7.1 Deliverables Handover
One of the most important moments in the closure phase is the formal handover of deliverables. This isn’t just “submission” — it’s proof of achievement and confirmation of trust.
When the handover is designed and executed carefully, it lands the project cleanly with clients, stakeholders, and internal teams — and opens the door to the next collaboration.
Completion vs. Handover
Many teams treat “deliverables are done” as “the work is finished.” A real handover takes four steps:
- Deliverables completed (creator’s side)
- Internal review and quality check
- Submission and explanation to stakeholders (documentation + conversation)
- Formal approval and receipt confirmation
Walking through these four prevents the classic “we submitted it but they never reviewed it” gap and the disputes over quality that follow.
What to Include in a Handover
Alongside the deliverable itself, give the recipient enough context to use it confidently:
- Purpose and context: why this deliverable exists
- Contents overview: a map of files, screens, or document sections
- Intended usage: initial operations, setup steps, typical use cases
- Caveats and limitations: assumptions, out-of-scope items, future enhancements
- Contact info: who to reach for operations or support
For IT or business-design projects, a complete documentation set (manuals, transition guides, FAQs) significantly raises the sense of closure.
Using ActionBridge for Handover
ActionBridge supports the handover in several ways:
- Mark tasks with statuses like Transferred or Awaiting Approval
- Attach supporting documents (PDF, Excel, screenshots) directly to the task
- Issue limited-access links for clients or external stakeholders and track who opened them
- Use comment threads to record explanations and Q&A in place
The deliverable isn’t just “sent” — it’s understood, accepted, and ready to use.
Make Approval Explicit
Because approvals tie into evaluations, payments, and contracts, they need to be explicit and documented:
- Signed acceptance forms (paper or PDF)
- A clear confirmation reply by email or Slack (“Reviewed and approved”)
- A checklist-style sign-off, item by item or function by function
This heads off later disputes and makes the transition into the next phase — support, maintenance, the next project — smooth.
Summary: Handover Marks a New Beginning
Deliverables handover isn’t just the end of a project — it’s the start of a future relationship. Don’t treat it as a formality. Explain clearly, address concerns, and run a handover that shows care. That’s how trust compounds into the next opportunity.
How this looks in AB
In AB Project Management, the formal “deliverables handed over” signal is archiving the project. Members keep read access but lose write — the project becomes a frozen reference, not a deletion. Sign-off itself lives in a final task with a Sign-off received status; the change-history tab on that task records when and by whom, replacing a manual approval log.
→ Next, continue to 7.2 Retrospective & Evaluation and learn how to reflect on the full project experience.