Post-implementation review (PIR) template
Lessons learned and benefits realised. Free download in Word and PDF.
Download the post-implementation review template
Reviews a completed migration against its objectives: what was delivered, how it went, which benefits have been realised and what to do differently.
Free to use and adapt. Document ID CM-TPL-CLS-03, version 1.0, November 2026.
What the template includes
Document sections
- Review details · Basic facts about the review.
- Executive summary · Five or six sentences: overall result, the biggest success, the biggest problem and the top recommendation.
- Objectives and outcomes · Take objectives from the business case or charter. Status: Achieved, Partly achieved, Not achieved.
- Schedule and cost performance · Compare plan to actual. Express cost as variance percentage and explanation; do not include amounts in this document.
- Quality and service impact · Summarise from the hypercare issue log and incident records.
- Benefits realised · Each benefit needs a baseline, a measure and an owner who will keep tracking it after the project closes.
- What went well · Specific practices worth repeating. Include evidence.
- What did not go well · Describe the problem, the impact and the root cause, without blaming people.
- Recommendations and actions · Concrete changes, with an owner and date. Add each one to the lessons learned register too.
- Approval · Sponsor approval closes the review.
How to use this template
- Hold the review 4 to 8 weeks after go-live, once hypercare is closed and early benefit data exists.
- Gather data first: plan vs actual, hypercare issue log, survey results and the lessons learned register.
- Run a facilitated workshop with the project team, operations and business representatives; blame-free.
- Write findings as evidence, not opinion, and give every recommendation an owner and a date.
- Send the approved review to the steering group and attach it to the project closure report.
Ready to share with your steering committee
- Branded cover or instructions page with document ID and version
- QR code linking to the latest version, and a Code128 barcode for your document register
- Document control, approval block and a clear disclaimer
- Example rows written for real migration projects, which you replace with your own
Questions about this template
Is the post-implementation review template free?
Yes. Download it in Word and PDF and adapt it for your organisation. No sign-up is needed.
Can I use it in Google Sheets or Google Docs?
Yes. Upload the file to Google Drive and open it with Google Sheets or Docs. Dropdowns and most formulas carry across; check conditional formatting after converting.
Can I remove the Cloud-Migrations branding?
Yes. Replace the logo and footer with your own. Keep the disclaimer in mind: the template is general guidance and needs adapting to your project.
How do I know I have the latest version?
Scan the QR code on the cover or instructions sheet. It opens this page, which always links to the current version.