Migrate from Priority Matrix to Microsoft Project

Priority Matrix Projects map to Microsoft Project project files or Project Online project records. We extract the project name, description, and creation date from the CSV export and create the corresponding project structure in Microsoft Project Desktop or Project Online. We flag any projects that were set to private in Priority Matrix since Microsoft Project has no native privacy flag; this is documented as a manual post-migration configuration item.

Priority Matrix Items are the core migrated record, mapping directly to Microsoft Project Tasks. We extract the Item title (Task Name), body/description (Task Notes), creation date, modification date, and completion status. Incomplete Items become active Tasks with the Start date set to the original creation date; completed Items carry their completion date as both the Start and Finish date or as a completed flag in the custom quadrant field for historical tracking.

The four Priority Matrix quadrants (Do First, Schedule, Delegate, Eliminate) have no native equivalent in Microsoft Project. We encode the quadrant label as a custom text field on each Task—typically Text1 labeled Quadrant. During scoping, the customer defines a filtering view in Microsoft Project that replicates the quadrant visibility they relied on in Priority Matrix. This approach is explicitly documented and validated in the test migration.

Priority Matrix due dates migrate as Microsoft Project Task Finish dates. Items without due dates are flagged as undated and receive a start date of the migration date or a placeholder start date set by the customer during scoping. We preserve the original timezone where available and note any items with a due date but no start date, which require manual scheduling input in Microsoft Project.

Priority Matrix assignees (user email addresses) are mapped to Microsoft Project Resources. We create Resource records in the destination project from the assignee directory and link each Task to its corresponding Resource via the Assignment table. Orphaned assignees (users not present in the destination) are flagged during scoping for the customer's admin to provision before production migration. Resources without a Microsoft Project license receive a placeholder entry with a zero-hour budget.

Priority Matrix tags migrate as Microsoft Project custom text fields on Tasks. We apply the tag names as comma-separated values or as individual entries in a custom Outline Code field depending on the destination Project plan version. Tag-based filtering in Priority Matrix translates to grouping or filtering by the custom category field in Microsoft Project.

Priority Matrix Item-level custom fields (text, number, date, dropdown) are mapped to Microsoft Project custom task fields of the matching type. We extract the field name, type, and all values during scoping, then configure the corresponding custom field in the destination project before data import. Field-level validation in Microsoft Project (such as picklist constraints) is applied during schema setup.

Priority Matrix Item comments migrate as appended entries in the Microsoft Project Task Notes field, with the format [Author] [Timestamp]: [Comment body]. We preserve the comment ordering and link it to the parent Task. If the original Item has no description, the comment thread is placed in Task Notes. If the Item has both a description and comments, the description appears first followed by the comment thread with author attribution.

Priority Matrix file attachments on Items are exported from the source account and uploaded to the destination SharePoint document library or network path, then linked via a custom text field on the Task. Accounts with more than 500 attachments are flagged during scoping because the file export and re-upload step adds time to the migration timeline. We do not migrate attachment content as inline objects within the Microsoft Project file due to file size constraints.

Priority Matrix Items synced to external calendars via the calendar sync feature are deduplicated by Item ID during extraction. The native due date is preserved as the Task Finish date, and the calendar sync link is documented as inactive post-migration. We do not recreate live calendar synchronization between the destination Microsoft Project environment and Outlook Calendar within the migration scope.

Priority Matrix templates define pre-populated Item structures within a Project. We extract the template schema as a set of draft Tasks with the original field structure preserved and completion status cleared. The customer receives a Microsoft Project template file (MPP) or Project Online template containing the task skeleton, which the project manager updates with real dates and resource assignments. Template migration does not include pre-populated due dates since those are specific to each project instance.

Priority Matrix user records are mapped to the Microsoft Project Resource Sheet. We extract user names, email addresses, and role designations and create corresponding Resources. Active users in Priority Matrix become active Resources; inactive users become inactive Resources. The resource type (Material vs Work) is set to Work for team members and Material for consumable resources, based on customer input during scoping.