Free Statement of Work Template

What is a Statement of Work Template?

In simple terms, a statement of work, or SOW, is a document that outlines the conditions of an agreement between a client/customer and a service provider for a project. The service provider can be a company, an agency, a contractor, etc. 

Having a statement of work is essential before the beginning of any project, as it gives a better perspective of its scale. An SOW includes a project’s details like project objectives and milestones, deliverables, timelines, payment and invoice schedules, etc. It describes those services that are provided and those excluded. 

Take note of all this information with our customizable Statement of Work template.   

Why should you use a Statement of Work template?

An SOW is a document that roughs out the roadmap for any project. A statement of work's main purpose is to manage and record expectations. The rules outlined in the statement of work are clear, and specific, and will ensure that the parties involved in a project are on the same page - preventing a disagreement within the project's operations.

Writing or creating a statement of work from scratch is challenging and time-consuming since it is the bible that your project will go on to abide by. If you miss out on factoring in any information pertaining to the project or make errors while drafting one, it can cost your business. 

Hence, it is always best to use a comprehensive statement of work template that can be customized according to your business needs. Having an SOW template makes the life of a project manager or contractor easier. With an SOW template, you can:

1. Eliminate the repeated tasks of drafting SOW templates  

Companies often have to create multiple statements of work documents for different clients. Creating them each time from scratch is cumbersome. But if you have a standard SOW template, you can do away with all the manual and repetitive tasks and customize it based on your needs. 

2. No more missing out on important details 

While creating a statement of work document, it is important to list out details regarding your projects like timelines, objectives, payment and invoice details, what services are provided and what is not, who is responsible for each task, etc. From project to project, the inclusion of these details may vary. 

There are chances that the person involved in drafting the statement of work might overlook the inclusion of certain information in the SOW. You can avoid such circumstances with a standard template that includes all the nitty-gritties of an SOW. 

3. Faster turnaround times 

Creating a single or bulk statement of work documents becomes easy if you have an SOW template.

What does a Standard Statement of Work Template contain?

A statement of work (SOW) is a comprehensive document. Depending on the kind of project you're working on, certain specifics might change. However, the majority of projects will share certain core components. Let’s see in detail what are some of the common components you will find in a Statement of Work template.

Introduction/Overview

Any statement of work template will start with this section. The introduction should provide a brief overview of the tasks involved, the project's goals, the people involved in the project and the intended outcomes you hope to achieve, who is leading the project, etc. 

Background

Give a brief history of your project. You can also mention your organization and its requirements.

Purpose/Objectives 

This section defines the purpose of your project. It can start with a purpose statement and answer the following questions: What objectives will your project accomplish? What is the expected return on investment? What are the deliverables? You can factor in questions specific to your project’s end goal.  

Scope of work 

The scope of work segment describes all the work that needs to be done, including the strategy to be used, the essential processes, the various project phases, the time involved, the people involved, and the information on the requisite hardware and software.  

Description of the services

It explains in detail all the services that will be provided by the business/service provider to the client or customer. 

Location 

This section speaks about the location where the work is done, the personnel involved, etc.

Milestones

The start and end times for the project should be included in this section, along with a breakdown of how long it will take to complete each milestone.

Deliverables 

The deliverables for each stage of your project should be listed along with the deadline for each.

Requirements

Here you need to mention the software, hardware, or other equipment support required to complete the project. You also need to include details of the certification or government approvals required, the mode of collecting equipment, travel time, and other requirements for completing the project that has not already been listed.

Payment schedule

The project's payment requirements are described in this section. Include the project's budget, expected cost, and payment plans.

Service provider’s responsibilities

In this section of the SOW, state the responsibilities of the service provider as agreed upon in the SOW contract. Some of the responsibilities that should be mentioned are the tasks involved, key deliverables, return of material, security clearance documents after the completion of the project, etc.

Customer’s responsibilities

Customer expectations should always be set clearly. Mention what is expected from the customer including the resources and information that’s needed from them to complete the project on time.

Assumptions

The Assumption section of an SOW outlines the assumptions that both parties must agree upon for a project to reach the finish line. For instance, if you are hiring some contract employees or other external vendors to complete a section of the project, then you can mention that over here. You can include how many people will be hired, how much remuneration will be given, the timeline for that, etc.

Invoice schedule

All invoice-related details like when the invoice should be generated, whom it should be addressed and sent to, the timeline to receive the payment, etc. are mentioned over here.

Acceptance and signatures

This is the final section of the statement of work. If the service provider and customer agree with the statement of work, they will accept and sign off the statement.

What are the benefits of having a Statement of Work (SOW) Template?

Writing a statement of work from project to project can be challenging. But with a template, you can reap a multitude of benefits.

1. It makes the whole project management process organized

Having a thorough SOW maintains order in both your internal and external workflows. Your team members, clients, and all other parties involved in the project will have a complete understanding of what to do and when to do it from a project’s statement of work document. Even without any human intervention, your business will continue to function properly.

2. It helps to budget better and be prepared

Your statement of work document will provide you the opportunity to revise your numbers, calculate your budget, and project timeframe with greater accuracy. It can recall any crucial details that might have been overlooked in other documents.

3. It saves you from time-consuming processes

It takes a lot of your productive working hours to complete a statement of work from beginning to end, including writing the SOW document and getting acceptance signatures. In order to finish each segment of an SOW, the project manager or person writing the SOW must consult with numerous departments and outside stakeholders. There will be a ton of back-and-forth email conversations, which makes things even more confusing. However, if you use a standard and automated SOW template, you can save time and use it for other tasks.

Get started with Revv’s ready-to-use Statement of Work Template 

A statement of work is a complex document that varies with each new contract agreement you get into. It depends on the type of project, timelines, industry, and payment plan opted, among other things. Make your project management journey more efficient and effective with Revv’s thoroughly curated Statement of Work template. 

Let’s explore more of Revv’s advanced features and enhance your project management skills.

Customizable template 

Revv’s statement of work template is legally binding and professionally vetted. Now you can create a single and bulk statement of work documents within minutes. Also, with the help of a feature-rich document editor, you can personalize your SOW template. It allows you to add/edit texts, images, and tables, and integrate your Google Sheets and payment systems. 

Seamless app integrations

Businesses will rely on various systems to develop, maintain, and keep track of the status of each statement of work document created for various projects. Your project management system becomes complicated and subject to unnecessary delays if you use any software/applications to perform different duties. The varied data stored across several platforms presents another difficulty for a project management team when writing a statement of work document. As a result, the individual writing an SOW frequently has to switch between systems. With Revv's seamless integration capabilities, you can now easily connect all these different business systems and allow data to flow precisely and continuously.

Real-time collaboration

A Statement of Work document sometimes needs the active participation of other department team members. For instance, in your statement of work document, you need to include the payment details under the payment schedule category but the needed detail is with the accounts team. Using Revv’s Notes feature, collaborate with your team or client in real time. You can tag them with @mentions, add public or private comments, asking them to review or attach documents or images to your existing SOW template. 

Flexible and compliant eSignatures

Once the project management team completes creating an SOW document, it needs to be accepted and signed by the respective client. Revv eSignatures are completely safe. It makes your SOW document legally binding with its bank-grade eSignatures. It follows all local and global laws such as ESIGN Act, UETA, and eIDAS, among others. 

Revv offers flexible eSigning options for the signers to sign off their SOW documents. They can draw or upload their signatures, choose from pre-formatted text signature types, or even customize their signatures.

Real-time activity tracking of your SOW

You can track any action taken on your statement of work document from Revv’s real-time Activity tracking feature. It gives insights like who has opened the document, what changes have been made by the person who has access to your SOW, etc.  

Legally binding audit trails

Revv provides a legally binding audit trail for all the signed statement of work documents. Once all the participants have signed your SOW, you can download the 'Evidence Summary'. It contains details like the document name, signer's name & email ID, unique ID, IP addresses, date, and time stamps.

Utilizing the Revv platform entitles you to these advantages as well as many more. Stop pondering and use Revv right away to get up to speed.

Create business documents using our other template samples

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• Master Service Agreement

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• Vendor Agreement Template

Frequently asked questions

How do you write a statement of work?

A statement of work document can make or break your projects. However to make your SOW flawless and effective, include the following sections - Introduction, Background, Purpose, Scope of work, Description of the services, Location, Milestones, Deliverables, Requirements, Payment schedule, Service provider’s responsibilities, Customer’s responsibilities, Assumptions, Invoice schedule, Acceptance, and Signatures.

What is a statement of work template?

A statement of work, or SOW, is a document that outlines the conditions of an agreement between a client/customer and a service provider for a project. The service provider can be a company, an agency, a contractor, etc.

What should a statement of work include?

A project’s statement of work establishes and unifies expectations. It is an all-inclusive document that covers every aspect of the project such as project objectives, deliverables, timelines, the team involved, payment schedules, invoice schedules, and many other things. 

What is the SOW format?

An statement of work or SOW format includes the following elements - Overview, Background, Objectives, Scope of work, Description of the services, Location, Milestones, Deliverables, Requirements, Payment schedule, Service provider’s responsibilities, Customer’s responsibilities, Assumptions, Invoice schedule, Acceptance, and Signatures.

What is the difference between a statement of work and a scope of work?

The statement of work is a comprehensive, in-depth document that lists all the objectives, criteria, deliverables, deadlines, costs, etc.

The scope of work is a component of the statement of work that provides a detailed description of the project's anticipated results as well as the work that will be done to achieve those results.