What productivity tool is best for providing historical cost and budget data for closed projects?

Using a spreadsheet is the best choice for providing historical cost and budget data for closed projects because spreadsheets are designed for calculations, data analysis, and organization of numerical information. They allow you to create tables that can track expenses, budgets, and forecasts over time, which makes it easy to summarize data visually and perform complex calculations.

Spreadsheets also provide functionalities such as formulas, pivot tables, and charts, which can enhance data analysis and reporting. This capability is particularly useful when analyzing trends in historical costs and comparing them against budgets for projects that have been completed.

While other tools like text documents, presentations, and word processors can support documentation and basic data presentation, they lack the advanced analytical and computational features that spreadsheets offer, making them less efficient for managing and analyzing financial data from completed projects.