Lesson 5 of 5
Readiness input to go/no-go
7 min
The go/no-go decision is taken by the steering group, informed by the process owners. Key users do not decide, but their input is what the decision rests on: they know whether their colleagues are trained, whether the data is right and whether the processes work. This lesson is about giving that input honestly and usefully.
What the go/no-go meeting weighs
The criteria should be agreed weeks before the meeting, not on the day. Typical ones: all critical scenarios passed; no open critical or high defects without an accepted workaround; a stated share of users trained and checked; migrated data accepted; cutover rehearsal completed within the planned time; hypercare staffed. When criteria are set in advance, the meeting compares facts with thresholds instead of debating what "ready" means.
The key user's readiness statement
For your area, prepare a short statement against agreed criteria. Grace, Contoso's PMO lead, collects them in one format so the steering group can compare areas.
| Criterion | Maria's status for order to cash | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Critical scenarios passed in UAT | Met: 42 of 42 | UAT report in SAP Cloud ALM |
| Open defects | Met with exception: 2 medium, both with workarounds | Defect list with workarounds documented |
| Users trained and checked | Not yet met: 30 of 32; 2 billing clerks on Thursday | Practical check results per person |
| Work instructions published | Met: 18 instructions, versioned | Instruction library |
| Data accepted | Met in dress rehearsal; production on go-live weekend | Acceptance records |
| Hypercare cover | Met: Maria and two key users on site weeks 1 to 2 | Hypercare roster |
A key user readiness statement against agreed criteria.
Being honest under pressure
Go-live dates attract pressure. It is tempting to round "almost" up to "yes". Resist it. A key user who reports an unmet criterion clearly gives the steering group options: a workaround, extra support, a conditional go, a delay. A key user who hides it gives them a surprise on Monday. Process owners should welcome bad news early; if your project punishes it, raise that with your process owner, because it is a risk in itself.
- Is the criterion met with evidence?Yes → report met · No → next question
- Is there a workaround that the business can operate for a defined time?Yes → report met with exception, naming the workaround, owner and end date · No → next question
- Will it be met before go-live?Yes → report not yet met, with the date and the consequence if it slips · No → report not met and its business impact
After the decision
Whatever the decision, key users turn it into action. A "go with conditions" means owning the conditions: the two untrained billing clerks are trained on Thursday and checked, the workaround for the medium defect is in the work instruction, and the hypercare roster covers the risk. A "no-go" means a new plan with clear targets for the next attempt. The process owner then signs the business side of cutover, using the key users' evidence; the Academy's process owner courses cover that sign-off.
- CollectKey users prepare statements against criteria with evidence
- ConsolidatePMO combines areas; process owners review
- DecideSteering group decides go, conditional go or no-go
- ActKey users own conditions, workarounds and hypercare cover
What would you do?
Contoso's go/no-go meeting is tomorrow. Maria's area meets all criteria except one: the returns process has a medium defect, and the workaround requires a manual credit memo that only Maria knows how to create. What should her statement say?
- The steering group decides go/no-go; key user evidence informs it.
- Report each criterion as met, met with exception, or not met, with evidence.
- Name workarounds, owners and dates for every exception.
- Report bad news early and clearly; it creates options.
- After the decision, own the conditions and hypercare cover in your area.
Check your understanding · not graded
Lesson check
1. Who takes the go/no-go decision?
2. Which is an acceptable status line?
3. When is "met with exception" appropriate?
4. After a conditional go, what do key users do?