How to Move Off Project Online: The 6-Week Plan

With about six weeks left before Microsoft Project Online retires on September 30, 2026, the question every PMO director is asking has changed. It used to be which tool to pick. Now it's how to move off Project Online without losing the dependency lag values, the baseline shadows, the enterprise custom fields, the resource pool history, and the Power BI feeds the CFO opens every Monday, on a timeline with no room left for a leisurely dry run.

The direct answer: moving off Project Online in six weeks means compressing the same six steps a full migration always needs, inventory, tool selection, pilot, waved migration, validation, cutover, into a tighter schedule, not skipping any of them. Skipping the pilot or the validation pass is the fastest way to turn a tight timeline into a missed deadline. Compress the waves instead of the checks.

Whether you're migrating to Onplana or another platform, the fundamentals are the same: get your data out, map it correctly, and validate that nothing was lost in translation.

Context: this post is one piece of the consolidated retirement timeline, the consolidated reference covering all three Microsoft Project ecosystem retirements happening in 2026. The comprehensive comprehensive migration pillar covers this topic end-to-end.

How to Move Off Project Online in Six Weeks: What Changes

A 12-week migration and a 6-week one run the same steps; a 6-week one just can't afford to run them sequentially with slack between each. Three changes make the compression survivable rather than reckless:

1. Inventory and tool selection collapse into the same week. With a full runway you'd inventory first, then evaluate tools against the findings. With six weeks, shortlist candidates in parallel with the inventory using the free Project Online Inventory Checklist, then confirm the choice once the inventory closes.
2. The pilot shrinks from two weeks to a few days, not zero. Skipping the pilot entirely is the single biggest reason migrations fail; a compressed pilot on one representative project still catches the lag-value and baseline gaps a feature checklist won't. Don't cut this step, cut its duration.
3. Waves run back to back instead of with a validation gap between each. Validate the pilot hard, then trust the pattern for the remaining waves rather than pausing a week between every batch.

Before you start exporting, consider running a diagnostic pass on your existing schedules. Migration has a way of surfacing every hidden issue your status reports have been papering over. The 7 hidden killers that most MS Project schedules carry are best discovered on the source side, before they become debugging tickets during cutover.

Before You Start: What You're Migrating

Project Online stores data across multiple systems. Understanding the full scope prevents surprises midway through. The free Project Online Inventory Checklist walks the 35 items most migrations miss (projects, resource pools, custom fields, integrations) and exports the result as a PDF you can hand your migration steering committee.

Data Type	Where It Lives	Export Method
Project schedules	Project Online database	.mpp export or OData
Task assignments	Project Online database	OData feed
Resource pool	Project Online database	OData feed
Timesheets	Project Online database	OData feed or Excel export
Custom fields	Project Online database	OData feed
Documents	SharePoint project sites	SharePoint migration tools
Power BI reports	Power BI workspace	Manual recreation
Workflows	SharePoint/Power Automate	Manual recreation

Step 1: Export Project Plans as .MPP Files

The .mpp file format is the most portable way to move project data. It captures tasks, dependencies, resources, baselines, and custom fields in a single file. Before exporting the whole portfolio, run a sample .mpp through the free Migration Preview: it parses the file feature-by-feature and tells you exactly which constructs survive a move into Onplana cleanly versus need manual rework.

How to Export

1. Open Project Online Desktop Client (Project Professional)
2. Connect to your Project Online instance
3. Open each project from the server
4. Go to File → Save As → Computer
5. Choose .mpp format and save locally

What's Captured in .MPP

• Task names, durations, start/finish dates
• Task dependencies (all four types: FS, SS, FF, SF) with lag
• Resource assignments and work hours
• Baseline data (up to 11 baselines)
• Custom fields and their values
• Task notes and constraints
• Calendar exceptions

What's NOT in .MPP

• Timesheet submission history
• Resource pool metadata (cost rates, availability calendars)
• Cross-project resource leveling state
• PWA views and page customizations

Pro tip: Create a shared folder and systematically save each project. Name files consistently: ProjectName_YYYYMMDD.mpp. You'll thank yourself later.

Step 2: Export Data via OData Feeds

For bulk data extraction, especially resources, timesheets, and cross-project reporting data, OData is your best friend.

Accessing OData

Project Online exposes OData feeds at:

https://your-tenant.sharepoint.com/sites/pwa/_api/ProjectData

Common endpoints:

• /Projects: All published projects
• /Tasks: All tasks across projects
• /Assignments: Resource assignments
• /Resources: Enterprise resource pool
• /Timesheets and /TimesheetLines: Timesheet data

Exporting with Excel

The simplest approach for small to medium datasets:

1. Open Excel
2. Go to Data → Get Data → From OData Feed
3. Enter your ProjectData URL
4. Authenticate with your Microsoft 365 credentials
5. Select the tables you need
6. Load and save as .xlsx

Exporting with Power Query / Power BI

For larger datasets or automated exports:

1. Create a Power BI report connected to Project Online OData
2. Use Power Query to pull all relevant tables
3. Export each table to CSV via Export data in visuals
4. Or use Power Automate to schedule recurring exports

Exporting with the Onplana Migration Wizard

If you're migrating to Onplana, you can skip manual OData extraction entirely:

1. Go to Settings → Import → Project Online
2. Enter your SharePoint site URL (the /sites/pwa address)
3. Authenticate with your Microsoft 365 account
4. Onplana reads your OData feeds directly and maps:
   • Projects → Onplana projects
   • Tasks → Onplana tasks (with dependencies preserved)
   • Resources → Onplana team members
   • Assignments → Onplana task assignees
   • Custom fields → Onplana custom fields

The wizard handles pagination, throttling, and data type conversion automatically.

Step 3: Map Your Data Model

Every PM platform has a slightly different data model. Here's how Project Online concepts map to modern platforms:

Project-Level Mapping

Project Online	Onplana Equivalent	Notes
Project	Project	1:1 mapping
Project Site	Workspace	Documents, links, files
Program	Portfolio	Group of related projects
Enterprise Resource Pool	Organization Members	Org-wide resource management
Project Server Permissions	RBAC Roles	Org + project level permissions

Task-Level Mapping

Project Online	Onplana Equivalent	Notes
Task	Task	1:1 mapping
Summary Task	Parent Task (subtask hierarchy)	Nesting preserved
Milestone	Milestone	Zero-duration markers
Dependency (FS/SS/FF/SF)	Task Dependency	All four types + lag supported
Baseline	Project Baseline	Baseline dates preserved
Resource Assignment	Task Assignee	Multiple assignees supported
Custom Field	Custom Field	6 field types available
Task Calendar	Working Calendar	Org-wide + exceptions

Fields That Need Manual Attention

Some Project Online fields don't have direct equivalents and need human decisions:

• Earned Value fields (BCWS, BCWP, BAC): Most modern tools don't support traditional EVM. Document current EV data in a spreadsheet before migrating.
• Resource cost rates: Table-based rate structures may need simplification. Onplana supports rate cards with date ranges.
• Custom views and filters: These need to be recreated in the new platform.
• Macros and VBA: Not portable. Document what they do and find equivalent features or automations.

Step 4: Execute the Migration

Option A: .MPP Import (Recommended for Most Teams)

Best for: Teams with well-maintained .mpp files who want maximum data fidelity.

1. Prepare your files: Gather all .mpp exports from Step 1
2. Import sequentially: Start with a pilot project (your simplest, most representative project)
3. Validate the import: Check:
   • Task count matches
   • Dependencies are correct (especially SS/FF/SF types)
   • Dates align (watch for calendar/timezone issues)
   • Resource assignments mapped to correct team members
   • Baseline data imported
   • Custom field values present
4. Fix any issues: Common problems:
   • Date shifts due to calendar differences → adjust working calendar
   • Unmapped resources → assign team members manually
   • Custom field type mismatches → adjust field definitions
5. Repeat for remaining projects: Once your pilot validates cleanly, batch-import the rest

Option B: OData Migration Wizard (Recommended for Large Organizations)

Best for: Organizations with 20+ projects who want automated bulk migration.

1. Connect your tenant: Provide your PWA site URL and authenticate
2. Select projects: Choose which projects to migrate (or select all)
3. Review the mapping: The wizard shows you how each field will be mapped
4. Run the migration: The wizard handles extraction, transformation, and loading
5. Validate results: Same checklist as Option A, but for all projects at once

Option C: CSV/Excel Import (Fallback)

Best for: Non-standard data or when .mpp files aren't available.

1. Export data from OData to CSV files
2. Clean and format the data to match the target platform's import template
3. Import via CSV upload
4. Manually recreate dependencies and relationships

Step 5: Validate Everything

Migration is only successful when the data in your new platform matches what was in Project Online. Here's a comprehensive validation checklist:

Schedule Validation

• Total number of projects matches
• Each project's task count matches (compare against .mpp)
• Start and finish dates are correct for all tasks
• Dependencies are correct type and direction
• Lag/lead values on dependencies are preserved
• Summary task rollup dates are calculated correctly
• Milestones appear on correct dates

Resource Validation

• All team members are present in the new platform
• Task assignments match the original
• Work hours/effort estimates transferred
• Resource availability/capacity is configured

Baseline Validation

• Baseline start/finish dates match original
• Baseline work values match
• Gantt chart shows baseline overlay correctly

Custom Data Validation

• Custom field values are present and correct type
• Project-level metadata (department, category, etc.) transferred
• Tags or labels applied correctly

Functional Validation

• Critical path calculates correctly
• Gantt chart renders properly
• Team can view and update tasks
• Notifications are configured
• Permissions/access levels are set

Step 6: Train Your Team

Even if the new platform feels similar, your team needs structured onboarding:

For Project Managers

• 60-minute walkthrough of daily workflows: creating tasks, assigning resources, updating progress
• Side-by-side comparison: "In Project Online you did X, here you do Y"
• Hands-on exercise with a real project they manage

For Team Members

• 15-minute quickstart: how to view your tasks, update status, log time
• Focus on what's different, not everything from scratch

For Executives / PMO

• 30-minute demo of portfolio views, dashboards, and reporting
• Show where their current KPIs and reports are in the new platform

Create a Quick-Reference Guide

A one-page cheat sheet mapping old workflows to new ones is worth more than hours of training slides.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

1. Waiting too long to start Don't assume Microsoft will extend the deadline. Begin your migration now to have buffer time for issues.

2. Migrating everything at once Start with a pilot of 2-3 projects. Validate thoroughly. Then scale to the full portfolio.

3. Ignoring resource pool setup Project Online's enterprise resource pool needs to be configured in your new platform before importing projects, or resource assignments won't map correctly.

4. Forgetting about integrations If you have Power Automate flows, Power BI reports, or Teams integrations connected to Project Online, document them. They'll break after retirement and need to be rebuilt.

5. Not preserving historical data Even after migration, keep your .mpp exports and OData archives. You may need historical data for audits, legal compliance, or baseline comparisons.

Starting After September 30? The Late-Arrival Path

If you're reading this after the retirement date, the steps above still apply, but Step 1 changes. There's no live PWA site to connect to anymore, so the migration wizard's OData path is gone; you're working from whatever you exported before the cutoff. What's still recoverable after the export deadline covers the recovery order in detail, but the short version: .mpp files you saved locally import cleanly through the same wizard described in Step 4 below, and any OData extracts you archived (even partial ones) still map through Step 3. What happens to a tenant after retirement covers what Microsoft still makes available versus what's gone for good. The honest version of this path is that it recovers less than migrating before the deadline; treat it as damage control, not a substitute for the six-week plan above if you still have time to run it.

Migration Timeline Template

The table below is the full-runway version, useful if you're planning a migration off a different legacy tool with no fixed deadline, or documenting the process for a future audit. If Project Online's September 30, 2026 retirement is the deadline you're working against, use the six-week compressed plan at the top of this post instead; there typically isn't time left to run all 17+ weeks below before the cutoff.

Week	Activity
1-2	Audit current usage, document all features used
3-4	Export all .mpp files and OData data
5-6	Evaluate and select target platform
7-8	Pilot migration with 2-3 projects
9-10	Validate pilot, gather feedback, iterate
11-14	Full portfolio migration in batches
15-16	Training, documentation, cutover
17+	Post-migration support and optimization

Migrating to Onplana Specifically

If Onplana is your target platform, here's what makes the process smoother:

• Built-in .mpp parser: Drag and drop your .mpp files; tasks, dependencies, baselines, and resources are imported automatically
• OData wizard: Connect to your PWA site and import everything in bulk with field mapping UI
• Familiar Gantt chart: Same concepts you're used to: FS/SS/FF/SF dependencies, critical path, baseline overlays
• Free tier: Start migrating right now without budget approval. Import your projects, validate the data, and upgrade when you're confident
• AI assistance: After migration, Onplana's AI can analyze your imported projects for risks, suggest optimizations, and generate status reports

Start your free migration →

If your destination involves the new Microsoft 365 surfaces: Microsoft Planner (the consolidated app inside Teams), Project for the Web Premium, or Microsoft To Do, Onplana imports from all three directly via Microsoft Graph and Dataverse. See How to Migrate Microsoft Planner to Onplana for the basic-tier import with optional live sync, How to Import Microsoft Project for the Web (Premium) for the Dataverse path that brings dependencies and effort across, and Microsoft To Do Sync With Onplana for per-user mirroring of assigned tasks. Useful if some teams stay on Microsoft surfaces while others move fully to Onplana.

For the two pieces of Project Online that always cause migration pain, enterprise custom fields and the resource pool, we've published deep-dives on each. Project Online Custom Fields Migration covers enterprise custom fields, hierarchical lookup tables, and what to do with calculated fields that don't have an equivalent on the destination side. Project Online Resource Pool Migration walks through migrating the Enterprise Resource Pool, cost rate tables (A through E), per-resource availability calendars, and historical timesheet data without breaking your reports. Run both before importing your first project; they save more time on the back end than they cost on the front end.

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Preview the move before you commit to it Upload a real .mpp file and get a feature-by-feature compatibility report in 30 seconds: what survives the move cleanly, what needs manual rework. No signup required. → Run the Migration Preview

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Microsoft Project Online™ is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Onplana is not affiliated with Microsoft.