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Getting Started with Preparing Your Handover Document!
To create your handover document efficiently, follow these 5 simple steps –
Describe your project along with daily tasks and processes in detail. It can also include your day-to-day assignments and activities.
Add task attributes and delivery specifications of the project. Mention the project deadlines and the latest updates regarding the status or progress of the task/project.
Set your short and long-term goals and milestones that you need to achieve to accomplish the project. Also, write down the specific point that helps to measure the progress of the task or project.
Next, create a complete handover document for your Virtual Assistants and make sure to include all the data required to continue the project. Also, give them access to the necessary spreadsheets and other files.
Once you are all set with the project plans and strategies and have finished documenting the assignment, our virtual project managers will begin the process. They will communicate with you regularly and keep you updated regarding the progress and the expected delivery time.
Importance of Preparing Handover Document
Do you know that improper handovers can lead to a huge business loss? While resigning from a job, we often ignore the importance of handing over our roles, tasks and responsibilities to our successors. It reduces productivity and often leads to missing deadlines, thus causing loss to the company.
So, whenever an employee leaves, makes sure s/he prepares a detailed handover document to ensure work continuity when the new hire starts working on the same. Here’s why you must create handover notes –
- Helps your successor to comply with the business standards and understand the approaches and strategies s/he should apply to get the job done faster.
- Provides the new hire with updates regarding the work progress and status, so that s/he can devise ways to complete the rest. In other words, your successor will be able to make informed decisions on the particular task or project.
- Gives latest updates of your goals, undertakings, and achievements that need to be fulfilled, allowing the supervisor or team manager to learn about the project based on a reliable data-source.
- Enables managers and team leaders to understand the current status of a particular task or assignment, and also get an overview of all the pending projects.
- Allows managers and supervisors to do work scheduling more efficiently and in an informed manner.
- Highlights any possible changes in the workflow or project, and also informs about the forthcoming challenges that the new hire might face.
What to Include in Your Handover Report?
Your handover document should be well-structured and must include the following key components –
- Description of your day-to-day activities, tasks and processes
- Provide access to all relevant files, accounts and spreadsheets
- Details of all login credentials and passwords, such as of important business accounts, domains, databases, etc.
- Information regarding potential challenges or issues that might be affecting the current projects
- Details regarding faulty machinery, devices, equipment or software
- Names of software or applications used to accomplish a project
- Time of renewal of company domains or software used
- Project status updates and deadlines of ongoing projects
- List of vital contacts, including clients, customers, managers, stakeholders, etc.
- Forthcoming events along with precise time, agenda, etc.
- Chain of commands that project managers need to be aware of
- Special or distinctive roles involving your job post, especially if it’s a managerial position
- Repetitive procedures or distinguishes personnel evolved with a particular project or assignment
- Housekeeping details, like the location of keys, tools, office stationery, and other essentials.
To create the most effective handover document, put yourself in the shoes of the new joinee. Look back at all the work and activities you have been managing till date. You will realise all those things your successor would require to get started without much hassle and complete the ongoing tasks within the specified headlines.
Further, preparing a handover report would actually boost your successor’s motivation and enhance productivity. Create the document in such a way that your project managers or successors won’t need to contact you after you leave!