Timing of the Post go-live workshop

Completed

The Post go-live workshop should be scheduled when the go-live event has been stabilized with no active major escalations. On average, this timeframe usually occurs one month after go live.

Having the workshop immediately after go live wouldn't provide a high level of confidence to measure the success of the implementation against the business goals. Additionally, having the workshop during an escalation likely wouldn't allow the project team to reflect transparently and constructively on the lessons learned.

For this reason, facilitators should leave sufficient time after go live to stabilize the solution and to confirm that all business-as-usual operations perform as expected. This theory is especially true for workloads that could happen at a later date, such as month-end closing activities for finance.

The following question and answer are typical for the Post go-live workshop.

Question: The go live was relatively simple and limited in scope. Is it necessary to conduct the Post go-live workshop?

Answer: While it might be tempting to skip the Post go-live workshop, it should be done at every go live (minor or major) to give the implementation team the opportunity to confirm that the solution delivered on the goals that were initially set. Additionally, the team will have time to reflect on the past issues and to take the correct actions to improve the live operations support and be better prepared for the next phases.