T-minus timeline
| When | Activity | Owner | Duration | Dependency | Done |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-7 days | Final data quality check on source; cleansing complete | Data lead | 2 days | - | |
| T-2 days | Rehearsal in a non-production environment, timed | Platform | 4 hours | Environment ready |
Go-Live / Cutover Plan
Cutovers fail on the hours either side of the switch, not on the switch itself. A T-minus timeline and written go/no-go criteria are what prevent the decision being made on optimism at two in the morning.
What you get
- A T-minus timeline from the week before through to the morning after
- Go/no-go criteria agreed in advance with named decision-makers
- Validation steps run by the business rather than by IT
- A hypercare period with defined exit criteria
How to use this template
- 1
Agree go/no-go criteria days in advance. Write what must be true to proceed while everyone is rested. At 02:00, after weeks of effort, every criterion feels negotiable, which is exactly why they must be fixed beforehand.
- 2
Have the business validate, not IT. IT validates that the system responds. Only the business can confirm that an invoice looks right and a report reconciles. Name who performs each validation and ensure they are available.
- 3
Define when hypercare ends. Without exit criteria, hypercare either stops too early or never formally ends. Define what must be true (a clean period end, ticket volume back to baseline) before the project team stands down.
What's inside
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Frequently asked questions
What should a cutover plan include?
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A T-minus timeline with owners and durations, written go/no-go criteria agreed days in advance, technical and business validation steps, a rollback decision point, and a hypercare period with defined exit criteria.
Why agree go/no-go criteria in advance?
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Because at the gate, after weeks of effort and often in the middle of the night, every criterion feels negotiable. Criteria fixed while everyone is rested are the only ones that reliably hold when proceeding is the easier option.
How long should hypercare last after a go-live?
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Until defined exit criteria are met rather than for a fixed period: typically a clean first period end, integrations running without failure for a week, and ticket volume returning close to baseline.