Project management is a crucial part of any business. It’s essential to have the right tools and techniques to execute your project with due diligence. Many vital documents enable sponsors, project managers, teams, and stakeholders to manage required activities for the project carefully. Each record has a different role in this process. I will give you a list below that will tell you what each document does!

1. Project charter-

One of the earliest documents initiators develop is a project charter. The project charter needs to identify the need for the project and provide formal authorization by granting permission to the project manager to request resources and conduct any relevant activities. The project charter contains:

• A statement of work references the need, scope and strategic plan.
• The business case provides a detailed explanation of customer requests, technology requirements, legal and social barriers.
• Agreements that describe the goals or intent of the project.
• Environmental factors of the enterprise.
• Organization process assets.

2. Project management plan-

The project management plan is the most crucial document in developing and executing any project correctly. It’s also created by the project manager, with input from the sponsor or initiator of the project. The plan relies heavily on information provided by a charter detailing what needs to be done. These cover the following:

• Communications
• Costs
• human resources
• procurement
• process improvements
• quality of deliverables
• business requirements
• risks
• schedules
• project scope
• stakeholders
• project updates

3. Work breakdown structure (WBS)-

The work breakdown structure, as you may have guessed by the name, breaks down all the required tasks and productions to complete that project. Work plans are then generated from this document for each team of people working on the project.

A WBS needs input from various sources to be complete, including a scope management plan, scope statement of the project, requirements documentation, and environmental factors and organizational processes.

4. Risk management plan-

Risk management is always a concern to project managers and their teams. The risk management plan identifies any possible risks that could hamper the project’s success. Discussed in further detail, these risks are documented by the risk manager. This particular plan will come from the project management plan and the charter.

5. Change request log-

To save organizations, project managers, team sponsors and stakeholders from trouble, there are specific documents that need to be executed. One of these vital documents identifies change requests and tells us who requested the change and who is authorized to enact it. A slight change can adversely affect the entire project if not overseen correctly.

6. Progress reports-

Progress reports allow your project stakeholders to stay up-to-date with the project’s progress. A progress report tells you if a project is on time, on budget, meeting all quality specifications and most importantly, if it’s meeting the goals that were anticipated when it was started.

Six documents are crucial for managing project activities. You can go paperless by installing the best document management solutions, such as Docupile. This software allows you to implement these documentation processes quickly with its help.