Artifacts in project management are essential components that help in planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing a project successfully. So, in this article, we’ll discuss 9 types of artifacts in project management.
Table of Contents
What Are Artifacts in Project Management?
Artifacts in project management are digital records or tangible tools of project-related decisions, activities, and deliverables that hold significance throughout the project. Accordingly, project artifacts can take many forms, including documents, templates, models, charts, graphs, plans, or any other record that provides valuable information regarding the project. So, these artifacts are essential components that help in planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing a project successfully.
While project managers and their team members often focus on project tasks, activities, budget, quality, and deadlines, artifacts play a vital role in facilitating communication, quality assurance, and ensuring transparency and documentation the project’s progress.
Why Are Artifacts Important in Project Management?
Artifacts in project management play a crucial role throughout the project life cycle to ensure its success. So, let’s discuss why artifacts important in project management are.
- Effective communication – Artifacts provide a common language for project stakeholders. Furthermore, they ensure everyone is on the same page about project goals, objectives, schedules, expectations, and progress.
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- Risk management – Documentation of project risks and mitigation plans in appropriate artifacts helps you anticipate and proactively identify potential issues.
- Knowledge transfer – Project artifacts help project managers preserve valuable knowledge, making it accessible to future project teams. Furthermore, this knowledge can transfer and enhance organizational learning.
- Accountability – Project artifacts are important because they help project managers create a clear record of responsibilities and decisions, making it easier to hold stakeholders (primary and secondary stakeholders) accountable for their actions.
- Decision support – Project artifacts provide a basis for informed decision-making. Furthermore, they offer data and context to identify challenges and assess progress.
- Quality assurance – Project artifacts help project managers ensure project tasks and deliverables meet the defined requirements and standards. By documenting processes and outcomes, they facilitate quality control and enhancement.
- Documentation – Project artifacts help project managers serve as records of project decisions, activities, and progress. Therefore, they can provide a detailed account of what transpired throughout the project, aiding in future analysis and evaluation.
- Transparency – Artifacts help project managers make project information accessible and transparent. Furthermore, they enable project managers to show the progress and results to stakeholders, which builds confidence and trust.
9 Types of Artifacts of Project Management
As discussed above, project artifacts are documents, templates, or deliverables created to define and support project activities or tasks. According to PMBOK 7th edition, nine types of project artifacts are identified: strategy, logs and registers, plans, hierarchy charts, baselines, visual data and information, reports, agreements and contracts, and others. So, let’s discuss those artifacts one by one.
- Strategy Artifacts
Project documents are created before the start of the project that identify strategic, business, or high-level information regarding the project. Typically, these artifacts don’t change and they are developed at the start of the project. Furthermore, project managers should review these artifacts throughout the project. Examples of strategy artifacts: business case, project brief, project charter, project vision statement, and roadmap.
- Logs and Registers
Logs and registers are the documents that help project managers record continuously evolving aspects of the project. Furthermore, they should update these documents throughout the project. Examples of logs and registers are assumption log, lesson learned register, risk register, stakeholder register, backlog, change log, issue log, and risk-adjusted backlog.
- Hierarchy Charts
Hierarchy charts describe relationships between project elements, such as work breakdown structure, organizational breakdown structure, product breakdown structure, risk breakdown structure, and resource breakdown structure.
- Project Plans
A plan is a proposed means of accomplishing something related to the project. Typically, the project team develops plans for individual aspects of a project or combines all of that information into an overarching project management plan. Furthermore, project plans can be written documents but may be reflected on visual/virtual whiteboards. Examples of project plans are communication management plan, change control plan, cost management plan, iteration plan, procurement management plan, quality management plan, release plan, resource management plan, risk management plan, requirements management plan, scope management plan, stakeholder management plan, stakeholder engagement plan, and test plan.
- Visual Data and Information
Visual data and information can be used to organize and present data and information in a visual format. Furthermore, this artifact makes absorbing and turning data into information easier. Moreover, those artifacts are often produced after data have been collected and analyzed. On the other hand, these artifacts can be used for better decision-making and prioritization. The following are some examples of visual data and information.
- Affinity diagram
- Burndown/burnup chart
- Cumulative flow diagram
- Cause-and-effect diagram
- Dashboards
- Flowcharts
- Histogram
- Project schedule network diagram
- Scatter diagram
- Stakeholder engagement assessment matrix
- Prioritization matrix
- Gantt chart
- Project Baseline
A project baseline is the approved version of a plan or product. So, this artifact helps project managers compare actual performance versus baseline to identify variances. Examples of project baselines are milestone schedule, budget, project schedule, scope baseline, and performance measurement baseline.
Read More: Cost baseline in project management
- Project Reports
Project reports are artifacts that provide formal records or summaries of information. Furthermore, project reports communicate relevant information to stakeholders and are regularly used to convey project progress and status. The following are some examples of project reports.
- Quality reports
- Risk reports
- Status reports
- Project Contracts and Agreements
A contract is a mutually binding agreement that obligates the seller to provide the specified product, services, or result and obligates the buyer to pay for it. An agreement may be a document or communication that defines the variety of intentions of the parties. The following are some examples of project contracts and agreements.
- Fixed-price contracts
- Time and materials
- Cost- reimbursable contracts
- Indefinite delivery indefinite quantity
- Other Artifacts
The following are examples of other artifacts that do not fit a specific category. However, these artifacts play a vital role for a variety of purposes.
- Activity list
- Metrics
- Project calendar
- Project team charter
- User story
- Requirement documentations
Conclusion
Project artifacts in project management are essential tools that can be used throughout the project life cycle to ensure its success. According to PMBOK 7th edition, nine types of project artifacts are identified: strategy, logs and registers, plans, hierarchy charts, baselines, visual data and information, reports, agreements and contracts, and others.
