Statements of Work (SOWs)
SOW Lifecycle & Status
Understanding SOW stages from draft through completion, and how status transitions work.
SOW Lifecycle Stages
┌───────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌─────────────────┐ ┌────────┐
│ Draft │ → │ Pending │ → │ Pending │ → │ Active │
│ │ │ Approval │ │ Signature │ │ │
└───────┘ └──────────────┘ └─────────────────┘ └────────┘
│
┌────────────────────────────────────────┤
↓ ↓ ↓
┌───────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐
│ On Hold │ │ In Progress │ │ Completed │
└───────────┘ └──────────────┘ └─────────────┘
│
↓
┌───────────┐
│ Closed │
└───────────┘Status Definitions
| Status | Description | Triggered By |
|---|---|---|
| Draft | SOW is being created/edited | Initial creation |
| Pending Approval | Awaiting internal stakeholder approval | Submitted for review |
| Pending Signature | Sent for e-signatures from all parties | Approved internally |
| Active | Signed by all parties, work can begin | All signatures collected |
| In Progress | Work has started, milestones being tracked | Manual or auto (start date reached) |
| On Hold | Work temporarily paused | Manual action + reason |
| Completed | All deliverables accepted, work finished | All milestones marked complete |
| Closed | Final payments processed, SOW archived | Admin/owner closure |
| Cancelled | SOW terminated before completion | Manual with reason |
| Rejected | Internal approval denied | Approver rejects |
Status Transitions & Permissions
| From → To | Who Can Do It |
|---|---|
| Draft → Pending Approval | SOW Owner, Vendor Manager |
| Pending Approval → Approved | Designated Approver(s) |
| Pending Approval → Rejected | Designated Approver(s) |
| Approved → Pending Signature | SOW Owner, Vendor Manager |
| Pending Signature → Active | System (when all signed) |
| Active → In Progress | SOW Owner, auto on start date |
| Active/In Progress → On Hold | Vendor Manager, Admin |
| On Hold → In Progress | Vendor Manager, Admin |
| In Progress → Completed | SOW Owner (when all deliverables accepted) |
| Completed → Closed | Admin, Vendor Manager |
| Any → Cancelled | Admin |