RAID log: meaning, benefits, template and how-to guide

Managing various types of client, product or marketing projects as a small business owner can quickly become overwhelming without a clear system in place.

A RAID log helps you organize and track all the crucial elements (e.g., risks, issues and decisions) that keep your projects running smoothly.

In this post, you’ll learn two methods for creating your own RAID logs to keep your whole team on track and minimize potential challenges.

What is a RAID log? RAID log meaning

A RAID log is a document that different teams (e.g., sales, marketing, operations) use to track key project management elements – namely risks, actions, assumptions, issues, decisions and dependencies.

A RAID log can take many forms. For example, you can use a dedicated project management tool or a simple spreadsheet template. You’ll learn about both options in more detail a little later.

Here’s a spreadsheet example created on Google Sheets.

RAID logs help project team members stay organized by recording any issues, tasks, potential problems and important decisions.

They allow you to spot potential challenges early and hold everyone accountable for their actions, as every team member can see who’s responsible for which item.

The RAID acronym stands for:

• Risks. Potential events or situations that could negatively impact the project (e.g., software updates).

• Actions/assumptions. Tasks or steps teams need to take to address risks and issues to ensure smooth progress toward project goals (e.g., scheduling extra meetings).

• Issues. Current problems or challenges that require immediate attention or resolution (e.g., a software bug).

• Decisions/dependencies. Important choices made during the project or task reliances that affect its direction, strategy or execution (e.g., choosing a new cybersecurity tool).

Depending on your project’s needs, you can swap “actions” for “assumptions” and “decisions” for “dependencies” or use all terms in your RAID log.

Why is a RAID log helpful for project teams?

RAID logs help teams track project progress and manage risks before they become problems.

Here are three typical reasons that project teams use RAID logs:

1. Clear project status

RAID logs make it easier to identify potential risks and issues at a glance. This transparency ensures your entire team stays aligned and informed from planning to completion.

Example: a project manager may note from this week’s RAID log that the project’s development phase is on track, and everyone is up to date with deadlines and deliverables.

An up-to-date RAID log provides full visibility into progress and empowers everyone to identify where they can make a positive impact.

2. Proactive risk management

Regularly updating your RAID log with project risks lets you focus on problem-solving before they escalate. Effective risk management helps you stay on schedule and within budget while working through your roadmap.

This decision improves work-life balance and keeps everyone productive so they don’t delay the delivery date.

3. Enhanced communication and accountability

RAID logs serve as a single source of truth for project discussions and meetings. A centralized document helps all team members stay accountable by clearly recording any actions or decisions.

Clearly documenting all updates can help prevent miscommunication and anything slipping through the cracks.

How to create and implement a RAID log with Pipedrive

Pipedrive’s customer relationship management (CRM) platform lets you create RAID logs by setting up a new pipeline and adding custom fields.

Projects – Pipedrive’s project management software – is a more straightforward tool for small business owners built for complex logs and deeper insights at a glance.

Here are six steps for creating RAID logs within Pipedrive’s Projects:

1. Create a custom project for RAID management

Start by creating a new custom project for your RAID log. This dashboard will become your central location for managing your project lifecycle, methodologies and decisions in real time.

Go to the Projects tab in Pipedrive. Create a new project titled “RAID Log” and add custom cards for each category.

To represent your RAID elements, label each card as “Risks”, “Actions/Assumptions”, “Issues” and “Decisions/Dependencies”.

Organizing and tracking each element ensures that all team members have a clear view of the project’s status for future discussions and updates.

2. Add tasks for each RAID log entry

Create a list of tasks representing specific risks, actions, assumptions, issues, decisions or dependencies. Keeping every item actionable and clearly defined helps everyone understand how each contributes to project success.

For example, you may add:

• “Confirm with the IT team that current servers can handle a 20% increase in traffic” (assumption)

• “Review current workflows for improvement” (issue)

Within Projects, input each task under its corresponding category.

For each task, include the following key details:

• Title. Clearly describe the task (e.g., “Risk: supply chain disruption”).

• Description. Provide a detailed explanation, including context, implications and possible solutions (e.g., walk through a delivery delay of essential materials that could impact project timelines).

• Due date. Assign start and end dates to keep each task on track.

• Owner. Assign team members responsible for monitoring or resolving each item.

You can also break down each task into more manageable subtasks to delegate responsibility more effectively.

Transparent task management helps everyone stay accountable and keeps your project moving smoothly.

3. Include additional details with custom fields

Use custom fields to capture more detailed project information. The more everyone understands each RAID element, the more informed the decision-making can be.

In Pipedrive’s Projects, click “Customize fields” within your project’s “Details” section.

For example, you may add custom fields such as:

• Risk severity. Indicate issue log severity (e.g., low, medium or high).

• Assumptions validity. Track whether assumptions are valid or have changed over time.

• Dependency status. Oversee whether the dependency is resolved, pending or delayed.

Additional details help team members quickly assess priorities, make better decisions and take appropriate actions.

4. Track task progress and status

Tracking task progress and status is essential for understanding how each RAID item moves through its lifecycle. For example, each task can include a status like “Open”, “In progress” or “Resolved”.

In addition to aligning your team on current efforts, task progress and status help you identify potential bottlenecks that require immediate attention.

Use the project detail view in Projects to track progress and regularly update each task’s status based on its evolution.

Pipedrive also offers two types of views to visualize your RAID elements:

• Board. Use the default Kanban-style board view to quickly oversee each item (e.g., risk or assumption) under its associated category.

• List. The list view offers a more detailed, structured overview of all RAID items, making it easier to sort and filter.

Here’s what the alternative list view looks like.

List views usually suit projects with multiple detailed tasks (e.g., software development) better. Kanban boards work well for agile projects or teams focused on continuous workflows (e.g., marketing campaigns).

5. Link RAID items to deals

If your project relates to sales, you can connect your RAID management to your sales pipeline to link managing risks and issues to your selling efforts. Connecting these dashboards helps your team see how project challenges could affect customers and sales.

For instance, say you highlight a risk that impacts delivery time for a key client’s order. You can link that RAID item directly to the deal or organization within Pipedrive.

With this knowledge, your sales team can proactively inform the customer and address any concerns.

Connecting your project management and sales processes can lead to better long-term communication and stronger client relationships, which drives more purchases.

Another benefit of connecting both systems is that you can prioritize resources effectively and give high-value deals the attention they need to avoid setbacks. You also gain greater visibility into potential risks across your entire customer journey.

6. Create automatic RAID log updates

You can automate specific project activities on multiple Pipedrive plans. Workflow automations automatically update your RAID log to save time and reduce manual errors.

For example, you could set up the folllowing:

• Automatically moving tasks between stages based on their status

• Sending notifications to team members when a task reaches a certain status (e.g., if a risk becomes critical)

• Creating reminders for upcoming deadlines to keep everyone on track

You can use the “Add trigger” button on the “Automations” page to choose the item and event to kick off your automation.

For example, you may send an alert when someone adds a new risk to the RAID log to ensure your team addresses it promptly.

Automating these activities helps organize your project even more tightly so you factor everything in.

How to create a RAID log using a spreadsheet template

If you don’t have a Pipedrive account, you can still better manage future project planning by downloading this free RAID log template.

Adjust this tailor-made template to fit your unique processes within a familiar spreadsheet tool of your choice. Simply download it, enter your contact details and start customizing in Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel.

RAID log FAQs

Final thoughts

RAID logs can help your team stay organized and proactive while managing projects. Get the most out of yours by setting a regular RAID log audit schedule (e.g., weekly or bi-weekly) to ensure it stays relevant.

With a cloud-based tool like Pipedrive’s Projects, you can turn your RAID log into an accessible, living document that keeps your entire team on track toward hitting their goals with minimal risk.