In this blog, we’ll look at post-go-live support. Please consider this from the start of your project. Don't throw the project over the fence the day before cutover! The support team won't appreciate it, and the business will not receive the level of support they need for BAU.

Post go-live support

Involve the support team in the early stages of the project. Too many projects fail to give post-go-live support the necessary attention. The support team should be included in the dress rehearsals, and a representative should attend the Go/No Go meetings. 

Deliver the draft support documentation before the start of the dress rehearsals and agree on formal acceptance criteria. This documentation is critical for successful post-go-live support and must meet quality assurance standards.

Key activities include:

• Document the roles and responsibilities of the project team, including the project warranty period. 
• Ensure that all aspects of post-go-live support are planned for and managed professionally. 

 Handover to support

Handover to the support team is critical for a smooth cutover. Please include handover activities in all plans. Ensure the handover documentation is fit for purpose.

Review the documentation at regular intervals starting early in the project. Don’t leave the task until the last minute and rush the preparation of this.

Include the support teams in the dress rehearsals. Add a failure scenario to ensure that everyone from the end user to third-level support understands the process. Also, involve the support team in the preparation of the support Service Level Agreement. (SLA)

Post go-live project support 

Please consider the following in the planning process:

• The timeline that the project team will provide post-go-live support should be agreed upon early.
• From day one go-live, the support team should take the lead, with the project team assisting them.
• If everything is going very smoothly, the project team may work on other activities, but the go-live support must be their priority.
• Superusers are an integral part of the post-go-live support team. Ensure everyone knows who they are. Having the superusers walk around the departments immediately after cutover works very well.

Support considerations when scheduling Go/No Go meetings

• Please distribute the slide pack prior to the meeting and mention that you would be happy to address any questions beforehand.
• Make sure you have all the required stakeholders in the meeting, including a representative from the support function. (Post go-live support.)
• Be certain that the stakeholders and users understand their responsibility for signing off on the system. This formal step is necessary before handing over to the support team.

Project example from the support team's perspective

An organisation implemented a major transformation project that included new integrations with associated data mappings. The team was reluctant to document the data mappings or integrations because they were following Agile and quoted the Agile Manifesto every time the issue was raised.

The integration took considerably longer than expected, with the resulting delay in cutover to the new system.

They were also reluctant to document the configuration for the support team and referred to the Manifesto again. The support team made their position very clear: ‘If you don’t deliver the information, how do you expect us to provide support?’ 

The key learnings for the organisation from this project were a deeper understanding of the Agile Manifesto and the importance of communicating with everyone involved in the project, especially the support team you are going to hand over to.

Final thoughts

Please consider post-go-live support from the beginning of the project, include the team in planning and ensure the super users, support team and relevant third parties are included in dress rehearsals. Please be professional and don't throw the project over the fence a day before cutover!