7/23/2024

Creating an Efficient Statement of Work Approval Process with Documenso

Timur Ercan

Co-Founder

TLDR; Statements of Work detail what needs to be done. Automate sending and approving them using Documenso and Zapier.

What is a Statement of Work

A statement of work is a detailed document that outlines what needs to be done in a project. It covers the project's scope, objectives, and deliverables, laying out all the tasks, deadlines, and milestones. The statement of work also spells out who’s responsible for what, ensuring everyone’s on the same page. It’s a roadmap that keeps both clients and service providers aligned and ensures the project stays on track from start to finish.

In the context of freelance work, the statement of work is a document that outlines the details of a project between a freelancer and their client. It's a concrete work to be agreed upon and tracked after completion. The statement of work is created after the proposal is accepted and the contract signed.

What does a good workflow look like?

1. Create the statement of work

The team at Zapier created a excellent guide, which goes into the statement of work. There is a short checklist:

• Project Context/ Current Scope
• Objectives for this piece of work
• Scope (tasks, activities, and limits)
• Requirements (e.g., technical and regulatory)
• Deliverables to be created
• Roles and Responsibilities

2. Get approval from subject matter experts (optional)

Since a statements of work can be very technical, having professionals from either side approve it first can be sensible. This can avoid double or unnecessary work and minimize the chances of misunderstandings. If this makes sense, it depends heavily on the scale of the project and the level of insight of the professional providing it.

3. Let the client sign off

Having the client sign off on the concrete work is the central step of the statement of work workflow. Assuming the document’s content is correct, getting the go-ahead ensures everyone is aligned and clear on what should and will be worked on.

4. Inform other Stakeholders (optional)

Depending on the scale of the organizations working together, other people may need to be kept in the loop. This could be accounting on either side, project managers, or other interested parties.

Fine-Tuning the Flow with Custom Roles

1. Creating the Document: Templates vs. Custom Document

Creating a template can make sense if you submit statements of work regularly. If you create a Documenso Template, you can add dynamic text and number fields to be filled out when using the template. Another approach to this is creating a template on a document service like Google Docs, filling out a new copy, and uploading the custom-created document to Documenso.

Different parts of this process can be automated using the Zapier Documenso Integration as desired:

• Automatically sending out a template to be filled out and signed
• Creating a document in Documenso from a newly created document in Google Docs
• Triggering sending a document created from either template or automation

2. Approvals

Looping in subject matter experts can easily be done using the approver role. This role allows you to complete a document without blocking the signing. This means the client can sign a document, even if the approval is not yet in place, removing friction. However, having the approval denied will stop the document from being completed and let everyone know there are corrections to be made. A software version of this is possible, having the expert in a viewer role and marking the document as seen without the option to block.

3. Signers

Looping in the client is done by adding one or more signer roles. Signer roles require recipients to place at least one signature to fulfill their part in the flow.roles

4. BCC

You can add one or several BCC roles to inform interested parties, e.g., accounting or project managers. As the process finishes, BCC recipients receive a copy of the completed document (assuming it completes and is not blocked). Using BCC roles automates filling in everyone who is only interested in the outcome and wants to avoid involvement in the steps leading up to it.

Conclusion

Streamlining your statement of work approval process with Documenso can significantly improve productivity and ease. Using templates, dynamic fields, and Zapier integrations, you can create a smooth, efficient workflow from start to finish. Adding roles for experts, signers, and BCC recipients tailors the process to fit your project's needs, ensuring everyone stays on the same page.

An efficient SOW process saves time and improves communication, letting you focus on delivering great work. We're excited to hear your thoughts and experiences—reach out on Twitter / X (DMs are open) or Discord if you have any questions, ideas, or comments.

Best from Hamburg
Timur

• Freelancer
• Statement of Work
• Productivity