OpenProject 15.4 with automatic scheduling – A powerful alternative to Microsoft Project

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OpenProject 15.4 Release image with Automatic Scheduling

PRESS RELEASE 19th March 2025
A powerful alternative to Microsoft Project - OpenProject 15.4 with automatic scheduling

Berlin, March 19, 2025 – OpenProject, the leading open-source project management software, is excited to announce the release of OpenProject 15.4, introducing the highly anticipated Automatic Scheduling mode. With this release, OpenProject now provides an advanced project planning and scheduling alternative to Microsoft Project, offering users more flexibility and automation while maintaining full control over their project timelines.

A smarter way to plan: Automatic scheduling mode

Project scheduling is a complex and time-sensitive task. With OpenProject 15.4, users can now enable automatic scheduling, allowing the system to determine the earliest possible start date for work packages based on their predecessor or child relations. This feature ensures that tasks are scheduled as efficiently as possible - also considering the recently introduced “lag” time between work packages, while still allowing users to manually define durations and dependencies when needed.

By default, OpenProject continues to operate in manual scheduling mode, giving teams the flexibility to decide whether and when to activate automatic scheduling. The update does not alter existing projects or lead to any data loss, ensuring a seamless transition for all users.

A fully capable open source alternative to Microsoft Project

This release marks an important milestone, positioning OpenProject as a fully capable alternative to Microsoft Project for project planning and scheduling. Organizations seeking a cost-effective, open source, and highly customizable solution now have an even more powerful tool at their disposal. Unlike proprietary software, OpenProject allows users to maintain full data sovereignty and avoid vendor lock-in, ensuring long-term flexibility and control over their project management data and processes.

A video showing the automatic and manual scheduling in OpenProject 15.4 Image: Example of automatic and manual scheduling in OpenProject 15.4

Enhanced meeting documentation and PDF generation

Beyond scheduling improvements, OpenProject 15.4 introduces additional enhancements to further streamline project collaboration:

Meeting agenda item outcomes: Teams can now document decisions directly within OpenProject. If a work package is linked to a meeting, outcomes will automatically update the related work package, ensuring clear follow-ups. Additionally, agenda items from recurring meetings can now be transferred to the next session for improved continuity.
PDF document generation: OpenProject now allows users to generate PDF documents from work packages, with new styling options including a format designed to align with German contract standards.

A Community-driven Release

This release would not have been possible without the support of our dedicated community and partners. A special thank you goes to the City and the Hospital of Chemnitz for providing valuable insights into the automatic scheduling feature, as well as to the City of Cologne, Deutsche Bahn, and ZenDiS for sponsoring released or upcoming features.

For a full overview of all improvements in OpenProject 15.4, please refer to our Release Notes.

Acerca de OpenProject

OpenProject is the leading open source project management software, providing a versatile collaboration and project management software for teams worldwide. With a focus on data sovereignty and privacy, flexibility, and user-centered design, OpenProject serves a diverse range of industries, including NGOs, public institutions, and large enterprises. For more information and to explore OpenProject, visit openproject.org or follow OpenProject on LinkedIn or @openproject on Mastodon.