With a business handover document, work can be smoothly transferred in the event of resignation or transfer. In other words, a handover document is essential to prevent problems in business.
However, many people may be troubled by the fact that they have never taken over a job and do not know how to create a business handover document.
In this issue, we will focus on points for creating an easy-to-understand business handover document. And this article is for below people.
- “To reduce the burden of verbal handover”.
- “I want to manage handover documents in a way that I can look back on them at any time”.
- “I Want to grasp the key points of creating a business handover document”.
It will help you to understand the key points of creating an easy-to-understand business handover document.
Contents
- 1 What is a business handover document?
- 2 What are the 7 items that should be included in a handover document?
- 3 When to create a business handover letter
- 4 3 merits of creating a business handover letter
- 5 3 key points for creating an easy-to-understand handover letter
- 6 4 Steps｜how to create a business handover letter
- 7 Points to keep in mind when creating a business handover document
- 8 The easiest tool to create and manage handover documents
- 9 Summary of the merits and key points for creating a business handover letter
What is a business handover document?
A work handover document is a material that describes the details and progress of the work to be handed over.
The verbal handover has a risk of omission of words, which can lead to a dispute over “what was said or not said”. Therefore, if a handover document is prepared and kept as a record, troubles can be avoided.
In addition, with a written handover document, the predecessor does not have to instruct from scratch and the successor does not have to write down everything, which reduces the burden on both parties. To ensure a smooth handover, you should operate a business handover document.
What are the 7 items that should be included in a handover document?
Below are 7 items that should be included in a business handover document.
- Outline and purpose of the business
- Work flow
- Business Schedule
- Points to note and how to deal with irregularities
- List of storage locations for related documents
- Contact information for internal and external parties such as sales contacts
- Points of ingenuity of previous members
Outline of the business and its purpose. Keep it concise so that your successor can easily visualize the work.
Put the flow of the work. At this time, it is recommended to describe the goal at each step to make it easier to understand “when to proceed to the next task.
The schedule should be categorized as “yearly, monthly, or weekly” to make it easier to understand. In addition, since it is impossible to deal with problems if the work is completed just before the deadline, it is recommended that the estimated date of completion be listed separately.
This section includes points to note about the work and how to deal with problems. Specifically, keep examples of past troubles and how to deal with them to accumulate know-how.
The handover document must also indicate the storage location of documents and data used in the work. If it is digital data, the name of the folder where it is stored should also be included.
To make it easier to check customer information, compile contact information for the person in charge.
Indicate the know-how and knowledge of the business. For example, if you also record the points that were devised in your work, even newcomers will be able to work smoothly.
By including all of the above items without omission, you can create an easy-to-understand handover document.
When to create a business handover letter
The handover letter should be prepared at least one week before the handover.
Generally, the handover should be completed a few days before the resignation or transfer. Therefore, preparing the documents in advance will ensure a smooth handover.
Nevertheless, since you must proceed with your assigned duties and the handover at the same time, there is a concern that you may omit to address the issue. Setting up a system that allows you to collectively manage the progress of the handover document and tasks to ensure that you are in control of what needs to be done.
For example, an IT tool such as Stock, which allows you to directly leave a “Note” of handover procedures and set due dates for “Task” linked to the Note, will solve omissions of correspondence.
3 merits of creating a business handover letter
This section describes the merits of creating a business handover document. Keep the following benefits in mind to get the most out of the handover letter in your company.
(1) Reduce mistakes
The first merit is that it reduces mistakes after the handover.
With a work handover document, you can look back on the procedures even after your predecessor has left the site. As a result, it will not occur situation in which a mistake has occurred due to proceeding without understanding.
For these reasons, those who want tosolve serious mistakes and accidents should operate a business handover sheet.
(2) Reduce training costs
The second merit is to reduce training costs.
Without a handover document, the predecessor has to instruct everything from scratch, which is tedious. In addition, the successor needs to take notes and follow the work with his/her own eyes, which takes additional time.
However, with a written handover document, the entire work can be handed over to the successor with a clear picture of the entire process, thus reducing the burden on both predecessor and successor. In addition, once a handover sheet is created, it can be used over and over again, reducing training costs for the entire company.
(3) Smoother handover
The third merit is a smoother handover.
When work is handed over orally, the successor must ask questions of the predecessor whenever there is something he or she does not understand. As a result, the predecessor will not be able to devote time to the new tasks that he or she is responsible for.
However, if there is a handover document, questions can be resolved simply by reading it, so there are fewer questions to be asked.
Word and Excel handover of work forms are difficult to read on a smartphone. Therefore, a tool like Stock, which is optimized for PCs and smartphones and can be viewed at any time and place, is the best choice.
3 key points for creating an easy-to-understand handover letter
The creation of a business handover document is not the end of the process. In order to create a “handover document that will be utilized,” the following points should be kept in mind.
(1) Use diagrams and graphs
First, when creating a handover letter, make use of diagrams and graphs.
For example, a handover document that is only text is difficult to read and will not be used.
However, diagrams and graphs not only make it easier to read, but also make it easier to visualize the work flow.
(2) Do not over- or under-describe information
Second, it is also important to write information without over- or under-information.
In the unlikely event that there is an omission in the work handover document, it could lead to a major mistake. Check chronologically to make sure that there are no excesses or insufficient, and prevent omissions.
In addition, if you are handing over to a new employee, he or she does not yet have the technical knowledge, so you can make the procedure SOP easier to understand by adding annotations to technical terms.
(3) Clarify connections with other operations
Third, it is important to clarify the connection with other tasks.
For example, a situation may arise in any industry where “if work A is not completed, work B cannot be started”. If one’s own work is delayed, it will have a negative impact on the entire team.
In order to prevent such problems, make sure to clarify the connection with other tasks to work smoothly.
4 Steps｜how to create a business handover letter
This section explains how to write a business handover letter in 4 steps. The following steps will help you create a smooth and easy-to-understand handover document.
(1) Create a schedule
First, create a schedule of the handover process.
By creating a schedule in advance, you can regularly check to see if everything is proceeding as planned. It is also recommended that you leave some leeway in the schedule so that you can deal with any sudden problems that may arise.
If you want to ensure that your business is taken over, make a schedule in advance.
(2) Take inventory and organize business operations
Next, take inventory and organize your business operations.
In the business inventory, identify all the details of the business. It is recommended to organize them using bullet points or diagrams to make it easier to understand what should be included.
Also, if you can organize “operations to be taken over” and “operations to be stopped” at this time, you can avoid unnecessary handover work.
(3) Determine the successor
Next, decide who will take over.
If all the work of the predecessor is handed over to a single member, the successor will be overworked. Therefore, determine “to whom and which tasks should be handed over” from the standpoint of appropriateness.
However, if the predecessor decides on his/her successor arbitrarily, it may lead to trouble due to conflicts with other duties. It is important to distribute the work while consulting with your supervisor and other members around you.
(4) Write down the details of the duties
Finally, write the body of the handover letter.
When writing the body of the work handover letter, it is necessary to be conscious of “whether the information you need can be found quickly” as well as “to include a description of each task without omission”. However, if you create the handover document in Word or Excel, finding the relevant file is a hassle in itself.
To create a system that allows quick access to information by using IT tools with excellent searchability. For example, with Stock, which allows you to write the details of the handover directly in a “Note”, you can quickly find the information you want by simply entering keywords.
Points to keep in mind when creating a business handover document
If you create handover documents on paper, in Word, or in Excel, you must be careful about the time and effort required to manage and share them.
Paper handover documents are a burden on employees because they have to search for the documents every time, and there is the demerit of losing or soiling the documents.
In addition, Word and Excel documents must be attached to e-mails and chats, which is a time-consuming process. In addition, because information flows easily through e-mail and chat, there is a risk that the handover itself will not go smoothly because the succeeding members of the team will miss the information.
For these reasons, it can be said that paper, Word, and Excel are not suitable for managing and sharing handover documents. To solve all the hassles related to handover documents by utilizing “a tool that centralizes the creation, management, and sharing of handover documents”.
The easiest tool to create and manage handover documents
Here we introduce the easiest tools for creating and managing business handover documents.
Paper handover documents are expensive to print and cannot be shared smoothly. In addition, with Excel or Word, you have to open the file every time you want to check the contents, and the file gets buried when you share it via email or chat.
Therefore, using a tool to create, manage, and share handover documents can solve the burden on employees. However, if the tool has many functions, employees will not be able to use it, so choose a tool that “anyone can use easily”.
In conclusion, the tool that your company should implement is Stock, which is so simple to use that employees of a non-IT company can quickly master it.
“Notes” of Stock allows you to quickly create a handover document without having to prepare a file, and it is automatically shared, so there is no need to take the time to do so. In addition, the notes can be divided into “Folder” for each task, so you can quickly access the documents you need anytime.
Stock｜A tool in a non-IT company can master on the same day
The simplest tool to stock information "Stock"
https://www.stock-app.info/en/
Stock is the simplest tool to stock information. Stock solves the problem, "there is no easy way to stock information within the company".
With Stock, anyone can easily store all kinds of information, including text information such as requirements, images, and files, using the Note feature.
In addition, by using the "Task" and "Message" functions, you can communicate with each topic described in the Note, so that information is not dispersed here and there and work can always be carried out in an organized manner.
＜Why do we recommend Stock?＞
- A tool for companies that are not familiar with ITYou don't need to have any IT expertise to get started.
- Simple and usable by anyoneStock is so simple that anyone can use it without any unnecessary features.
- Amazingly easy information storing and task managementIt is amazingly easy to store information such as shared information within a company, and intuitive task management is also possible.
＜Stock's pricing＞
- Free plan ：Free
- Business plan ：$5 / User / Month
- Enterprise plan ：$10 / User / Month
Summary of the merits and key points for creating a business handover letter
We have introduced the merits and key points of creating a business handover documents so far.
The business handover document has the merit of enabling a smooth handover of tasks. However, the creation of a handover sheet is not the end of the process; it is only effective when it is utilized.
To move away from paper, Word, and Excel, you should use a “tool that enables the creation, management, and sharing of business handover documents”. Choose a simple tool that is easy to use, as employees will not be able to master it if it has many functions.
In conclusion, the tool that your company should implement is “Stock”, which can easily create, manage, and share all kinds of documents, including business handover documents.
Free registration takes only 1 minute, so be sure to use Stock to create and manage handover documents and set up a smooth handover system.
