When a member transfers or leaves the company, a written handover document can be left behind to facilitate the smooth transfer of duties to his or her successor. However, it takes a lot of man-hours to create a handover document from scratch, so many teams use templates to cut down on man-hours.
 
However, many people may be confused by the abundance of handover letter templates, and may also have trouble understanding the structure of an easy-to-read handover letter.
 
In this article, we will introduce some key points and templates for creating a handover letter for below people.
 
  • “To understand the key points of how to write a handover letter and to finish the transfer smoothly.”
  • “I want to use a template to create a handover letter in a short time.”
  • “If there is an easy way to create and share a handover document, I want to put it into practice immediately.”
If so, this article will help you create a handover document quickly and easily, and you can understand how to share information effectively.


"There is no easy way to stock information within the company."
The simplest tool to stock information "Stock".

Simpler than any other tool, so that anyone can start to use easily.
https://www.stock-app.info/en/

Difference between a handover document and a manual

A handover document and a manual differ in the scope of information they cover.
 
A handover document will include the specific procedures of the work as well as the details of the ongoing project. Therefore, a handover document contains a variety of information, not just one task.
 
On the other hand, a manual contains the flow and procedures of the entire work. While effective for understanding the workflow, a manual alone cannot grasp the progress of the previous member.
 
In light of the above, the handover document serves as a complement to the manual. Therefore, be sure to share not only the manual but also the handover document with your successor members.


"There is no easy way to stock information within the company."
The simplest tool to stock information "Stock".

Simpler than any other tool, so that anyone can start to use easily.
https://www.stock-app.info/en/

3 points to consider when preparing a handover document

Below are 3 points to keep in mind when drafting a handover document. By keeping these points in mind, you can ensure a smooth handover of business operations.

Organize by frequency

The first is to organize the contents of the handover document by frequency.
 
If “daily reports” and “weekly meetings” are mixed together in the handover document, it will be difficult for the successor members to determine which tasks should be prioritized, and omissions may occur.
 
In order to prevent such problems, it is advisable to summarize the tasks in the handover document according to the frequency of daily, monthly, and yearly meetings to make it easier to understand the “tasks to be undertaken.”

Get to the point

Second, keep the handover document concise and to the point.
 
If you explain your duties in detail in the handover document, your successor will be able to get on with his or her work quickly. On the other hand, if the handover document contains too much information, the document will be difficult to read.
 
Therefore, if you keep it to the point and explain the work in a concise manner, it will be an “easy-to-understand handover document.” However, creating a handover document in Word or Excel requires a certain level of IT literacy, so if an unfamiliar member of the team creates the document, it will be difficult to read.
 
Therefore, it is advisable to use IT tools such as Stock, which are simple enough to be used by a employee, to establish a system that allows anyone to create an easy-to-understand handover document.

List the people involved in the relevant work.

The third step is to list the members involved in the work to be handed over.
 
Some tasks are performed in collaboration with internal and external personnel. Therefore, in addition to the procedures and objectives of the work, information on related parties must also be included.
 
Examples of related party information include names, affiliations, and contact information. In addition, when the person in charge of a task changes, the relevant persons should be informed in advance to prevent any problems.


"There is no easy way to stock information within the company."
The simplest tool to stock information "Stock".

Simpler than any other tool, so that anyone can start to use easily.
https://www.stock-app.info/en/

5 recommended handover document templates for free

A handover document must be created in a short period of time, as it must be created in the midst of daily work.
 
However, if you use a template, you can complete the handover document by simply filling in the items. Here, we will explain 5 recommended templates.

Word/Smartsheet

Image of handover document from smartsheet
 
This is a simple template that is equipped with necessary items for handover document.
 
Simply follow the format and input the information to complete the handover form. Also, there is feature that columns divided by each colors to understand contents easily.
 

Word/Template.net

Image of handover template from Template.net
 
Template.net distributes Word templates that can manage task and status simply.
 
Since you can compile quantity of task and status, It is easy not only person in charge making handover document, but also easy-to-understand for recipient.
 

Word/Slidesdocs

Image of template from Slidesdocs
 
This template from Slidesdocs has items not only contents of task and progress, but also to do list.
 
The table is pre-created, so all you have to do is fill in the items to complete the handover form. However, there is no column for “detailed procedures,” so it must be used in conjunction with the manual.
 

PDF/SCRIBD

Image of template from SCRIBD
 
This free template from SCRIBD allows you to write down the contents that work in detail one by one.
 
It allows you to not only leave the contents at Area where the section and Artifacts, but also recipient check whether handover or not. On the other hand, there is no place to include images, and text only may be difficult to read.
 

Slideshare

To page of Slide share
 
This templates of Slideshare allow you to make A4 size project handover forms in detail.
 
It is equipped Table of contents for understanding overview, also items of explanation can be set each project freely.
 


"There is no easy way to stock information within the company."
The simplest tool to stock information "Stock".

Simpler than any other tool, so that anyone can start to use easily.
https://www.stock-app.info/en/

The easiest tool to create, manage, and share handover letters

Below is the easiest tool to create, manage, and share handover letters.
 
Using a template can save you a lot of time in creating a handover document. However, it is important to note that a Word or Excel handover document requires time and effort to find the file, making it complicated to manage.
 
Therefore, if you introduce a tool that allows you to manage handover documents in one place, you can quickly find the documents you need. In particular, using a tool with a search function solves the need to open the file each time you want to check it.
 
However, be aware that employees who are not good with IT will not be able to use a tool with many functions. In conclusion, the one to choose is Stock, which is so simple that even a member of a non-IT company can use it without explanation.
 
“Note” of Stock allows you to attach images and files in addition to text, so you can create an easy-to-read handover document in no time. In addition, “Message” can be used to share information without mixing topics, making it possible to create, manage, and share templates efficiently with just one Stock.

Stock|The simplest tool that even a employee of a non-IT company can use it

TopPage of Stock
 
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?>

  1. A tool for companies that are not familiar with IT
    You don't need to have any IT expertise to get started.
  2. Simple and usable by anyone
    Stock is so simple that anyone can use it without any unnecessary features.
  3. Amazingly easy information storing and task management
    It is amazingly easy to store information such as shared information within a company, and intuitive task management is also possible.

<Stock's pricing>

Stock's fee plan page

https://www.stock-app.info/en/pricing.html

For more information about Stock


"There is no easy way to stock information within the company."
The simplest tool to stock information "Stock".

Simpler than any other tool, so that anyone can start to use easily.
https://www.stock-app.info/en/

Summary of key points and 5 templates for creating a handover letter

We have explained the key points and templates for creating a handover letter so far.
 
If you use a template, you can create a handover letter in a short time. However, if you use Word or Excel, you will have to manage the files, so you should use an IT tool that allows you to create and manage it easily.
 
However, if the IT tool has many functions, members will not be able to use it, and the handover document will not be utilized. Therefore, it is necessary to introduce “simple tool that can be used without IT literacy” and establish a system that allows anyone to easily “create, manage, and share documents”.
 
In conclusion, “Stock” is the only tool that anyone can easily “create, manage, and share” handover documents.
 
It only takes 1 minute to register for free, so using Stock and create your handover documents efficiently.


"There is no easy way to stock information within the company."
The simplest tool to stock information "Stock".

Simpler than any other tool, so that anyone can start to use easily.
https://www.stock-app.info/en/
President and CEO Daisuke Sawamura
Supervisor of this article
Stock, inc.
President and CEO Daisuke Sawamura

Born in 1986. Graduated from Waseda University, School of Law.
After graduating, he joined Nomura Research Institute (NRI) as a management consultant.
He then established LinkLive inc.(currently known as Stock, inc.) He was appointed as Representative Director.
In 2018, they officially launched Stock, the simplest tool to stock information, with the mission to remove the stress of information sharing from non-IT companies around the world.
In 2020, the company raised a total of 100 million yen in venture capital (VC) funding.
In 2021, the company was selected as one of Toyo Keizai's "100 Amazing Venture Companies".