Statements of Work

Statements of Work (SOWs) are versioned documents that define the specific scope of deliverables for a project. They serve as the binding agreement between stakeholders, documenting what will be delivered, when, and at what cost.

Overview

A Statement of Work in Test & Accept contains:

• Project objectives and deliverables
• Timeline and milestone definitions
• Resource requirements
• Acceptance criteria at the project level
• Cost and payment terms

Each SOW belongs to a project and can be versioned to track changes over time. This versioning system provides complete transparency into how requirements evolve throughout the project lifecycle.

The Statement of Work Model

Creating a Statement of Work

Via the UI

1. Navigate to your project
2. Click the "Create New SOW" button
3. Fill in the required information:
   • SOW title
   • Description
   • Start and end dates
   • Other relevant details
4. Click "Create SOW"

Via the API

// Create a new SOW
const newSow = await apiClient.sows.create({
  projectId: "project_id",
  title: "API Integration SOW",
  description: "Statement of Work for the API integration phase",
  status: "draft",
  // Additional fields as needed
});

Versioning

SOWs in Test & Accept use a comprehensive versioning system to track changes:

• Each modification is tracked with complete history and attribution
• Stakeholders can compare different versions to understand what changed and why
• Formal approval workflows ensure all stakeholders agree before proceeding
• Full audit trail provides governance and compliance support

To create a new version:

1. Make your changes to the SOW
2. Click the "Create Version" button
3. Add comments explaining the changes (optional)
4. Submit the new version

Versions can be compared side-by-side to easily identify differences.

Approval Workflows

Once a SOW is ready for review:

1. Add approvers from your organization
2. Each approver will receive a notification
3. Approvers can review the SOW and provide feedback
4. Approvers can approve or request changes
5. Once all required approvers have signed off, the SOW becomes "Approved"

Importing and Exporting

Test & Accept allows you to:

• Import existing SOWs from various formats (Word, PDF, etc.)
• Export SOWs to different formats for sharing
• Generate professional-quality documents for client delivery

To export a SOW:

1. Navigate to the SOW details page
2. Click the "Export" button
3. Choose your preferred format (PDF, Word, etc.)
4. Customize export options if needed
5. Generate and download the file

SOW Management Best Practices

• Be Specific: Clearly define deliverables, acceptance criteria, and timelines
• Use Templates: Start with tested templates to ensure comprehensiveness
• Regular Reviews: Schedule periodic reviews to keep the SOW current
• Version Control: Create new versions for significant changes
• Stakeholder Alignment: Ensure all parties review and understand the SOW

Working with SOW Items

SOWs are broken down into manageable SOW Items, each with its own acceptance criteria and tests. See the SOW Items documentation for details on how to work with these components.

API Reference

For complete API details, refer to the API Reference.