Free Excel template
Decision log template
One row per decision: what was decided, why, who decided, who has to act, and where it was agreed. Days open and overdue calculate themselves, so nothing agreed quietly goes nowhere.
| Decision | Who must act | Where | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Move 022 Indigo kurta to 200 GSM fabric | Mill, factory, buying | Done | |
| Add a second size check before dispatch | Warehouse team | Meeting | In progress |
| Pay advances only against a PI that matches the PO | Accounts, merchandising | Agreed |
What’s inside
- Decision log
- ID, date, decision, why, decided by, who must act, due date, channel, source, status, days open and an overdue flag, ready for 100 decisions.
- How to use
- Five habits that keep a log useful, and which decisions are most worth logging.
How to use it
- Log each decision where it’s made, and give it the next ID.
- Write why in one line.
- Name who decided, who must act, and the due date.
- Record the channel and the thread, email or call it came from.
- Update the status as work moves, and review overdue rows weekly.
Where a sheet like this goes wrong
A decision log holds what someone remembers to write down. Most decisions are made in chats and calls, and never reach it.
What Spurby does instead
Spurby builds the log from the conversations themselves, links every decision to the message it came from, and follows each one up until it’s done.
Questions about this template.
What is a decision log?
A decision log, or decision register, is a running record of decisions: what was decided, why, by whom, who has to act, and when. It lets anyone find out later why something is the way it is.
What should a decision log include?
At least the decision, the reason, who made it, who has to act and by when, and where it was agreed. A status column shows whether it was carried out.
Does it work in Google Sheets?
Yes. Open it with Google Sheets from Google Drive; the dropdowns and overdue flags carry over.
Or let Spurby keep it current.
Spurby fills this in from the WhatsApp, email and calls where things change, and does the chasing.