Every project will experience challenges. It’s as simple as that. Whether those would mean someone being incompetent, acts of God, or just simple everyday problems that happen to everyone, you will be pleased to know there is a solution to those problems. And it’s called an issue log template! 

An issue log is a structured way of tracking all your project's issues. You will have everything from everyday problems to project-ending catastrophes in a straightforward document. In this article, we will go over all the benefits of having an issue log, how to write such a document, different elements to include, and – free templates for you to utilize in your work. 

Of course, there are plenty of features to remember when writing your issue log, as every single company will have a different set of problems to tackle, so treat this guide as a roadmap for better operating in this beautiful world of issue logs. With that in mind, let’s dive in!

Issue Log is a document that allows the entire project team to record any issues that have been detected during the project’s lifetime. It is not limited to only that; you can utilize this form in events and any organizational activity. It gives you the ability to have all the information about the problems and concerns of the project in one place. If you need to track issues throughout the project’s lifecycle, it’s a great document to utilize by every project manager.

With this kind of spreadsheet, you can handle all the project issues. It will also allow you to track project progress and inform each team member about its timeline, key risks, and ways to resolve the issue. Issue logs are essential in running a successful project, as they allow you to see all the problems in one place and help you take care of them promptly.

Let’s go over the software we will use for this particular task. When it comes to project management software, there are plenty of elements that you can choose from. Nevertheless, we highly recommend the Microsoft Office package to optimize our efforts effectively. It stands out as the best office-related software, catering to the diverse needs of people worldwide who use it daily in their work. This setup lets you streamline your workflow and help you achieve your company’s milestones efficiently.

The Microsoft Office package offers a range of remarkable programs. Microsoft Word, for instance, is the top writing program in the market, while Microsoft Excel provides powerful spreadsheet capabilities. PowerPoint allows you to create impressive presentations, making it an all-in-one solution for all your office-related needs. Additionally, with the clever usage of templates, you can further augment the potential of this software and tailor it to your particular requirements.

And obtaining a Microsoft Office Key is not expensive anymore. You can get it at Royal CD Keys for just a few dollars with a lifetime subscription, applicable for both professional and personal purposes. You will likely find these programs indispensable sooner or later.

With that in mind, let’s explore our first issue-tracking template that all project managers enjoy. Let’s dive in!

Issue Log Template #1

Download

The first of our free issue tracking templates on our list is a relatively straightforward log for project planning. It can be of great help if you need a project issue tracker template that will not only help you to log all the problems with your project but propose solutions, target date of implementation, and issue register for communication purposes. 

With this free issue log template, you can solve your problems and learn from them. Choosing a suitable issue-tracking template can be challenging, but this will suffice for most needs, as it is pretty universal. So, whether you are working on an HR project or having an IT team debate on issues, there are only a few better project management templates than this one.

Issue Log Template #2

Download

Another right issue tracking template on our list is simple and concise. This Excel template can help you to track problems, see their current status, and help to inform your team members about all the log issues.

You can also move the issue “resolved,” put the time frame on solving the problem, prioritize the more critical tasks and issues that would arise, responsibly manage them, and see the risk of not taking care of potential issues.

It will also help you to identify and address similar issues to what you have already taken care of. You can fill it out quickly with an issue description, issue number, date opened, and other elements necessary to your project. This customizable template can help you assign all the priorities and have them addressed promptly.

Issue Log Template #3

Download

And finally, we have the last of our issue log templates. This one is between both worlds, as it is not just a simple free template to address potential issues with the projects but can also be used as a roadmap on where the project is currently.

As you can see, we have the description of the issues laid out effectively, resources that have to be assigned, teams that should take care of this problem, and which department should do it; collaboration is necessary. You can monitor many things to take care of the problems created in the lifespan of a project.

So, now that we know everything you need to know about assessing all the issues within the company properly, let’s go over some of the benefits you can expect from this project management tool. Of course, departments will differ in determining what kind of issues should be logged, what are the best spacing between the columns, and if some ideas can help to complete the process of getting out the deliverables faster. 

Be sure to modify those documents with as much detail as you need to get all the benefits of those systems fully. With that in mind, let’s go over the different uses you can expect from this document.

Issue Tracking

The first thing to remember is the issue tracking aspect of the issue log template. With a centralized and structured way of seeing all the bugs and problems in the project, you can determine potential issues and get the solutions in real time. 

Better Communication

With a well-drafted issue-tracking system, you can communicate with the team members and other stakeholders straightforwardly while also helping them understand the current status of the issues at hand. With that kind of transparency, you will be able to keep everyone in the project informed and happy with the progress of their work. Additionally, the cross-department issues will be available for anyone to see, so if there is someone from Team A that could quickly resolve the issue in Team B, they will be able to see that potential.

Problem Resolution

The next big thing about the issue log is that it creates an efficient problem-resolution system. It gathers all the information in one place and sets the urgency for each one, enabling managers and other stakeholders to quickly see and understand the issue's impact. With this tool, you can take care of all the burning problems in your company in no time!

Data-Driven Decision-Making Process

Source: Slingshot

Additionally, with the issue log, you will have a more significant decision-making process, as your decisions will be informed by the details available in the catalog. With that tool, project managers can see problems' current status and responsibly allocate resources. Moreover, they will be able to find all the necessary information in one place, making it easier for them to navigate.

Historical Information

With the right issue log implementation, you can also see the historical records of many different problems that teams have encountered. Of course, this kind of documentation can be great for multiple various valuable projects and activities for the future, as team members can learn from each other and the mistakes in the past.

Better Collaboration

With the implementation of the issue log, team members can work with each other more effectively and have better results. By contributing to the issue log, giving their suggestions on how to resolve the problems, or updating each other on how to take care of different issues the best way possible, they can motivate each other to resolve the issue more efficiently. With the right mindset, they can minimize the potential problems' impact before they even appear.

Progress Tracking

Another great benefit of issue tracking is the element of progress tracking. With the right approach, stakeholders can see the progress of each task, what kind of issues have risen, and how to overcome those in the best way possible. They will also be able to see the overall progress of the project, what kind of challenges teams have undertaken, and how they resolved those. It helps to boost morale, as the stakeholders will see the ongoing process, what is happening at different stages, with ways that the team resolved the issues they had.

So, now that we know all the benefits of creating an issue log, let’s go over some of the things to include in such a document. Of course, the specifics should be determined by the particular needs of the company or manager, but there are some things that are common in most situations. Be sure to modify them accordingly to your needs, as those tend to need some adjustments. With that in mind, let’s go over some key elements of an issue log.

ID Number

The first thing is rather obvious; you will probably need some kind of unique identification for your project in order to easily see what people are referring to and track all the problems at hand.

Date Logged

Here is where you put the date when a specific issue was logged into the spreadsheet. It’s usually done by the person who experienced the issue or the manager responsible for the project.

Description

Here you will need to create a concise description of what kind of problem occurred, all the relevant information about when it happened, why it happened, what are the error signature of the problem, or whatever else would be appropriate in this situation.

Priority

Next, you need to assign different priorities to different aspects of the project. For example, the lack of fruits in the conference room is probably not as urgent to take care of as the fact that the company’s website is down. Be sure to categorize all the issues as High, Medium, or Low accordingly.

Status

In this bracket, you will be able to see the current status of issues. It is usually described as Open, In Progress, Resolved, or Closed. Of course, you can modify the status of the project according to your needs.

Assigned To

This is the bracket where a person responsible for the project will be named. It can also be a team or even the whole department if necessary.

Date Resolved

The date resolved is the ending date of problem resolution. It usually marks the issue as closed.

Comments/Notes

Here you usually put all the information about the context of the problem, updates, or other important information about the issue. It’s a place where you can express your ideas about the issue, with ways to resolve it as well.

Impact

An impact bracket usually informs all the stakeholders about the potential consequences of not taking care of the problem. It can help you understand the severity of it and can be of great help in marking the urgency status of the issue.

Source

Here you will have to present the reasons why the problem has occurred and what could be done in order to mitigate it in the first place. It’s great for future references as well.

Closure

And finally, we have the closure notes with the summary of all the actions that have been taken in order to solve the issue. What have we learned from it? What are the ways of taking care of this kind of problem in the future? Here is the place where you can express those concepts.

In the end, an issue log is a powerful tool that can benefit you greatly if you want to improve the organizational efficiency of your project. It can help you in managing and tracking your issues, it helps with better communication between different teams and even departments, and overall – it can really enhance your decision-making process with lots of data to use.

With a well-drafted and maintained issue log, you will be able to learn from your past mistakes thanks to historical references, avoid repeating them in the future, and improve the process as a whole. It can also help you in documenting all the activities partaken in addressing each issue that then can be utilized in audit trials and performance evaluation.

Implementing the issue log elements can also help you improve the effectiveness of the project’s advancement. Different statuses and responsibilities assigned to different teams can create a clear and precise picture of what the project is actually looking like. The right implementation of these tools can get you far in keeping up-to-date with the project and developing faster than competitors.

The issue log is a great roadmap for the project as a whole. It allows you to easily see and respond to issues, but also to see the advancement of the project, how you can make even better decisions regarding the project’s scope, and overall – benefit the company as a whole.

Thanks for checking out this article on the issue log! If you enjoyed this one, be sure to check out others on our website. We have a great library of different texts on gaming/software/office-related topics that you will have a great time exploring. We are positive that you will find something for yourself. That is it for today; we will see you at the next one!