As you approach the end of a project, there is a major step you should consider carefully: project handover. This is an important part of the digital product lifecycle that requires a solid transition plan.

Once a project handover is completed, you might think: “This project is done… and someone else’s problem”. Well, think again. If this phase is not accomplished correctly, it will soon become your problem again. 

Project handover is as important as any other project management process. But it can get out of hand and turn into a disaster pretty quickly. Continue reading to discover how to keep your team and partners/clients pleased.

What is Project Handover?

When we speak of Project Handover, we are usually talking about the handover of the project-completed tasks to the deliverable owner. It is the ending point of the delivery phase and the beginning of the project’s closure phase. 

In IT and software development, Project Handover might be when you pass the project on to the operational environment – whether it is to an Operational Manager, another company or the client. Nevertheless, this does not happen overnight and requires the transferring of handover documentation, software, information, knowledge, guidelines, and responsibilities, but also challenges.

Do not rush this crucial step. This transition period can make or break a project’s success. For this reason, you advise you to take the time to prepare it properly and set all the essential details.

The three phases of Project Handover

Project handover is actually a whole process. This milestone can be split into three phases: before, throughout, and after. And here they are:  

Pre-handover: the pre-handover stage takes the form of a dialogue between the parties. Throughout this phase, you will dismantle your overall project and specify details, deliverables and deadlines (triple D stage). Separate the handover into manageable elements and establish everyone’s roles. Checklists and communication plans will be your best friend. 

Completion: Transfer the ownership. Provide access to documentation and all information needed.

Post-handover: Now, with the project in a live setting, you should be there to help the business owner and ensure that things are going as smoothly as possible… Or if any issues pop up and need course-correcting.

How to improve project handover

Know your client: Clients expect guidance and support from the people who know most about the project. 

Take care of the knowledge transfer: Documentation is an overlooked aspect of software development quite often. Update it regularly, even before the actual project handover phase. Project information documented in a clear, concise, and accessible way makes it easier for the next team to adapt to the project. You ought to understand what is actually being handed over – ownership, operational responsibility, management, knowledge, handover documentation, or anything else. Transparency is key.

Open lines of communication: You should keep the communication lines open between yourself and the deliverable owner/partner. Project handover is not just about project transfer, but also about providing follow-up and support for the other part during an acceptable period, depending on the size of the project.

Set objectives, milestones, and deliverables: In the first place, set timings and establish expectations and responsibilities between all parties (your team and partners) from the start so that everyone works towards a common goal during the transition. A clearly defined timeline helps outline when things are expected internally and when they’re due to the client. Send a list of third-party services and tools, including credentials for login.

It might be either easy or very difficult to transfer a project. Everything depends on the organization and its transparency. And if you are searching for a reliable IT partner to hand your project over to, we are here to help.