A SOW (statement of work) captures all aspects of what’s included in your project and what’s not, such as deliverables, project timeline, payment schedule, project objectives, tasks and milestones.
An effective SOW ensures the project follows expectations and agreed-upon guidelines. It also summarizes what’s within and out of scope to mitigate scope creep, and what the project cost covers, among other things.
Additionally, it’s important to understand that the SOW is a required project planning document and must include details such as expected results, work schedules, invoicing schedules, work process, etc.
Once approved, the SOW should be communicated to all stakeholders to prevent any disputes or ambiguities in terms of timelines, budgets, success criteria, and deliverable requirements.
Whether the project requires you to conduct a feasibility study or develop a bespoke application, when creating the SOW, getting the details right — an important management principle is an absolute necessity.
This is essential because at the end of the project, stakeholders will refer back to the statement of work to determine if the agreed-upon conditions have been met and whether your company will be compensated fully or incur penalties.
There are several benefits of effective SOW writing. For one thing, a well thought out SOW can help an organization really stand out. That’s because clients will always be looking at multiple options, so it’s important to stand out. An SOW allows an organization to prove how you’re unique, right from the beginning.
A well-organized SOW will also save time for everyone in an organization. In other words, spending time upfront allows you to save time later. By handing over a document that’s easy to comprehend, your client will have fewer questions, making your communication more efficient.
Want to learn more? Tonex offers SOW Writing Training, a 2-day course that provides participants with concepts, tools, approaches, and configuration of Statement of Work.
Additionally, Tonex offers over five dozen other courses in Business Skills. Training covers everything from business writing and briefing skills to SOW Writing and Risk Management. Here are just a few of our courses in Business Skills:
Strategic Planning and Management Training (3 days)
Time Management and Organizational Skills (2 days)
Writing for Engineers, Scientists and Technical Managers (2 days)
Scope Management and Baseline Development (2 days)
Conflict Management Training (1 day)
Corporate Social Responsibility Training (2 days)
For more information, questions, comments, contact us.