What Is Project Documentation?
Project documentation is the implementation of a streamlined, efficient, and uniform process for producing the key documents that are required to implement a new project successfully. For example, these documents might include, business cases, project status reports, and project requirement sheets. In addition, the project documentation process outlines a clear approach for organizing these essential project documents. This uniform, considered approach means that these key documents will be easy for your whole team to use (and find!) – ensuring that the creation of your new project goes without a hitch. By adhering to these guidelines, you will be able to establish complete traceability of the documents in your workflow. Beyond this, the process of project documentation also involves the outlining of a clear and accessible layout, format, and level of written content. Normally a standardized process of project documentation is put in place by the project manager (to manage the documentation for their particular project effectively), or by a team leader (to cover any documentation that is being created to complete a task). In general project documentation is a vital standardized organizational technique that your entire team should be practising. It is also an essential tool for ensuring that your business consistently produces successful projects.Why Is Project Documentation Important for Managing Your Marketing Project?
It sounds like a good piece of organizational practice to consider, right? But, you might be wondering how project documentation actually benefits your project, beyond the establishment of a nicely governed workflow. We’re here to shed some light on the answer and give you an insight into all of the key plus points that make project documentation an essential project management tool. Implementing a project documentation process for your marketing projects will:Create more visibility
The process gives you complete traceability of your entire workflow, meaning you can immediately see which tasks need to be done, when and by whom.Ensure that the project requirements are fulfilled
Project documentation lets you gauge your project’s progress immediately. You can easily track whether your project is heading in the right direction, as the documentation will help you to define (and stick to) its requirements, while working on the project.Evaluate the project once it has finished
Once the project has finished, the closure part of the project documentation process guides project managers through an evaluation of how the team approached this particular project. It also gives contributors a chance to share their feedback. These elements of documentation encourage you to consider thoroughly what you learned from the task. This will highlight your strengths and weaknesses alike, so that you grow your creation process, ready for your next project. If you’re looking to improve the way that you manage your team, you can find out more about strong project management templates in our dedicated blog post.What Are the Benefits Of Project Documentation?
For those more picky hard-to-please managerial types, who are still to be swayed, we’ve got even more project documentation benefits to tell you about. Below, we’ve outlined the most important team-wide perks that implementing a strong project documentation process brings.Sets and defines your project goals
Project documentation guides you towards setting and defining clear goals, while ensuring that everyone involved (the project manager and the stakeholders) has the same expectations of the project. This process requires you to question the validity of each document that is being created. In the project initiation step, you create the Project Business Case and the Project Charter document, which enable you to define both your project’s goals and the resources that are required to make it happen. Establishing these pieces of documentation from the get-go, means you’ll have clarity about the project’s core aims and objectives. This in turn means that, with each step you take, your team is sure that they are actively working towards achieving these project goals, without exceeding the project’s allocated resources.Supports the project planning stage
Each document has a clear function and a role to play within project documentation. Project managers use them to create very detailed Work Breakdown Structures which, in turn, enable them to draft realistic and achievable schedules. Each document that the project manager creates supports the planning process, which speeds up and optimizes the execution of the project as a whole. If this is a stage where you require some further assistance, you can read about more great project plan templates on our blog.Gives a clear overview of the project
Because all of these documents are constantly kept up-to-date, all of the stakeholders involved in the creation process are always aware of the project’s current status. This method is especially useful for project managers who are working with remote teams. An ability to manage and organize a team is just one of the key skills that a marketing project manager needs to have. Project documentation gives those managers an easy yet effective way to get a quick status update on a project, which has multiple team members contributing to it.Manages risks and issues
The project manager will create a RAID document, as part of the project documentation process.. This will prepare them for any possible risks or issues, and so they will be well-equipped to deal with them, should they crop up. For example, a strong project documentation process requires the creation of a feasibility report. This outlines the benefits of the project and its likelihood of success; thus enabling the project manager to mitigate any potential risks, for example, regarding the financial success of the project.Makes the project traceable
As we mentioned earlier, the project documentation process gives you a thorough, complete knowledge of the roles and deadlines governing the workload of each team member. This ability forms a key part of the lessons learned register, by making the project fully traceable and transparent. At the end of the project, the project manager can evaluate what worked well, and what aspects need improvement.Key Project Documents with Project Documentation Examples
Now we’re getting into the nitty-gritty. In this section, we’ll show you which documents will need to be created, in each phase of the project process. These documents cover a variety of different topics, that ensure the steady progression of the project at each step. Below, you’ll find a project management document list that outlines all of the key project documents that are required for thorough project management. This way, you’ll be able to guarantee that your team’s documentation is up to speed.1. Project Initiation
This phase occurs at an organizational level, where it meets a company-wide need. The project is proposed, outlined, approved and receives the required funding.Project Business Case
Project Charter
2. Project Planning
Now that the initiation phase has been completed, we can move on to the planning of the project. In this phase, the project manager will create a detailed plan of the best way to undertake the project.Work Breakdown Structure
Requirement Specification
Risk and Issue Log
Change Request Management Document
3. Project Execution
In the execution phase, the team that has been assigned the task of creating the project can go about delivering those requirements.Project Communication Plan
Project Timeline
4. Monitoring & Controlling the Project
In the monitoring and controlling phase, the project manager oversees the process of creating the project. They will use documentation, such as a communication plan and a project timeline, to ensure that the project work is being implemented according to the plan.5. Project Closure
For this final project phase, the project’s invested parties will officially close the project. This phase comprises all the steps that need to be taken, before the project can formally be deemed to be finished.Project Closure Sheet
Lessons Learned Register
Project Documentation Templates
At first, it might seem a rather daunting prospect to create this entire bank of documentation, from the ground up. Before you hit the ‘New Document’ button, we’ve put together a collection of links to online project documentation templates. These will provide you with strong templates for all of the key project documents that you’ll need to create. They’ll help you get your new project documentation process up and running as quickly and smoothly as possible.Project Business Case Document Template
Project Charter Document Template
Work Breakdown Document Template
Requirement Specification Template
Risk and Issue Log Template
Template for Request Management Document
Communication Plan Template
Project Timeline Template
Project Closure Sheet Template
Lessons Learned Register Template
How to Manage the Project Documentation Process
Once you’ve got all the tools you need, to get this process off the ground, and to ensure the ongoing success of the process, you’ll need to manage the implementation of these documents, so you can guarantee they’re used correctly and consistently by your entire team. In this section, we’ll delve into a further breakdown of the process – in the form of four handy tips – to help you effectively manage each step of the project documentation process.
1. Create the documents in advance
Keep on top of the documentation throughout the project creation process. You should keep a close eye on where your project is within the process, and ensure that the relevant documents are ready well in advance. These documents can be written using a variety of different tools, e.g. Word, Excel, Google docs or sheets, PowerPoint, etc. Choose the best document type to suit the particular process. For example, the risk and issue log is best laid out in a table, so Excel would be the best tool for the job. By preparing these documents in advance, you don’t have to rush the process. It’s worth investing your time, to be organized here. Leave yourself plenty of space to create the documents, so you ensure that they are reliable, thorough, and of a high standard.2. Make documentation maintenance an ongoing process
Maintain and update the documents throughout the duration of the project. You’ll ensure that this is done consistently by setting yourself regular reminders to update the documents that you are currently working on. Otherwise, if you and your team agree on a fundamental change in the project, ensure that all of the documentation, across the board – past, present, and future use alike – is updated accordingly.3. Share, review and approve the documents
Use the document templates that you have created as flexible documents that are designed to meet the specific requirements of this particular project. One way to do this is by sharing, reviewing, and approving the documents with your team, during and after the project has been closed. Ensure that you accommodate the shifting needs, agreements, and requirements of your evolving project, and adapt the documentation accordingly, so that it best suits your team and the project at hand. Filestage is a fantastic tool that will help you achieve a solid document review and approval process. It provides an efficient collaborative platform, which your entire team can use to review and share their feedback on these pieces of documentation.4. Save and archive the documents
After finishing the project, save the documents and archive them, so that you can use them as a detailed, formal reference point for this particular project, should you ever need it. Plus, you’ll be ready when your next project comes in. You can go back and consult a document from this task and, if needed, replicate the phrasing or layout that you used successfully, before.Five Tools to Use for Your Project Documentation
So, now that you’re all set and ready to get your project documentation up and running, this is the perfect time to read up on the wide range of helpful online tools that are out there. We’re well-versed in the best project management tools available, so you can trust us to recommend a tool that will get the job done quickly and efficiently, across the board. No matter which tool you’re looking for, we can also recommend a wide range of intelligent creative project management software solutions.Filestage
Workzone
TeamGantt
Smartsheet
ActiveCollab
