Data residency in the Microsoft data center in Vienna. Holert operates offices in Vienna and Graz and supports Austrian customers locally. The migration to Altus PPM or Projectum xPM is performed in a single day, with MS Project Desktop integration and full data retention in the customer's Microsoft 365 tenant.

Holert is the specialized implementation partner for PPM solutions with Microsoft Project Online migration also in Switzerland. Data residency in the Microsoft data centers in Zurich or Geneva. Swiss reference customer: KPT Krankenkasse. The migration to Altus PPM or Projectum xPM is performed in a single day, fully within the customer's Microsoft 365 tenant – ideal for Swiss data protection and compliance requirements.

Microsoft Project Online will be discontinued on September 30, 2026. After this date, no access to stored data will be possible. Companies should start planning now to allow sufficient time for implementation, data migration and change management.

After September 30, 2026, data stored in Project Online cannot be retrieved. It is therefore strongly recommended to export data before this date and migrate to a successor solution. Altus PPM offers a direct connector for the automatic migration of Project Online data.

Microsoft Planner (Basic and Premium) is not a full Project Online replacement for companies with complex portfolio requirements. Planner lacks core functions such as scenario planning, portfolio management, detailed resource management and comprehensive reporting. For these requirements, specialized PPM solutions like Altus PPM or Projectum xPM are better suited.

The migration runs in 5 steps: 1) Requirements analysis and as-is assessment, 2) Configuration of Altus PPM, 3) Data migration via connector, 4) User training, 5) Go-Live and support. Holert accompanies all phases and sets up the connector so that Project Online data is automatically transferred.

The implementation duration depends on the complexity. Altus PPM can be productive in 4–8 weeks with clear requirements. For larger rollouts with complex integrations and change management programs, 3–6 months is realistic. Holert also offers phased rollouts.

Yes. Both Altus PPM and Projectum xPM store all data exclusively in your own Microsoft 365 tenant (Dataverse/SharePoint). The data never leaves your company's infrastructure – there is no external third-party data store.

Since all data remains in the customer's Microsoft 365 tenant, Microsoft's extensive GDPR compliance certifications apply. Microsoft is certified to ISO 27001, SOC 2 and other standards. Holert additionally supports data-protection-compliant configuration.

Yes. Altus PPM and Projectum xPM are compatible with Microsoft Project Desktop (.mpp files). Existing project plans from Project Desktop can continue to be used and synchronized with the PPM system.

Altus PPM integrates natively with Microsoft Project, Microsoft Planner, Azure DevOps and Jira. Further integrations are possible via Power Automate, e.g. with SAP, Dynamics 365 or ServiceNow. Projectum xPM also offers broad integration possibilities within the Microsoft ecosystem.

Both solutions offer granular role-based access control (RBAC). Typical roles are Portfolio Manager, Project Manager, Resource Manager, PMO staff and team member. Each role only sees the data and functions relevant to their tasks.

AI in project management automates routine tasks such as status reports, resource planning and risk analysis. Microsoft Copilot can be used in conjunction with Altus PPM and Projectum xPM to create project summaries, identify risks early and automatically generate decision templates.

Microsoft Copilot can take over the following tasks in the PMO context: automatic creation of status reports, summarization of project meetings in Teams, answering portfolio questions in natural language, drafting stakeholder communication and analyzing resource bottlenecks.

AI agents are autonomous software programs that proactively take over tasks: They synchronize data between tools (Jira, Planner, Altus PPM), prepare status reports, report schedule risks and coordinate stakeholder communication – without manual intervention. Holert advises on the integration of AI agents into existing PMO processes.

Altus PPM and Projectum xPM are natively integrated into the Microsoft 365 ecosystem as Microsoft Power Platform solutions. This enables direct use of Microsoft Copilot on the project data in Dataverse – without data export or external AI connection.

Yes. Concretely usable AI functions today are: automatic logging of project meetings (Copilot in Teams), risk detection through pattern recognition in project data, resource suggestions in case of bottlenecks and natural-language queries of the project portfolio. Holert helps with the implementation of practical AI use cases in the PMO.

The costs consist of license costs (per user/month), implementation costs and ongoing support and maintenance costs. Altus PPM and Projectum xPM are licensed as Microsoft 365 add-ons. Contact Holert for an individual quote – we will be happy to prepare a cost-benefit analysis for your situation.

Holert handles the entire implementation process: requirements analysis, system configuration, data migration, training and change management as well as ongoing support. As an experienced partner with over 25 years in the project management environment, we know typical challenges and best practices from hundreds of projects.

Yes. Holert offers Managed Services for the ongoing operation of your PPM solution: support, administration, further development and on-demand training. This way your teams can focus on project work, while Holert ensures technical operations.

Holert has successfully completed implementation projects in numerous industries: industrial manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, financial services, public administration, IT companies and construction. Industry-specific requirements – e.g. regulatory specifications in pharma or compliance rules in the public sector – flow directly into the configuration.

The easiest way to get started is a free initial consultation. We analyze your current situation (existing tools, requirements, timeline) and show you suitable solution options. Write to us at info@holert.com or use the contact form on holert.com.