You manage three projects. Each has weekly status reports, monthly steering decks, signed SOWs, change requests and a thousand reference PDFs. The day you can't find the latest signed SOW is the day a stakeholder loses faith in you.
A project-shaped PDF workflow keeps it tight.
Per-project folder structure
`/Projects/<project>/`, with subfolders: `Contracts`, `Status`, `Steering`, `Working`, `Archive`. Five subfolders, same across every project, so muscle memory translates.
Contracts = signed SOWs and amendments. Status = weekly reports. Steering = monthly decks. Working = drafts and in-flight. Archive = closed periods.
Status reports as a weekly PDF
Every Friday, export and merge the status pack — Gantt extract, RAID log, budget snapshot. Name it `<project>_Status_YYYY-MM-DD.pdf` and drop in `/Status`.
The pack becomes the canonical record of project state per week. Stakeholders who ask 'where were we in mid-July?' get an answer in 10 seconds.
Steering decks compressed for distribution
Monthly steering decks balloon to 30+ MB with images. Compress before distribution — under 10 MB is the goal for board attachments. Quality stays high; deliverability goes way up.
If the deck is sensitive (budgets, personnel), password-protect before distribution and share the password through a separate channel.
SOWs signed and flattened on the same day
When an SOW lands for signing, turn it around in the same day. Sign in the browser, flatten, file in `/Contracts`, email back. Speed is part of trust.
For change requests, treat each as a new contract — separate PDF, separate filing — that references the original by name in the body.
FAQ
Where should client-shared artefacts live?
Two copies: one in your project folder (source of truth), one in the client's preferred system (Drive, SharePoint, portal). Sync regularly. Never let the client's system be your only copy.
How do I handle stakeholder review comments on PDFs?
Collect comments outside the PDF (email, doc, ticket). Apply them to the source document, re-export, version up. Annotated PDFs are useful as a record, not as the editing surface.
Should I keep every weekly status forever?
Yes, for the project's life plus 6 months. They're cheap to store and invaluable for retros, lessons-learned, and the inevitable 'when did we know X?' question.
What about project closure?
At closure, merge all status reports into one pack, all steering decks into another, archive contracts. Three files plus the working folder is your project legacy.
Project hygiene is part of project delivery. A clean PDF workflow keeps both you and your stakeholders confident. Set up your next project in Flint.