The Dreaded Go-Live: Champagne or Fire Extinguisher?
After months of meetings, reports, budgets, risks, and more “just one more things” than you can count… the day has finally come: Go-Live.
This is the moment your project leaves the safety of planning and testing and gets unleashed on the real world.
It’s exciting. It’s terrifying. And it’s almost never boring.
1. Expect the Unexpected
No matter how much testing you’ve done, something will break.
- The server crashes.
- Someone forgot their login.
- Bob hits the wrong button.
Go-Live Rule #1: Something will go wrong. The key is not to panic.
2. Have Your “War Room” Ready
This doesn’t have to be a literal room (though it helps). It’s your command center for:
- Quick troubleshooting
- Centralized communication
- Snacks (seriously, keep people fed)
A war room gives your team one place to rally when the chaos hits.
3. Celebrate, But Keep the Fire Extinguisher Nearby
Yes, Go-Live is a milestone worth celebrating. Pop the champagne. High-five the team. Take the group photo.
But don’t wander too far from your laptop. Because Go-Live isn’t the end — it’s the beginning of real support.
4. Communicate Constantly
During Go-Live, silence = panic.
Keep stakeholders updated:
- “We’re live!”
- “Here’s what’s working.”
- “Here’s what we’re fixing.”
Even bad news sounds better when people aren’t left wondering.
5. Plan for Hypercare
Go-Live doesn’t end when the system is turned on. You’ll need a period of hypercare — close support for issues, bugs, and confused users.
Think of it like babysitting a newborn: constant attention until it learns to walk.
Closing Thought
Go-Live is the moment your project finally steps out into the world. Sometimes it’s champagne. Sometimes it’s a fire extinguisher.
Most of the time, it’s both.
This was Chapter Eleven of The Bible of the Volunteer-Told Project Manager.
Stay tuned for Chapter Twelve: “Lessons Learned: AKA Next Time, Let’s Not Do That.”