Tools and Documentation
This chapter surveys the documents and tools that keep a project organized. You will learn key project documents, procurement documents such as the SOW and RFP family, scheduling tools like Gantt charts, and tracking tools such as issue logs.
Core project documents
Projects generate many documents that serve specific purposes. The business case justifies the project, the charter authorizes it, and the project schedule and budget guide execution. A requirements traceability matrix links requirements to deliverables, and meeting minutes record decisions and action items. Keeping these current provides a shared source of truth.
Procurement documents
When buying goods or services, organizations use standard documents. A statement of work (SOW) defines the deliverables, activities, and timelines expected from a vendor. To solicit vendors, a request for information (RFI) gathers general capabilities, a request for quote (RFQ) focuses on price for well-defined items, and a request for proposal (RFP) asks vendors to propose complete solutions with pricing so approaches can be compared.
Scheduling and visualization tools
A Gantt chart displays tasks as horizontal bars along a timeline, showing durations, dependencies, and milestones, which makes it the go-to tool for visualizing and tracking a schedule. Milestone charts highlight key checkpoints, and network diagrams show the sequence and dependencies of activities, helping identify the critical path.
Tracking tools
Ongoing work is tracked with logs and boards. An issue log records problems that have already occurred, assigns an owner, and tracks them to resolution, which is distinct from a risk register that tracks potential future events. Dashboards and status reports summarize progress for stakeholders, and change logs record the disposition of change requests.