The Art of the Hand-off

Working with an expert team to implement a new system or feature is great. However, unless you’re also using that team for ongoing maintenance and support, chances are there will be a “hand-off” at the conclusion of the project where you suddenly become responsible. It may feel like you’re coasting now that the project has been implemented and is sailing along smoothly, but getting this part right is critical to long-term success.

Here are some items that should be considered as part of an effective hand-off:

• Documentation – Hopefully, you already have good documentation that was created as part of the design process. If not, you’re already in trouble. A final documentation package should be provided that reflects the overall design and what was done to reach the current state. It should be clear, concise, and accurate. It should enable ongoing usage, maintenance, and support.

• Knowledge Transfer – This is a practical walkthrough of what has been built, how it works, how to use it, how to troubleshoot and maintain it, and the documentation package. Ideally, the team that will be responsible for ongoing care will have been involved in the process and already be somewhat familiar with what has been built. This is an opportunity to ask questions and ensure a smooth transition.

• Cleanup – As part of the hand-off, items that were created to support the project may need to be removed. This may include test data and accounts (unrelated to ongoing support), miscellaneous development branches that were not included in the final product, etc.