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How to write a project report (with steps & templates).

August 16, 2024

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Juggling all the different components of a project can be quite a challenge. If that weren’t enough, you also have to write a project status report to update key stakeholders on the project’s progress. The struggle is real.

So where do you start? Fortunately, we have the answer. And that’s precisely why we put together this guide—to walk you through the process so you have a clear path from start to finish.

Learn more about creating project reports and different types of project status reports. Plus, you’ll walk away with five free project report templates, carefully crafted to streamline your project management workflow, save you time, and impress your stakeholders. 🤩

What is a Project Report?

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A project report is a document offering a comprehensive overview of a project’s objectives, progress, team performance, and milestone accomplishments. It also gives an account of the challenges faced during a project’s execution , solutions devised to tackle them, and the lessons learned during the process. 

Project managers create these reports to communicate with other project stakeholders—including team members, sponsors, clients, and other interested parties—to ensure everyone’s on the same page. The document also serves as a foundation for further evaluation and analysis to ensure the project says on track and achieves its goals. 🎯

Creating a project report doesn’t have to be a daunting task. Follow these three simple steps to create your first project report with ease.

Understand the purpose of the report

Before you create a project report, you need to understand the purpose of the report (the “why”) and know your target audience (the “who”). This will guide the content, structure, and tone of your project report.

Gather and organize the relevant information

At this point, you need to gather project information relevant to your project report. Make sure your data is accurate, reliable, and up-to-date. Organize the gathered information in a logical and structured manner.

• Executive summary : As its name suggests, this project summary gives readers a quick overview of the whole report. It’s a snapshot that highlights the most important parts of the project. While it’s placed at the start of the report, it’s often written last. It covers the project’s objectives, methodology, major outcomes, and conclusions. 
• Introduction: This sets the context and expectations of the entire report. It includes the project’s purpose and scope, project schedule, the problems it aims to address, and the methodologies to get there. It also outlines the structure and organization of the rest of the report. 
• Body: Typically, this is the longest part of project management reports because it dives into in-depth details, including project progress, data collection, analysis reports, constraints, and limitations. Remember that whatever you include here should reflect the purpose of your project report and the preferences of your target audience. 
• Conclusions & Recommendations: Based on your findings and analysis, identify opportunities for improvement, suggest strategies for addressing them, or propose avenues for future research. 

Format and proofread the report

Ensure that your project report follows a consistent formatting style—headings, subheadings, and bullet points will make it easier to read. In addition, scan your report for spelling or grammar errors and typos.

Types of Project Reports

Project reports come in diverse formats, with each serving different use cases. Here are nine of the most commonly used types of project reports.

A project status report is a document that gives a snapshot of where your project stands at any given moment. It’s like answering the question, “How’s the project doing?”

But instead of just saying “The project is fine,” you actually dive into the project goals, tasks completed, milestones achieved, challenges faced, lessons learned, potential roadblocks, and next steps. 

Whether it’s a weekly project status report or a monthly status report, this documentation eliminates the need for status meetings while giving stakeholders the most recent status of the project.

A project progress report is slightly similar to a status update report, as they both discuss task progress. However, the progress report is more quantitative and zooms in on individual tasks and project milestones . 

It’s like taking a magnifying glass and examining the progress of each task, one by one. For example, it could include in-depth information on the percentage of completion and current status of each task (completed, on track, delayed, etc.). 

The cost-benefit analysis report is usually prepared before a project is put into motion. Of the various project reports, this one aims to answer a simple question: “Is it worth pursuing this project?”

To answer this question, the report first assesses all project costs like operational expenses, materials, salaries, equipment, and potential risks. 

It then considers the projected benefits, such as increased profit margins, cost savings, improved efficiency, or happier customers. Finally, the report compares the costs to the benefits to determine if it’s time to move forward or explore other options.

A project time-tracking report is a document that records and summarizes time spent on project activities. Each project team member contributes to writing this report—they track and record the amount of time they’ve spent on tasks and submit it to the project manager. ⏰

Thankfully, the rise of project management tools has eliminated the need for paper-based time-tracking submissions. They make it easy for team members to submit accurate and detailed time reports to the project manager—while reducing the administrative burden of manual report compilation. 

Project managers can see how time is spent and the overall productivity of team members. As a result, they’re able to make informed decisions, such as redistributing workload (aka workload management ), reassigning tasks, and providing feedback and support to team members. 

A project resource dashboard offers a bird’s-eye view of how resources (e.g., labor, equipment, materials, budget, etc.) are allocated in a project. Think of it as a comprehensive resource inventory, listing every project task, the responsible party, and the resources being used. 

Project reports like this help project managers keep track of resource availability, identify potential resource constraints or shortages, and make informed decisions about resource allocation and optimization.

A project risk report offers a comprehensive analysis of potential risks, their likelihood of occurrence, their potential impact on the project, and recommended mitigation strategies. 

Rather than waiting for future events to derail the project, project reports like this one allow project managers to take a more proactive approach to risk management—thereby boosting the chances of overall project success.

A project variance report reveals the gaps or deviations between project plans and the actual performance or results achieved. It compares various factors—like budget, time, resources, and scope—and their planned values with their actual values, then computes the differences (or variances). 

By analyzing these variances, project managers and stakeholders can discuss the possible reasons behind them, identify areas that need attention, and take corrective actions where necessary.

A project performance report evaluates the overall performance and achievements of a project against predetermined metrics and objectives. It includes information on project deliverables, key performance indicators (KPIs) , and stakeholder satisfaction.

This report helps project managers assess project success, identify areas for improvement, and communicate the project’s performance to stakeholders.

A project completion report marks the end of a project journey. It summarizes the entire project lifecycle, from initiation to closure. This report contains an overview of the project’s objectives, deliverables, milestones, challenges, and recommendations for future projects.

A project management report summarizes a project’s progress, status, and performance for stakeholders. It includes an overview, current status, timeline, budget, risks, resource allocation, key performance indicators (KPIs), and next steps. The report helps ensure transparency, track milestones, address issues, and guide decision-making. It provides a snapshot of where the project stands and what actions are needed to keep it on track.

Writing project reports may initially seem redundant and time-consuming. However, it plays a crucial role in achieving project success. While a few benefits were hinted at earlier, let’s get a better picture of why project reports should not be overlooked.

More clarity

Creating a project report allows you to step back and reflect on the project’s progress. As you record the milestones, successes, and challenges, a wealth of insights begin to unfold—strengths, weaknesses, and areas that need attention.

This holistic view of the project’s health helps you steer it toward the desired outcomes and ensure it stays on track.

Encourages evaluation and analysis

Project reports allow you to evaluate and analyze the different aspects of a project in a systematic way—gathering relevant data, analyzing them, and evaluating their significance. By giving your project a critical analysis, you can uncover valuable insights, identify patterns, draw meaningful conclusions, and take strategic action. 🛠️

Enhances communication and collaboration

Creating a project report challenges you to present the project’s progress and results to stakeholders in a clear and coherent manner. A well-written report promotes project transparency and ensures everyone is on the same page.

It also facilitates collaboration by providing a common reference point for discussions, feedback, and decision-making.

Boosts professionalism and credibility

When you present a comprehensive and well-structured report, it shows that you have conducted thorough research, followed a methodical approach, and can effectively communicate complex information. This, in turn, boosts your reputation, enhances your credibility, and showcases your expertise among peers, colleagues, and potential employers.

Knowledge preservation

A project report serves as a valuable reference for future research or projects. By documenting your process, methodologies, challenges, lessons, and results, you create a resource that can be consulted and built upon by others.

This contributes to the cumulative knowledge in your field and fosters a culture of collaboration and innovation.

Improves Team Alignment

Project reports are instrumental in enhancing team alignment. They provide a clear, concise snapshot of progress, identifying accomplishments, challenges, and next steps. This enables all team members to understand the project’s current status and their respective roles in achieving the overall objectives.

Check out these project report templates for teams:

• Nonprofit Organizations Project Report
• Operations Teams Project Report
• Finance Teams Project Report
• DevOps Teams Project Report
• Agile Teams Project Report
• Sales Teams Project Report

5 Project Report Examples & Templates

Sure, you could write project reports from scratch and spend countless hours formatting and structuring them. But why would you when you can use free project report templates? They provide a structure and format for your report so you can simply plug in your data and customize the design to fit your needs. Not only do project report templates speed up the report creation process, but they also enhance the overall quality of your reports. 

Let’s jump right in to explore our top five project report templates. 📈

A final project report is the perfect finishing touch to conclude a project and highlight its achievements. ClickUp’s Final Project Report Template provides a solid structure to help you put it together with the following key sections:

• Planned vs. Actual: A quantitative breakdown of how the project deviated from the original plan with regard to its start date, completion date, duration, and budget
• Management Effectiveness: A SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis evaluating how the project was managed
• Project Learnings : Share the important project lessons learned by the team throughout the lifespan of the project
• Contract Terms Checklist : A simple table listing the various contract terms, whether they were completed, and any remarks you have 
• Overall Performance rating: A 1 out of 5 rating of the different aspects of the project, from planning and execution to leadership and communication

This template is built in ClickUp Docs , which means you have unlimited flexibility for customization—add extra sections and tweak the appearance to suit your taste. And guess what? The table of content updates in real-time as you add, edit, or delete multiple headers.

If you want to wow your team and clients, this project status report template will help you get the job done. 

Writing a project status report is fairly straightforward. But staring at a blank document and worrying about crafting perfectly manicured sentences can make this process last a lot longer than it should. 

Thankfully, ClickUp’s Project Status Report Template is here to save the day! Built inside ClickUp Whiteboards, this template provides a hassle-free method to quickly capture key project details in a visually engaging way.

• General information: Cover general project details (e.g., project name, objectives, project timeline , reporting period, etc.) which you’ll need to fill in only once
• Progress details: Use color-coding to share in-progress, at-risk, delayed, and completed tasks
• Support and resources: List out assets (e.g., labor, money, etc.) needed for a smooth operation 
• Highlights and takeaways: Share key lessons learned and other noteworthy highlights
• What went well/What needs improvement: Use this opportunity to reflect on the project’s progress and share the areas that performed well and what needs attention
• Next steps: Highlight the key action items that need to get done to keep the project on track

Enter the details under each of these sections onto sticky notes, which’ll help you quickly pour down your thoughts without worrying about writing perfect sentences. It’s also very helpful for stakeholders as the information on sticky notes is short and straight to the point. 

This template removes the pressure of creating a status report and saves valuable time—all while keeping key stakeholders informed and up to date.

After running a digital marketing campaign project, you need to gather key metrics from the campaign and present it to key stakeholders for evaluation, performance analysis, and notes for future improvements. 

Sharing this info across multiple digital channels can get overwhelming but there’s no need to worry. ClickUp’s Digital Marketing Report Template has you covered with everything you need. Plus, it’s neatly broken down into the following sections:

• Digital Marketing Performance: This section lets you summarize the overall performance of your campaign by capturing key details like project budget allocations, actual expenses, cost per acquisition, total impressions, and total clicks across multiple campaigns
• Web Analytics Report: This section analyzes website performance during and after the project’s completion. It captures metrics like page views, bounce rate, traffic sources, and overall conversion rate
• Social Media Campaign Performance: This section analyzes social media performance by measuring metrics like impressions, followers, and engagement rate—all in a simple table for each social media platform 

Use this template to present the performance of your digital marketing project in a simple and visually engaging way. This makes it easy to identify trends, analyze the impact of your campaign, and make informed decisions regarding future marketing initiatives.

A key way to stay on track and guarantee overall project success is to engage team members in the process.

The Employee Daily Activity Report Template by ClickUp has a simple tabular layout that makes it easy for team members to record and keep track of: 

• Completed tasks and the time spent on each
• Ongoing tasks and their due dates
• Upcoming tasks and any support they’ll need

This template encourages each team member to get work done and ask for support when needed—while allowing you to keep the project on track by providing support and maximizing team performance.

Remember the Digital Marketing Report Template we looked at earlier? You can choose to further analyze the marketing performance section, with elements from this Campaign Report Template by ClickUp . 

Dive deeper into how each marketing channel contributed to overall ad cost, ad revenue, and ad conversion rate. You can further break down each channel’s performance by analyzing the metrics from each individual campaign on that channel.

There you have it—your secret sauce for creating an effective project report in a fraction of the time. And that’s only scratching the surface … working inside ClickUp unlocks a lot more perks. 

Not only does ClickUp make project reporting easy and quick, but it also gives you access to free project management templates to enhance your workflow. Quickly assign tasks to your team, keep track of progress, discuss updates, and collaborate on documents and whiteboards—all in one place. ✨

Did we mention the integrations? ClickUp plays nicely with other apps, allowing you to seamlessly connect your favorite tools to supercharge your team’s productivity. And let’s not forget about the time you’ll save using ClickUp’s automations—a feature that lets you breeze through repetitive tasks that used to eat up valuable time across project management reports.

Just imagine what you can do with those extra hours—maybe enjoy a cup of coffee or catch up with your team about how best you can support them. Make project reporting a blast with ClickUp and boost your chances of a successful project. 

Get started by signing up for free on ClickUp today … Ready? Set? Report!

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How to Write a Project Report In 5 Easy Steps (Template Included)

Approx reading time:

Last updated on 9th May 2024

The reasons why projects fail are plentiful but it typically comes back to poor planning or a lack of organisation. 

A solid project report can eliminate these issues and ensure you stay on track to complete your goals.

So, let’s take a look at how to write a project report in 5 easy steps…

What is a project report?

A project report is a document that contains helpful information so that teams can ensure their project stays on track, runs successfully, and completes on time. 

There are different types of project reports that are used at different periods throughout a project’s lifespan, but they all contain similar data that covers things like progress, tasks, roadblocks, stakeholders, and financial information. 

Why is a project report important?

Project reports are important for many reasons. A project report gives your project a sense of direction that can help you maintain consistency throughout the project, even as it passes between different people and teams. Your project report will also be a great document to refer back to if things get difficult, so you can stay on track. 

Even in the first instance, before your project kicks off, a project report can help you to manage your budget, workload, and any foreseen risks. It can also give stakeholders insight into the specifics of the project to help manage expectations from the start. 

Types of project report

There are many different types of project reports that will help you manage different aspects of your project. For example, a resource report will help you to understand the resources you’ll need for the project, how much resource you have at your disposal, and will also help you to predict when your resources will need to be replenished. Other examples include:

Now, let’s dive into 3 of the biggest, most important types of project reports.

1. General project report

This is your first project report. It should cover predictions and plans for how you expect the project to go, and give you a clear sense of direction when it comes to things like budget , timelines, and everything else you need to keep track of in order for your project to be considered a success. 

2. Progress report

A progress report – as you may have guessed – comes in the middle and helps you document your progress. It’s important to keep reassessing your project to see if you are where you expect to be and to help you make adjustments along the way. 

3. Project completion report

As you wrap up your project, a project completion report can be a great way to reflect on what went well and what went wrong. This can not only help you wrap up the current project neatly, it can also inform future projects and ensure you don’t make the same mistakes twice.

How to write a project report in only 5 steps

There are many different types of project reports. So, of course, the writing of each one will differ slightly depending on who they are aimed at and what the content of the project report is. 

However, there are still some core steps to follow for each. Let’s take a look at how to write a project report in 5 steps. 

1. Start with the basics

At the very top of your project report should be a simple table that includes all of the core information for the project. Here’s an example: 

The table for your project will probably vary slightly to this, but hopefully this gives you an idea of the most important top-level information to include. 

Underneath this table you should have a short summary of the project. This can be just a couple of sentences that sum up the objectives and goals. Think of this kind of like an elevator pitch for the project. 

2. Cover your objectives

Now it’s time to go into more detail. List out each objective for the project, including what you need to do to achieve each one. 

For example, let’s pretend our project is to create a brand video. There are many objectives, such as: 

Each objective will need to be completed in order to go on to the next. And each objective requires different resources and skill sets. All of this should be recorded, in detail, in your project report. 

3. List your obstacles

Next, list any predicted obstacles or risks. This may feel like a waste of time because of course you’re going to be avoiding risks and obstacles as often as you can. However, it’s important to be aware of the potential roadblocks that might appear so that you are prepared to handle them without slowing down. 

Some example obstacles for the brand video project could be: 

Next to each obstacle, jot down a quick plan for how you would solve this issue if it happened. For example, for “weather ruins a shoot” your potential solution could be to “choose a backup location”.

4. Create a project timeline

With any project, it’s important to know how long everything’s going to take. This is the best way to estimate how much time, money, and resource is required. 

A project timeline will help plot a path forward. To create a project timeline all you need to do is break down each objective into tasks and add a deadline for each task. It also helps to add an owner to each task, so you know who the point of contact is for each section of the timeline. 

This can be tricky to manage but becomes so much easier with a project management tool, like Project.co . When you create a project on Project.co, all of your clients and team members can see everything that goes on with the project in one centralised place. This includes tasks that can be allocated to team members, assigned a date, and a status – so everyone involved in the project can see how it’s progressing: 

You can also add comments, attachments, priority tags, and more. 

Plus, it’s easy to keep track of several tasks at once by using the calendar view: 

Other views available are kanban, list, and scheduler. 

5. Cover project communication

Somewhere on your project report you should include a link to your communication guidelines . This will help everyone involved on the project to understand what’s expected of them when it comes to communication, for example what tools to use and how to communicate. 

This can help your project run more smoothly and create a better result for everyone. According to our Communication Statistics 2022 , 94% of people feel that the businesses they deal with could improve when it comes to communication and project management . 

Writing a project report: 7 top tips 

1. be clear.

The perfect project report is clear and concise. Try your best to leave no room for errors or misunderstandings, and write in short definitive sentences. 

Being clear is especially important when it comes to timelines and targets. It can be helpful to plot out your tasks in a visual way, like a kanban view . This will make your project timeline easy to scan and understand.  

2. Be thorough

While it’s important to be clear and concise, it’s equally important to be thorough. Try to include as much relevant information in your project reports as possible.

One of the main functions of project reports, particularly project status reports, is to inform stakeholders on the progress of the project. So the more thorough you can be, the better. 

3. Be appropriate

A project report is an internal document that’s likely going to be shared between many different departments or teams in your business, so it’s important to make sure your language is appropriate. 

Keep the culture of the business in mind when writing your report. Use the same kind of tone and language that you would in other internal communication documents. This is especially important when you consider more than a third (35%) of businesses have lost an employee because of poor internal communication . 

4. Be honest

Your project report is not the place to sugarcoat anything. You should be honest, and brutally so. This means giving accurate and realistic figures, deliverables and deadlines. 

A project report should be a factual account so that everyone has a clear understanding of the data and knows exactly what to expect from the project. 

5. Be quick

It may seem contradictory to tell you to be thorough and quick with your project reports, but this just means don’t overload people with unnecessary information. Be succinct and to-the-point with every aspect of the report, from points of contact to resources and any potential roadblocks. 

The idea is for your project reports to be as easy to digest as possible, especially if you’re supplying busy stakeholders with a steady stream of ongoing status reports. 

6. Be prepared

No project runs perfectly, so it can be helpful to be prepared for bumps in the road. You might want to leave an ‘other’ or ‘notes’ section at the bottom of your report where you can jot down anything that’s changed along the way. 

It can also help to leave room for slight adjustments in your timeline. Just a couple of buffer days here and there can really reduce stress for your teams, and also help ensure your deadlines are more realistic. 

7. Be proud

When you’re carefully documenting things like risks and problems, your project report can become pretty gloomy. So it’s important to even it out by also celebrating your team’s achievements. 

Every project has ups and downs, and by giving as much attention to the ‘ups’ as you do the ‘downs’ you can boost team morale and this can be reflected back on your project. 

Free project report template

As promised, here is your free project report template ! 

Final thoughts

A solid project report can act almost like a map that clearly directs you towards your end goal, helping you to avoid risks along the way and take the best route to success.

In addition to a project report, a project management platform can also help you to maintain your focus and manage your project with ease, thanks to centralised communication and complete visibility of all your work. Click here to get started for free .

Written by Samantha Ferguson

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(4) How to Write Project Report: Step-By-Step Guide

By archtc on December 26, 2017 — 21 minutes to read

Make Your Project Reports Speak for Themselves—A Thorough Guide

At some point during the implementation of a project, a certain report has to be generated in order to paint a mental image of the whole project. Ultimately, a project report must maximize the insight gained with minimal effort from the reader. Apart from describing its results, it must also explain the implications of those results to the organization and its business operations.

• How to Write and Create Project Reports Part 1
• Project Report Free Download Part 2
• Additional Sources Part 3

There are a number of ways project reporting helps an organization, a team, and even the project itself and here are some of them:

It tracks the progress of the project

It helps identify risks, it helps manage project cost, it gives stakeholders an insight on how the project is performing.

Project reports provide stakeholders a bird’s eye view of its current state. It gives the team a clear understanding of their roles and the tasks that they are to accomplish. For the project manager, the reports provide them with updated relevant data. Lastly, project reports serve a basis for the decisions that have to be made at the top management level.

Project Status Report

The most common type of project report, a progress report provides a general state of the project to its stakeholders. It quantifies work performed and completed in measurable terms. It compares this with an established baseline to see if the project is on track or; if adjustments have to be made if the project is behind its schedule. It keeps everyone on the same page and manages each other’s expectations.

Project status reports are accomplished to serve the following purposes;

• to keep an updated flow of information in relation to the project’s progress
• to immediately address issues and concerns that may come up at any point of the project’s implementation or duration
• to document reasons for changes and adjustments made to the original plan for the project
• to monitor fund utilization and to ensure that the project expenses are still within the budget
• to serve as a basis for decision-making and addressing problems
• to keep track of the team’s performance and individual contributions
• to act as a uniform procedure for communicating project development to the stakeholders.

Status reports are most effective when they follow a standard form with predefined fields that need to be regularly updated. Doing so will save time and provide consistency and predictability of the information the stakeholders will receive about the status of the project.

WHAT TO INCLUDE

For a status report to be comprehensive, it must include the following elements:

Summary/overall health of the project, facts on the project progress, target vs. actual accomplishments, action(s) taken, risks and issues, keys to an effective project status report.

• Submit the report on time . A status report is time sensitive and sending it late defeats the purpose of such a report.
• Giving complete but inaccurate information is just as bad as giving accurate but incomplete information . Since stakeholders rely on the status report for a heads-up on the project, and its content is used as the basis for decision-making, it is critical that the report provides both complete and accurate information.
• Do not cover up bad news or adverse reports as these are all part of the transparency of the status report . Keep in mind that being open with the stakeholders, whether the project is sailing smoothly or not, will benefit both the team and the client, since any problems there are will be immediately given attention and solved.
• Be proud of the team’s accomplishments, after all, this is what the clients and the stakeholders will want to know about .
• Anticipate questions from the clients or stakeholders and be prepared to answer them .
• Be familiar with the culture of the organization and respect the information hierarchy they observe . There are instances when the CEO wants to be the first to know about the contents of these reports before cascading it to his downlines. On the other hand, middle managers will want a head start on these reports so they can also anticipate and prepare for any reaction from the top executives.
• Craft the status report in such a way that there will be no information overload . It should contain necessary information that the stakeholders need to know. Lengthy reports will consume not only the writer’s time but also that of the reader. Too many details also give an impression of micro management.

Risk Registers

All projects, or any activities of business, face risks. It is just a matter of how an organization identifies, assesses, analyzes, and monitors these risks. With a Risk Register, an organization is equipped with a tool to better respond to problems that may arise because of these risks. It helps in the decision-making process and enables the stakeholders to take care of the threats in the best way possible.

A Risk Register, also called an Issue Log, is iterative because it will be updated periodically depending on how often the team identifies a potential risk. It may also be updated if the characteristics of the existing potential risks change as the project progresses. 

The Risk Register document contains information about the following:

Risk Identification

• Risk Category:  Grouping these risks under different categories is helpful. Doing so will provide a way to make a plan of action that will address most, if not all of the risks falling under the same category, saving time, effort, and resources.
• Risk Description:  Provide a brief explanation of the identified potential risk. The description can be done in a variety of ways depending on the level of detail. A general description can be difficult to address while giving too much detail about the risk may entail a significant amount of work. Three factors to consider when making a risk description are: the way these risks are going to be managed, who will handle them, and the reporting requirements of the person receiving the risk register.
• Risk ID:  Assign a unique identification code to each risk identified to track it in the risk register easily. Create a system of coding in such a way that the category to which the said risk belongs is easily identifiable.

Risk Analysis

• Project Impact: Indicate the potential effect of the assumed risk on different aspects of the project such as budget, timelines, quality, and performance.
• Likelihood: Referring to the possibility of the risk occurring, the likelihood can be expressed qualitatively—high, medium, low—or quantitatively, if there is enough information available. Whatever criteria are to be used, assign a number—with the highest value corresponding to that which is most likely to occur.

A. Negligible B. Minor C. Moderate D. Significant E. Severe 

Here’s how it will look in a tabular form:

Risk Evaluation

Using the table above, the identified risk can be ranked this way:

• Risk Trigger: These are the potential risk events that will trigger the implementation of a contingency plan based on the risk management plan. This plan should have been prepared prior to the development of a risk register.

Risk Treatment

• Prevention Plan: This enumerates the steps or action to be taken to prevent the risks from occurring.
• Contingency Plan: On the other hand, the contingency plan determines the steps or action to be taken once the risk events have occurred. This program also contains the measures to be taken to reduce the impact of such risks to the project.
• Risk Owner: The person responsible for managing risk, and the implementation of the prevention and contingency plans, it can be anyone among the stakeholders—members of the team, a project manager, or project sponsors.
• Residual Risk: Sometimes, a risk cannot be entirely eliminated after treatment. Part of it may linger throughout the duration of the project, but once it has been treated, it can be considered as a low-level risk.

Keys to an Effective Risk Register

• The first risk register must be created as soon as the project plan and the risk management plan has been approved . This initial risk register must be integrated into the project plan.
• Active risks during a particular period must also be included in the project status report .
• Risk management is an iterative process which is why the risk register must also be updated from time to time . Updates can be made when new risks are identified or there have been changes in the risks already in the register.
• The numerical value assigned to the likelihood and severity levels must remain constant throughout the duration of the whole project .
• Likewise, any terms used must be defined, and this definition must be utilized consistently .

Project Closure Report

As the end of a project, a Project Closure Report signals its culmination. Its submission officially concludes a project and implies that funds and resources will no longer be needed, and everything will go back to its status prior to the implementation of the project.

This process is critical as it will officially tie up all loose ends and prevent confusion among stakeholders.

This particular type of project report summarizes information on the project results, the criteria used to measure the effectiveness of the project delivery process, and the feedback from the stakeholders. Each performance metric includes an assessment and a narration of how the team performed on such metrics.

This performance metric describes how the team utilized the budget in carrying out the project effectively. Under this performance metric, the following aspects are measured:

Component Breakdown

Budget variance, explanations for key variances.

Describe how the team implemented the project within the expected time frame and schedule.

Overall Project Duration

Schedule variance, the explanations for key variances, change management.

This metric refers to the team’s ability to handle and manage changes throughout the project’s implementation effectively. It is measured through the following:

Total Number of Changes

The impact of the changes, the highlight of changes, quality management.

This particular metric refers to the team’s ability to observe and comply with quality standards during the project’s implementation.

Total Number of Defects Identified

The explanation for resolved defects, risk and issue management.

This metric deals with how risks and matters that occurred during project implementation were handled and resolved by the team. Key points to include are the following:

The impact of the Risks and Issues to the Project

Human resource management.

This refers to the team’s ability to carry out the project effectively.

Project Organization Structure

This metric looks at how the stakeholders participated in the project.

Decision-makers

Communication management.

Under this metric, communication throughout the duration of the project is assessed.

Communication Management Plan

• Summarize essential feedback collected . Describe the method by which these comments were gathered and who was solicited for feedback. Also include how they responded to each question and briefly discuss which items received great responses from the participants and which ones got few answers.
• Take note of common themes or trends of feedback gathered .
• From the feedback gathered, also take note of any opportunities from this feedback and discuss how these opportunities can be applied to future projects, or in the organization itself .

Lesson Learned

• Give a brief discussion of what the team learned when carrying out the project . Among these learnings, discuss which ones can be applied to future projects and how it will impact not only those future projects but also the whole organization.

Other Metrics

Other points of interest may not have been captured in the Project Status Report and may be included in the Project Closeout Report. Some of these factors include:

Duration and Effort by Project Phase

Benefits realized, benchmark comparisons, keys to an effective project closure report.

• The closure report is mostly a summary of all efforts related to the project . It is important to ensure that all highlights of the project have been properly documented so that retrieval of these reports is easier and all efforts will be acknowledged.
• Emphasize the high points the project delivered, how efficiently it was done, and what has been learned from the process.
• If there are notable variances during the project implementation, make sure to provide a fact-based explanation on it . In addition, the impact of this difference must also be described.
• A critical point in a project closure report is establishing the link between the project performance, the lessons learned, and the steps that will be taken by the organization for its continuous improvement . Aside from the project deliverables, another valuable output of a project is the learnings derived from the process and how it will be translated into concrete concepts applicable to the business processes of the organization.

Executive Summary

A little bit different from the types of project reports previously mentioned, an Executive Summary  is a distinct kind of report which uses different language. It is a high-level report which aims to provide a bigger and deeper understanding of the project—how it will benefit the organization and how it will fit into future business strategies. It is written with a busy executive in mind, someone who has a lot of important things to do and may find reading a lengthy piece of prose a waste of precious time. Factual and objective, this particular type of project report must be able to provide a realistic status of the project, as business executives understand that everything may not go according to the plan.

Some may confuse an executive summary with an abstract but, in reality, they are clearly distinct from one another and serve a different purpose.

An abstract is usually written for academic or scientific papers. It is written with a topic sentence which, generally, gives an overview of what the article is about. It is, then, supported by two or three supporting sentences which support the main idea of the topic sentence.

An executive summary, on the other hand, is composed of different sections discussing almost every significant aspect of an undertaking. It consists of sequentially arranged key points supported by conclusions and recommendations. Check our in-depth article on how to write an effective executive summary .

Things to Remember in Writing Project Reports

Here are some of the principles that need to be observed in writing an effective project report;

Write for the reader

The report should have a structure, ensure that the report is evidence-based and is supported by data, make it as objective as possible, project report: free download.

Download Project Status Report XLSX

Download Project Update Report DOC

Download Project Update Report 2 DOCX

Download General Project Report DOCX

Additional Sources

• How to Write an Outstanding Weekly Report + Free Template Download
• How to Write a Project Status Dashboard and Project Tracking + Free Template Download
• How to Create a Project Meeting Template + Free Download

How to Write a Winning Project Plan with Templates & Examples

By Kate Eby | May 25, 2022 (updated June 25, 2024)

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Creating a project plan can be overwhelming, but that doesn’t always have to be the case. We provide the basic steps, tools, and expert tips for how to write a project plan. Included in this article, you’ll find the following:

• Project planning steps
• A project plan starter kit
• Create a project plan step-by-step using a template
• Pros share best practices for crafting a project plan

What to Include in a Project Plan

A  project plan , also called a work plan , outlines the tasks, resources, and timelines for achieving a goal. It defines project scope, outlines deliverables, identifies stakeholders, assigns roles, identifies success metrics, determines the framework, and manages resources, quality, and change. 

Project Planning Steps

Project planning is fundamentally about balancing the goals, schedule, and resources to demonstrate control of the project’s scope. Part of writing a project plan includes creating an overview and a scope statement, determining the deliverables schedule, and defining a budget. You’ll want to gather a risk management strategy, a communication plan, and any other documents the project needs. 1. Set SMART Goals Every successful project plan starts with setting a project goal: the expected outcome. The goal will become part of the project plan’s executive summary. A specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goal aligns everyone involved, establishes focus, and provides direction. Meet with stakeholders to ensure the goal aligns with business objectives and gain a thorough understanding of their expectations. Examples of SMART goals for a project include the following:

• Launch two major product features by the end of the year. Measure progress using milestone completion.
• Reduce employee turnover rate by 20 percent within one year. Measure turnover rate and conduct exit interviews to identify reasons for leaving.
• Build two office locations in the metro area within the next four years. Measure progress using milestone completion.  

Download the SMART Goals Worksheet forMicrosoft Word

  Download the SMART Goals Worksheet for Microsoft Word

Use this SMART goals worksheet to detail the five characteristics of effective goal setting, specific to your project. Once complete, it provides a clear direction of what your project will achieve, how you will measure its progress, and the time it will take to complete. Learn  how to write SMART goals and see examples to get started. 2. Define the Project Scope Your  project scope sets the project’s parameters (the size) and safeguards against unrealistic expectations and conflicting interests throughout the project's lifecycle. It also prevents  scope creep , such as doing unnecessary work, overspending, or missing deliverable due dates.

Download a Project Scope Statement Template for Excel  |  Microsoft Word  |  Adobe PDF

Use this project scope statement template to list project deliverables and tasks, along with the project stakeholders and their roles. The template serves as a resource for stakeholders and team members, particularly in the event of change requests. A project scope generally includes the reason for the project, the goals, deliverables, tasks, a work breakdown structure (WBS), assumptions, constraints, and costs. Here are a list of actions to consider when defining the project scope:

• Outline the Deliverables and Tasks:  Deliverables are the tangible results of individual tasks. They can include reports, prototypes, proposals, meetings, and designs. Collaborate with managers and department leads to ensure deliverables are achievable within specific timeframes and the proper resources are notated.
• Include a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS):  A WBS breaks down deliverables into smaller tasks, making the project more manageable. Use it to visualize the entire project in hierarchical steps. List the tasks and assign responsibility for each one. This creates accountability and ensures every task is completed. Read this  guide on work breakdown structures to learn more.
• Estimate Costs:  Allocate costs to each task based on research, data, and past experiences. This information will support budget decisions. Create a project budget to show how funds will be allocated, and include room for unforeseen circumstances or emergencies. Share the budget with stakeholders so they have a clear understanding of the project’s financial details.
• Identify Key Stakeholders and Assign Roles: Stakeholders include anyone involved in the project, such as sponsors, investors, executives, managers, contractors, vendors, consultants, project managers, and team members. It’s important to identify stakeholders, their roles, and their responsibilities, because they are a resource for questions, approvals, change management, and anything that impacts the project’s scope.
• Project Governance Structure:  A project governance structure establishes a structured path for project supervision, delineating hierarchical responsibilities for project oversight. For example, in the event of a financial change request, consulting the governance structure provides clarity on who is responsible for approving or denying the request.

3. Define the Success Metrics Success metrics gauge progress to help determine if a project is on track to meet its goal. You can measure success by looking at cost performance, resource utilization, or the progress of tasks against the project schedule. Here is a list of common project planning success metrics:

• Cost Performance Index: Indicates if the project is staying within budget.
• Cost Variance: Indicates how much the project is over or under budget.
• Customer Satisfaction: Looks at the customer’s level of satisfaction with a product or service by using surveys and online reviews.
• Earned Value:  Evaluates the amount of work that’s completed compared to what was planned to be completed at any specific time.
• Quality Metrics:  Indicates whether the project is meeting quality standards.
• Risk Metrics:  Lists the number of risks identified, risk response effectiveness, or risk impact assessment.
• Schedule Variance: Indicates whether the project is ahead of or behind schedule at a specific point in time.
• Team Satisfaction:  Evaluates the team’s level of satisfaction working on the project, as measured by engagement, efficiency, and well-being.

4. Determine the Project’s Methodology The methodology is the process framework of your project. It can look different depending on the project’s flexibility, timeframe, type of work, and complexity. Learn more about  project frameworks . 

Popular Project Frameworks

5. Gather and Manage Project Resources Secure resources you need to complete your project in advance to avoid scrambling midway. Resources include people, finances, technology, tools, equipment, and knowledge. Gather input from your team about the resources they require for executing their assigned tasks.  

  Download the Project Resource Planning Template for Excel

Use a project resource planning template to list resources, their cost, and where they are needed in the project’s lifecycle. Enter the hours and cost of each resource. The template will auto-populate the totals.

6. Create a Project Schedule A project schedule organizes tasks, sets expectations, and tracks progress. When you create the schedule, plan for unexpected delays, team members’ time off, holidays, and more. Include a timeline for each deliverable to keep the project moving forward. Adding milestones will help with building momentum, motivating the team, and monitoring progress. Store the schedule in a central location so that everyone involved can view the project’s status at any given time.  

Download a Project Schedule Template for Excel  |  PowerPoint  | Google Sheets

Use this customizable project schedule template to create a visual map of your project’s tasks and phases. The template will use any dates you add to the matrix to create a color-coded Gantt chart.

7. Implement Risk Management Every project will encounter risks. Risk management is a proactive approach for keeping your project on track and mitigating the impact of risks. Learn more about  project risk management and the importance of being prepared rather than ignoring the potential disruptions.

Download the Simple Business Risk Register Template for Excel

Use a risk register template to identify risks, their impact, probability, impact, and mitigation notes.

8. Implement Quality Management Quality management guarantees adherence to standards, consistency, and continual improvement, which is essential for meeting stakeholder and client expectations.

Download a Project Quality Management Plan Template for Excel  |  Google Sheets

Use this template to document quality issues that could arise within the project. Enter quality descriptions, expected and actual results, who tested them, and whether the issues pass quality controls. Collecting and documenting this information helps regulate the project’s quality standards.

9. Develop a Communication Plan Meet with your stakeholders to learn what information they want to receive and how often. Then,  create a communication plan to establish how and when to share updates with stakeholders. The plan includes a list of key stakeholders and team members, their contact details, and when to send project updates. Not all stakeholders require the same level of engagement. For example, an investor won’t require details about every project deliverable, but they will want to be informed about budget or cost changes.

Download a Project Communication Plan Template for Microsoft Word  |  Adobe PDF  |  Google Docs

Use this project communication plan template to document your key stakeholders’ details and preferred contact style and frequency. Enter your communication goals and customize the plan to fit your needs and be sure to communicate with them regularly.

10. Write and Share a Project Summary Anyone should be able to understand the project plan through a well-crafted project summary. The one-page document explains the purpose of the project plan, the goals, schedule, budget, resources, risks, expected outcomes, and any recommendations.  Write your project summary at the end of your project planning to guarantee all relevant information is included. Once complete, share it with the team and key stakeholders.

Download a Project Summary Template for Excel  |  Microsoft Word  |  Adobe PDF

Download and complete this project summary template to provide a project overview to team members and stakeholders. Enter project milestones, budget information, schedule, and more. Customize the sections to fit your project needs.

Project Plan Starter Kit

Download Project Plan Starter Kit

In this free starter kit, you’ll find customizable templates for every project planning step. Together, these documents form the foundation of a solid project plan and will help get your project off the ground.

In this kit, you’ll find the following:

• A  project plan outline template for Microsoft Word  for one complete document that includes all elements of a project plan.
• A  SMART goals worksheet for Microsoft Word  to help you define the project goals.
• A  project scope statement template for Microsoft Word  to help you control the project’s boundaries.
• A  WBS tree diagram template for Excel  to organize the project deliverables and their tasks in a hierarchical format. 
• A  project budget template for Excel  to organize and track project costs.
• A  RACI matrix template for Excel  to list whether stakeholders are responsible, accountable, consulted, or informed.
• A  project governance structure template for Microsoft Word  to define a clear line of authority over project decision-making.
• A  project resource planning template for Exce  to identify, secure, and manage resources.
• A  project schedule template for Excel  to track and manage the project’s progress.
• A  business risk register template for Excel  to plan for risks that could negatively impact the project’s scope.
• A  quality management plan template for Excel  to ensure the project adheres to standards.
• A  project communication plan template for Microsoft Word  to document your key stakeholders’ contact details and their preferred contact style and frequency.
• A  project summary template for Microsoft Word  to provide a project overview to team members and stakeholders.

How to Create a Project Plan Step-by-Step

Creating a project plan helps you set a schedule that you can monitor to ensure a project is on track. Use a template and fill in key details, tasks, start and end dates, and status.

Looking for a different template format? Check out one of these  free project plan templates .

Examples of Effective Project Plans

Project plans serve as a project’s blueprint. Reviewing examples of project plans from other organizations can provide guidance and inspiration.

Program Project Plan for Learning Programs Example

Beyond the Bell is a nonprofit organization that provides family resources such as childcare assistance, credit counseling services, and afterschool programs. The group uses a program plan template to develop, implement, evaluate, and improve its programs. This  program plan template from Beyond the Bell provides a thorough checklist to ensure all project plan elements are covered. It also includes a goal-setting worksheet and a logic model planning tool for documenting inputs, outputs, and expected outcomes.

Project Plan Redevelopment Example

This real-world example from the city of  Boston’s redevelopment of Dudley Square demonstrates a thorough work plan, including project tasks and deliverables. You’ll also find a meeting schedule and a project governance structure that demonstrates the importance of streamlined communication when planning a large-scale project.

Project Management Plan Example

In 2019, the Oregon Public Utility Commission embarked on a project to replace its outdated and unsupported docketing system. The commission used elements from an  Oregon Public Utility Commission's project management plan , such as project overview, WBS, resource management plan, communication management plan, risk assessment, and more.

Simple Project Plan Example

Download the Sample Simple Project Plan Template for PowerPoint

When to Use This Template:  This easy-to-use template is ideal for project managers to organize and present their project deliverables and timelines. Download this template with sample copy as an example of what to include in your project plan template. Notable Template Features: This template features a one-year timeline with colored duration bars to represent how long each deliverable will take. The  Today  indicator makes it easy to see the status of tasks (complete, in progress, or upcoming) at a glance. 

Project Management Plan Outline Example for a New Product Launch

Download the Sample Project Management Plan Outline Template for Microsoft Word

When to Use This Template:  Use this template if you are a project manager who needs to detail all areas of a project plan. Notable Template Features:  This comprehensive outline template features a narrative-style format providing space to enter details for each element of a project plan. Use the table of contents for easy navigation to specific sections.

Best Practices for Writing a Good Project Plan

Writing a good project plan begins with good organization and involving the people needed to complete the work. Experts recommend getting buy-in from your team, communicating with them clearly and often, and being adaptable so you can handle challenges as they arise.

Follow these best practices for writing a great project plan:

• Reference the Project Charter:  The project charter is a document that introduces the project to stakeholders. It explains the project’s purpose, its goals, and how you plan to achieve them. Use the project charter as a reference to ensure the plan stays true to the project’s purpose. Learn more about  project charters and why you need them .
• Recruit the Right Team Members Early:  Identifying stakeholders and key players for the project upfront will mitigate risk and delays. Do a deep dive of who to involve for every phase, deliverable, and task. You do not want to be halfway through a project and realize you need a team member who is unavailable or a vendor who is not within your budget.

• Expect Change and Be Adaptable: Anticipating changes in a project, such as overspending or missing a deadline, will help you prepare for when a project gets off track. Being adaptable also means you’re prepared to make adjustments. Though not traditionally part of a project plan, completing a  change management template  that outlines how to process, assess, manage, and track changes before a project starts is a good idea. It’s impossible to plan for every project adjustment, so a project’s success often relies on your team’s adaptability to change.

Use Smartsheet Project Management Tools to Create and Implement Your Project Plan

Empower your people to go above and beyond with a flexible platform designed to match the needs of your team — and adapt as those needs change. 

The Smartsheet platform makes it easy to plan, capture, manage, and report on work from anywhere, helping your team be more effective and get more done. Report on key metrics and get real-time visibility into work as it happens with roll-up reports, dashboards, and automated workflows built to keep your team connected and informed. 

When teams have clarity into the work getting done, there’s no telling how much more they can accomplish in the same amount of time.  Try Smartsheet for free, today.

Discover a better way to streamline workflows and eliminate silos for good.

How to Write a Business Plan: Step-by-Step Guide + Examples

Noah Parsons

24 min. read

Updated July 29, 2024

Writing a business plan doesn’t have to be complicated. 

In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn how to write a business plan that’s detailed enough to impress bankers and potential investors, while giving you the tools to start, run, and grow a successful business.

• The basics of business planning

If you’re reading this guide, then you already know why you need a business plan . 

You understand that planning helps you: 

• Raise money
• Grow strategically
• Keep your business on the right track 

As you start to write your plan, it’s useful to zoom out and remember what a business plan is .

At its core, a business plan is an overview of the products and services you sell, and the customers that you sell to. It explains your business strategy: how you’re going to build and grow your business, what your marketing strategy is, and who your competitors are.

Most business plans also include financial forecasts for the future. These set sales goals, budget for expenses, and predict profits and cash flow. 

A good business plan is much more than just a document that you write once and forget about. It’s also a guide that helps you outline and achieve your goals. 

After completing your plan, you can use it as a management tool to track your progress toward your goals. Updating and adjusting your forecasts and budgets as you go is one of the most important steps you can take to run a healthier, smarter business. 

We’ll dive into how to use your plan later in this article.

There are many different types of plans , but we’ll go over the most common type here, which includes everything you need for an investor-ready plan. However, if you’re just starting out and are looking for something simpler—I recommend starting with a one-page business plan . It’s faster and easier to create. 

It’s also the perfect place to start if you’re just figuring out your idea, or need a simple strategic plan to use inside your business.

Dig deeper : How to write a one-page business plan

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• What to include in your business plan

Executive summary

The executive summary is an overview of your business and your plans. It comes first in your plan and is ideally just one to two pages. Most people write it last because it’s a summary of the complete business plan.

Ideally, the executive summary can act as a stand-alone document that covers the highlights of your detailed plan. 

In fact, it’s common for investors to ask only for the executive summary when evaluating your business. If they like what they see in the executive summary, they’ll often follow up with a request for a complete plan, a pitch presentation , or more in-depth financial forecasts .

Your executive summary should include:

• A summary of the problem you are solving
• A description of your product or service
• An overview of your target market
• A brief description of your team
• A summary of your financials
• Your funding requirements (if you are raising money)

Dig Deeper: How to write an effective executive summary

Products and services description

This is where you describe exactly what you’re selling, and how it solves a problem for your target market. The best way to organize this part of your plan is to start by describing the problem that exists for your customers. After that, you can describe how you plan to solve that problem with your product or service. 

This is usually called a problem and solution statement .

To truly showcase the value of your products and services, you need to craft a compelling narrative around your offerings. How will your product or service transform your customers’ lives or jobs? A strong narrative will draw in your readers.

This is also the part of the business plan to discuss any competitive advantages you may have, like specific intellectual property or patents that protect your product. If you have any initial sales, contracts, or other evidence that your product or service is likely to sell, include that information as well. It will show that your idea has traction , which can help convince readers that your plan has a high chance of success.

Market analysis

Your target market is a description of the type of people that you plan to sell to. You might even have multiple target markets, depending on your business. 

A market analysis is the part of your plan where you bring together all of the information you know about your target market. Basically, it’s a thorough description of who your customers are and why they need what you’re selling. You’ll also include information about the growth of your market and your industry .

Try to be as specific as possible when you describe your market. 

Include information such as age, income level, and location—these are what’s called “demographics.” If you can, also describe your market’s interests and habits as they relate to your business—these are “psychographics.” 

Related: Target market examples

Essentially, you want to include any knowledge you have about your customers that is relevant to how your product or service is right for them. With a solid target market, it will be easier to create a sales and marketing plan that will reach your customers. That’s because you know who they are, what they like to do, and the best ways to reach them.

Next, provide any additional information you have about your market. 

What is the size of your market ? Is the market growing or shrinking? Ideally, you’ll want to demonstrate that your market is growing over time, and also explain how your business is positioned to take advantage of any expected changes in your industry.

Dig Deeper: Learn how to write a market analysis

Competitive analysis

Part of defining your business opportunity is determining what your competitive advantage is. To do this effectively, you need to know as much about your competitors as your target customers. 

Every business has some form of competition. If you don’t think you have competitors, then explore what alternatives there are in the market for your product or service. 

For example: In the early years of cars, their main competition was horses. For social media, the early competition was reading books, watching TV, and talking on the phone.

A good competitive analysis fully lays out the competitive landscape and then explains how your business is different. Maybe your products are better made, or cheaper, or your customer service is superior. Maybe your competitive advantage is your location – a wide variety of factors can ultimately give you an advantage.

Dig Deeper: How to write a competitive analysis for your business plan

Marketing and sales plan

The marketing and sales plan covers how you will position your product or service in the market, the marketing channels and messaging you will use, and your sales tactics. 

The best place to start with a marketing plan is with a positioning statement . 

This explains how your business fits into the overall market, and how you will explain the advantages of your product or service to customers. You’ll use the information from your competitive analysis to help you with your positioning. 

For example: You might position your company as the premium, most expensive but the highest quality option in the market. Or your positioning might focus on being locally owned and that shoppers support the local economy by buying your products.

Once you understand your positioning, you’ll bring this together with the information about your target market to create your marketing strategy . 

This is how you plan to communicate your message to potential customers. Depending on who your customers are and how they purchase products like yours, you might use many different strategies, from social media advertising to creating a podcast. Your marketing plan is all about how your customers discover who you are and why they should consider your products and services. 

While your marketing plan is about reaching your customers—your sales plan will describe the actual sales process once a customer has decided that they’re interested in what you have to offer. 

If your business requires salespeople and a long sales process, describe that in this section. If your customers can “self-serve” and just make purchases quickly on your website, describe that process. 

A good sales plan picks up where your marketing plan leaves off. The marketing plan brings customers in the door and the sales plan is how you close the deal.

Together, these specific plans paint a picture of how you will connect with your target audience, and how you will turn them into paying customers.

Dig deeper: What to include in your sales and marketing plan

Business operations

The operations section describes the necessary requirements for your business to run smoothly. It’s where you talk about how your business works and what day-to-day operations look like. 

Depending on how your business is structured, your operations plan may include elements of the business like:

• Supply chain management
• Manufacturing processes
• Equipment and technology
• Distribution

Some businesses distribute their products and reach their customers through large retailers like Amazon.com, Walmart, Target, and grocery store chains. 

These businesses should review how this part of their business works. The plan should discuss the logistics and costs of getting products onto store shelves and any potential hurdles the business may have to overcome.

If your business is much simpler than this, that’s OK. This section of your business plan can be either extremely short or more detailed, depending on the type of business you are building.

For businesses selling services, such as physical therapy or online software, you can use this section to describe the technology you’ll leverage, what goes into your service, and who you will partner with to deliver your services.

Dig Deeper: Learn how to write the operations chapter of your plan

Key milestones and metrics

Although it’s not required to complete your business plan, mapping out key business milestones and the metrics can be incredibly useful for measuring your success.

Good milestones clearly lay out the parameters of the task and set expectations for their execution. You’ll want to include:

• A description of each task
• The proposed due date
• Who is responsible for each task

If you have a budget, you can include projected costs to hit each milestone. You don’t need extensive project planning in this section—just list key milestones you want to hit and when you plan to hit them. This is your overall business roadmap. 

Possible milestones might be:

• Website launch date
• Store or office opening date
• First significant sales
• Break even date
• Business licenses and approvals

You should also discuss the key numbers you will track to determine your success. Some common metrics worth tracking include:

• Conversion rates
• Customer acquisition costs
• Profit per customer
• Repeat purchases

It’s perfectly fine to start with just a few metrics and grow the number you are tracking over time. You also may find that some metrics simply aren’t relevant to your business and can narrow down what you’re tracking.

Dig Deeper: How to use milestones in your business plan

Organization and management team

Investors don’t just look for great ideas—they want to find great teams. Use this chapter to describe your current team and who you need to hire . You should also provide a quick overview of your location and history if you’re already up and running.

Briefly highlight the relevant experiences of each key team member in the company. It’s important to make the case for why yours is the right team to turn an idea into a reality. 

Do they have the right industry experience and background? Have members of the team had entrepreneurial successes before? 

If you still need to hire key team members, that’s OK. Just note those gaps in this section.

Your company overview should also include a summary of your company’s current business structure . The most common business structures include:

• Sole proprietor
• Partnership

Be sure to provide an overview of how the business is owned as well. Does each business partner own an equal portion of the business? How is ownership divided? 

Potential lenders and investors will want to know the structure of the business before they will consider a loan or investment.

Dig Deeper: How to write about your company structure and team

Financial plan

Last, but certainly not least, is your financial plan chapter. 

Entrepreneurs often find this section the most daunting. But, business financials for most startups are less complicated than you think, and a business degree is certainly not required to build a solid financial forecast. 

A typical financial forecast in a business plan includes the following:

• Sales forecast : An estimate of the sales expected over a given period. You’ll break down your forecast into the key revenue streams that you expect to have.
• Expense budget : Your planned spending such as personnel costs , marketing expenses, and taxes.
• Profit & Loss : Brings together your sales and expenses and helps you calculate planned profits.
• Cash Flow : Shows how cash moves into and out of your business. It can predict how much cash you’ll have on hand at any given point in the future.
• Balance Sheet : A list of the assets, liabilities, and equity in your company. In short, it provides an overview of the financial health of your business. 

A strong business plan will include a description of assumptions about the future, and potential risks that could impact the financial plan. Including those will be especially important if you’re writing a business plan to pursue a loan or other investment.

Dig Deeper: How to create financial forecasts and budgets

This is the place for additional data, charts, or other information that supports your plan.

Including an appendix can significantly enhance the credibility of your plan by showing readers that you’ve thoroughly considered the details of your business idea, and are backing your ideas up with solid data.

Just remember that the information in the appendix is meant to be supplementary. Your business plan should stand on its own, even if the reader skips this section.

Dig Deeper : What to include in your business plan appendix

Optional: Business plan cover page

Adding a business plan cover page can make your plan, and by extension your business, seem more professional in the eyes of potential investors, lenders, and partners. It serves as the introduction to your document and provides necessary contact information for stakeholders to reference.

Your cover page should be simple and include:

• Company logo
• Business name
• Value proposition (optional)
• Business plan title
• Completion and/or update date
• Address and contact information
• Confidentiality statement

Just remember, the cover page is optional. If you decide to include it, keep it very simple and only spend a short amount of time putting it together.

Dig Deeper: How to create a business plan cover page

How to use AI to help write your business plan

Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT can speed up the business plan writing process and help you think through concepts like market segmentation and competition. These tools are especially useful for taking ideas that you provide and converting them into polished text for your business plan.

The best way to use AI for your business plan is to leverage it as a collaborator , not a replacement for human creative thinking and ingenuity. 

AI can come up with lots of ideas and act as a brainstorming partner. It’s up to you to filter through those ideas and figure out which ones are realistic enough to resonate with your customers. 

There are pros and cons of using AI to help with your business plan . So, spend some time understanding how it can be most helpful before just outsourcing the job to AI.

Learn more: 10 AI prompts you need to write a business plan

• Writing tips and strategies

To help streamline the business plan writing process, here are a few tips and key questions to answer to make sure you get the most out of your plan and avoid common mistakes .  

Determine why you are writing a business plan

Knowing why you are writing a business plan will determine your approach to your planning project. 

For example: If you are writing a business plan for yourself, or just to use inside your own business , you can probably skip the section about your team and organizational structure. 

If you’re raising money, you’ll want to spend more time explaining why you’re looking to raise the funds and exactly how you will use them.

Regardless of how you intend to use your business plan , think about why you are writing and what you’re trying to get out of the process before you begin.

Keep things concise

Probably the most important tip is to keep your business plan short and simple. There are no prizes for long business plans . The longer your plan is, the less likely people are to read it. 

So focus on trimming things down to the essentials your readers need to know. Skip the extended, wordy descriptions and instead focus on creating a plan that is easy to read —using bullets and short sentences whenever possible.

Have someone review your business plan

Writing a business plan in a vacuum is never a good idea. Sometimes it’s helpful to zoom out and check if your plan makes sense to someone else. You also want to make sure that it’s easy to read and understand.

Don’t wait until your plan is “done” to get a second look. Start sharing your plan early, and find out from readers what questions your plan leaves unanswered. This early review cycle will help you spot shortcomings in your plan and address them quickly, rather than finding out about them right before you present your plan to a lender or investor.

If you need a more detailed review, you may want to explore hiring a professional plan writer to thoroughly examine it.

Use a free business plan template and business plan examples to get started

Knowing what information to include in a business plan is sometimes not quite enough. If you’re struggling to get started or need additional guidance, it may be worth using a business plan template. 

There are plenty of great options available (we’ve rounded up our 8 favorites to streamline your search).

But, if you’re looking for a free downloadable business plan template , you can get one right now; download the template used by more than 1 million businesses. 

Or, if you just want to see what a completed business plan looks like, check out our library of over 550 free business plan examples . 

We even have a growing list of industry business planning guides with tips for what to focus on depending on your business type.

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

It’s easy to make mistakes when you’re writing your business plan. Some entrepreneurs get sucked into the writing and research process, and don’t focus enough on actually getting their business started. 

Here are a few common mistakes and how to avoid them:

Not talking to your customers : This is one of the most common mistakes. It’s easy to assume that your product or service is something that people want. Before you invest too much in your business and too much in the planning process, make sure you talk to your prospective customers and have a good understanding of their needs.

• Overly optimistic sales and profit forecasts: By nature, entrepreneurs are optimistic about the future. But it’s good to temper that optimism a little when you’re planning, and make sure your forecasts are grounded in reality. 
• Spending too much time planning: Yes, planning is crucial. But you also need to get out and talk to customers, build prototypes of your product and figure out if there’s a market for your idea. Make sure to balance planning with building.
• Not revising the plan: Planning is useful, but nothing ever goes exactly as planned. As you learn more about what’s working and what’s not—revise your plan, your budgets, and your revenue forecast. Doing so will provide a more realistic picture of where your business is going, and what your financial needs will be moving forward.
• Not using the plan to manage your business: A good business plan is a management tool. Don’t just write it and put it on the shelf to collect dust – use it to track your progress and help you reach your goals.
• Presenting your business plan

The planning process forces you to think through every aspect of your business and answer questions that you may not have thought of. That’s the real benefit of writing a business plan – the knowledge you gain about your business that you may not have been able to discover otherwise.

With all of this knowledge, you’re well prepared to convert your business plan into a pitch presentation to present your ideas. 

A pitch presentation is a summary of your plan, just hitting the highlights and key points. It’s the best way to present your business plan to investors and team members.

Dig Deeper: Learn what key slides should be included in your pitch deck

Use your business plan to manage your business

One of the biggest benefits of planning is that it gives you a tool to manage your business better. With a revenue forecast, expense budget, and projected cash flow, you know your targets and where you are headed.

And yet, nothing ever goes exactly as planned – it’s the nature of business.

That’s where using your plan as a management tool comes in. The key to leveraging it for your business is to review it periodically and compare your forecasts and projections to your actual results.

Start by setting up a regular time to review the plan – a monthly review is a good starting point. During this review, answer questions like:

• Did you meet your sales goals?
• Is spending following your budget?
• Has anything gone differently than what you expected?

Now that you see whether you’re meeting your goals or are off track, you can make adjustments and set new targets. 

Maybe you’re exceeding your sales goals and should set new, more aggressive goals. In that case, maybe you should also explore more spending or hiring more employees. 

Or maybe expenses are rising faster than you projected. If that’s the case, you would need to look at where you can cut costs.

A plan, and a method for comparing your plan to your actual results , is the tool you need to steer your business toward success.

Learn More: How to run a regular plan review

How to write a business plan FAQ

What is a business plan?

A document that describes your business , the products and services you sell, and the customers that you sell to. It explains your business strategy, how you’re going to build and grow your business, what your marketing strategy is, and who your competitors are.

What are the benefits of a business plan?

A business plan helps you understand where you want to go with your business and what it will take to get there. It reduces your overall risk, helps you uncover your business’s potential, attracts investors, and identifies areas for growth.

Having a business plan ultimately makes you more confident as a business owner and more likely to succeed for a longer period of time.

What are the 7 steps of a business plan?

The seven steps to writing a business plan include:

• Write a brief executive summary
• Describe your products and services.
• Conduct market research and compile data into a cohesive market analysis.
• Describe your marketing and sales strategy.
• Outline your organizational structure and management team.
• Develop financial projections for sales, revenue, and cash flow.
• Add any additional documents to your appendix.

What are the 5 most common business plan mistakes?

There are plenty of mistakes that can be made when writing a business plan. However, these are the 5 most common that you should do your best to avoid:

• 1. Not taking the planning process seriously.
• Having unrealistic financial projections or incomplete financial information.
• Inconsistent information or simple mistakes.
• Failing to establish a sound business model.
• Not having a defined purpose for your business plan.

What questions should be answered in a business plan?

Writing a business plan is all about asking yourself questions about your business and being able to answer them through the planning process. You’ll likely be asking dozens and dozens of questions for each section of your plan.

However, these are the key questions you should ask and answer with your business plan:

• How will your business make money?
• Is there a need for your product or service?
• Who are your customers?
• How are you different from the competition?
• How will you reach your customers?
• How will you measure success?

How long should a business plan be?

The length of your business plan fully depends on what you intend to do with it. From the SBA and traditional lender point of view, a business plan needs to be whatever length necessary to fully explain your business. This means that you prove the viability of your business, show that you understand the market, and have a detailed strategy in place.

If you intend to use your business plan for internal management purposes, you don’t necessarily need a full 25-50 page business plan. Instead, you can start with a one-page plan to get all of the necessary information in place.

What are the different types of business plans?

While all business plans cover similar categories, the style and function fully depend on how you intend to use your plan. Here are a few common business plan types worth considering.

Traditional business plan: The tried-and-true traditional business plan is a formal document meant to be used when applying for funding or pitching to investors. This type of business plan follows the outline above and can be anywhere from 10-50 pages depending on the amount of detail included, the complexity of your business, and what you include in your appendix.

Business model canvas: The business model canvas is a one-page template designed to demystify the business planning process. It removes the need for a traditional, copy-heavy business plan, in favor of a single-page outline that can help you and outside parties better explore your business idea.

One-page business plan: This format is a simplified version of the traditional plan that focuses on the core aspects of your business. You’ll typically stick with bullet points and single sentences. It’s most useful for those exploring ideas, needing to validate their business model, or who need an internal plan to help them run and manage their business.

Lean Plan: The Lean Plan is less of a specific document type and more of a methodology. It takes the simplicity and styling of the one-page business plan and turns it into a process for you to continuously plan, test, review, refine, and take action based on performance. It’s faster, keeps your plan concise, and ensures that your plan is always up-to-date.

What’s the difference between a business plan and a strategic plan?

A business plan covers the “who” and “what” of your business. It explains what your business is doing right now and how it functions. The strategic plan explores long-term goals and explains “how” the business will get there. It encourages you to look more intently toward the future and how you will achieve your vision.

However, when approached correctly, your business plan can actually function as a strategic plan as well. If kept lean, you can define your business, outline strategic steps, and track ongoing operations all with a single plan.

Noah is the COO at Palo Alto Software, makers of the online business plan app LivePlan. He started his career at Yahoo! and then helped start the user review site Epinions.com. From there he started a software distribution business in the UK before coming to Palo Alto Software to run the marketing and product teams.

Table of Contents

• Use AI to help write your plan
• Common planning mistakes
• Manage with your business plan

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The Ultimate Guide to Creating a Project Report: How to write a Project Report with Templates

Writing an effective project report is a crucial skill for any project manager. A well-written report clearly communicates the status and progress of a project to key stakeholders and outlines key next steps. This comprehensive guide will teach you how to write a professional project report in 7 steps using free report templates.

A project report is a document that summarizes project data based on economic and financial analysis, progress status, risks, and results to date. It provides stakeholders with information about your project including goals, timeline, budget, resources, risks, and performance.

This guide covers different types of project reports, key components to include, and tips for writing reports efficiently. With sample project report templates, you’ll learn how to create a polished report to keep your project on track.

Why Are Project Reports Important?

Project reports are a critical part of project management. A well-written report helps project managers in the following ways:

Communicates the current status of the project to stakeholders

Highlights project risks, issues, scope changes

Tracks project progress against schedule and budget 

Identifies areas that need improvement

Keeps the project team and stakeholders aligned

Creates documentation for the entire project

Demonstrates the value of the project

In short, project reports keep everyone informed about the health of a project. Reports provide the data and insights needed to make good decisions and keep the project on schedule.

What are the Different Types of Project Reports?

There are several different types of project reports, each serving a different purpose. The type of report you’re creating depends on the needs of stakeholders and phase of the project.

Here are some common types of project management reports:

Project Status Report

A project status report communicates where the project stands at a specific point in time. It compares project progress and performance to the original plan. Status reports help identify issues, risks, or changes early. Include sections like progress since last report, upcoming milestones, risk management, and issue log.

Progress/Performance Report

Similar to a status report, a progress or performance report summarizes project progress. It describes work completed in the given timeframe as well as metrics related to budget, schedule, quality, resources, and risks. Use key performance indicators to evaluate progress.

Project Summary Report

A project summary report is an overview of the entire project from inception to completion. It recaps key objectives, milestones, outputs, budget, and lessons learned. Project sponsors often request a summary report as part of project closure.

Analysis Reports

Analysis reports take a deep dive into a specific aspect of the project, like costs, risks, quality, or procurement. Examples include cost-benefit analysis, earned value, forecasting, and gap analysis. Analysis reports identify problems and recommend actions.

Project Management Reports

Project management reports focus on the performance of the project team. They track resource usage, capacity, budgets, timesheets, and project management metrics. Task tracking and burn down reports fall into this category.

Key Components of a Project Report

While the exact format changes based on report type, certain elements are common to all project reports:

Project Overview

The overview provides background on project goals, scope, timeline, deliverables, resources, and sponsors. It summarizes the purpose and objectives of the project.

Status Summary

The status summary analyzes where the project stands at the time of the report. It highlights milestones achieved, upcoming milestones, percentage of work completed, plus budget and schedule status. Charts are helpful to display status visually.

Work Completed

This section describes the activities, deliverables, and work products finished during the reporting period. Reference the project plan, timeline, and work breakdown structure.

Work Pending

Work pending lists the activities and milestones still remaining. Are any critical path items behind schedule? How will you get back on track? Explain upcoming work and priorities.

Issues and Risks

The issues and risks section calls out problems, changes, action items, and risks impacting the project. It identifies who is responsible for resolving each item and next steps. New risks should be added to the risk register.

Budget Status

Budget status compares planned budget vs. actuals spent to date. Track spending by cost center, work package, or resource. Explain any budget deficits or overruns.

Schedule Status

Compare original schedule vs. actual progress. Are milestones on track? Report schedule variance and identify activities that are ahead or behind schedule. Explain delays.

Recommendations and Next Steps

Finish the report with next steps and recommendations to get the project back on track or improve performance going forward. Present options and actions for consideration.

Attach relevant facts, figures, and documents that support the project report as appendices. Examples include the risk register, issue log, schedule, budgets, charts, and graphics.

7 Steps to Writing a Polished Project Report

Follow these steps to produce a professional project report your stakeholders will actually want to read:

Step 1 - Determine Report Requirements

Start by defining the purpose, audience, and required contents based on the report type. Identify the questions that need answering and data that must be included. Connect with stakeholders to understand their needs.

Step 2 - Select Report Format and Structure

The format and structure can vary based on the project and organization. Follow company templates if available. Common structural elements include an executive summary, introduction, body, conclusion/recommendations, and appendices.

Step 3 - Gather Data and Content

Compile the data inputs needed for each section of the report. Sources include the project plan, schedule, risk register, budget, quality records, timesheets, and performance metrics. Leverage project management systems to pull data.

Step 4 - Analyze Data

Analyze the project data and turn it into meaningful insights. Calculate metrics like schedule and cost variance. Evaluate project risks, issues, and changes. Assess progress relative to KPIs. Identify trends.

Step 5 - Write First Draft

Following your selected outline, start writing the first draft incorporating the analysis done in step four. Use clear, concise language. Keep sentences short. Include charts and graphs to visualize data. 

Step 6 - Formatting and Style

Apply formatting like colors, fonts, page layouts, headings, and white space for visual appeal. Create an organized, scannable report. Maintain consistency in style and tone. Follow company templates and best practices.

Step 7 - Review and Finalize

Allow subject matter experts to review the draft report. Incorporate feedback and edits. Verify facts and figures. Complete final formatting and touch-ups before sharing the polished version with stakeholders.

Project Report Templates and Examples

Reinventing the wheel for each report wastes time. Start with pre-built templates then customize with your specifics. Here are free templates and samples:

Project status report template

Project management report templates

Status report PowerPoint

Progress report template

Summary report samples

Project closure report

Leverage templates to create well-formatted reports with pre-built sections, content examples, and design elements. Add colors, charts, and branding to match company guidelines.

Tips for Writing Better Project Reports

Follow these best practices for clear, targeted project reports:

Focus on stakeholders - Understand stakeholders’ needs and tailor content accordingly. Include relevant facts and data points they care about.

Be visual - Charts, graphs, images allow readers to grasp status, trends, and insights quickly.

Use executive summaries - Condense findings into a 1-2 page executive summary with top takeaways, recommendations, and action items.

Keep reports brief - Avoid long, dense reports. Use an appendix for supplemental data.

Mind formatting - Well-formatted reports with ample white space, headings, and visual hierarchy are easier to digest.

Simplify language - Write in clear, simple business language. Define acronyms. Avoid jargon that requires insider knowledge.

Proofread thoroughly - Fix grammar and spelling mistakes that undermine credibility.

Update templates frequently - Tweak report templates regularly to improve flow, formatting, and effectiveness.

Conclusion and Next Steps

Writing compelling project reports is a learned skill. This guide outlined a step-by-step methodology to produce polished project reports that impress stakeholders using data, templates, and best practices.

Here are some final recommendations on creating excellent project reports:

Follow the 7 step process 

Start with templates then customize

Focus on visual appeal and easy scanning

Analyze data to gain meaningful insights

Keep sentences and sections short

Make critical information obvious

Project reporting helps managers maintain control, alignment, and visibility. With practice and feedback, you can level up your report writing skills over time. Now it's your turn - go create some outstanding project reports!

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How to write a project report: [templates + guide] 

Writing a project report is an essential but often overlooked contributor to your project’s health.  However, without the use of automation and templates, it can be a little time-consuming to collect and organize the relevant data that the project generates.

In this post, we’ll explore the basics of project reporting. We’ve included some useful templates and tips to create clear and helpful project reports in less time.

If you want to start creating better project reports using monday.com, sign up today.

What is a project report?

A project report is a document where you share details about different areas of your project. Depending on the report type , your audience, and your intention, the details you showcase might differ.

Project reports can be broken down by time— daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly— or a number of other factors like risk, budget, and project management style. Bottom line? They simplify the process of gathering and disseminating information about key information on the project. For instance, a typical report might include:

• Resources you’ve used so far
• How project time is being spent
• How you’re doing against key performance indicators (KPIs)
• Workload and team availability

What is the purpose of project reporting?

Reporting gives you, your team, and your stakeholders the ability to track project progress against the original plan. The main goal of a project report is to improve decision-making, to help you make sense of your project data, and decide what your next steps should be. This in turn can impact your budget, timeliness, and project success.

It also plays a vital role in your stakeholder engagement strategy, as it keeps everyone informed on the progress of projects they’re interested in. Those are just a few of the reasons why project reporting has become the most common activity among PMOs (Project Management Offices).

( Image Source )

5 steps to create a useful project report

Project reports can be useful – or they can end up as a 20-page PDF that lives in a drawer somewhere. To put together a report that your project stakeholders can use to gain insights, make decisions and optimize processes, take the following systematic approach to writing your project reports:

1. Define the purpose and scope: Clearly establish the goals, objectives, target audience, and information needs of your project report. 2. Gather and organize data: Collect and organize all relevant data, ensuring its accuracy and reliability. 3. Structure and outline: Create a clear and logical structure for your report and outline the key points you want to cover. 4. Present information effectively: Use clear and concise language and visual aids like graphs or charts to present the information in an easily understandable, visually appealing manner. 5. Review and revise: Proofread your report for any errors or inconsistencies, ensure that it addresses the defined purpose and scope, and revise as necessary to improve clarity.

The different types of project management reports [with templates]

You can split project reports into different types and categories. Here are five different types of project mangement reports, with monday.com templates you can customize for your unique project and team set-up.

1. Project status report

Probably the most frequently used, a project status report offers a general overview of the current status of your projects. A project status report answers the question: “How likely is it that we’ll complete this project on time without overrunning costs?”

These reports analyze whether you’re meeting project goals and key performance indicators. With our single project template , creating a status report is easier than ever.

2. Resource workload report

Resource workload reports help you visualize what your team’s working on, when they’re working on it, and how much work is left. These also reports help you understand how your assets are being used and make sure your actions are aligned with the overall objective.

Our resource management template helps you organize all your assets, locations, and people into one place and track every action with accuracy. You can also manage your resource allocation initiatives and make sure you don’t assign the same resource twice in multiple tasks.

3. Portfolio report

Portfolio reports take a look at all your projects and consolidate all the data into a single document. These reports capture high-level milestones, status, progress, and highlights of your portfolio strategy.

With our portfolio management template , you can track unlimited projects on a single board and get a quick snapshot of their health and profitability.

4. Task list/Time-tracking report

Time-tracking reports, also known as timesheets, help you measure how your team is spending their time and spot potential bottlenecks.

With our team task list template , you can bring in your entire organization, assign tasks to peers, track time and measure the project progress at a glance.

5. Expense report

A project might seem healthy – until everyone starts reporting expenses  at the end of the time period. With our expense tracking template , you can proactively manage your cash flow regardless of your accounting skills (or lack thereof!)

Want to try out these templates – and much more? Check out monday.com today.

FAQs about Project Reports

What are the benefits of a project report.

A project report provides a comprehensive overview of a project’s objectives, progress, and outcomes, serving as a valuable documentation and communication tool. It allows stakeholders to assess your project’s effectiveness, identify areas for improvement, and make informed decisions based on reliable data.

What are the main types of project reports?

The most commonly used types of project reports include:

• Progress reports
• Resource management reports
• Project portfolio reports
• Time-tracking reports
• Evaluation reports
• Final reports

What are the main components of a project report?

This will depend on the project and the type of report you’re using, but project reports might include:

• Project objective
• Project scope
• Project milestones
• Project expenses or budget
• Project schedule and timeline
• Project progress
• Resource management
• Risk assessment
• Stakeholder communication
• Financial summary

How to create insightful project reports with monday.com

monday.com makes it easy to create effective project reports. Try it for yourself and see:

Here’s why monday.com can make your project reporting better:

• Track project data in a centralized location, so you have all the information you need to make useful reports.
• Use monday.com’s customized visualization tools to visualize and summarize project data the way you want to see it.
• Set up dashboards to see all of your projects at a glance.
• Take advantage of monday.com’s reporting functionality . You can choose between built-in report templates or customized reports if you have more specific requirements.
• Share your reports with project stakeholders , team members, or even clients directly from monday.com.
• Our embedded communication tools let you collaborate on your reports in real-time, gather feedback, and address any questions or concerns.

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How to write an effective project plan in 6 simple steps

Contributing writer

If you’re a Type A personality, project planning might sound like music to your ears. Setting deadlines, organizing tasks, and creating order out of chaos — what’s not to love?

The reality is that project planning isn’t for everyone. In one survey by Association for Project Management, 76% of project professionals said their main project was a source of stress . Poor planning, unclear responsibilities, and overallocation are often the culprits behind the stress. 

An effective project plan helps teams stay within budget, scope, and schedule, while delivering quality work. In short, it gets you to the finish line without the stress.  

What is a project plan?

A project plan, also known as a work plan, is a blueprint of your project lifecycle. It’s like a roadmap — it clearly outlines how to get from where you are now (the beginning of the project) to where you want to go (the successful completion of the project). 

“A project plan is an action plan outlining how…[to] accomplish project goals,” says Jami Yazdani , certified Project Management Professional (PMP), project coach, project management consultant, and founder of Yazdani Consulting and Facilitation . 

A comprehensive project plan includes the project schedule, project scope, due dates, and deliverables. Writing a good project plan is key for any new, complex project in the pipeline.

Why Are Project Plans Important?

Project plans allow you to visualize your entire project, from beginning to end—and develop a clear strategy to get from point A to point B. Project plans steer stakeholders in the right direction and keep team members accountable with a common baseline.  

Project plans help you stay agile

Projects are bound by what is traditionally called the “iron triangle” of project management . It means that project managers have to work within the three constraints of scope, resources (project budget and teams), and schedule. You cannot make changes to one without impacting the other two.    

Modern-day project management has shifted to a more agile approach, with a focus on quality. This means that resources and schedules remain unchanged but a fixed number of iterations (flexible scope) helps teams deliver better quality and more value. 

A project plan puts this “agile triangle” in place by mapping out resources, schedules, and the number of iterations — sprints if you’re using a Scrum framework and work in progress (WIP) limits if you’re using the Kanban methodology . 

As Yazdani points out, “Project plans help us strategize a path to project success, allowing us to consider the factors that will impact our project, from stakeholders to budget to schedule delays, and plan how to maximize or mitigate these factors.” 

Project plans provide complete visibility

A project plan, when created with a comprehensive project management software , gives you 360-degree visibility throughout the project lifecycle. 

As a project manager, you need a single source of truth on team members and their project tasks, project scope, project objectives, and project timelines. A detailed project plan gives you this visibility and helps teams stay on track.

Project plans also help to get everyone involved on the same page, setting clear expectations around what needs to be accomplished, when, and by who. 

“Project plans create a framework for measuring project progress and success,” says Yazdani. “Project plans set clear expectations for…stakeholders by outlining exactly what…will [be accomplished] and when it will be delivered.”

Project plans boost engagement and productivity

A well-written project plan clarifies how each individual team member’s contributions play into the larger scope of the project and align with company goals. When employees see how their work directly impacts organizational growth, it generates buy-in and drives engagement , which is critical to a project’s success. 

“Project plans provide…teams with purpose and direction,” says Yazdani. “Transparent project plans show team members how their individual tasks and responsibilities contribute to the overall success of the project, encouraging engagement and collaboration.”

How To Write A Project Plan in 6 Steps

Writing a project plan requires, well, planning. Ideally, the seeds for a project plan need to be sowed before internal project sign-off begins. Before that sign-off, conduct capacity planning to estimate the resources you will need and if they’re available for the duration of the project. After all, you want to set your teams up for success with realistic end dates, buffer time to recharge or catch up in case of unexpected delays, and deliver quality work without experiencing burnout .

Based on organizational capacity, you can lay down project timelines and map out scope as well as success metrics, outline tasks, and build a feedback loop into your project plan. Follow these project planning steps to create a winning plan:      

1. Establish Project Scope And Metrics

Defining your project scope is essential to protecting your iron, or agile, triangle from crumbling. Too often, projects are hit with scope creep , causing delays, budget overruns, and anxiety.

“Clearly define your project’s scope or overall purpose,” says Yazdani. “Confirm any project parameters or constraints, like budget, resource availability, and timeline,” says Yazdani.

A project purpose statement is a high-level brief that defines the what, who, and why of the project along with how and when the goal will be accomplished. But just as important as defining your project scope and purpose is defining what metrics you’re going to use to track progress.

“Establish how you will measure success,” says Yazdani. “Are there metrics, performance criteria, or quality standards you need to meet?”

Clearly defining what your project is, the project’s overall purpose, and how you’re going to measure success lays the foundation for the rest of your project plan—so make sure you take the time to define each of these elements from the get-go.

2. Identify Key Project Stakeholders 

Get clarity on the team members you need to bring the project to life. In other words, identify the key stakeholders of the project. 

“List individuals or groups who will be impacted by the project,” says Yazdani. 

In addition to identifying who needs to be involved in the project, think about how they’ll need to be involved—and at what level. Use a tool like Confluence to run a virtual session to clarify roles and responsibilities, and find gaps that need to be filled. 

Let’s say you’re managing a cross-functional project to launch a new marketing campaign that includes team members from your marketing, design, and sales departments. 

When identifying your key stakeholders, you might create different lists based on the responsibility or level of involvement with the project:

• Decision-makers (who will need to provide input at each step of the project)
• Managers (who will be overseeing employees within their department) 
• Creative talent (who will be actually creating the project deliverables for the campaign) from each department. 

Give your project plan an edge by using a Confluence template like the one below to outline roles and responsibilities.

Define roles, discuss responsibilities, and clarify which tasks fall under each teammate’s purview using this Confluence template. 

Getting clarity on who needs to be involved in the project—and how they’re going to be involved—will help guide the rest of the project plan writing process (particularly when it comes to creating and assigning tasks).

3. Outline Deliverables

Now is the time to get granular.

Each project milestone comprises a series of smaller, tangible tasks that your teams need to produce. While a big-picture view keeps teams aligned, you need signposts along the way to guide them on a day-to-day or weekly basis. Create a list of deliverables that will help you achieve the greater vision of the project. 

“What will you create, build, design, produce, accomplish or deliver?” says Yazdani. “Clearly outline your project’s concrete and tangible deliverables or outcomes.” Centralize these deliverables in a Trello board with designated cards for each one, like in the example below, so you keep work moving forward.

Each card on a board represents tasks and ideas and you can move cards across lists to show progress.

Defining the concrete items you need your project to deliver will help you reverse-engineer the things that need to happen to bring those items to life—which is a must before moving on to the next step.

4. Develop Actionable Tasks

Task management is an important component of any project plan because they help employees see what exactly they need to accomplish. Drill down those deliverables into actionable tasks to assign to your team. 

You can use either Confluence or Jira for different task management needs. If you want to track tasks alongside your work, like action items from a meeting or small team projects, it’s best to use Confluence. But if a project has multiple teams and you need insight into workflows, task history, and reporting, Jira makes it easy.      

“Let your deliverables guide the work of the project,” says Yazdani. “Break down each deliverable into smaller and smaller components until you get to an actionable task.” If a major deliverable is a set of content pieces, the smaller actionable tasks would be to create topic ideas, conduct research, and create outlines for each topic.  

Once you’ve broken down all of your deliverables into manageable, assignable subtasks, analyze how each of those tasks interacts with each other. That way, you can plan, prioritize, assign, and add deadlines accordingly.  

“Highlight any dependencies between tasks, such as tasks that can’t be started until another task is complete,” says Yazdani. “List any resources you will need to accomplish these tasks.”

When a task has multiple assignees, you need to streamline the workflow in your project plan. Say the content pieces you outlined need to be edited or peer-reviewed. A couple of articles may need an interview with a subject matter expert. Lay down a stage-by-stage process of each piece of content and pinpoint when each team member comes into play so you prevent bottlenecks and adjust timeframes.     

5. Assign Tasks And Deadlines

Assign tasks to your team and collaborate with employees to set deadlines for each task. When you involve employees in setting workloads and deadlines , you increase ownership and boost the chances of delivering quality work on time.  

After all, you want to move projects forward at a steady pace, but you also want to make sure your teams stay motivated and engaged. So, when writing your project plan, make sure to “set realistic and achievable deadlines for completing tasks and deliverables,” says Yazdani. “Highlight dates that are inflexible and factor in task dependencies. Add in milestones or checkpoints to monitor progress and celebrate successes .”

Use Jira and Confluence to create tasks that live alongside your project plan or meeting agendas.

Once you map out all of your tasks and deadlines, you should have a clear picture of how and when your project is going to come together—and the initial writing process is just about finished.

But that doesn’t mean your project plan is complete! There’s one more key step to the process.

6. Share, Gather Feedback, And Adjust The Project Plan As Necessary

While steps 1 through 5 may make up your initial writing process, if you want your project plan to be as strong and complete as it can be, it’s important to share it with your team—and get their input on how they think it can be improved.

“Share the plan with your project team and key stakeholders, gathering feedback to make adjustments and improvements,” says Yazdani. 

A tool like Confluence helps knowledge flow freely within teams and departments, leading to better teamwork, higher collaboration, and a shared understanding of priorities. Coworkers can use comments, mentions, notifications, and co-editing capabilities to provide and discuss feedback. 

After you gather your team’s feedback —and make any necessary adjustments based on that feedback—you can consider your project plan complete. Hooray! 

But as your project progresses, things may change or evolve—so it’s important to stay flexible and make changes and adjustments as needed.

“Expect to update your plan as you gather more information, encounter changing requirements and delays, and learn from feedback and mistakes,” says Yazdani. “By using your project plan to guide your activities and measure progress, you’ll be able to refine and improve your plan as you move through the project, tweaking tasks and deadlines as deliverables are developed.”

Download a  template to create your project plan and customize it based on your needs.

Example of a simple project plan 

A project plan doesn’t have to be a complicated spreadsheet with multiple tabs and drop-down menus. It’s best to use a project planning tool like Confluence — or at least a project plan template — to make sure you cover every aspect of the project. A simple project plan includes these elements:

• Project name, brief summary, and objective.
• Project players or team members who will drive the project, along with their roles and responsibilities.
• Key outcomes and due dates.
• Project elements, ideally divided into must-have, nice-to-have and not-in-scope categories.
• Milestones, milestone owners, and a project end date.
• Reference material relevant to the project.

Best Practices For Writing Effective Project Plans

A project planning process can quickly turn into a mishmash of goals and tasks that end up in chaos but these best practices can give you a framework to create a project plan that leads to success.

Use Other Project Plans For Inspiration

There’s no need to reinvent the wheel for every new project! Instead, look to other successful project plans for inspiration—and use them as a guide when writing the plan for your project.

“Review templates and plans for similar projects, or for other projects within your organization or industry, to get ideas for structuring and drafting your own plan,” says Yazdani.

To get started, use a Trello project management template and customize it for your project plan by creating unique lists and adding cards under each list.

Build your team’s ideal workflow and mark each stage of the project plan as a list, with cards for each task. 

Get Your Team Involved In The Process

You may be in charge of spearheading the project. But that doesn’t mean that you have to—or even that you should—write the project plan alone. 

“Collaborate with your project team and key stakeholders on crafting a project plan,” says Yazdani. “Input into the project plan supports buy-in to project goals and encourages continued engagement throughout the project.”

With Confluence , you can organize project details in a centralized space and build a project plan collaboratively.

Don’t Let Perfect Be The Enemy Of The Good

You may be tempted to write (and rewrite) your project plan until you’ve got every detail mapped out perfectly. But spending too much time trying to get everything “perfect” can actually hold up the project. So don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good—and instead of getting caught up in getting everything perfect from the get-go, stay willing and flexible to adjust your project plan as you move forward.

“Focus on outcomes, not plan perfection,” says Yazdani. “While it would be awesome for the first draft of our plan to require no changes while also inspiring our team and ensuring project success, our goal shouldn’t be a perfect plan. Our goal is a plan that allows us to successfully deliver on project goals. Responsiveness to changing needs and a shifting environment is more important than plan perfection.”

Use the right tools to succeed with your project plan

Writing a project plan, especially if you’re new to the process, can feel overwhelming. But now that you know the exact steps to write one, make sure you have the tools you need to create a strong, cohesive plan from the ground up—and watch your project thrive as a result. 

Atlassian Together can help with project planning and management with a powerful combination of tools that make work flow across teams.

Guide your team to project success with Atlassian Together’s suite of products.

Advice, stories, and expertise about work life today.

How to Write a Project Report (with Best Practices Templates for Microsoft 365)

Key Take Aways

What you’ll learn:

• How AI can enhance project reports with predictive analysis and actionable insights
• A 7-step checklist for making sure that your project reports are easily accessible and consumable by stakeholder
• The importance of using project management software for streamlining project reporting, especially in the age of remote working
• Why you should use the Microsoft 365 platform for project reporting and some out of the box examples from BrightWork 365

By: Shubhangi Pandey | Published on: Jun 5, 2024 | Categories: BrightWork 365 , Microsoft 365 , Project Reporting | 0 comments

In an age where remote work is becoming the new every day and data-driven decision-making is more crucial than ever, project reporting has become more than a managerial obligation. It’s an art and a science that combines traditional project tracking with modern metrics and advanced data visualization.

This guide will walk you through seven essential steps to craft a project report that informs and engages your stakeholders. We’ll explore the role of AI in project management, delve into the importance of remote work metrics, and discuss cutting-edge data visualization tools that can make your reports more insightful.

Whether you’re a seasoned project manager or just getting started with project management basics , these steps will help you write a project report that adds value to your organization’s knowledge base for future projects.

Why are Project Management Tools Vital for Report Writing?

The importance of robust project management tools for effective report writing cannot be overstated. Here’s why:

• Centralization : Project management tools are a central hub for all your project data, streamlining project management and reporting processes.
• Efficient Tracking : These tools make it easier to monitor work progress during the monitoring phase of project management , helping you stay on top of tasks and milestones.
• Risk Identification : Advanced features enable you to spot potential risks early, allowing for proactive management.
• Stakeholder Communication : Keep all stakeholders in the loop with real-time updates and comprehensive reports.
• Data Visualization : Utilize features like Power BI to transform raw data into insightful visuals, aiding in better decision-making.
• Custom Reports : Depending on organizational needs, create specialized reports that offer in-depth analysis and recommendations upon project completion.

The Evolution of AI in Project Management Tools for Report Writing

When crafting an impactful project report, your tools can be a game-changer. And let’s talk about the elephant in the room: Artificial Intelligence. AI is no longer just a buzzword – it’s a reality transforming project management and reporting.

According to a systematic literature review published in MDPI , AI’s role in project management is increasingly significant, offering advanced capabilities like predictive analytics and risk assessment.

The Power of Predictive Analytics

These advanced AI tools centralize your project data and offer predictive analytics, risk assessment, and automated insights that can be invaluable for your report. Like Power BI revolutionized data visualization, AI algorithms can sift through massive amounts of data to highlight trends, predict risks, and recommend actions.

Making AI Accessible for Every Project Manager

Imagine reporting on what has happened and providing stakeholders with insights into what could happen. It’s like giving your project report a crystal ball. And don’t worry – embracing AI doesn’t mean you have to be a tech wizard. Many modern project management tools benefit from built-in AI features. 

A thesis from DiVA portal explores the implementation of AI in project management and its impact on working personnel, indicating that AI is becoming more accessible and user-friendly.

The Future of Data-Driven Decision Making

AI’s capabilities equip stakeholders with data-driven insights for strategic decisions. It’s not just about tracking work and identifying risks anymore – it’s about forecasting them and offering actionable solutions. Welcome to the future of project reporting.

Types of Project Reports and Their Formats

Understanding the types of project reports you need to create is crucial. Whether it’s a project summary report, a project health report, or a project completion report, each serves a unique purpose and audience.

Knowing the format, whether a pie chart, bar chart, or complete chart, can also help present the data effectively. Writing a report is a valuable opportunity to evaluate the project, document lessons learned, and add to your organization’s knowledge base for future projects.

Data Visualization: Modern Tools and Techniques

Data visualization has come a long way from simple pie charts and bar graphs. With the advent of AI, we now have tools that can display and interpret data. Think of AI-powered heat maps that can show project bottlenecks or predictive line graphs that forecast project completion based on current trends.

Techniques for Effective Data Presentation

Modern data visualization techniques like interactive dashboards, real-time data streams, and even augmented reality (AR) representations are making it easier than ever to understand complex project metrics. These aren’t just for show; they offer actionable insights that can significantly impact project outcomes.

Making Data Visualization Accessible

The best part? These advanced visualization tools are becoming increasingly user-friendly. You don’t need to be a data scientist to use them. Most project management software now integrates seamlessly with these tools, making it easier than ever to incorporate advanced data visualization into your regular reporting.

The New Normal of Remote Work

In today’s digital age, remote work is becoming the new normal. As project managers, adapting our reporting techniques to this changing landscape is crucial.

Critical Metrics for Remote Teams

When it comes to remote teams, some metrics become even more critical. Think along the lines of ‘Remote Engagement Rate,’ ‘Digital Communication Effectiveness,’ and ‘Virtual Team Collaboration.’ These KPIs offer a more nuanced understanding of how remote teams are performing.

Tools for Tracking Remote Work Metrics

Fortunately, modern project management tools have features specifically designed to track these remote work metrics. From time-tracking software to virtual “water cooler” moments captured for team morale, these tools make remote work measurable in ways we couldn’t have imagined a few years ago.

Project Timeline and Milestones

A well-defined project timeline and key milestones are essential for any project. They not only help in keeping the project on track but also provide a basis for decision-making. 

Project management software can automate this process, ensuring that reports are always up-to-date. Try the steps outlined below for writing better project reports.

Manage Projects with Microsoft 365, Power Platform, and Teams

Collaborate seamlessly from anywhere, with brightwork 365 and microsoft teams..

How to Write a Project Report in 7 Steps

Writing an effective project report is crucial for evaluating the project’s health, keeping stakeholders informed, and setting the stage for future projects. Here are seven steps to guide you through the process.

Step 1. Decide the Objective

Take some time during the project management initiation phase to think about the purpose of the report. Do you need to describe, explain, recommend, or persuade? Having a clear goal from the outset ensures that you stay focused, making engaging your reader easier.

Understanding the objective is the cornerstone of effective project reporting. Whether crafting a project summary report or a detailed project performance report, aligning your content with the aim will make your report more coherent and actionable.

This is also the stage where you decide the key milestones and metrics to highlight in the report.

Step 2. Understand Your Audience

Understanding your audience is crucial for crafting a report that resonates. Whether you’re writing for stakeholders or team members, the language, data, and visuals should be tailored to their preferences and needs.

• Language & Tone : Consider the communication style of your audience. Is a formal or informal tone more appropriate? Tailoring your language can build rapport and make your message more impactful.
• Data & Graphics : Choose the types of data and visual aids that will most effectively convey your message to your specific audience.
• Personal Preferences : Pay attention to how your audience typically communicates, whether in emails or other documents and try to mirror that style.
• Report Format : Different stakeholders may require different levels of detail. A project manager may want an in-depth analysis, while a sponsor only needs an executive summary.
• Audience Personas : Utilize audience personas to guide the tone, style, and content, ensuring your report caters to the diverse needs of all project stakeholders.

Step 3. Report Format and Type

Before you start, check the report format and type. Do you need to submit a written report or deliver a presentation? Do you need to craft a formal, informal, financial, annual, technical, fact-finding, or problem-solving report?

You should also confirm if any project management templates are available within the organization.

Checking these details can save time later on!

Different types of project reports serve other purposes. A project status report provides a snapshot of where the project is, while a project health report dives deeper into metrics. 

Make sure to consider the medium – will this report be a PDF, a slideshow, or an interactive dashboard? The format can significantly impact how the information is received.

Sep 4. Gather the Facts and Data

Including engaging facts and data will solidify your argument. Start with your collaborative project site and work out as needed. Remember to cite sources such as articles, case studies, and interviews.

To build a compelling case in your report, start mining your collaborative project site for crucial metrics like project milestones, resource utilization, and project health. Supplement this with additional data from external sources like articles and case studies. 

Utilize data visualization tools like pie charts or bar graphs to make complex information easily digestible. Ensure the data is current to maintain the report’s credibility and remember to cite your sources for added reliability.

Step 5. Structure the Report

How you arrange your report is pivotal in how well your audience can digest the material. A logically organized report improves readability and amplifies its impact in delivering the core message.

Your report should have a natural progression, leading the reader from one point to the next until a decisive conclusion is reached. Generally, a report is segmented into four key components:

• Opening Overview: This is the first thing your reader will see, and it’s usually crafted after the rest of the report is complete. Make this section compelling, as it often influences whether the reader will delve deeper into the report.
• Introduction: This section sets the stage by offering background information and outlining the report’s cover. Make sure to specify the report’s scope and any methodologies employed.
• Body: Here’s where your writing prowess comes into play. This is the meat of the report, filled with background, analyses, discussions, and actionable recommendations. Utilize data and visual aids to bolster your arguments.
• Final Thoughts: This is where you tie all the report’s elements together in a neat bow. Clearly state the following steps and any actions the reader should consider.

Step 6. Readability

Spend some time making the report accessible and enjoyable to read. If working in Word, the Navigation pane is a great way to help your reader work through the document. Use formatting, visuals, and lists to break up long text sections.

Readability is not just about the text but also about the visual elements like pie charts, bar colors, and even the background color of the report. Use these elements to break the monotony and make the report more engaging. Also, consider adding a table of contents for longer reports to improve navigation.

Step 7. Edit

The first draft of the report is rarely perfect, so you will need to edit and revise the content. If possible, set the document aside for a few days before reviewing it or ask a colleague to review it.

Editing is not just about correcting grammatical errors – it’s also about ensuring that the report aligns with its initial objectives and is tailored to its audience. Use this stage to refine the report’s structure, clarify its key points, and eliminate any unnecessary jargon or technical terms to the reader’s understanding.

Automate and Streamline Project Reporting with Microsoft 365

Project reporting can often be a laborious and time-consuming task. Especially on a project where there are so many moving parts and different people involved, getting a clear picture of what’s going on can be pretty tricky.

That is why we recommend moving to a cloud-based solution for project management and reporting – and you might have guessed it: we recommend Microsoft 365! If you’re considering SharePoint, check out our build vs buy guide.

Why use Microsoft 365 for project reporting?

There are many benefits to using Microsoft 365 as the platform for your project management reporting, including:

• Centralizing your project management and reporting on Microsoft 365 brings your project information into one place, so you can automate reporting and save time. If you’re still using excel for project management , here’s why you should consider switching.
• You can access configurable and filterable reports based on the audience by leveraging the available reporting mechanisms in Power Apps, Power BI, and Excel. Everyone can see the information in the way they need.
• Linked into the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, reports can appear in Power Apps, Power BI, exported to Excel, emailed in Outlook, or seen in MS Teams, so reports are available wherever the audience is working.
• Having project data maintained in a single platform means that project reports are always up to date. No more chasing up PMs or team members for the latest document version!

5 Ways you can use BrightWork 365 for Project and Portfolio Reporting

BrightWork 365 is a project and portfolio management solution for Microsoft 365 and the Power Platform. Here are five ways you can leverage BrightWork 365 and Microsoft 365 for more efficient project reporting:

1. Capture Project Status Reports in a few minutes

BrightWork project sites have a “Status” tab where the project manager can capture what is happening. This is not a status report but a place for the PM to log the current status.

It is not a snapshot, as it will change regularly, but the info here will become part of the status report once the PM creates one. once the PM chooses to create one.

The Status Reports tab is where you can capture a snapshot of the project status at a point in time. It will bring in all the info from the “Status” tab, but you have the ability to add comments.

2. Track the project schedule with Gantt

3. Get High-Level Visibility into Programs and Portfolios

BrightWork 365 enables a hierarchy for your project management – with Portfolios being the highest level. For example, a portfolio may house all the projects in a company.

4. Surface Risks and Issues across all projects

One of the most critical elements for senior executives and project stakeholders is being aware of the project risks, especially understanding any issues that arise quickly.

5. Leverage Visual and Interactive Reports

The type and format of a report often depends on the audience. For example, senior executives often want the high-level details of a project. That’s where BrightWork 365 Power BI Dashboards come in.

Spend less time on your project reports with BrightWork 365

Streamline your project reporting process with BrightWork 365, a tool to centralize and automate your project data. Whether you prefer real-time dashboards or scheduled email reports, BrightWork 365 adapts to your needs, eliminating the tedious aspects of project reporting. Consider the following:

• Centralization : BrightWork 365 consolidates all project information into a single platform, making it easier to manage and report.
• Real-Time Reporting : As data is updated, reports are generated in real-time, ensuring you always have the most current information.
• Flexible Access : Reports can be accessed through various methods, including logging in to view customizable dashboards or receiving scheduled email summaries.
• Efficiency : The tool automates the reporting process, freeing time and reducing manual effort.

Conclusion: The Future of Project Reporting

Project reporting has undergone a significant transformation, thanks partly to technological advancements like Microsoft 365 and BrightWork 365 . As we’ve discussed, it’s not just about tracking tasks and milestones anymore. 

Today’s project reports are data-rich, AI-enhanced documents that offer predictive analytics and actionable insights. They also cater to the unique challenges and KPIs relevant to remote teams.

As we look to the future, we can expect even more advancements in project reporting technology. However, the core principles of clear objectives, a deep understanding of your audience, and a well-structured format will remain constant. 

By adhering to the steps outlined in this guide, you’ll be well-equipped to adapt to new tools and technologies, ensuring that your project reports remain valuable for decision-making and strategic planning.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in September 2016 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness

Image credit 

Shubhangi Pandey

BrightWork Content Marketer

Shubhangi is a product marketing enthusiast, who enjoys testing and sharing the BrightWork 365 project portfolio management solution capabilities with Microsoft 365 users. You can see her take on the experience of the template-driven BrightWork 365 solution, its unique project management success approach, and other personalized services across the site and social channels. Beyond BrightWork, Shubhangi loves to hunt for the newest Chai Latte-serving café, where she can read and write for hours.

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How to write a Project Report - Guide & Templates

Table of contents, what is a project outline, what is a project report.

A project report is a document created for a team or company that ensures a project stays on track. The project report should describe progress, milestones, and roadblocks.

Why is a project report important?

Project Reports are a core part of any project management process. There are a few key documents necessary for successful project progress, and a project report is undoubtedly one of them.

Alongside a project plan, a project report holds significant weight in justifying budgets, team members, tools, and other resources. In this article, we'll explore one of the two types of project reports any project manager needs to be able to write.Report number one is an ongoing project status report ; this report will be needed on more than one occasion throughout a project's life span and explores the overall progress of the project.

Report number two is a project completion report ; this report comes at the end of the project and wraps everything up.

We've also provided a project report template that you can adapt to your project and project report type that you need.

A Complete Guide to Project Reports

Why write a project report in the first place.

This report is so crucial in keeping key players up to date - we'll explore who exactly you need to be writing for in the next point. A project status report is needed to give a summary of a project , significant changes, and to keep a record of the project's progress.

A project status report adds milestones and target reminders to the process. Without the report, many project teams will struggle to keep up the momentum on long term projects.

Who prepares project reports?

A project status report is typically prepared by insiders who are involved in its day-to-day workings. Usually this is the project management team, a body of project managers and department executives with general or specific knowledge of the project.

Who is a project status report for?

A project report will need to be written for different people; each stakeholder will require different information that's important to them - remember this when putting together the progress of the project. It's not a one size fits all situation.

You may be dealing with sensitive information that could damage relationships or even severe them if put in front of the wrong eyes. At the same time, you could be releasing information that isn't relevant to certain people; in receiving an onslaught of information someone may miss the data or info that is specifically important for their eyes.

Different people that need to see an ongoing project status report:  

• Project Stakeholders need the status report to stay in the loop and aligned with other team members
• Project Team need to know the project's progress across all departments and divisions
• ‍ Project Sponsors use the project status report to provide necessary guidance and resources to the teams and managers
• Leadership uses project status reports to stay apprised of the project's progress
• ‍ Finance Team use the project status report to determine areas that need funding allocation and to avoid potential cost overruns
• ‍ Contractors can see the project's priorities and timelines and allocate time and resources accordingly
• ‍ Project Management uses the status report to produce project manager reports on their department's progress

When to write a project status report?

This largely depends on the timeline (or predicted timeline for that matter) outlined in your project manager reports . If your project is expected to run over a few years, it may be best to create quarterly project status reports. However, if your project is set to run around six months to a year, monthly is recommended.

For all of the help that project status reports provide, it's important to remember that they can be pretty time consuming to make. We've provided a sample project report in this article to make your job easier; however, it's still a process. This is why we recommend incorporating a project proposal template as well.

For all the time a project manager is putting into a status report, they're not putting the work into managing their team. Pick a regular period to deliver the report in and put it in the Gantt calendar. Be conscious of the time it consumes, and try to stick to the real-time delivery dates.

In doing this, you'll save a lot of time with unnecessary communication from different players. Questions like "What’s the status of XYZ?" "How's the budget looking for XYZ for the project?" can all wait for the regular report- leaving the team to focus on their job.

How to write a Project Report in 7 Steps

Step 1: define your objectives.

Clearly state the purpose of the report and explain why it is necessary. Defining your objectives and providing smart goal examples can help you stay focused while writing and keep those reading the report engaged and informed.

Step 2: Have Your Audience in Mind

When writing project reports, tailor the content and your tone of voice to the audience as much as possible. Use impactful graphics and important data to connect with the people who will be reading this report.

Step 3: Write the Outline

Before you start writing, first create a list of all the sections in your report. For more details, check "What to Include in a Project Status" below, or take a look at our status report templates .

Step 4: First Draft

After your outline and analysis, you can start a rough draft.  As the name suggests, it doesn't need to be perfect. If you are looking for a tool to help you put together project reports, try our document editor .

Step 5: Fine Tune Your Analysis

As time permits and new information comes in, fill in any data gaps or highlight any current or potential issues you find. Use the 'Findings' section to focus on the values, and make clear any limitations of the analysis.

Step 6: Recommend Next Steps

Once you have completed your data analysis, you will be able to propose actionable ideas towards the project's mutually desired outcome. The more solid your analysis and findings are, the more credible your project reports will be.

Step 7: Polish for Distribution

Before you send your report, proofread for grammar, spelling, and typos so that your final document looks as professional as possible. If you're sending the report in a group email, keep an eye on the file size.

What to include in a project status report?

Depending on who you're writing the report for, this will change. However, there are a few core elements to include for the project progress , despite who is reading the project report. ‍

Executive Summary

If you are wondering how to write a report about a project, start with an executive summary. Short overviews provide the reader with the essential takeaways from the report without having to read all the project details. Executive summaries are very helpful for those who need a quick glance at the project's general direction without wading through a lot of data.

Project Progress

In the project status report, the project's progress is tracked with real metrics. This provides an overview of the project's status and budget and also identifies potential risks and issues. This data-driven approach provides project management with feedback and enables them to make adjustments.

It's important to document all of the resources you had mapped out in your project plan . What do you have left still available? What have you used and found insufficient? Of what resources do you need more? This can include project management tools and physical resources like software or a PDF, but also human resources.

Timelines and targets

It's essential to give everyone an overview of your project timelines in these status reports, especially those that are outside of your project team and not using the project management software you're using.

At this point, be realistic with your timelines, not optimistic . Refer back to your Gantt calendar to help with this. Save your optimism for team meetings to spur your project team on in working more efficiently and hitting deadlines. In the reporting part, you need to be honest with your timelines and deliverables, both with the goals you have or have not hit and those you expect to be on time with or not.

Many players further down the line will be working on the information you provided in this section of the project reports, it therefore needs to be accurate so they can manage their workload and be available on the predicted date.

Notable changes

This can radically vary but needs to be anything notable that's happened and is no longer abiding by the initial project plan. If you're using editable report samples for projects rather than a PDF, you can go back and edit your project plan to accommodate changes.

However, it's not recommended. You can't guarantee that your team will continuously be referencing the initial project plan once they've got a clear scope of what they need to do for the entire project.

Funding & budgets

The project manager should use the time dedicated to a project status report to reflect his or her budget. Accounting skills are vital for a project manager's success, and being able to handle a large budget will come in handy when it comes to managing the overall funding of a project.

In this part of the report, give a clear overview of expenses, predicted expenses, and visually highlights where you were over or under budget in real-time. The team can learn from this, not only for future projects but even for next month's project management status report.

Team performance

Use goals and targets to quantitatively identify if the team is performing well. While doing this, it's essential to consider the hurdles they've had to jump along the way. Have they faced exceptional circumstances that were not planned? If so, how did they cope and react to these challenges?  

Risk management

This is the final part of the Project Status report and one of the most important skill sets for a successful project manager: Risk Management . A project manager needs to have a certain amount of hindsight at play in their everyday work and be able to give an executive summary of all risks.

In the project status report, give an overview of any predicted risks and try to display them tiered so that any reader has a clear overview of what the greatest risks are right through to very low-level risks, and what can be done to prevent them. Always have a Plan B and adapt it every time a project status report is created.

The risk management report is often best accompanied by a risk analysis meeting. Come out of your meeting with detailed meeting minutes and use your team's knowledge and perspective to give a comprehensive overview of all the risks at play.

Project Report Examples

There are several different types of project reports. Here are some project reporting examples of the most widely used types.

Project Status Report

A project status report is used to communicate the project’s progress and to ensure that all parties involved are kept in the loop. Project status report examples include updates to all stakeholders as the project progresses, amended project plans, and notifications of any issues or risks that have arisen.

Project Tracking Report

Project tracking reports provide real numbers, metrics, and other key indicators of the project's progress. Tracking project report examples include data concerning project status, tasks, team performance, completion rate and other metrics in a comprehensive report.

Project Performance Report

Project performance reports are a more specialized project status report. Examples include overviews of progress, resource allocation, and costs. Project performance reports help monitor the project's current direction and forecast its success. Using performance reports, the team can address issues that are holding the project back.

Project Health Report

Project health reports are an example of project management reports that help identify potential issues before they occur, saving the firm money, time, and resources. When project sponsors and supervisors are notified of risks, they can adjust strategy accordingly before problems manifest.

Project Summary Report

You are writing for busy people when you prepare a project management report. Examples of tasks completed and financials let them see important data quickly, then allocate their time to sections that directly concern them. A project summary report should highlight key milestones and point out upcoming tasks.

Project Time Tracking Report

Project time tracking reports can help project managers gauge their teams' efficiency and identify areas for improvement. For example, project reports can show which parts of the project are requiring more time to complete and reallocate resources from issues that are requiring less hours than expected.

‍ Best practices when writing a project report

Wondering how to write a report on a project effectively? Look no further, we've got you covered!There are a few things you need to remember when putting together a project report to help ensure it's efficient and supports the project's success.

Knowing how to write project reports successfully is largely dependent on honesty.

There is no use in hiding deliverables or viewing the truth through rose-tinted glasses. You're not creating a presentation to win someone over here; you're creating a factual report to make sure everyone has as clear an overview as possible.

Stay honest throughout your reporting, give accurate numbers (don't round up or down), and don't make excuses. Remain critical.

Give as much information as possible

This comes at your judgment, but the more relevant information, the better. A project manager will have a fantastic overview of a project and the current status. For that reason, they're the best person to put together a project status report.

However, a project manager shouldn't be afraid to let team members fill in parts of the report if they have a better overview of a particular task within the project. Assign different areas of the project report to different team members and then review everything before the report is submitted.

Write clearly

Clear and concise writing skills are so crucial in making sure your project report is understood. Don't view the project status report as something you just need to get done and delivered.

Review it, make sure there are no spelling mistakes or grammatical errors. You'll be surprised at what the power of a comma can, do. See? Make sure the read of your report is as smooth as your project management skills.

Celebrate success

For all of the faults, risks, and problems you report in your project status report, it's essential to document your successes. A project is a rollercoaster. There will be ups and downs and spirals and flips. Identify which of these are wins and celebrate them.

By celebrating success, you will lift the morale of the project team and remind the project manager of what has been achieved so far.

Write for aliens

A proper project manager report example will be accessible for a wide audience.You'll be writing a project plan for many people, many of whom will not have had direct exposure to your team, your company, or the task/s at hand. When we say write for aliens, we mean writing for someone who has no clue what's happening.

Even the simplest of abbreviations or presumptions can be interpreted as something entirely different by someone else. Leave no room for error or misunderstanding.

Don't be afraid to use visuals

Visual support is fantastic for getting your point across or displaying information more clearly in a project status report. Visual aids can break up the monotony of the report if there's a lot of copy, which will be a welcomed relief on the eyes of any reader.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words and for a good reason, if you're struggling to get your point across, then look for an example of it online. Use visuals as a supporting example of what you're saying.  

Automate processes where you can

Despite each project having its own landscape, you can surprise yourself with the amount that you can automate in your reporting process. Learn how to make the most of excel spreadsheets and tool integrations to see how you can backfill or auto-populate data into your project report.

It's these small time-saving hacks that will make your project report more efficient and better looking in the future.

A Project Report Template

Use this project report sample as a starting point for your project reports. Adapt it to your company and project needs and share it with the right people to ensure your project stays on track.

Clément Rog is working in our Marketing team from Lyon, France. He loves geography, playing legos with his son, and sharing convictions about marketing or design.

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How to prepare a project management report

A project management report is an essential project management tool.

It provides a summary overview of the project’s status that you can share with stakeholders, clients and team members. Ideally, the project report is just a page or two long. And it ensures everyone can quickly assess what’s on schedule, and what’s lagging behind or is overdue.

Good communication, management, and organization are central to effective  project management . Regular project management reports help to ensure your project stays on track. And you can also use project reports to manage risk, as well as monitor budgets, and timelines.

Furthermore, the project report can double up as a record-keeping tool for past decisions and actions.

The frequency of your project management report depends on the project’s size and complexity. Monthly reporting is a minimum requirement for most projects, and many produce weekly status reports.

It’s also good practice to produce project management reports throughout the entire lifecycle of the project.

What information needs to be included in a project management report?

The report’s purpose is to update all  project stakeholders  on progress and identify any major issues that might have arisen..

The detail may vary from project to project, but all project management reports should include the following information:

Project milestones

Latest project update

Current project health

The aim is to provide a high-level snapshot of where things are at. Project stakeholders want to be able to see at a glance the project’s status. Make sure your project report clearly identifies the following:

An assessment of the project’s progress against the project plan: Is the project ahead or behind schedule?

A rundown on tasks completed and what’s next in the pipeline: Is overall completion of tasks on track?

A summary of actual costs against budget: Is the budget over or underspent?

An overview of project risks and any issues identified: Has the project’s risk profile changed requiring action?

Plus, any action points or to-do items that need attention.

Tips on how to write a project management report

Keep it short and simple.  Project stakeholders don’t want to get bogged down in too much detail. The report should provide an accessible overview of the project’s status. A weekly 20-page document will simply go unread.

Be concise, and avoid technical jargon.  Not all stakeholders will be familiar with the project’s acronyms or technical terms. Make it an easy read for everyone by using everyday language.

Make it visual.  Charts, graphs, and diagrams will bring the data to life, making it much more accessible. In Teamwork.com, project management reports are color-coded to show the status of whether it’s completed, active or late. This makes it easier for project stakeholders to see at a glance where things are at.

Be honest about progress.  If the project is behind schedule or is over budget, it’s best to be upfront. After all, the sooner a problem is identified, then the sooner it can be resolved and the project can move forward.

Highlight any action points.  Make it easy for project stakeholders. If a client, team member or stakeholder needs to do something, then clearly identify what’s required, by who and when.

Project Management Reporting: Conclusion

A well-prepared project management report is an excellent tool for keeping everyone updated. Plus, it will help you to effectively manage the project and keep it on track.

For more information and advice on project management, check out our  project management workbook .

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How to Write a Project Management Report (+ Templates)

Written by: Unenabasi Ekeruke

Managing a project is tough work. With lots of tasks to oversee, it can be daunting for you to keep up and provide updates on project status.

That's where project management reports come in handy. They provide clear direction, help you make the right decisions and increase your chances of success.

Not sure how to create a project management report? You've come to the right place.

This article will show you everything you need to know about writing a project management report and templates to help you create one right away.

Let's get to it.

Here's a short selection of 8 easy-to-edit project management report templates you can edit, share and download with Visme. View more templates below:

Table of Contents

What is a project management report, why is project reporting important, project management report use cases, what to include in a project management report, how to create a project management report in 6 steps, 10 project management templates to use now, project reporting tips & best practices, your turn: create stunning project management reports with visme.

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A project management report is a document that provides information on the project's progress, performance and overall status. It serves as a key instrument for projects of all types and is used by key stakeholders, including:

• Project sponsors
• Top-level executives
• Project managers
• Team members

The report visualizes your project's realities, peculiarities and performance during the project life cycle . Depending on the project size and complexity, you submit it weekly, monthly or quarterly .

Your report could be a one-page document with links and appendices. You can also decide to make your report more detailed. It's entirely up to how much your stakeholders want to see.

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Project reports increase visibility and give you a complete insight into how your project is performing. But that's the tip of the iceberg regarding the benefits of creating one.

Let's take a look at the benefits of creating project management reports.

•  Project management reports enables managers and stakeholders to create realistic schedules, track progress and measure it against the original project plan .
• It helps you pinpoint potential risks and bottlenecks during a project and address them. You can decide to stop what is not working, continue doing what is working or review the entire process.
• Reporting puts you in charge of your project. You can easily keep an eye on team members' performance, quality of work and the progression, stagnation, or regression of certain aspects.
• Project reports provide a source of learning and clearer insights for current and future decision-making.
• The report makes it easier for you to develop accurate budgets, monitor your expenditure, control cost and manage your budget.

Project management involves many different layers and activities. As a result, there are many use cases for project management reports.

• Project status reports provide complete and timely updates about individual tasks, progress and the project's overall health.
• Project baseline reports compare the current project timeline with your original timeline, allowing you to learn from experience as you plan future projects.
• Time management reports contain every detail about the time your resources spent on the project. You can assess the budget each task consumes and the time used to schedule and make adjustments.
• Risk assessment reports categorize and prioritize predicted and current project risks. You can easily mitigate risk before it sabotages your project's success.
• Financial reports compare initial estimates of expenses, budgets, or projected profits to the actual numbers required. Each of these reports makes up the overall project management reports. And together, they help you plan, monitor and execute your project successfully.

There's no one-size-fits-all structure and content for project management reports. The report content may vary depending on your company, project type and project management requirements.

However, no matter the business, industry, project type, your report should contain these key elements listed below.

1. General Project Details

This section should include special identifiers like:

• Project name, reference number and date
• Name of the project manager
• Project sponsor, client's name and other key stakeholders
• Project start and expected end dates

2. Executive Summary

This section should summarize the project's purpose, scope, activities, timelines and milestones, anticipated obstacles and more.

3. Project Scope and Deliverables

Create a detailed list of project activities and tasks (pending, completed and upcoming). Also, visualize task dependencies to enable readers to track the relationship between different tasks.

4. Project Timelines and Milestones

Record timelines for each activity and the project start and end dates. If you're in the middle of a project, include data about the milestones completed and what's left.

5. Project Resources

The reader should understand who's responsible for certain deliverables and which aspects are being outsourced. Describe the tools, staffing and other resources used to achieve the project goals.

Mention which people or departments are in charge of various aspects of the project and the equipment, systems and programs they use.

6. Risk and Bottlenecks

Your project may run into anticipated risks or unexpected setbacks. These challenges may include scope creep, delays, technical failure, equipment breakdown, or insufficient funding.

Describe how you plan to mitigate these risks or remedy these challenges.

7. Project Change Management

Discuss whether or not a client, internal team or department has requested a change to the processes or deliverables. Provide updates on pending and approved project change requests.

8. Quality Assurance

Discuss the actions taken to ensure the project results are error-free or meet the expected requirements and standards.

9. Financial Information

Provide details about the projected or allotted budget and how funds are spent. Explain whether the projected budget covers the project resources. Also, mention whether or not the project will be completed within the allocated budget.

10. Overall Project Health and Well-being

Give a brief overview of the project's overall health. You can either write it or use visual aids like stoplight charts.

The goal of project reporting is to compile and present relevant information in a clear and concise format. You want stakeholders to glean valuable insights and use them to achieve success.

Here's how to create effective project management reports.

Step 1: Identify Your Project Report Objective

This step is paramount for every successful project management report. Consider the purpose of your project report.

Are you creating new tasks or dependencies? Have you identified new risks or do you want to explain project delays? Are you creating project change requests or updating the project scope? Or are you looking to convince sponsors to pump additional funds into the project?

Why is it critical to clearly state your objective? The answer is simple. It provides clear direction for the rest of the report, making it easy for readers to understand.

Step 2: Pinpoint Your Audience and Understand Their Expectations

The next step is to identify who will be reading the report and what they want to learn from it. Identifying your audience from the outset will give direction for your content.

Some details may be irrelevant to some audiences. Others might require more specific information. For example, top executives and investors may not have time to dive into the finer details. For this type of audience, visual aids like the one below are your best bet.

On the flip side, team members may be unable to get much out of a report showing only charts, numbers and notes.

Meet with your client or supervisor to understand what they expect from the report. They may have a specific report writing format , length, details and areas of interest they want you to include. Try to gather as much information as possible to make your report useful.

Some audiences may be unfamiliar with your profession's language, terms and jargon. Avoid using industry jargon that’s hard to explain. Instead, write in a tone that clearly explains your project information. Tailor your content, tone, language, structure, communication style and graphics to your reader.

Step 3: Gather Valuable Data for your Report

Solidify your reports with accurate data and facts from stakeholders and departments involved in the project.

Looking for financial data? Your accounting software is a great place to start. Or you can get information about resource utilization from your project management tool.

If you're looking to capture the true situation of things, don't just rely on qualitative data alone. Double down on qualitative data like ideas, behaviors and opinions as well. They provide more context and explain the stories behind the quantitative data.

For example, let's say quantitative data shows project delays and missed deadlines. You can gather qualitative data to uncover the root cause and how to mitigate it.

Step 4: Write Your Report

We have already shared what needs to be in your project management report. Now It's time to write it. Use pre-made templates with an organized structure like the one below to make it visually appealing.

Why does it matter? Well, no one wants to read reports in a jumbled and disorganized format. So you want to organize data and facts to make them easily digestible.

Start with a stunning cover page followed by a table of contents . Then move on to the executive summary and the body, which includes the key details. Finally, you can round off your report with a summary.

To make your report actionable, summarize it with key takeaways, action points and expectations.

Not sure how to get started? Visme has you covered. Our report maker is intuitive and easy to use, making report writing a breeze. You can start from scratch or use professionally-designed templates to create reports like:

• Project management reports
• Status update reports
• Marketing reports
• Dashboards and much more

In the latter part of this article, we'll discuss how to make the most of Visme templates.

Step 5. Edit and Review Your Reports

Proofread and revise your content to make it worth the read. Don't be tempted to leave out this step no matter what happens.

Look out for spelling, punctuation and grammar errors, inconsistent data, cluttered designs and other flaws. Eliminate irrelevant details, replace missing data and revise the report until it is error-free. Otherwise, your report will look sloppy and unprofessional.

Check with your team to ensure you aren't missing out on extra updates or last-minute changes. They also offer an extra pair of eyes to spot errors and ensure nothing falls through the cracks.

With Visme, you can collaborate and revise your project with team members. Simply share your report with a link and password. You can set permissions to allow your team members to view, comment and edit the report. When anyone edits the file, you can track changes and anyone with the link will see the changes too.

Step 6: Share Your Report With Relevant Stakeholders

Once you've incorporated contributions from team members, you can share the report with your readers.

From your Visme dashboard, you can invite people via email to view, comment or edit the report. Or copy and share the report link with your audience. You can also download the report in PDF format and share it via email or the cloud.

Remember to ask your readers to confirm they've received the report and can view it.

Crafting a project management report worth reading can be challenging. But there's no doubt that Visme's report maker can make the process a breeze.

The software has an easy-to-use design editor, a rich library of templates , icons, stock images, videos and much more. Feel free to tailor these templates to your unique needs. You can replace the content, add or remove pages, upload logos and images, change fonts, colors and other elements.

Here are ten stunning Visme templates to help you get started.

1. Complete Project Report

Get stakeholder eyes on your project management reports with this attractive template. The cover and adjoining pages have an exquisite design and other elements that create a solid impression.

This template covers everything you need to effectively report your project's progress. It features an executive summary and summary of compelling figures, timelines, comparison of targets and outcomes, budget and expenditures.

Notice how this report uses charts, graphs, icons and images to visualize key project data. You can find and use all of these elements and more in Visme.

2. Landing Page Project Status Report

If you're struggling to communicate your project status, this template is a life-saver. This vibrant template has an elegant design and elements that attract the reader's attention.

You can easily capture project goals and status, inter-department KPIs, contributor APIs, upcoming tasks and more. Go ahead and add or edit the content, upload your logo and images to make this template your own.

3. Budget Report Template

With this template, you can keep budgets and expenditures in check. The template uses data visualization features ( charts, graphs and widgets) to reflect financial data.

In Visme, you'll find different visual aids and interactive elements to bring your information to life. At a glance, your stakeholders can also understand how much various items and projects cost and how profitable they may be in the future. You can customize this report for any unique business and project needs.

4. Simple Annual Report

Are you looking to show investors how your business has performed in the past year? This annual report template is the best tool to help you get cracking.

The template is characterized by a minimalistic design and a cool color scheme. You'll find beautiful images, charts, icons and other design elements that make it stand out.

Once you're done customizing your report, you can easily share it online via a link. You can also embed it on your website or blog or download it for offline use in various formats, like PDF and HTML5.

5. Simple Monthly Report

This template is perfect for updating stakeholders about project progress, business processes and activities. Notice how the design utilizes whitespace, classy typography and cool colors to produce an alluring design.

The table of content design shifts from the conventional list format. And the rest of the pages contain images, tables, charts and icons that increase visual impact. Feel free to add or subtract pages and replace the content with yours.

6. Annual Marketing Report Template

You've invested time, effort and resources into different marketing projects during the year. How do you convince the board that you're smashing your goals?

You need a template like this to show what you've been up to. It captures key aspects of your marketing project, like:

• Marketing activities and initiatives
• Strategic plans and future goals
• Financial highlights and more

The template has a captivating theme with customized content blocks, borders, icons, images and vector icons. You can get all of these design assets and more in Visme.

7. Corporate Project Status Reports

Not sure how to present timely updates about your project's overall progress? This professionally-designed status report template is the perfect tool to jumpstart your creativity.

It details each step of the project's execution and the most critical task in progress. The project's budget, milestones, upcoming tasks, potential risks and roadblocks and overall project health are also included.

This template uses a pie chart to capture team performance (KPIs), while the progress bar visualizes the project's health. No matter your business size, scope or niche, you can tweak this template to fit your business or project needs.

8. Creative Monthly Report

Use this template to clearly depict how various aspects of your business or project are performing. It gives you a closer look at what's working and what's not.

You can customize it to include the key elements that make up a project management report, including:

• The project overview
• Project scope
• Status or Project milestones and timelines

Jazz up your reports and draw attention to key data points using pie charts, bar graphs, timelines and interactive maps.

9. Weekly Project Status Report Template

This project management report template is suitable for businesses that want to gauge their progress against specific goals.

It has sections listing pending and completed tasks and how they impact the overall plan. Search through our vast library of vibrant, isometric, flat and outline images to find the best fit for your report.

10. Creative Annual Report

Our last pick is a visual-rich report template that focuses on the bigger picture. Gauge your company or project's health with this annual report template.

We recommend using this template for top management and stakeholders who may be unable to dive into finer details. To grab their attention, spice up your report with data and visual aids that communicate these things:

• What's been done
• What needs to be done
• Who's responsible for different tasks
• When each task will be completed
• The financial implications and so on

To get started, input your project data and change the fonts, color and logo to reflect your brand.

Ready to create project management reports that boost stakeholders' confidence in your project? Here are some tips and best practices you should have up your sleeve.

Make Your Report Brief and Data Rich

When writing a project management report, be concise. Make sure every word counts. Don't dwell on details your readers don't need to know. Otherwise, you'll lose your reader's attention.

Readers want to look through the report and grasp the action points and next steps as quickly as possible. Keep sentences short and to the point. Rather than long paragraphs, use bullet points to present information.

For example, you can list tasks or deliverables rather than describe them in detail.

Be Specific and Provide Context

Write your report in a way that makes the reader understand the true situation of things. Stakeholders need to know how significant the problem truly is.

For example, don't just say the deliverable is behind schedule or there's an urgent risk to be addressed. Instead, start by establishing the root causes of the delay. Is it due to scope creep, equipment failure, labor or financial shortages or acts of God?

Discuss how the situation will impact the entire project. Will you require additional resources, a supplementary budget or an adjustment in timelines? Do you need approval for a change request?

Be upfront about the solution or steps being taken to address it? If you need clients or other stakeholders to take action, clearly state who is responsible. Highlight what they are responsible for and when to do it.

Make It Visual

Top executives and project sponsors receive different types of reports daily. Hence the need to incorporate visuals like charts, graphs, maps, tables, diagrams, pictures, animations and video.

Visual aids break up text and make even lengthy reports easy to digest. But there's a caveat!

Don't just slam your audience with dull and pixelated visuals that don't add value to your report. Rather, make it eye-catching and visually pleasing to capture readers' attention.

Tables are perfect for communicating numbers like budget, timelines, percentage completed and more. Kanban boards give a general overview of the projects and help spot potential bottlenecks.

Use stoplight color-coded charts to indicate project health. Green shows the activities are on schedule and yellow indicates the project has risks or bottlenecks. Red shows the project has veered off track.

You can use infographics, flowcharts and process diagrams to depict the flow of work or document processes .

Graphs, bar charts and pie charts work magic for visualizing data like budgets, expenditures and income.

Animations, photos, videos, screenshots, samples, models and prototypes are suitable for showing your project in progress. For example, suppose you're building a website or app. In that case, you can share a demo video of the project at different phases.

You're probably wondering how to get your hands on all the visual aids mentioned above. Keep calm; Visme has got you. We have a rich library of 10,000+ images, videos, charts, vector icons and any other visual aid you can think of. You can pick and customize your visuals within minutes without professional help.

Keep Your Report on Brand

You need to do more than just add visuals to make your report shine. We recommend customizing your report to showcase your brand identity. The goal is to leave a solid impression on your audience.

With Visme, keeping your report on brand is a piece of cake, even if you're new to report design . After picking a template, you can add fonts and colors to different elements of your report. Feel free to add icons, illustrations and animations to make your report interactive.

Visme's Brand Design Tool helps you maintain design consistency. With a few clicks, you can customize and save your design elements and apply them to future projects.

Want to learn more about choosing the right color theme for your document? Read our article on color psychology in marketing or watch the video below.

Be Open To Constructive Feedback and Communication

After submitting your message project management report, your job isn't done just yet. Don't be in a hurry to close the communication channel with stakeholders. Go ahead and invite further questions and feedback on your reports.

We get it. This might be daunting considering the time spent on putting together your report. But try to be receptive to critique and suggestions.

The good part is that it ensures everyone is on the same page regarding the project collaboration. Also, acting on the feedback and suggestions can help steer the project in the right direction.

Project management reports provide a high-level overview of what's happening with your project. And having one that ticks all the right boxes plays a pivotal role in the project's success.

With Visme's report maker , you no longer have to outsource your design project. The tool makes it easy for anyone, regardless of skill level, to create documents they can be proud of. Browse our library of project report templates to find the right fit for your project.

Easily create project management report in Visme within minutes

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About the Author

Unenabasi is a content expert with many years of experience in digital marketing, business development, and strategy. He loves to help brands tell stories that drive engagement, growth, and competitive advantage. He’s adept at creating compelling content on lifestyle, marketing, business, e-commerce, and technology. When he’s not taking the content world by storm, Unenabasi enjoys playing or watching soccer.

How to Write a Business Report: A Step By Step Guide with Examples

Table of contents

To see what Databox can do for you, including how it helps you track and visualize your performance data in real-time, check out our home page. Click here .

With so much experience under your belt, you already know a lot about business reporting.

So, we don’t want to waste your time pointing out the obvious because we know what you need.

Secrets. Tricks. Best practices.sales rep drilldown business report

The answer to how to write a mind-blowing business report that you don’t need to spend hours and days writing.

A business report that will immediately allow you to identify your strengths and weaknesses.

A report that’ll help you learn more about your business and do more accurate forecasting and planning for the future.

We believe we have just that right here.

With this comprehensive guide, you’ll create effective sales, analytical, and informative business reports (and business dashboards ) that will help you improve your strategies, achieve your goals, and grow your business.

So, let’s dive in.

What Is a Business Report?

Importance of creating business reports, types of business reports, what should be included in a business report, how to write a business report: an 11-step guide.

• Business Report Examples

Although there’s a variety of business reports that differ in many aspects, in short, a business report definition would be the following:

A business report is an informative document that contains important data such as facts, analyses, research findings, and statistics about a business with the goal to make this information accessible to people within a company.

Their main purpose is to facilitate the decision-making process related to the future of the business, as well as to maintain effective communication between people who create the reports and those they report to.

A good business report is concise and well-organized, looks professional, and displays the relevant data you can act on. The point is to reflect upon what you’ve achieved so far (typically, over the past month, quarter or year) and to use the data to create a new strategy or adjust the current one to reach even more business goals.

Business reports should be objective and based on the data. When stating the facts, people rely on numbers rather than giving descriptions. For instance, instead of saying “our conversion rate skyrocketed”, you would display the exact percentages that back up that claim.

Business reporting matters for several reasons, among which the most important ones are:

Recognizing Opportunities to Grow

Detecting issues and solving them quickly, evaluating a potential partner, having a paper trail, keeping things transparent for the stakeholders, setting new company goals.

In fact, over half of the companies that contributed to Databox’s state of business reporting research confirmed that regular monitoring and reporting brought them significant concrete benefits.

If you never look back at what you’ve achieved, you can’t figure out what you’ve done well and what you can leverage in the future for even better results.

When you analyze a specific aspect of your business over a specific time period and present the data you gathered in a report, you can detect an opportunity to grow more easily because you have all the information in one place and organized neatly.

Is it time to introduce new products or services? Is there a way to enhance your marketing strategy? Prepare a report. Can you optimize your finances? Write a financial business report . Whatever decision you need to make, it’s easier when you base it on a report.

Reports are essential for crisis management because they can introduce a sense of calmness into your team. Putting everything on paper makes it easier to encompass all the relevant information and when you know all the facts, you can make a more accurate and effective decision about what to do next.

Writing business reports regularly will also help you identify potential issues or risks and act timely to prevent damage and stop it from escalating. That’s why monthly reporting is better than doing it only once a year.

Having an insight into your finances , operations and other business aspects more regularly allows you to have better control over them and mitigate potential risks more effectively.

Different types of business reports may be accessible to the general public. And if they’re not, specific situations may require a company to send them over to the person requesting them. That may happen if you’re considering a partnership with another company. Before making the final decision, you should learn about their financial health as every partnership poses a certain risk for your finances and/or reputation. Will this decision be profitable?

Having an insight into a company’s business report helps you establish vital business relationships. And it goes the other way around – any potential partner can request that you pull a business report for them to see, so writing business reports can help you prove you’re a suitable business partner.

In business, and especially in large companies, it’s easy to misplace information when it’s communicated verbally. Having a written report about any aspect of your business doesn’t only prevent you from losing important data, but it also helps you keep records so you can return to them at any given moment and use them in the future.

That’s why it’s always good to have a paper trail of anything important you want to share with colleagues, managers, clients, or investors. Nowadays, of course, it doesn’t have to literally be a paper trail, since we keep the data in electronic form.

Writing business reports helps you keep things transparent for the stakeholders, which is the foundation of efficient communication between these two sides.

You typically need to report to different people – sometimes they’re your managers, sometimes they’re a client. But your company’s stakeholders will also require an insight into the performance of your business, and relying on reports will help you maintain favorable business relationships. A business report shows you clearly how your company is performing and there isn’t room for manipulation.

Once you set business goals and the KPIs that help you track your progress towards them, you should remember they’re not set in stone. From time to time, you’ll need to revisit your goals and critical metrics and determine whether they’re still relevant.

When you write a business report and go through it with your team members or managers, you have a chance to do just that and determine if you’re efficient in reaching your goals. Sometimes, new insights will come up while writing these reports and help you identify new objectives that may have emerged.

Depending on your goals and needs, you’ll be writing different types of business reports. Here are five basic types of business reports .

Informational Report

Analytical report, research report, explanatory report, progress report.

Informational reports provide you with strictly objective data without getting into the details, such as explaining why something happened or what the result may be – just pure facts.

An example of this type of business report is a statement where you describe a department within your company: the report contains the list of people working in this department, what their titles are, and what they’re responsible for.

Another example related to a company’s website could look like this Google Analytics website traffic engagement report . As we explained above, this report shows objective data without getting too much into the details, so in this case, just the most important website engagement metrics such as average session duration, bounce rate, sessions, sessions by channel, and so on. Overall, you can use this report to monitor your website traffic, see which keywords are most successful, or how many returning users you have, but without further, in-depth analysis.

Analytical reports help you understand the data you’ve collected and plan for the future based on these insights. You can’t make business decisions based on facts only, so analytical reports are crucial for the decision-making process.

This type of business report is commonly used for sales forecasting. For instance, if you write a report where you identify a drop or an increase in sales, you’ll want to find out why it happened. This HubSpot’s sales analytics report is a good example of what metrics should be included in such a report, like average revenue per new client or average time to close the deal. You can find more web analytics dashboard examples here.

From these business reports, you can find out if you will reach your goals by implementing your current strategy or if you need to make adjustments.

Research is critical when you’re about to introduce a change to your business. Whether it’s a new strategy or a new partner, you need an extensive report to have an overview of all important details. These reports usually analyze new target markets and competition, and contain a lot of statistical data.

While not the same, here is an example of an ecommerce dashboard that could help track each part of a campaign in detail, no matter whether you are launching a new product, testing a new strategy, and similar. Similar to a research report, it contains key data on your audience (target market), shows your top-selling products, conversion rate and more. If you are an online store owner who is using paid ads, you can rely on this report to monitor key online sales stats in line with Facebook Ads and Google Analytics. See more ecommerce dashboards here.

As you might guess from its name, you write the explanatory report when it’s necessary for you to explain a specific situation or a project you’ve done to your team members. It’s important to write this report in a way that everyone will be able to understand.

Explanatory reports include elements like research results, reasons and goals of the research, facts, methodology, and more. While not exactly an explanatory report, this example of a HubSpot marketing drilldown report is the closest thing to it, as it helps marketers drill into an individual landing page performance, and identify how good their best landing pages are at converting, or which ones have the best performance.

A progress report is actually an update for your manager or client – it informs them about where you stand at the moment and how things are going. It’s like a checkpoint on your way towards your goal.

These reports may be the least demanding to write since you don’t need to do comprehensive research before submitting them. You just need to sum up your progress up to the point when the report was requested. This business report may include your current results, the strategy you’re implementing, the obstacles you’ve come across, etc. If this is a marketing progress report you can use marketing report templates to provide a more comprehensive overview.

In many companies, progress reports are done on a weekly or even daily basis. Here is an example of a daily sales report from Databox. HubSpot users can rely on this sales rep drilldown business report to see how individual each sales rep is performing and measure performance against goals. Browse through all our KPI dashboards here.

What does a great business report look like? If you’re not sure what sections your report should have, you’ll learn what to include in the following lines.

Business Report Formatting

Different types of reports require different lengths and structures, so your business report format may depend on what elements your report needs to have. For example, progress reports are typically pretty simple, while analytical or explanatory reports are a different story.

However, most reports will start with a title and a table of contents, so the person reading the report knows what to expect. Then, add a summary and move on to the introduction. After you’ve written the body and the conclusion, don’t forget to include suggestions based on your findings that will help your team create an actionable plan as you move forward.

After that, list the references you used while creating the report, and attach any additional documents or images that can help the person reading the report understand it better.

This outline may vary depending on what kind of report you’re writing. Short business reports may not need a table of contents, and informative reports won’t contain any analyses. Also, less formal reports don’t need to follow a strict structure in every situation.

Business Report Contents

When it comes to the contents of your report, keep in mind the person who’s going to read it and try to balance between including all the relevant information, but not overwhelming the reader with too many details.

• The introduction to the report should state the reason why you’re writing it, and what its main goal is. Also, mention what methodology and reporting software you’ve used, if applicable.
• The body of the report is where you’ll expose all your key findings, explain your methodology, share the important data and statistics, and present your results and conclusion.
• The conclusion , similarly to the summary you’ll add at the beginning of the report, briefly singles out the most important points and findings of the report.

If you decide to include more sections like recommendations, this is where you’ll suggest the next steps your team or the company may want to take to improve the results or take advantage of them if they’re favorable.

PRO TIP: Are You Tracking the Right Metrics for Your SaaS Company?

As a SaaS business leader, there’s no shortage of metrics you could be monitoring, but the real question is, which metrics should you be paying most attention to? To monitor the health of your SaaS business, you want to identify any obstacles to growth and determine which elements of your growth strategy require improvements. To do that, you can track the following key metrics in a convenient dashboard with data from Profitwell:

• Recurring Revenue. See the portion of your company’s revenue that is expected to grow month-over-month.
• MRR overview. View the different contributions to and losses from MRR from different kinds of customer engagements.
• Customer overview . View the total number of clients your company has at any given point in time and the gains and losses from different customer transactions.
• Growth Overview . Summarize all of the different kinds of customer transactions and their impact on revenue growth.
• Churn overview. Measure the number and percentage of customers or subscribers you lost during a given time period.

If you want to track these in ProfitWell, you can do it easily by building a plug-and-play dashboard that takes your customer data from ProfitWell and automatically visualizes the right metrics to allow you to monitor your SaaS revenue performance at a glance.

You can easily set it up in just a few clicks – no coding required.

To set up the dashboard, follow these 3 simple steps:

Step 1: Get the template 

Step 2: Connect your Profitwell account with Databox. 

Step 3: Watch your dashboard populate in seconds.

Note : Other than text, make sure you include images, graphs, charts, and tables. These elements will make your report more readable and illustrate your points.

Whether you’re writing a specific type of business report for the first time or you simply want to improve the quality of your reports, make sure you follow this comprehensive guide to writing an effective business report.

• Do Your Research
• Create an Outline
• Determine Formatting Guidelines
• Think of an Engaging Title
• Write the Introduction
• Divide the Body of the Report into Sections
• Choose Illustrations
• Conclude Effectively
• Gather Additional Documentation
• Add a Summary
• Proofread Your Work

Step 1: Do Your Research

A well-planned report is a job half done. That means you need to do research before you start writing: you need to know who you’re writing for and how much they know about the topic of your report. You need to explore the best business dashboard software and templates you can use for your report.

Also, if you believe you will need additional resources and documents to add in the appendix, you should do it during this phase of report writing.

Step 2: Create an Outline

Once you’ve gathered the resources, it’s time to plan the report. Before you start writing, create an outline that will help you stick to the right structure. A business report is complex writing in which you can get lost very easily if you don’t have a clear plan.

Moreover, the report shouldn’t be complicated to read, so sticking to a plan will allow you to keep it concise and clear, without straying from the topic.

Step 3: Determine Formatting Guidelines

Most companies have their in-house formatting that every official document has to follow. If you’re not sure if such rules exist in your company, it’s time you checked with your managers.

If there arent’ any guidelines regarding formatting, make sure you set your own rules to make the report look professional. Choose a simple and readable format and make sure it supports all the symbols you may need to use in the report. Set up proper headings, spacing, and all the other elements you may need in Word or Google Docs.

Pro tip: Google Docs may be easier to share with people who are supposed to read your business report.

Step 4: Think of an Engaging Title

Even if you’re writing a formal business report, the title should be clear and engaging. Reports are typically considered dull as they’re a part of official business documentation, but there’s no reason why you can’t make them interesting to read. Your title should suit the report topic and be in different font size so the reader can recognize it’s a title. Underneath the title, you should add the name of the author of the report.

Step 5: Write the Introduction

A good introductory paragraph for a business report should explain to the reader why you’ve written the report. Use the introduction to provide a bit of background on the report’s topic and mention the past results if there’s been a significant improvement since your last report.

Step 6: Divide the Body of the Report into Sections

As this will be the most comprehensive part of your report, make sure you separate the data into logical sections. Your report is supposed to tell a story about your business, and these sections (such as methodology, hypothesis, survey, findings, and more) will help the data look well-organized and easy to read.

Step 7: Choose Illustrations

Of course, each of these sections should be followed with charts, graphs, tables, or other illustrations that help you make a point. Survey results are typically best displayed in pie charts and graphs, and these enable the reader to visualize the data better. From the formatting point of view, breaking the long text sections with illustrations makes the report more readable.

Pro tip: Using centralized dashboard solutions like Databox can bring your reporting game to the next level. Sign up for a forever-free trial now to see how you can use Databox to track and visualize performance easier than ever before .

Step 8: Conclude Effectively

Finish your report with a to-the-point conclusion that will highlight all the main data from the report. Make sure it’s not too long, as it’s supposed to be a summary of the body of the report. In case you don’t want to add a specific section for recommendations, this is where you can include them, along with your assessments.

Step 9: Gather Additional Documentation

If you’ve determined what additional documents, images, surveys, or other attachments you may need for your report, now is the time to collect them. Request access to those you may not be able to get on time, so you have everything you need by the deadline. Copy the documents you can use in the original form, and scan the documents you need in electronic format.

Step 10: Add a Summary

The summary is usually at the top of the report, but it’s actually something you should write after your report is completed. Only then will you know exactly what your most relevant information and findings are, so you can include them in this brief paragraph that summarizes your report’s main points.

The summary should tell the reader about the objective of the report, the methodology used, and even mention some of the key findings and conclusions.

Step 11: Proofread Your Work

It may seem like common sense, but this final step of the process is often overlooked. Proofreading your work is how you make sure your report will look professional because errors can ruin the overall impression the reader will form about your work, no matter how great the report is.

Look for any spelling or grammatical mistakes you can fix, and if you’re not sure about specific expressions or terminology, use Google to double-check it. Make sure your writing is to-the-point and clear, especially if you’re writing for people who may not know the industry so well. Also, double-check the facts and numbers you’ve included in the report before you send it out or start your reporting meeting.

Business Report Examples (with Ready-to-Use Templates)

Here, we’re sharing a few business reporting examples that you can copy, along with ready-to-use and free-to-download templates. If you don’t know where to start and what to include in different types of business reports, these business report examples are a great way to get started or at least get some inspiration to create yours.

Activity Report Example

Annual report example, project status report example, financial report example, sales report example, marketing report example.

Note : Each of the business report templates shared below can be customized to fit your individual needs with our DIY Dashboard Designer . No coding or design skills are necessary.

For reporting on sales activity, HubSpot users can rely this streamlined sales activity report that includes key sales metrics, such as calls, meetings, or emails logged by owner. This way, you can easily track the number of calls, meetings, and emails for each sales rep and identify potential leaks in your sales funnel. Check all our sales team activity dashboards here. Or if you are looking for dashboards that track general sales performance, browse through all Databox sales dashboards here.

If you’re preparing for annual reporting, you will benefit from choosing this HubSpot annual performance report . It contains all the relevant metrics, such as email and landing page performance, new contacts, top blog posts by page views, and more. See all our performance dashboard templates here.

Project status reports can be very similar to progress reports. If you’re in need of one of those, here’s an example of a Project overview dashboard from Harvest that shows that can help you create simple, but well-organized report based on metrics that matter: hours tracked, billable hours, billable amount split by team members., and more. Check out more project management dashboard templates we offer here.

Are you creating a financial report? You will find this QuickBooks + HubSpot integration a great choice for a financial performance dashboard that makes creating a report simple. This dashboard focuses on the essential financial report

ting metrics and answers all your revenue-related questions. See all Databox financial dashboards here.

If you’re tracking your sales team’s monthly performance, this sales report template will help you prepare an outstanding report. Check out all the vital productivity KPIs, track your progress towards your goals, and understand well how your current sales pipeline is performing. See all sales performance dashboards we have available here.

Marketing reports can be easily prepared by using this monthly marketing report template . With HubSpot’s reporting, you can determine where your website traffic is coming from, how your landing pages and specific blog posts are performing, and how successful your email campaigns are. Browse all Databox marketing dashboards or marketing report examples here.

Create a Professional Business Report in No Time with Databox

Does creating a business report still sound like a daunting task? It doesn’t have to be with Databox.

In times when we’re all trying to save our time and energy for things that matter rather than scattering valuable resources on tedious, repetitive tasks, it’s critical to optimize your business process. And we want to help you do just that.

Using a business reporting dashboard enables you to track data from all the different tools you’re using – but in one place. With Databox, you can monitor and report on performance in a single dashboard that is optimized for all your favorite devices and you can create streamlined and beautiful dashboards even if you are not that tech-savvy. (no coding or design skills are required).

Automating business reporting has never been easier. And with Databox, you can do exactly that in just a few clicks. Sign up now and get your first 3 business dashboards for free.

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Stefana Zarić is a freelance writer & content marketer. Other than writing for SaaS and fintech clients, she educates future writers who want to build a career in marketing. When not working, Stefana loves to read books, play with her kid, travel, and dance.

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Want to create project reports with just a few clicks?

Project Reporting: In-Depth Guide to Project Reports

Project reports and reporting are a fundamental part of project management and a project’s success. Documents such as the project summary report serve as practical tools that provide a detailed account of the project’s progress, challenges, and strategies.

Documenting every aspect of a project includes following certain steps and making sure that information is available to managers, stakeholders, and team members.

Whether you’re a seasoned project manager wanting to refine your own project management skills and create better project reports or want to create a project report for the first time, this article will guide you through the entire reporting process.

Want to create comprehensive project reports with just a few clicks?

Choose a simple, fast and secure time tracking solution that ensures timely timesheets, keeps your project budgets in check and automatically calculates billable hours.

What is project reporting?

Project reporting is the process of collecting, analyzing, and disseminating information about a project’s progress and project team performance.

This kind of reporting involves gathering project data like key metrics and insights related to various aspects of the project, including timelines, project budget , resources, the status of operations, risks, and project milestones .

Project reporting exists to keep stakeholders and team members informed about the project’s development, being an essential tool when making decisions regarding any related situation.

The bottom line is that effective project reporting provides transparency on every action for everyone involved. Project reporting serves as a communication tool, fostering collaboration and accountability among team members and stakeholders . 

What is a project report?

A project report is a detailed document that provides a detailed overview of a project’s planning, execution, and outcomes.

It serves as a formal record, communicating essential information about the project’s progress, performance, and status to the various project stakeholders involved. This document plays a crucial role in fostering communication, transparency, and accountability within a project, assisting decision-makers when making decisions.

Typically, project management reports include these key points:

• The current status of the project and the project’s current direction
• Information about the timeline and project schedule
• Details about the project budget and resources used and/or needed
• Cost-benefit analysis report
• An outline of the upcoming tasks, realistic project objectives, and key milestones
• Strategies to address challenges, ensuring stakeholders clearly understand the project’s trajectory.

It’s important to also include an assessment of potential risks and challenges , and the solutions that may be the appropriate response if those ever arise.

It must also include the list of the pre-determined key performance indicators (KPIs) , measures that assess the project’s performance against predefined project goals and objectives.

Who prepares a project report?

Usually, the project report is the responsibility of the project manager , unless another member of the team is designated to do it. It’s important to add that the responsibility for creating the project report may vary depending on the size and structure of the organization , as well as the nature of the project.

The project manager is usually the most well-acquainted team member with the project’s details, progress, and challenges, making them the best person to provide a complete and detailed project overview report .

In larger organizations, there might be dedicated project coordinators, analysts, or reporting specialists who collaborate with the project manager to gather relevant information and create the report.

Benefits of a project report in project management

A project report is a vital part of a project management operation not only for its purpose as a reference document but also as a communication tool.

Beyond being a formality, a well-crafted project report is essential in communicating information to stakeholders, guiding decision-making, and ensuring transparency throughout the project lifecycle .

Let’s explore the benefits of building a project report.

1. Improving communication and transparency

It serves as a communication bridge, offering stakeholders, team members, and decision-makers a clear and transparent view of the project’s status, progress, successes, and challenges.

2. Informing decision-making

Because it provides detailed insights into various aspects of the project, the project report empowers decision-makers to make informed choices. It facilitates the identification of potential issues and allows for timely adjustments to keep the project on track.

• Read also: Why quick decision-making is so important?

3. Informing resource allocation

Project reports include information on budget use, resource allocation , and financial aspects, among others. This data enables organizations to optimize resource allocation for current and future projects.

4. Enabling risk management

The identification and assessment of risks are integral components of a project report. This information helps teams develop strategies to mitigate risks, enhancing overall project resilience.

5. Evaluating performance

Having key performance indicators (KPIs) and progress updates in a project report enables stakeholders to evaluate the project’s performance against predefined benchmarks, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives.

6. Engaging stakeholders

A well-prepared project report keeps stakeholders informed about the project’s purpose, goals, and accomplishments. This involvement fosters a sense of collaboration and accountability.

7. Documentation purposes

Project reports serve as crucial documentation for auditing purposes and compliance with organizational standards, industry regulations, or contractual obligations. It also creates a historical record of the project, providing a reference point for future projects.

8. Evaluating the project

When the project is complete, the report serves as a comprehensive record for evaluating the project’s overall success, documenting lessons learned, and facilitating the closure process.

9. Continuous improvement

Through the analysis of past projects documented in reports, organizations can get valuable insights and use this information for continuous improvement. Lessons learned from one project can inform the approach to future initiatives.

12 Common project report types

Various types of project reports cater to different needs and objectives throughout the project lifecycle. There is often a need for more than one effective project report, and it’s essential to understand the different types of reports and when to use them.

Understanding the nuances of these project report types allows project managers and teams to tailor their communication to specific needs and issues.

1. Progress report (aka project status report)

This type of report provides an overview of the project’s status, highlighting completed tasks, milestones achieved, and work in progress. It keeps stakeholders informed about the project’s development.

For basic progress reporting, use the task tracker template .

2. Risk report

This one focuses on identifying, assessing, and managing potential risks associated with the project. It also helps to outline strategies to manage projects, mitigate risks, and ensure proactive risk management.

• Read also: How to create a project risk management plan

3. Financial report

Another type of project management report is a financial report. It documents the details of the project’s financial aspects, including budget allocation, expenses, resource utilization, etc. It helps in tracking financial health and adherence to budget requirements.

• TIP: Read our guide about cost tracking in project management
• Check out: Markup Calculator and Margin Calculator

4. Quality assurance report

It focuses on the quality of project deliverables, processes, and outcomes. It outlines measures taken to secure the overall quality of the project.

5. Status report

The project status report provides a concise summary of the project’s current state, including accomplishments, challenges, and upcoming milestones.

Project status reports are also known as project health reports.

6. Milestone report

This type of project completion report highlights the specific milestones achieved during the project, indicating progress and how the project timeline is being handled.

7. Issues log

The issues log document issues or challenges encountered during the project. It includes details about the nature of the issue, its impact, and proposed or implemented solutions.

8. Implementation report or project summary report

Created after the completion of the project, this report evaluates all project data, including the project plan, results, outcomes, what was learned during the project, and its overall project success. It provides insights for future projects.

9. Resource allocation report

The resource reports summarize the distribution of resources, including staff, equipment, materials, and budget. It helps optimize resource utilization when managing projects and ensures that resources meet the project requirements.

10. Communication plan

Those are project reports that outline the communication strategy and explain how information is shared among team members, stakeholders, and other relevant parties.

11. Forecast report

Forecast project reports created by project managers include projections for future project activities and potential challenges, supporting planning and decision-making for the upcoming phases of the project.

12. Closure report

This type of report summarizes the project’s overall performance, achievements, and challenges, and it should also include recommendations for future work. 

How to write a project report

Making sure that effective project reporting is in place is incredibly helpful for the project’s lifecycle. By structuring the report for maximum impact, each step plays a crucial role in delivering clear and useful information to stakeholders.

To create effective project reports, follow these tips:

Define the main goal of the project report

Consider what information you want to convey, whether you need to address project risks, and who the intended audience is.

Research your audience well

Tailor your language and wording based on your audience. Before building and sending a report, understand who will receive it and adjust your communication style accordingly.

Choose the type or types of report you’ll be using

Evaluate the team’s needs, the stakeholders’ expectations, and the project type to determine the most suitable report type. Align it with the project itself.

Use templates

Templates can save you precious time. Find or create templates tailored to the specific focus of your report to expedite the formatting process and provide a standardized structure for conveying the same data more effectively.

• TIP: Save time by downloading these time management templates that you can use for reporting.

Make sure you’re including all the relevant information

A comprehensive report should include the most important details from your project, focusing on the most recent and critical information. Keep the report concise by including essential elements such as original deadlines, project tasks completed, potential issues, and individual team member responsibilities.

Keep the information well-organized

The report needs to be fairly easy to consult for clarity and impact. Prioritize information based on importance, arranging it in a logical order.

Choose the report format

Choosing the right report format is crucial as it ensures that the information is presented in a clear, accessible, and engaging manner.

This usually means using familiar formats like PowerPoint slides, PDFs, interactive dashboards, or Word docs to fit what different project stakeholders prefer.

Use a structure

A well-defined structure typically includes an executive summary, an introduction, a body of information presenting essential information (issues, team needs, project analysis, etc), and a conclusion.

Revise it and proofread it thoroughly

Do meticulously proofread for spelling errors, formatting issues, and accuracy in calculations and numbers . Ask for input from team members to catch any errors you might have missed. Another pair of eyes can be a big help.

Depending on the project needs or the company’s policy itself, it’s advised to maintain a regular reporting routine to provide project stakeholders with a consistent view of the project’s progress.

Create automated project reports with Timeular

As we’ve been explaining through this article, accurate project reporting is essential for successful project management. The key element of your project reports are time reports .

This is where a time reporting system like Timeular comes in , providing automated time tracking.

They not only enhance the accuracy and efficiency of your project reports but also offer comprehensive insights. They help in minimizing errors in tracking work hours and project progress, making the reporting process more streamlined and reliable.

Effortless, smart, and secure project time tracking

Timeular is a user-friendly and secure app that helps you create time reports with just a few clicks:

• Create detailed project reports
• Manage project expenses and project budgets
• Generate availability reports and reports on resource allocation
• Monitor the time dedicated to specific tasks
• Evaluate the productivity of your project team

Its simplicity and smart features make time tracking an integral and effortless part of your project management routine.

Choose your favorite time tracking method

In Timeular, you can pick the time tracking method that best adapts to your workstyle: use a physical time Tracker , automatic time tracking , or keyboard shortcuts , all ensuring a smooth and fast tracking experience.

Effects? Time tracking takes less than 1 minute a day!

Don’t chase timesheets ever again

All team members track work time, time off, and overtime in a single place. Thanks to effortless time capturing , which can be either automated or enhanced by smart time tracking methods and automated tracking reminders , you make sure that timesheets are always complete and ready whenever you need to write a project report.

Track billable hours automatically

As a project manager, you can effortlessly tag tasks as billable or non-billable, allowing for simple tracking of time invested in various projects and clients. By assigning hourly rates to specific tasks or team members, the system automatically computes costs.

This feature is instrumental in checking up project’s health and creating an insightful project management report. Monitoring project expenses, guaranteeing precise client billing , and offering valuable information regarding your team’s productivity additionally improves your project management skills .

• Discover the benefits of the Timeular billable hours tracker for more details.

You can finally keep project budgets in check

Timeular’s data is particularly valuable for creating precise status reports regarding project budgets. Keep your budgets in check by setting the planned hours for each project and hourly rates for each task or team member.

We will let you know when you are approaching certain limits to keep you away from overspending and overservicing your clients.

Smoothly integrate with your project management tools

You can easily track the time of all the tasks monitored in your project management software thanks to integrations provided by Timeular and Zapier. You can build your own integrations, too, using API.

• Salesforce time tracking
• ClickUp time tracking
• Jira time tracking
• HubSpot time tracking
• Trello time tracking

Project reporting is an integral aspect of project management , a compass that guides projects from inception to completion. Hopefully, this article serves as a guide that has proven the significance of project reports, their types, and the critical role they play in effective communication, decision-making, and accountability.

From understanding the basics of project reporting to exploring various report types , including progress reports, risk reports, and financial reports, this guide can help project managers and teams with the knowledge to tailor their reporting to the project’s specific needs.

As we also explored, the benefits of project reporting are vast , from improving communication and transparency to informing decision-making, optimizing resource allocation, and enabling risk management.

Project reports not only document project details but also contribute to continuous improvement and serve as historical records for future initiatives.

You might be interested in:

• Project management tracking
• What is project monitoring?
• How to measure project profitability
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New Business Project Report

Report generator.

Starting a new business project is a combination of risk and reward. Starting a new venture is always risky, but once a blueprint is laid out and a clear plan is set, then the project can attain steady progress. Once the project is completed, a general report needs to be created and submitted to management for the project to be reviewed.

To help you create a new business project report, we have provided some project report examples you can use as a guide. We also listed down some tips in writing a new business project report.

Project Report For New Business Template

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Why Businesses Start a New Project

It is not a rare occurrence for businesses to start a new project. Whether it is a small enterprise or a large corporation, a new project is always is in the sights of these companies. The main reason why businesses start a new project is for expansion purposes. Business organizations who rely on profit for sustainability eventually need to expand so that they can increase their revenues. You may also see investigation report samples and examples.

Even a company cannot simply rely on producing and selling products in one location. Competitors are always threats and they can easily create similar products that do not only have similar functions but might function better than the ones currently existing in the market. You may also like business report examples.

Another reason why businesses start a new project is to venture into other products or a new industry. Although this is similar to expanding, venturing into a new industry acts as a 90-degree shift for companies due to difficulties entering into a new venture.

Take for example a computer software manufacturer planning to open a restaurant or a toy and souvenir seller venturing into the healthcare business. Venturing into a new business is like starting from scratch, financial and human resources ( human resource plan , investment agreement , loan agreement , etc.) still need to be gathered and extensive research ( business plan , business proposal , marketing plan , etc.) also needs to be conducted.

The subsequent section will further discuss the types of business projects. Some of the projects may be applicable and can be implemented in your own business.

Types of Business Projects

1. administrative.

An administrative project involves the company investing in projects that relate to administrative functions. These types of functions mostly involve secretarial duties and responsibilities (i.e., create reports or minutes of meetings, represent the company in business events and gatherings, be the first line of interaction with clients and other stakeholders, etc.). You may also see status report examples.

Mostly, administrative projects are focused on purchasing or developing new office equipment. Among the office equipment that needs to be purchased include computers, landline phones, printers, scanners, security systems, network cables, and Wi-Fi/modem routers, to name a few. You may also like academic report examples.

2. Construction

Construction meanwhile involves the company investing in building projects. If administrative projects are more focused on purchasing, then construction projects center on construction. These types of projects mostly involve the construction of an office space or office building. Construction can also pertain to constructing office equipment from scratch. You may also check out consulting report examples.

Construction projects are lengthy projects, thus creating a business project report for a construction project requires multiple project reports to track the progress of the said project.

3. New Product Development

A new product development pertains to the company investing in developing a new product that will eventually be sold to the market (and possibly to a new market segment).

Product development is a common function utilized by companies as they aim to expand operations. In some companies, they have a research and development (R&D) department that takes charge of developing a new product or service. The R&D department reports directly to the CEO or top management. You may also see research report examples.

Examples for new product projects include a restaurant adding a new dish in their menu, a car manufacturer creating a new variant for an existing automobile model, or a video game developer releasing a new game. Similar to a construction project, a new product project also requires multiple project reports as the amount of time needed to develop a new product is lengthy. You may also like examples of a short report .

4. Event or Relocation

An event or relocation is a business project that pertains to the company investing heavily in an event or relocation activity.

The event pertains to an activity that the company organizes. It can either be a business event (seminar, workshop, conference, forum) or a community event (outreach program, donation activity, environmental clean-up). The company can organize the event by itself or with another company or public institution (government, academe). You may also check out technical report examples.

Relocation meanwhile involves the company or business organization investing in a full or partial relocation in another office or office building. A relocation project is similar to a construction project where an office building needs to be constructed in which employees will be relocated to the office building. You might be interested in marketing report examples.

5. Research

Not all business projects are tangible, just like research projects. You may ask yourself why companies invest in research projects when they can research on their own. This is because some companies are understaffed and want to create a study for their business operations, so what they do instead is hire a third party to create the research project. You may also see management report examples.

Additionally, some companies do not have the qualified personnel to research since some processes or terminologies can be only be accomplished and understood by qualified researchers.

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Essential Tips in Creating a New Business Project Report

Listed below are some tips in creating a new business project report. Take note that the tips listed below are important when you will be creating a project report. This is to avoid confusion while also providing clarity to the reader or recipient to the project report, specifically to top management and stakeholders.

1. Specify the project

The first step in creating a new business project report is to specify the project. The report cannot be created if there is no clarity to the project that will be worked on. The project can range from administrative, construction, equipment or system installation, new product development, and research (as mentioned in the previous section). You may also see recruitment report examples.

Specifying the project also needs to be identified as the company might be working on other projects as well. This is true for companies who are always pursuing expansion projects and have ample financial resources at the same time.

Additionally, there are project reports that cannot be completed in a single report, especially for construction projects. Construction projects require numerous progress reports due to the period needed to complete these projects. A simple office construction can even last one month, how much more for an entire office building. You may also like sample activity reports .

2. List down the people involved

After specifying the project, the next step should be listing down the people involved in the project. Depending on the project, the people involved should be the individuals working on the said project. If there are individuals who are not directly involved in the project but act in an observatory function, they should be included in the business project report as well. You may also check out sales report examples.

If the project requires more than a hundred or even a thousand individuals, then it is not necessary to include all of their names in the project report . The report should not only be limited to the names of the individuals involved. Their duties, responsibilities, or tasks in the project should also be included as well. This provides a reference for top management and to stakeholders, in case they have concerns regarding the progress of the project.

3. Have a timeline

The timeline is another essential component of a new business project report. Listing down a timeline is important not only for a project that is still in progress but also for a project that has already been accomplished. If the project is already completed, then the complete timeline of when the project began until when the project was accomplished should be listed in the project report. You might be interested in quality report examples.

A timeline for a project report should be listed in detail. If the analysis of the timeline can be included in the project report, then it can be very beneficial for the report’s readers. If the project requires numerous reports and the timeline is spread out across the different reports, then it is suggested that a timeline summary of the previous reports should be included in each formal report . A compilation of all the timelines should be included in the last report if the project is completed.

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Companies Who Found Success after Investing in New Projects

1. nintendo.

If you thought the massive Japan-based gaming company Nintendo began with Mario, think again. Nintendo was already in the gaming industry when it began operations, but it all started with creating and selling playing cards . Nintendo shifted its core business to video gaming in the 1970s, and eventually released the Super Mario and Donkey Kong games and the Nintendo Entertainment and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System gaming consoles in the 1980s. After that, the rest is history.

Apple began as a computer company that introduced the Apple I and eventually the Macintosh (Mac) to the world. That was in the 1980s. Fast forward three decades later, the iPhone was introduced which put Apple in the map as the biggest smartphone manufacturer in the world. Apple still produces the Mac, by the way, and is also one of the world’s highest-selling laptops. You may also see how to write a short report .

Korean electronics company LG is not the company that you know today when it began in the 1940s. LG began selling hygiene and cosmetics. LG is one of the few companies that made a 90-degree shift in terms of products and services and is more profitable now after they completely changed their entire product line. You may also like English report writing examples for students.

4. General Electric

Did you know that when Thomas Edison invented the light bulb in 1982, he also founded the energy company General Electric (GE)? GE then proceeded to manufacture and sell the light bulb as well as Edison’s other inventions to the world. GE eventually shifted to aircraft engines, hybrid locomotives, HD CT scanners, ultrasound devices, and chemical sensors. You may also check out narrative report examples.

Nokia was at its peak during the late 1990s and early 2000s. But before the Finnish-based company became the undisputed mobile phone manufacturer during that time, it sold paper and rubber.

The company then changed its product line after a merger of its umbrella companies in the 1960s. Nokia is now jointly owned by Taiwanese firm Foxconn Technology and another Finnish company HMD Global after its failed acquisition by Microsoft in the late 2000s. You might be interested in medical report examples.

Formerly called Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, 3M is one of the world’s leading producers of scotch tape, duct tape, post-it notes, and cleaning products. 3M began in 1902 after five men in Minnesota, USA, invested in a mining venture. When they discovered that the minerals they mined were not marketable enough, they started making and selling sandpaper and scotch tape. You may also see incident report letter examples.

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We hope you found this article to be informative as you will be creating a project report for your new business project.

General FAQs

1. what is a project report for new business.

A project report for new business is a report that contains information relating to the venture of a new proposed business. It lays out a road map and discusses the finances, challenging risks, and other forewarning issues of the business.

2. What are the Main Components of a Business Project Report?

Following are the components of a business project report:

• Background of the business
• Company objectives
• Project background and progress
• Market analysis
• Marketing assessment
• Financial assessment
• Operational and financial plan.

3. What are the Tips for Designing an Effective Project Report for New Business?

Follow these tips to design an effective project report for new business:

• Keep in mind the target market
• Develop a powerful business strategy
• Focus on strategies that present you differently from your competitors
• Catalog realistic plans.

4. What is the Significance of a Project Report?

The significance of a project report is as follows:

• It serves as a master plan
• It gives direction
• It shows feasibility
• It foresees necessities
• It helps in decision making
• It paves the way for financial assistance
• It guides the course of action.

5. What are the Different Types of Project Reports?

Following are some of the different types of project reports:

• Project status report
• Project progress report
• Project summary report
• Project management report
• Executive project report
• One-Page status report
• T project status report.

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How To Write A Business Plan (2024 Guide)

Updated: Apr 17, 2024, 11:59am

Table of Contents

Brainstorm an executive summary, create a company description, brainstorm your business goals, describe your services or products, conduct market research, create financial plans, bottom line, frequently asked questions.

Every business starts with a vision, which is distilled and communicated through a business plan. In addition to your high-level hopes and dreams, a strong business plan outlines short-term and long-term goals, budget and whatever else you might need to get started. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to write a business plan that you can stick to and help guide your operations as you get started.

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Drafting the Summary

An executive summary is an extremely important first step in your business. You have to be able to put the basic facts of your business in an elevator pitch-style sentence to grab investors’ attention and keep their interest. This should communicate your business’s name, what the products or services you’re selling are and what marketplace you’re entering.

Ask for Help

When drafting the executive summary, you should have a few different options. Enlist a few thought partners to review your executive summary possibilities to determine which one is best.

After you have the executive summary in place, you can work on the company description, which contains more specific information. In the description, you’ll need to include your business’s registered name , your business address and any key employees involved in the business. 

The business description should also include the structure of your business, such as sole proprietorship , limited liability company (LLC) , partnership or corporation. This is the time to specify how much of an ownership stake everyone has in the company. Finally, include a section that outlines the history of the company and how it has evolved over time.

Wherever you are on the business journey, you return to your goals and assess where you are in meeting your in-progress targets and setting new goals to work toward.

Numbers-based Goals

Goals can cover a variety of sections of your business. Financial and profit goals are a given for when you’re establishing your business, but there are other goals to take into account as well with regard to brand awareness and growth. For example, you might want to hit a certain number of followers across social channels or raise your engagement rates.

Another goal could be to attract new investors or find grants if you’re a nonprofit business. If you’re looking to grow, you’ll want to set revenue targets to make that happen as well.

Intangible Goals

Goals unrelated to traceable numbers are important as well. These can include seeing your business’s advertisement reach the general public or receiving a terrific client review. These goals are important for the direction you take your business and the direction you want it to go in the future.

The business plan should have a section that explains the services or products that you’re offering. This is the part where you can also describe how they fit in the current market or are providing something necessary or entirely new. If you have any patents or trademarks, this is where you can include those too.

If you have any visual aids, they should be included here as well. This would also be a good place to include pricing strategy and explain your materials.

This is the part of the business plan where you can explain your expertise and different approach in greater depth. Show how what you’re offering is vital to the market and fills an important gap.

You can also situate your business in your industry and compare it to other ones and how you have a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Other than financial goals, you want to have a budget and set your planned weekly, monthly and annual spending. There are several different costs to consider, such as operational costs.

Business Operations Costs

Rent for your business is the first big cost to factor into your budget. If your business is remote, the cost that replaces rent will be the software that maintains your virtual operations.

Marketing and sales costs should be next on your list. Devoting money to making sure people know about your business is as important as making sure it functions.

Other Costs

Although you can’t anticipate disasters, there are likely to be unanticipated costs that come up at some point in your business’s existence. It’s important to factor these possible costs into your financial plans so you’re not caught totally unaware.

Business plans are important for businesses of all sizes so that you can define where your business is and where you want it to go. Growing your business requires a vision, and giving yourself a roadmap in the form of a business plan will set you up for success.

How do I write a simple business plan?

When you’re working on a business plan, make sure you have as much information as possible so that you can simplify it to the most relevant information. A simple business plan still needs all of the parts included in this article, but you can be very clear and direct.

What are some common mistakes in a business plan?

The most common mistakes in a business plan are common writing issues like grammar errors or misspellings. It’s important to be clear in your sentence structure and proofread your business plan before sending it to any investors or partners.

What basic items should be included in a business plan?

When writing out a business plan, you want to make sure that you cover everything related to your concept for the business,  an analysis of the industry―including potential customers and an overview of the market for your goods or services―how you plan to execute your vision for the business, how you plan to grow the business if it becomes successful and all financial data around the business, including current cash on hand, potential investors and budget plans for the next few years.

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Julia is a writer in New York and started covering tech and business during the pandemic. She also covers books and the publishing industry.

12+ SAMPLE Business Plan Report in PDF

Business plan report, 12+ sample business plan report, what is a business plan, elements of a business plan report, benefits of a business plan report, how to create a business plan report, what is a startup’s business plan, who is responsible for writing a business plan, why is it a good idea to start a business, what are some viable business concepts.

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• Begin your own dropshipping business.
• Create and sell t-shirts that are printed on-demand.
• Self-publish your book.
• Creating digital products or online courses is a great way to get started.
• Sell posters, greeting cards, and prints that are printed on-demand.
• Establish a charitable enterprise.
• Promote a service.
• Create a fashion boutique online.

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How To Create a Project Management Plan: Guide, Templates, Example

• 1.  Project Management Basics
• 2.  Project Management Methodologies
• 3.  Project Management Life Cycle
• 4.  Best Project Management Software
• 5.  Team Collaboration Tips
• 6.  Agile Methodology Basics
• 7.  Agile Project Management Tools & Techniques
• 8.  Project Management Frameworks
• 9.  Resources
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• Advanced Terminology
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Your guide to creating a project management plan

Starting a new project can feel a bit like a jigsaw puzzle, right? With so many pieces, it’s hard to know where to start. Well, a project management plan , also commonly called a project plan , is your guide to seamlessly putting all those pieces together. 

A well-structured project management plan is a comprehensive blueprint outlining how every project will be handled, monitored, and executed. It includes specifics about what will be done, the timeline for each task, and all the details necessary to guide the project from kickoff to completion.

In this guide, we’ll explain the essential elements of an effective project management plan . We’ll also go step-by-step through the process of creating a project management plan . Then, we’ll give you a real example of a project plan as well as customizable project management plan templates to aid you in creating your own. 

What is a project management plan? 

A project management plan is a comprehensive outline of every aspect of a project from beginning to end. It’s a detailed guide for project managers and their teams, ensuring all necessary tasks and goals are clearly defined and achieved. 

This plan encompasses the project scope , responsibilities, timeline, budget , resources, methods for managing risks and changes, and a communication plan to ensure effective information flow. 

It also includes quality management processes to guarantee the project meets predefined standards, stakeholder management strategies to address their interests and expectations, and performance metrics and KPIs to measure the project’s success.

How is a project management plan used? 

A project management plan is a tool that keeps everyone involved in a project on the same page. This is true for both simple projects and complex projects. Teams and stakeholders use it to guide a project every step of the way. 

The plan breaks down the project into smaller tasks, assigns them to team members, and sets deadlines. This helps everyone know what to do, when, and how. Stakeholders, like clients or company executives, use the plan to understand the project’s progress. It keeps them informed about what’s happening, when they can expect results, and any changes along the way. 

Projects often don’t go exactly as planned. This is why the project management plan also includes strategies for adapting to changes or dealing with unexpected problems. The plan provides tools to monitor how the project is going to help keep it on track. Project management software can make it easier to monitor projects and keep all necessary parties informed on updates and scheduled meetings. These constant check-ups ensure that the project stays aligned with its goals. 

What are the 5 phases of a project management plan? 

Before we get into the specifics of all that goes into a project plan, we’re going to simplify it and show you the bigger picture. 

There are five main phases to consider in a project management plan. Each phase plays an important role in guiding the project to success.

Phase 1: Project initiation

This is where your project begins: setting its foundation. During project initiation , you define the purpose and scope of the project, making sure everything aligns with key stakeholders’ objectives. 

Phase 2: Project planning

Here, you create a roadmap for how to achieve the project goals. This includes detailing the tasks, timeline, resources, and budget. The planning phase organizes all aspects of the project.

Phase 3: Project execution

The project execution phase is where the actual day-to-day work happens. You start implementing the plan, completing tasks, and working toward the project objectives. It’s an important phase where the team uses the plan to bring the project to life.

Phase 4: Project performance monitoring

As the project progresses, keeping track of its performance is essential. This phase involves monitoring the progress against the plan, ensuring everything is on schedule, and adjusting as needed.

Phase 5: Project closure

This final phase marks the completion of the project . You’ll review the outcomes, document lessons learned, and ensure all aspects of the project are properly concluded. 

How to create a project management plan

There are plenty of articles out there explaining how to create a project management plan, but many of them leave out key components. This guide is different. We make sure to cover all the essential elements, so project managers have everything they need to get started. 

In a nutshell, a complete project management plan must include guidelines on how a project is executed, monitored, and controlled . According to the Project Management Institute , it should answer all the questions listed below:

• What is to be done?
• When will it occur?
• How much will it cost?
• Who will do it?
• What product(s) or service(s) will be delivered as a result of the effort?
• What is the responsibility of both the developer and the user?
• Who is responsible for accepting the product as completed?
• What determines task completion?
• What mechanics will be employed to deal with mechanics formally?
• How will actual progress be measured?

Now, let’s dive into how to incorporate all these questions into an organized project plan. 

What you should include in a project management plan

The length and level of detail in the project plan will vary based on your company and the specific project requirements. Regardless, the plan should always be formatted with a title page and table of contents , and it should include a version history too. 

A strong project management plan will include all of the following information:

• Project scope baseline and scope management plan
• Project schedule baseline and schedule management plan
• Project cost baseline and cost management plan
• Human resource management plan
• Communications management plan
• Risk management plan

Depending on the project, supplemental plans may be useful, such as:

• Issues management plan
• Quality management plan
• Procurement management plan
• Requirement management plan
• Configuration management plan
• Process management plan
• Change management plan
• Stakeholder management plan
• Training plan

Appendices to the plan may also include:

• Approved business case for the plan
• Approved project charter
• Key terms and acronyms
• Statement of work
• Customer requirements documentation
• RACI ( responsibility matrix )

How to write and develop a project management plan

Clearly, a lot of information goes into the creation of a project management plan . It’s reasonable to wonder how a project manager pulls it all together. 

To make the project planning process easier, we recommend using a project management plan template . A template provides you with a structured framework and standardized format, making sure essential project details are systematically addressed properly from the start. This saves time and reduces the risk of overlooking critical components. It also allows you to prioritize the actual project execution instead of getting bogged down with admin and organizational issues at the outset. 

If you don’t have a project management planning template, or if you’re creating a template for use in the future, you can follow these steps.

Note : Be aware that project plans are usually considered ‘living’ documents. This means they’re expected to be updated and changed as the project matures and/or you discover new information requiring a change to the plan. 

Step 1: Outline and define business needs

The starting point of any project management plan is to understand the reason behind the project. Ask questions like: 

• Why is this project necessary for the business? 
• What problem does it solve, or what opportunity does it address? 

By clearly outlining business needs, you will set a clear direction for the project. Once the purpose is defined, you can identify who will be affected by the project and who needs to be involved — these are your stakeholders. 

Step 2: Meet with project stakeholders

Even if project stakeholders have already been identified in another project document, such as the business case or project charter , it’s important to review the list and make sure it’s accurate. Then, meet with all project stakeholders to discuss the project objectives and scope. This ensures everyone is on the same page, particularly concerning assumptions, constraints, and expected outcomes.

Step 3: Define key project roles

All key stakeholders should be asked to provide input for the parts of the project relevant to them. To handle this, define which stakeholders are involved with each area of the project. This is often part of the stakeholder management plan or even part of the communication management plan . Relevant stakeholders include the project sponsor, team members, end users, and any other people directly involved, such as business experts, auditors, or quality testers.

To successfully define key project roles and manage tasks, specific tools and templates are indispensable. Here are some essential Wrike templates:

• The work breakdown structure (WBS) template organizes team efforts into clearly defined segments.  
• The change control management template efficiently manages alterations in project scope or objectives.  
• The RACI template delineates roles and responsibilities within the project, helping to establish who is responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed for each task. This way, everyone knows their specific duties and contributions.

Using these templates can significantly streamline the process of defining roles and managing stakeholder input, making the process more efficient and effective.

Step 4: Determine the project’s budget

This step defines the financial framework for the entire project. A well-planned budget ensures that resources are allocated efficiently to avoid hiccups or delays due to unexpected costs along the way. 

When setting the project budget , consider all possible expenses, including labor costs, materials, equipment, and any other resources that will be needed. The budget should be agreed upon with stakeholders and can be adjusted throughout the project lifecycle as needed.  

Step 5: Hold a kickoff meeting

The kickoff meeting brings the project team and stakeholders together to discuss the project and initiate planning. Some topics typically discussed during the kickoff meeting are:

• The business case for the project
• The expected outcomes and benefits of the project
• Stakeholder roles and responsibilities
• Communication and reporting information (frequency of project meetings, etc.)
• Timeline and process for completing the project plan

Step 6: Determine project deliverables and milestones

To define the deliverables , start by breaking down the overarching project goals into smaller, manageable parts. Each part should have a clear outcome that contributes directly to achieving the overall project objective. Be specific and detailed in describing each deliverable, outlining what it includes, how it will be completed, and the standards it must meet.

Additionally, identify milestones along the project timeline, as they serve as pivotal checkpoints to evaluate progress, ensuring the project stays on course. Setting project milestones helps monitor progress and provides opportunities to evaluate and adjust the plan if necessary.

Also read : What is a milestone in project management?  

Step 7: Create the overall project schedule

A project schedule outlines the timeline for completing deliverables and achieving milestones. To get this right, you need to think about everything that could impact your project’s journey, from the people and planning tools you have on hand to how much you can spend and the key goals (or milestones) to task dependencies . 

Start simple. Jot down every task that’s part of the project. Then, take a guess at how long each one might take and decide who’s going to tackle it. The next step is like solving a puzzle — you need to figure out the best order for these tasks. Some are dependent on others being completed first, so it’s like a domino effect where one task’s completion triggers the start of another.

Once you’ve determined the order, assign dates to each deliverable and milestone. This is your project’s timeline. This timeline should be realistic and flexible enough to accommodate changes or unforeseen delays. 

Wrike’s dedicated project schedule template simplifies this process, showing you how to break down your project into smaller tasks, create Gantt chart timelines, and monitor progress on dashboards.

Step 8: Assign tasks to specific team members

During this stage, you’ll allocate tasks based on the skills and availability of your team members. It’s important to match tasks with the right people to ensure efficiency and quality in the execution of the project. Consider each team member’s strengths, expertise, and workload to ensure everything is manageable and promote a balanced distribution of responsibilities.

This step should be approached with care, as it can significantly impact your project’s timeline and the achievement of your deliverables.

Here are some tips to effectively assign tasks:

• Ensure every task is well defined and has clear objectives.
• Assign tasks based on individual team members’ strengths and areas of expertise.  
• Be transparent about why tasks are assigned to specific individuals.  
• Ensure team members have the resources and support to complete their tasks effectively.
• Monitor each team member’s workload to ensure it’s manageable and balanced.  

Step 9: Create a streamlined communication strategy 

Your communication plan should outline how and when project information is shared, such as regular status meetings, weekly progress reports, and targeted emails to stakeholders based on project milestones. Effective communication is the backbone of any successful project. It ensures everyone involved is on the same page, understands their roles, and knows about project progress and updates. 

Wrike’s communication plan template can reduce the risk of miscommunication and increase project efficiency and stakeholder engagement. This template provides a structured approach for organizing stakeholder information, setting the frequency of updates, and determining the content of each communication.

Step 10: Create baseline management plans

Project baselines are the original plans against which actual progress is measured. Once established, you’ll need plans to report on them regularly, monitor for any deviations, and outline conditions that might require adjustments. Keeping detailed documentation of baseline changes provides a valuable repository of project history and insights.

Consider using a project management office (PMO) template to simplify this process.  

Step 11: Create supplemental management plans

As you know, planning is a huge part of a project manager’s role . The stronger your plan, the more likely your project will succeed. So, it’s not enough to simply plan how you will manage baselines. Plans should also be created to manage all other significant aspects of, or inputs to, the project. This can include a broad range of management plans, but the minimum should include resource management , risk management , and communications management . 

Project management plan example

To guide you in making your own, here’s an example of a real project management plan:

Overview: This project involves developing and launching a new software product aimed at small business owners. The goal is to create an intuitive and budget-friendly project management tool.

Business need/reason for the project: Small business owners need an affordable and easy-to-use project management tool to streamline their operations and improve efficiency. The introduction of this product is projected to boost revenue by approximately 20% in the first year, capitalizing on a lucrative and underserved market segment.

Stakeholder identification: Key stakeholders include the product development team, marketing team, selected small business owners (for feedback), and the finance department.

Key project roles:

• Project Sponsor: CFO
• Project Manager: Mary Kurt
• Development Team Lead: John Smith
• Marketing Lead: Emily White

Budget: Estimated at $150,000, covering software development, marketing, and testing phases.

Deliverables: 

• A fully functional software tool
• Marketing materials
• A user manual
• Technical documentation
• Training materials for end users

Project schedule:

• Development phase (4 months)
• Milestone: Completion of software coding
• Milestone: Integration of user interface design
• Testing phase (1 month)
• Milestone: Completion of beta testing
• Marketing and launch phase (2 months)
• Milestone: Launch of marketing campaign
• Milestone: Official product launch

Task assignments:

• Development tasks will be assigned to John Smith and his team.
• Emily White and her team will handle marketing tasks.

Communication strategy: 

• Weekly team meetings
• Monthly stakeholder updates

Baseline management plans: Regularly review project progress against the baseline schedule and budget, with adjustments made as necessary.

Risk management: Contingency plans are in place for potential software bugs and delays in the development phase.

Performance monitoring: Progress will be tracked against milestones, focusing on staying within budget and meeting the development timeline.

Project closure: Final product testing, adjustments, and a formal launch event.

This sample project management plan should give you a clear picture of how to make your own. 

Project management plan templates

Templates offer an efficient way to create a project plan. Wrike also offers a range of templates for each specific step of your project management plan, helping you easily manage every aspect of your plan. 

Here’s a brief overview of the types of templates available:

• Complex project with phases template : Comprehensive framework for managing larger, more complicated projects with multiple phases, including initiation, planning, development, testing, and launch.
• Work breakdown structure template : Breaks down the project into smaller, more manageable parts, ensuring nothing is overlooked.
• Change control management template : Helps manage any changes to the project scope, ensuring all alterations are documented and approved.
• Project schedule template : Provides a time frame for your project, outlining when tasks should start and finish.
• Communication management template : Ensures clear and effective communication among project stakeholders.
• PMO template: Assists in overseeing project management standards and procedures.
• RACI template : A tool for defining roles and responsibilities — who is responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed for each task.

Wrike has templates for specific types of project plans too, including a professional services management template , an event planning template , and a product launch template . 

All of these templates can be customized to suit the specific needs of your project. 

Beyond templates, Wrike’s other features (including dashboards, various views , and real-time communication) can streamline the process of creating and monitoring your project management plan. This seamless integration of planning and execution tools ensures that your project stays on track from start to finish.

How to create a project management plan using Wrike

Whether starting a new project from scratch or revamping an existing one, Wrike’s customizable templates and intuitive design help you lay out your plan clearly and effectively. You can define tasks, assign roles, set deadlines, and monitor progress — all within the same platform, regardless of your project management methodology .

The ease of organizing and updating your project management plan in Wrike saves time and improves collaboration among team members. Wrike’s diverse functionalities cater to various project management needs, making it an ideal choice for businesses of all sizes and types. 

Gantt charts

With Wrike’s Gantt charts , you can easily map out milestones and track task progress visually. This approach helps project managers and stakeholders quickly identify task dependencies, ensuring that every part of your project progresses in the right order. It also makes it easier to spot potential delays or scheduling conflicts and address them before they impact the project timeline. 

Gantt charts are easy to adjust and update, making them ideal for project environments with frequent changes. Integrating Gantt charts into your project management plan will help you better understand the project flow and can keep everyone aligned on the timeline for a smoother path to project completion.

Also read : What’s the best Gantt chart maker? 3 types of tools

Customizable dashboards

Wrike’s customizable dashboards allow you to view, manage, and track various aspects of your project in one convenient location. Whether you need to keep an eye on task progress, monitor deadlines, or track resource allocation, Wrike’s dashboards can be customized to display the most relevant information. This means less time spent sifting through data and more time focusing on project plan components.

Also read : How to build a custom project management dashboard

Automated reports

Automated reports in Wrike offer a real-time view of various project aspects, from task completion rates to resource utilization. They can be set up to generate regularly, providing consistent updates without manual effort. As a project manager, you’re always equipped with the latest data to make informed decisions. For stakeholders, these project status reports offer transparency and assurance. They can see at a glance how the project is progressing, which tasks are completed, and whether the project is adhering to its budget and timeline. This level of insight fosters trust and keeps everyone on the same page.

Why project management plans are important for success

A well-structured project management plan is beneficial because:

It sets clear expectations for the project

A project management plan defines a project’s objectives, timeline, and procedures, ensuring all team members understand their roles and responsibilities. This clarity minimizes confusion, aligns efforts, and keeps the project focused on its goals. This translates to improved workflow, efficiency, and effectiveness.

It aligns stakeholders and the team 

A project plan ensures stakeholders are on the same page as team members. By outlining the project’s scope, timeline, and resources needed, it becomes a shared document that everyone can refer to. 

This transparency helps manage expectations and reduces the likelihood of miscommunication or misunderstandings. It’s a tool for accountability that assigns specific tasks to team members, sets due dates, and provides performance metrics. It also provides a structured approach to tackling the project, which can alleviate anxiety and uncertainty. 

It eliminates possible conflicts in scheduling 

One of the key benefits of a comprehensive project plan is its ability to reveal clashes in timelines, resource allocation, and team availability well in advance. When you map out the project schedule in detail, you’re more likely to spot overlaps in task assignments or periods where team members may be overburdened. 

It monitors the project’s scope and budget

When creating a project plan, one of the primary tasks is to define the scope clearly. This definition helps your team understand what needs to be accomplished and prevents scope creep, which can lead to overwork and delays.

Equally important is managing the project budget. A thorough project management plan outlines the financial resources allocated for each phase and activity. By closely monitoring the budget, you can track spending and keep the project on track financially.

It holds everyone involved accountable 

In a project plan, every task is assigned to specific individuals. This establishes who is responsible for each piece of the puzzle. When team members see their names next to tasks, they understand that they are accountable for the timely and successful completion of those tasks. 

This level of clarity extends to stakeholders as well. The plan outlines their roles, whether that involves providing resources, making decisions, or offering expertise. By explicitly stating what stakeholders are accountable for, the plan helps prevent misunderstandings and ensures that everyone contributes as needed.

A project management plan isn’t just a bunch of lists and deadlines; it’s the comprehensive strategy that guides every aspect of a project. It brings team members and stakeholders to the same table, ensuring everyone knows what they’re supposed to do and when. This way, everyone on the team knows their roles and responsibilities, which keeps the project on track.

Wrike’s suite of user-friendly features is designed to support you through every step of creating and executing a project management plan. From plotting out timelines on Gantt charts to tracking all aspects of a project with customizable dashboards to using templates to simplify complex processes, Wrike’s got everything you need to turn the sometimes daunting task of project planning into a smooth ride.

Project management plan FAQs

What are the six important parts of a project management plan .

There are six key components that form the backbone of a solid project management plan. These include: 

• Scope statement: This part outlines the project’s boundaries, defining what will be included and what won’t. 
• Detailed project timeline and milestones: This section charts the course of the project from start to finish.  
• Stakeholders and team members identified: This ensures that everyone who has a stake in the project’s success, from team members to external stakeholders, knows their roles and responsibilities.
• Risk assessment: This identifies potential project risks and challenges that could impact the project and outlines mitigation strategies.
• Communication plan: This part of the plan details how information will be shared among team members and stakeholders, ensuring everyone stays informed and aligned.
• Resource allocation completed: This final element involves allocating the necessary project resources — including time, money, and manpower — to ensure the project can be completed efficiently. 

Why is a project management plan important? 

A project management plan provides a roadmap for the project, outlining tasks, responsibilities, and deadlines. A good plan helps manage the project’s budget effectively, ensuring resources are used efficiently and costs are kept under control. It anticipates potential risks and prepares strategies to mitigate them, reducing the chances of unexpected problems derailing the project.  

What is the right technique for crafting a project plan? 

Crafting an effective project plan requires a methodical approach, starting with gathering comprehensive information about the project. This involves understanding project goals, resources, constraints, and stakeholder expectations. Organizing this information in a structured manner ensures clarity and precision. Identifying and engaging stakeholders and team members early is also essential for aligning their expectations and roles. 

It’s important to take time to plan with a clear technique, as disorganization can lead to ineffective execution. A systematic approach to planning lays a strong foundation for project success.

How can a template help with creating a project management plan?

Using a template to create a project management plan simplifies the planning process. When it is well designed, it ensures no components of a project plan are overlooked. It provides a structured framework for organizing information, setting clear objectives, and assigning project tasks. 

What tools and software can help with implementing a project management plan?

Collaborative work management software like Wrike is a powerful tool for implementing a strong and easily repeatable project management template. Wrike’s features, such as Gantt charts, customizable dashboards, and automated reports, provide a comprehensive toolkit for managing every aspect of a project. 

With Wrike, you can easily map out project timelines, assign tasks, and set milestones. Our dashboards allow for real-time progress monitoring, ensuring the project stays on track. Automated reports also offer valuable insights into project performance, helping to make informed decisions. Wrike’s ability to integrate with other tools ensures seamless collaboration among team members.

Is there a different structure for a simple project management plan versus a complex one?

​​The structure of a project management plan generally remains the same whether the project is simple or complex. It will always encompass elements like objectives, scope, timeline, and resources. The only difference is that a plan for a complex project will typically include more detail than for a simpler project.

Further reading

• Convergent Thinking vs. Divergent Thinking: Why Planning Isn’t Always the Right Thing to Do
• Project Management Basics: 6 Steps to a Foolproof Project Plan
• 5 Best Project Management Books for Beginners and Accidental Project Managers
• How 5 PM Experts Create a Fail-Safe Project Management Plan
• 4 Tips for an Effective Project Management Plan

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Monday, August 26, 2024

Fed likely to cut rates by quarter percentage point next month.

San Francisco Federal Reserve President Mary Daly on Monday said “the time is upon us” to cut interest rates, likely starting with a quarter-percentage point reduction in borrowing costs, Reuters reports.  

Asked if there is anything that could derail a rate cut at the U.S. central bank’s Sept. 17-18 policy meeting, Daly told Bloomberg TV that it “would be hard to imagine at this point.”

She says the “most likely” path ahead is for inflation to continue to slow gradually and for the labor market to add jobs at a “steady, sustainable” pace—and if that projection plays out, “adjusting policy at the regular, normal cadence seems reasonable.”

The Fed usually adjusts rates in quarter-percentage-point increments, though it pushed through four consecutive 75-basis-point hikes in 2022 and continued to tighten policy in 2023 in response to an inflationary surge.

“We haven’t seen any deterioration yet in the labor market,” she says, but “if we should see deterioration, or any signs of weakness, then being more aggressive to ensure that we don’t see that, would be appropriate.”

Read the full story.