Anyone using Microsoft Loop in conjunction with Asana?

Hi, I have some users starting to use Microsoft Loop, primarily in place of OneNote to collaboratively take notes for meeting summaries etc. Since Asana is our org-wide project management tool, I’m looking for input and tips from anyone using Loop in a similar way but still managing projects in Asana? Thanks!

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Hi @Richard_McConnell , there are various ways to take meeting notes using Asana and turning them into actionable tasks. I would consider deprecating Loop now that it’s users are still new to it, and instead show them ways of how to use Asana instead, so you have everything centralized within one tool, and not fragmented.

There are many articles available in the forum but a couple of ways is:

  • one project per recurring meeting
  • using the Notes view tab within a project

Hope that helps!

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Hi @Richard_McConnell ,
that’s a good point, we just had this question coming up here as well, especially as I stronly disagree with the answer of @Richard_Sather … if we would go that route here we would simply go mad. Whether because of way too many objects in Asana or too little structure…

Do you @Richard_McConnell find a way yet? For me it seems that this would unfortunately rely very much on Microsoft to provide a connector for Loop to Asana? More than other way around?

Edit: I just found two ideas at MSFT to vote for:
https://feedbackportal.microsoft.com/feedback/idea/aa6760e3-f6f6-ee11-a73d-6045bd841c15
https://feedbackportal.microsoft.com/feedback/idea/97122a7f-7067-ef11-a4e7-6045bdb238dc

Thanks,
Matthias

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Hi @Richard_Sather , I’m investigating the Notes view tab and checking to see if any staff are using it already.

As Loop is an integral component of Microsoft 365, integrated with Teams and other Office apps like Word etc., I don’t want to discourage staff from using Loop - I’d just love a way to have their work in Loop be accessible form within Asana.

@Matthias_Fleschütz , I agree that a Micorosft Connector for Loop to Asana would be great, and I’ve upvoted the 2 ideas you suggested, and encourage others to do the same!

Thanks,
Richard

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@Matthias_Fleschütz , I feel you have misunderstood me. Of course I agree, a 2-way connector would be ideal to integrate the two. Perhaps even more ideal is if a Loop component would unfurl/render within Asana’s Notes, Dashboard widgets or other surfaces where you can add an embed link - but it doesn’t, I’ve tried it. :confused:

I only suggested for @Richard_McConnell to consider deprecating Loop since it sounded like it was in its early days of adoption.

Loop is essentially MSFT’s version of Notion. And as a consultant I could never suggest Asana and other Asana-like software to coexist simply because you will result in fragmented information that defeats the whole purpose of Asana, which is having a single source of truth.

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I am a power user of Asana. I love it. Our org is finally on Enterprise Asana. With that said, I’ve never run a full project exclusively within Asana not using any other tools (ex: in conjunction with PowerPoint).

I am using Loop with increasing frequency as a supplement to Asana. [Admittedly, I am an early adopter in my org for Loop.] Our org used both Loop and Asana recently when running a 4-month RFP project and it worked very well.

I am starting a complex, year-long project now in which I intend to use both. Loop will be for senior level executives to receive polished output in a user-friendly way. (I’m meeting them where they are.) Additionally, I am using a separate Loop workspace for this same project to privately organize myself as Project Lead. It’s a catchment area for when my thoughts are not fully baked, and I want to keep them organized and private.

I still use Asana as my task manager and source of truth. I have no plans to change that practice. I will interact with my project team in Asana. Senior stakeholders will have access to the primary Asana project and be assigned tasks in Asana.

I like Loop because I have more control over visual representation of the project and the navigation structure is similar to a web site; which my senior stakeholders find more comfortable than the more technical GUI of Asana. I treat Loop kind of like an intranet site.

Yes, it’s a little more work for me to integrate relevant links between the two platforms but in the end the project runs more smoothly and I’m not double dipping on task management. Asana is for deeper planning and tracking, Loop is for organization of my content and thoughts as well as stakeholder communications. Hope this helps.

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How are you integrating the two? I am setting up a similar structure and am hoping to convert meeting tasks listed in loop to asana tasks

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Integration at this point is mostly limited to incorporating relevant links to Asana from Loop, and vice versa. It’s not sophisticated.

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It has been said that “Loop’s uses are the same as Notion’s.” If that’s the case, then surely we should aim to use it in the way described here(Multiple ways to integrate Asana and Notion, the guide).

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I’m taking meeting notes and I actually integrate those as sections in my Asana Status Updates. I use MS Copilot to take meeting transcription and format it the way I want that aligns with our PMO standards. I take those notes and paste them into the meeting loop component for meeting notes (so anyone can look back and find them) and then also paste them into the appropriate sections in my Asana status update. I am considering using Notes instead of Status Updates, but for now this works great!

I do agree that being able to do like /Asana in Loop would be amazing and a game changer. I know MS drives everyone to use their Planner product to log follow-up tasks but I’d love to see this opened up.

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