Business analysis glossary
Decision Log
What it is
A decision log is a simple record of important decisions: what was decided, why, who decided, the date and the alternatives considered. It is kept where the whole team can see it. Each entry normally carries an ID, a date, the decision, the reason, the people involved and any related documents.
Why it matters
Months later people ask "why did we do it this way?". A decision log answers that quickly and prevents the same debate from being repeated. It is especially helpful when staff change, because newcomers can see the reasoning rather than just the result, and avoid reversing a decision by accident.
Example
Entry 14 at Orchard Health Clinics: "On 3 March the steering group decided to send appointment reminders by SMS only, not email, because most patients do not check email. Owner: clinic manager." The log shows that email was considered and rejected for a stated reason, so future suggestions can be judged against the original evidence.