Mark Whitfield’s PM template library features over 200 editable project management and PMO templates. These templates span the entire project lifecycle and are categorized by focus area and framework (e.g., Agile, Waterfall, PRINCE2).
Many POaP templates to be tailored as required
The resources are formatted natively for the Microsoft Office suite, allowing them to be opened on all devices, including desktops, tablets, and smartphones.
The templates are divided into specific categories based on the standard project delivery phases:
📁 Core Template Categories
Planning & Execution:
Detailed MS Project schedules
Excel and PowerPoint Plan on a Page (POaP) examples (over 35 slide examples) to save time constructing from scratch
Financials: Project Financial Trackers for internal/external costs, forecasting vs. actuals, margin/variation, and expenses.
Agile Frameworks: Agile Story Dependency tracking, Burn Down & Burn Up charts, and Sprint tracking guides.
MS Excel XLS Agile Sprint Burn Down and Up Chart Examples
💻 File Formats
All templates are fully editable, and the package provides the following file formats for universal compatibility:
Microsoft Word (.docx): Used for walkthrough guides, governance documentation, and standard project status reports.
Microsoft Excel (.xlsx): Utilized for task trackers, financial dashboards, RAID logs, and non-MS Project Gantt charts.
Microsoft PowerPoint (.pptx): Used for Kick-Off decks, team hierarchy charts, and visual POaP (Plan on a Page) slides.
Microsoft Project (.mpp): Detailed work breakdown structure (WBS) and scheduling files for traditional and Agile-hybrid projects.
MS Project MPP file templates to be tailored as required
You can download or purchase the complete inventory of these editable files at the Mark Whitfield PROject Templates Store (or via the Etsy Storefront if you prefer that platform). Once purchased, you are also entitled to free lifetime upgrades and additions.
Project Management Templates to be tailored as required with FREE upgrades
Microsoft Project—whose native file format extension is .mpp—is one of Microsoft’s longest-running products, originally originating from a DOS-based tool acquired in 1984. Over its four-decade lifespan, it has evolved from a basic critical path method (CPM) scheduler into a core enterprise project and portfolio management (PPM) system.
The .mpp format, which is the proprietary binary file structure used to store metadata, task hierarchies, schedules, and resource assignments, has undergone multiple structural changes to support new features like Agile workflows, critical path mapping, and multiple timelines. Buy MPP MS Project templates (like those above) here.
Chronological Timeline of Microsoft Project (1984 to Present)
1984 – 1986 (The DOS Era): The first commercial version, MS Project 1.0, was released for MS-DOS in 1984. It laid the foundation for Critical Path Method (CPM) scheduling.
1990 – 1993 (Transition to Windows/Mac): The first Windows version (Project 1.0 for Windows) launched in 1990. Microsoft subsequently released a Macintosh version in 1991, but officially ceased its Mac development by 1994.
1995 – 2003 (The Office Integration): With releases like Project 95, Project 98, and Project 2000, the software began to mirror Microsoft Office’s user interface, introducing PERT charts (later renamed Network Diagrams), multiple baselines, and resource pooling.
2007 – 2010 (The Ribbon and Server Era): Project 2010 became the first 64-bit version, introducing a modern ribbon and Backstage view. This era saw widespread use of Project Server for enterprise collaboration.
2013 – 2019 (Cloud & Modern UX): Integrating deeply with the Microsoft 365 environment, these versions introduced resource capacity heat maps, agile task fields, and native Plan-on-a-Page (POAP) timeline views.
2021 – 2024 (Modern Desktop Suite): The latest perpetual releases (Project 2021 and Project 2024) act as heavy-duty scheduling engines that integrate with modern tools like Power BI and Microsoft Teams.
Future Direction of the .MPP Format and Project Management
As of 2026, Microsoft is executing a major platform restructuring. The .mpp format will remain the standard file extension for the standalone, offline desktop application (e.g., Project Professional 2024/Subscription Edition), serving enterprise users who require complex scheduling, multi-project rollups, and deep resource optimization. Buy MPP MS Project templates here.
However, Microsoft is shifting its cloud and portfolio-level infrastructure entirely away from legacy SharePoint-based architectures. This structural shift impacts the .mpp ecosystem in several key ways:
Retirement of Project Online: Microsoft Project Online (the cloud-based service that previously stored and synchronized .mpp projects in the cloud) is officially fully retired.
Consolidation under Microsoft Planner: Microsoft’s cloud-based work management is converging entirely under the unified Microsoft Planner app (which incorporates former “Project for the web” capabilities).
Transition to Modern Cloud Formats: In the web and cloud ecosystem, the rigid and complex .mpp file is being replaced by Microsoft’s cloud-native architecture (which can be exported to standard .xml formats for interoperability).
Continued Desktop Support: Organizations requiring complex WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) views, complex dependencies, and local file storage can still utilize the desktop client versions (e.g., accessed via Microsoft Project Plan 3) which natively open .mpp files.
Viewer and Interoperability Utilities: Because native .mpp files cannot be opened by Microsoft Planner or Excel, Microsoft provides the XML Format Standard (MS-XDI) as the primary avenue for transferring custom scheduling data between desktop platforms and modern cloud APIs.
Microsoft Project MPP format, timeline & future direction
Mark Whitfield is a UK-based, SC-cleared Senior IT Project Manager and Engagement Manager with over three decades of experience in software development lifecycle (SDLC) delivery.
Mark Whitfield, High-Level Career Summary from 1990 thru 2026
Over his career, he has transitioned from deep technical engineering on legacy systems (HPE NonStop formerly Tandem Computers) to enterprise-scale digital transformation, cloud migrations, and API-led integrations. He is also the author of a comprehensive online toolkit for project delivery frameworks.
Click the ‘Company Worked‘ links below for more detail as required.
Project Management Career Breakdown:
1. Early Engineering & Technical Analysis Era (1990–1995)
Geographical Location: Salford Quays, UK (office); London, UK; Client sites across Europe/ Middle East
Clientsinclude: Global Payments, Standard Chartered, Girofon, Rabobank, CRESTCo (Euroclear), Alrajhi Bank, LloydsTSB, HSBC, Santander, Bank of Ireland, Bank of Valletta (Malta) and both Commercial and Piraeus Bank (Greece)
Main Focus Items: Infrastructure consulting, volume testing, system management & monitoring, and Service Level Agreement (SLA) monitoring for critical path payment applications. Attending related conferences, EBUG, ITUG, BITUG, SATUG
Technology Areas: HPE NonStop monitoring, ATM/POS system & transaction monitoring and stock settlement.
Geographical Location: Woking / Bracknell / UK wide
Client: Lloyds Banking Group
Main Focus Items: Modernising legacy ATM software and directing hardware/software transitions. Implementing ProClassic/Enterprise and PC/E SmartClient (Win 7) to replace the existing ProCash/NDC (Win XP) Stacks on a variety of multivendor devices.
Technology Areas: Multi-vendor hardware & software integration for ATMs.
Geographical Location: Wigan / Greater Manchester, UK
Client: Betfred Online and Mobile
Supplier Management: for external software suppliers like Degree53, Playtech, Onionsack, Intelligent Payments (Myriad), Inspired, iovation, StreamUK, Finsoft, Ineda, OtherLevels, Appsflyer, Income Access, Activewin, Virgo, Virtue Fusion, In Game Media, Satellite Information Services (SIS) and IGT
Main Focus Items: Taking new sports and virtual gaming components live, integrating payment gateways, managing app release cycles, and handling regulatory compliance.
In addition to his consultancy work, Mark Whitfield actively publishes his extensive collection of Project Management Templates, which are actively utilized across the industry for RAID Logs, Agile Burndown Charts, and Plan on a Page (POaP) blueprints.