Phase 14 of 14

Go-Live

The culmination of months of planning and preparation. Go-live is a carefully orchestrated transition that transforms your business operations. Success depends on meticulous preparation, clear communication, and rapid response to issues.

Chapter 14.1

Go-Live Planning

Successful go-lives don't happen by accident. They are the result of exhaustive planning, clear criteria, and contingency preparation that begins weeks before the actual event.

Go-Live Readiness Assessment

Before committing to a go-live date, conduct a comprehensive readiness assessment across all workstreams. Every stakeholder must honestly evaluate their area's preparedness.

Workstream Readiness Criteria Owner Status
Configuration All settings finalized, tested, and documented Functional Lead Ready / Not Ready
Data Migration Test migrations complete, data validated, cutover plan approved Data Lead Ready / Not Ready
Integrations All integrations tested end-to-end in production-like environment Technical Lead Ready / Not Ready
User Acceptance UAT complete, all critical issues resolved, sign-off obtained Business Lead Ready / Not Ready
Training All users trained, materials available, super users identified Training Lead Ready / Not Ready
Support Hypercare plan in place, escalation paths defined, war room ready Project Manager Ready / Not Ready
Critical: No Partial Readiness

Every workstream must be "Ready" before proceeding. A single "Not Ready" should trigger a go/no-go discussion. Partial readiness is a recipe for disaster—the weakest link determines overall success.

Timeline Development

Work backwards from your target go-live date to establish key milestones. The following timeline assumes a weekend cutover with Monday go-live.

T-30

Final Readiness Assessment

Complete readiness checklist, confirm go-live date, finalize cutover schedule, brief all stakeholders

T-14

Dress Rehearsal

Execute full cutover in sandbox, validate timing, identify gaps, update runbook based on lessons learned

T-7

Final Preparations

Code freeze, final user communications, confirm war room logistics, distribute emergency contacts

T-3

Go/No-Go Decision

Steering committee meeting, final risk assessment, formal decision to proceed or postpone

T-1

Legacy System Lockdown

Disable new transactions in old system, begin data extraction, notify external parties

T-0

Cutover Weekend

Execute cutover runbook, migrate final data, validate, prepare for Monday opening

Go-Live Approaches

Choose the approach that best fits your organization's risk tolerance, complexity, and operational requirements.

Decision Point: Go-Live Strategy
Big Bang All users, all functions, all locations go live simultaneously. Higher risk but cleaner transition. Best for smaller organizations or when parallel operations aren't feasible.
Parallel Run Run both systems simultaneously for a period. Lower risk but double the work. Requires clear rules on which system is "source of truth" for each transaction type.
Phased Rollout Go live by location, subsidiary, or function. Allows learning from early waves. Best for multi-subsidiary or geographically distributed organizations.
Consultant Insight

Parallel runs sound safe but often create more problems than they solve. Users become confused about which system to use, data gets out of sync, and the "safety net" becomes a crutch that delays true adoption. In most cases, a well-prepared big bang with strong hypercare support is preferable to an extended parallel run. The exception is highly regulated industries where audit requirements mandate parallel operation.

Go/No-Go Criteria

Establish objective criteria before the go/no-go meeting. These should be documented and agreed upon by the steering committee in advance—not debated during the meeting itself.

Mandatory Go Criteria (All Must Be Met)

  • UAT Sign-off: Business owners have formally accepted the system
  • Critical Issues: Zero open Severity 1 or Severity 2 defects
  • Data Migration: Test migration completed successfully within time window
  • Integration Testing: All integrations validated end-to-end
  • Training Completion: >90% of users have completed required training
  • Support Readiness: Hypercare team confirmed and available
  • Rollback Plan: Documented and tested rollback procedure exists

Warning Criteria (Require Mitigation Plan)

  • Open Severity 3 defects with workarounds documented
  • Training completion between 80-90%
  • Non-critical integrations pending with manual workarounds
  • Performance testing shows acceptable but not optimal results
Warning: The Sunk Cost Trap

Resist pressure to go live just because "we've come this far." The cost of a failed go-live—business disruption, customer impact, team morale—far exceeds the cost of a brief delay. Better to postpone by two weeks than to spend two months recovering from a botched launch.

Risk Identification and Mitigation

Document all known risks and their mitigation strategies before go-live.

Risk Impact Likelihood Mitigation
Data migration takes longer than planned High Medium Build 4-hour buffer into schedule; have parallel team ready
Integration failure at cutover High Low Manual workaround procedures documented; vendor on standby
Key resource unavailable Medium Low Cross-train backup for each critical role; document procedures
User adoption resistance Medium Medium Super users embedded in each department; visible executive support
Performance issues under load High Low Load testing complete; NetSuite support engaged; stagger user login

Communication Planning

Different audiences need different messages at different times. Plan your communications carefully.

Internal Communications

  • Executive Team: Weekly status leading up to go-live, daily during cutover
  • All Employees: Go-live announcement 2 weeks out, reminder 1 week out, instructions day before
  • Power Users: Detailed schedule, escalation contacts, troubleshooting guides
  • IT Team: Technical runbook, monitoring dashboards, on-call schedule

External Communications

  • Customers: Notice of potential delays (if applicable), new portal instructions
  • Vendors: New payment processes, updated contact information
  • Partners: Integration changes, testing windows
  • Banks: New account information, payment file formats
Pro Tip: Over-Communicate

When it comes to go-live communications, more is better. People are busy and miss messages. Send the same key information through multiple channels: email, Slack, town halls, posters. The goal is that no one can claim they didn't know the go-live was happening.

T-30 Readiness Checklist

30 Days Before Go-Live
All configuration complete and frozen
UAT complete with formal sign-off
All Severity 1 and 2 defects resolved
Data migration scripts tested and validated
Integration testing complete
Training schedule confirmed, >80% enrolled
Cutover runbook drafted
Hypercare team identified and committed
War room location and logistics confirmed
Rollback plan documented
Go/no-go criteria agreed by steering committee
External party notifications scheduled
Chapter 14.2

Cutover Execution

The cutover window is the most intense period of the implementation. Every minute counts, and the team must execute with precision while remaining calm under pressure.

Cutover Runbook

The cutover runbook is your playbook for the transition. It should be detailed enough that someone unfamiliar with the project could execute it in an emergency.

Runbook Components

  • Task List: Every action required, in sequence
  • Owner: Named individual responsible for each task
  • Duration: Expected time for each task
  • Dependencies: Which tasks must complete before this one can start
  • Validation: How to verify the task completed successfully
  • Rollback: How to reverse the task if needed
  • Escalation: Who to contact if the task fails
Pro Tip: Dress Rehearsal

Always conduct a full dress rehearsal in your sandbox environment 1-2 weeks before go-live. Time every task, note the actual duration vs. estimate, and update your runbook based on what you learn. The first time you execute the cutover should not be in production.

Typical Cutover Timeline

A sample weekend cutover schedule for a Monday morning go-live:

Time Activity Owner Duration
Friday 5 PM Legacy system lockdown - disable new transactions IT Lead 30 min
Friday 6 PM Extract final data from legacy system Data Lead 2 hours
Friday 8 PM Data transformation and validation Data Lead 3 hours
Friday 11 PM Team break / overnight pause All 8 hours
Saturday 7 AM Begin data load to NetSuite Data Lead 4 hours
Saturday 11 AM Data validation checkpoint Business Lead 2 hours
Saturday 1 PM Integration activation and testing Technical Lead 3 hours
Saturday 4 PM End-to-end transaction testing Functional Lead 3 hours
Saturday 7 PM Final validation and sign-off Project Manager 2 hours
Sunday Buffer / issue resolution All As needed
Monday 6 AM War room opens, final checks All 2 hours
Monday 8 AM GO-LIVE - Users begin work All —

System Lockdown Procedures

Legacy system lockdown ensures no new transactions are created after the data extraction point.

1

Announce Lockdown

Send final reminder to all users that the legacy system is being locked. Provide emergency contact for exceptions.

2

Disable User Access

Revoke login permissions for all non-admin users. Document any exceptions granted.

3

Disable Integrations

Stop all automated feeds into the legacy system. Verify no queued transactions are pending.

4

Create Final Backup

Take a complete backup of the legacy system at this point in time. This is your rollback baseline.

5

Verify Lockdown

Attempt to log in as a regular user to confirm access is blocked. Check integration logs for activity.

Data Migration Steps

Follow the sequence established during test migrations. Never skip validation steps to save time.

Extract
→
Transform
→
Validate
→
Load
→
Reconcile
→
Sign-off

Critical Validation Checkpoints

  • Record Counts: Source record count matches target record count for each entity
  • Financial Totals: Trial balance, AR aging, AP aging, inventory value reconcile to legacy
  • Sample Verification: Spot-check 10-20 records of each type for data accuracy
  • Relationship Integrity: Parent-child relationships intact (customers/contacts, vendors/addresses)
  • Opening Balances: GL opening balances match certified trial balance
Critical: Never Skip Validation

Even if you're behind schedule, never skip data validation. Bad data in production is far more costly than a delayed go-live. If validation reveals issues, stop and assess before proceeding.

Integration Activation

Bring integrations online in a controlled sequence, validating each before proceeding to the next.

Recommended Activation Sequence

  1. Outbound first: Start with integrations that send data FROM NetSuite (lower risk)
  2. Low-volume next: Activate integrations with manageable transaction volumes
  3. Critical paths: E-commerce, EDI, payment processing
  4. Real-time last: High-frequency real-time integrations after stability confirmed

Integration Validation

  • Send test transactions through each integration
  • Verify data appears correctly in target system
  • Confirm error handling works (send intentionally bad data)
  • Check monitoring and alerting is functional

Rollback Triggers and Procedures

Define in advance what conditions would trigger a rollback decision. This prevents emotional decision-making during a crisis.

Automatic Rollback Triggers

  • Data migration fails validation with >1% error rate
  • Critical integration cannot be restored within 4 hours
  • Security vulnerability discovered during cutover
  • NetSuite platform outage during migration window

Rollback Decision Criteria

  • Multiple Severity 1 issues with no workaround
  • Core business process completely blocked
  • Data integrity concerns that cannot be quickly resolved
  • Consensus of project leadership that risk exceeds benefit
Warning: Rollback Window

Rollback becomes increasingly difficult after users begin transacting in the new system. Establish a "point of no return"—typically 4-8 hours after go-live—after which rollback would require significant manual effort to reconcile transactions created in both systems.

Rollback Procedure

  1. Stop all user activity in NetSuite immediately
  2. Disable all integrations to NetSuite
  3. Restore legacy system from pre-cutover backup
  4. Re-enable legacy system user access
  5. Reactivate legacy integrations
  6. Communicate status to all stakeholders
  7. Conduct post-mortem to identify root cause

Cutover Weekend Checklist

Cutover Execution Checklist
War room set up with network access, whiteboards, supplies
All team members confirmed available for their shifts
Legacy system locked down and verified
Final data extraction complete
Data transformation scripts executed successfully
Pre-load validation passed
Data loaded to NetSuite production
Post-load validation passed (counts, totals, samples)
Opening balances reconciled to trial balance
Integrations activated and tested
End-to-end transaction tests passed
User access verified (sample users can log in)
Final sign-off obtained from business owner
Go-live announcement sent
Chapter 14.3

Day 1 Operations

The first day in production sets the tone for the entire implementation. A well-orchestrated Day 1 builds user confidence, while chaos erodes trust that takes months to rebuild.

War Room Setup

The war room is your command center for go-live support. It should be a dedicated physical or virtual space where the support team can collaborate in real-time.

Physical War Room Requirements

  • Location: Central, accessible, away from distractions
  • Capacity: Seating for entire support team plus visitors
  • Technology: Network access, multiple monitors, conference phone, video capability
  • Displays: Whiteboard for issue tracking, monitor showing dashboards
  • Supplies: Printed runbooks, contact lists, snacks, coffee

Virtual War Room (Remote Teams)

  • Dedicated Slack/Teams channel for real-time communication
  • Video conference bridge open continuously
  • Shared dashboard visible to all (Google Sheet or project tool)
  • Clear protocol for escalation and handoffs
Pro Tip: The Triage Master

Designate one person as the "triage master" whose only job is to receive incoming issues, categorize them, and assign them to the right resolver. This prevents the chaos of everyone trying to solve everything and ensures nothing falls through the cracks.

Morning Launch Sequence

Structure the first hours carefully to catch issues early and build momentum.

1

6:00 AM - War Room Opens

Core team assembles. Final system checks. Review overnight monitoring logs. Confirm all integrations running.

2

7:00 AM - Super User Check-in

Super users log in first to verify access and test critical transactions. Report any issues before general population.

3

8:00 AM - General Access Opens

All users can now log in. Support team on high alert. Begin tracking issue volume.

4

9:00 AM - First Status Check

Quick stand-up with support team. Review issue count and severity. Identify any emerging patterns.

5

12:00 PM - Midday Assessment

Broader status meeting. Executive update. Adjust staffing if needed for afternoon.

6

5:00 PM - End of Day Review

Full team debrief. Document all open issues. Plan for Day 2. Celebrate small wins.

Issue Triage and Escalation

Not all issues are equal. Classify issues quickly to ensure resources focus on what matters most.

Severity Definition Response Time Escalation
Sev 1 - Critical Business stopped. No workaround. Multiple users affected. Immediate Project Manager + Executive Sponsor
Sev 2 - High Major function impaired. Workaround exists but painful. Within 1 hour Project Manager
Sev 3 - Medium Function works but not as expected. Acceptable workaround. Within 4 hours Functional Lead
Sev 4 - Low Minor inconvenience. Enhancement request. Question. Within 24 hours Support Team
Consultant Insight

On Day 1, everything feels like a Severity 1 to the person reporting it. The triage master's job is to calmly assess actual business impact, not emotional intensity. A user who can't find a menu option is not the same as a user who can't process customer orders. Train your team to ask: "What business process is blocked? Is there any workaround?"

Critical Path Monitoring

Focus monitoring on the transactions that matter most to daily operations.

Day 1 Critical Paths

  • Order Entry: Can sales orders be created and saved?
  • Fulfillment: Can orders be picked, packed, and shipped?
  • Invoicing: Can invoices be generated and sent?
  • Payments: Can customer payments be received and applied?
  • Purchasing: Can purchase orders be created and sent to vendors?
  • Receiving: Can receipts be recorded against POs?
  • AP Processing: Can vendor bills be entered and scheduled for payment?

Monitoring Dashboard

Create a simple dashboard visible in the war room showing:

  • Transaction counts by type (compare to normal day baseline)
  • Error rates and failed transactions
  • Integration status (green/yellow/red)
  • Open issue count by severity
  • User login count

Communication Cadence

Keep stakeholders informed without overwhelming them.

Audience Frequency Channel Content
Executive Team 3x Day 1, 2x Day 2-5 Email + brief call Overall status, critical issues, business impact
All Employees 2x Day 1 Email + Slack Go-live confirmation, how to get help, quick tips
Support Team Hourly Day 1 War room stand-up Issue status, emerging patterns, resource needs
Super Users As needed Dedicated Slack channel Known issues, workarounds, user feedback
Pro Tip: The "All Clear" Message

At the end of Day 1, send a company-wide message summarizing how the day went. Acknowledge challenges, highlight successes, and thank the team. Even if the day was rough, transparent communication builds trust. Silence breeds rumors.

Day 1 Morning Checklist

Go-Live Morning Checklist
War room open and staffed
All integrations confirmed running
Monitoring dashboards displaying correctly
Issue tracking system ready
Super users logged in and validated
Test transaction processed successfully
Support hotline/email confirmed working
Go-live announcement sent to all users
Executive sponsor notified of status
Chapter 14.4

Stabilization Period

The weeks following go-live are critical for cementing adoption and resolving the inevitable issues that emerge when real users meet the real system at scale.

Hypercare Support Model

Hypercare is the intensive support period immediately following go-live, typically lasting 2-4 weeks. During this time, the implementation team remains fully engaged before transitioning to business-as-usual support.

Week Support Level Team Composition Focus Areas
Week 1 Maximum Full project team + consultants Critical issues, user questions, process gaps
Week 2 High Core team + consultants on-call Issue resolution, training reinforcement
Week 3 Medium Core team, consultants as needed Process optimization, edge cases
Week 4 Transition Internal team primary, handover Knowledge transfer, support transition
Consultant Insight

The temptation is to declare victory after a successful Day 1 and reduce support immediately. Resist this. Most serious issues don't emerge until Week 2 or 3 when users encounter month-end processes, edge cases, and scenarios that weren't part of UAT. Keep your A-team engaged through at least the first month-end close.

Issue Management

Establish a disciplined approach to tracking and resolving issues during stabilization.

Issue Tracking Requirements

  • Single Source of Truth: All issues logged in one system (ServiceNow, Jira, even a shared spreadsheet)
  • Required Fields: Reporter, date, severity, description, steps to reproduce, workaround, assignee, status
  • Regular Review: Daily issue review meetings during Week 1, then 3x weekly
  • Aging Visibility: Track how long issues remain open; escalate aging items

Issue Categorization

  • Bug: System not working as designed
  • Configuration: Setting needs adjustment
  • Training: User doesn't know how to do something
  • Data: Migration issue or data quality problem
  • Enhancement: Request for new functionality (defer to Phase 2)
  • Integration: Issue with connected system
Warning: The Enhancement Trap

During hypercare, users will request enhancements disguised as bugs. "The system doesn't do X" often means "I wish the system did X." Train your triage team to distinguish between genuine defects and enhancement requests. Log enhancements for Phase 2 consideration but don't let them consume hypercare resources.

Daily Stand-ups

Short, focused daily meetings keep the team aligned during the intense stabilization period.

Stand-up Agenda (15-20 minutes)

  1. Metrics Review: Issue counts, transaction volumes, error rates (2 min)
  2. Critical Issues: Status of any Sev 1/Sev 2 issues (5 min)
  3. Blockers: What's preventing progress? Who needs help? (5 min)
  4. Today's Focus: Top 3 priorities for the day (3 min)
  5. Announcements: Anything the team needs to know (2 min)
Pro Tip: Stand-up, Not Sit-down

Keep these meetings short by literally standing up. When people are standing, they naturally keep things brief. The moment you sit around a conference table, a 15-minute stand-up becomes a 45-minute discussion.

User Adoption Tracking

Monitor how users are engaging with the system to identify training gaps or resistance.

Adoption Metrics

  • Login Frequency: Are all expected users logging in daily?
  • Transaction Volume: Is volume meeting or exceeding projections?
  • Feature Usage: Are users using new capabilities or sticking to basics?
  • Support Tickets: Which users/departments are generating the most questions?
  • Workaround Usage: Are users finding unofficial workarounds instead of using the system correctly?

Addressing Adoption Issues

  • Low login rates: Personal outreach, department meetings, manager involvement
  • High support volume from one area: Targeted refresher training
  • Workaround discovery: Understand why, then either fix the system or retrain
  • Vocal resistance: 1:1 conversations to understand concerns, executive involvement if needed

Quick Wins

Identify and implement small improvements that make users' lives easier. Quick wins build goodwill and demonstrate responsiveness.

Good Quick Win Candidates

  • Adding a missing field to a form
  • Creating a saved search users frequently need
  • Adjusting a workflow to reduce clicks
  • Adding a shortcut to the dashboard
  • Fixing confusing labels or help text

Bad Quick Win Candidates

  • Changes that require extensive testing
  • Modifications that affect integrations
  • Features that only benefit one person
  • Anything that should go through change control
Consultant Insight

Keep a running list of quick wins and tackle 2-3 per week during stabilization. Announce them in your weekly update: "Based on your feedback, we've added X, Y, and Z this week." This demonstrates that the team is listening and responsive, which builds user trust and patience for larger issues that take longer to resolve.

First Month-End Close

The first month-end close is a major milestone. Many issues that didn't surface during daily operations will emerge during close procedures.

Month-End Preparation

  • Schedule extended support hours during close period
  • Walk through close checklist with accounting team before close begins
  • Ensure all period-end reports are available and tested
  • Confirm intercompany elimination procedures (if applicable)
  • Test period locking functionality

Common First Close Issues

  • Missing accrual entries or templates
  • Reconciliation reports that don't match expectations
  • Currency revaluation surprises
  • Inventory valuation discrepancies
  • Revenue recognition timing issues
Critical: First Close Support

Do not reduce hypercare support until after the first month-end close is successfully completed. The close process exercises different functionality than daily operations and frequently reveals configuration gaps that weren't caught in UAT.

Week 1 Stabilization Checklist

End of Week 1 Checklist
All Severity 1 issues resolved
Severity 2 issues have workarounds documented
Transaction volume meeting or exceeding baseline
All critical integrations stable
User login rates at expected levels
Support request volume trending down
No major user adoption concerns
Executive update sent with Week 1 summary
Quick wins identified and at least one implemented
Month-end close preparation underway
Chapter 14.5

Project Closeout

A formal closeout ensures knowledge is preserved, lessons are captured, and the organization is set up for long-term success with NetSuite.

Acceptance Sign-off

Formal acceptance marks the official end of the implementation project and transition to ongoing support.

Sign-off Prerequisites

  • All "Must Have" requirements delivered and validated
  • No open Severity 1 or Severity 2 defects
  • First month-end close completed successfully
  • Key integrations stable for minimum 2 weeks
  • Training completed and materials delivered
  • Support transition plan agreed

Sign-off Documentation

  • Acceptance Certificate: Formal document signed by executive sponsor
  • Scope Reconciliation: Comparison of delivered scope vs. original requirements
  • Open Items List: Any deferred items with agreed resolution path
  • Warranty Terms: Post-go-live support commitments from implementation partner
Note: Sign-off vs. Satisfaction

Sign-off indicates that contractual obligations have been met, not that users are 100% satisfied. There will always be a list of "nice to haves" that didn't make the cut. Document these for Phase 2 and proceed with formal acceptance once the core requirements are delivered.

Knowledge Transfer

Ensure the internal team can maintain and enhance the system independently.

Knowledge Transfer Topics

  • Configuration Overview: Walk through all custom configuration decisions
  • Customization Documentation: Scripts, workflows, and their purposes
  • Integration Architecture: How each integration works, monitoring, error handling
  • Data Model: Custom records, fields, and relationships
  • Reporting: Key reports, saved searches, and how to modify them
  • User Administration: Role structure, user provisioning, password policies
  • Troubleshooting: Common issues and resolution steps

Knowledge Transfer Methods

  • Shadowing: Internal admin shadows consultant during real tasks
  • Reverse Shadowing: Internal admin performs tasks while consultant observes
  • Documentation Review: Walk through all system documentation together
  • Q&A Sessions: Dedicated time for internal team questions
  • Video Recording: Record key procedures for future reference
Consultant Insight

The best knowledge transfer happens throughout the project, not just at the end. Involve internal resources in configuration, testing, and troubleshooting from Day 1. By go-live, they should already be comfortable with the system. The formal knowledge transfer then becomes a review rather than new learning.

Documentation Handover

Complete documentation is your insurance policy for the future. Six months from now, when the implementation team has moved on, documentation is all you have.

Required Documentation

  • System Design Document: Architecture decisions, configuration rationale
  • Process Documentation: How key business processes work in NetSuite
  • User Guides: Step-by-step instructions for common tasks by role
  • Admin Guide: System administration procedures
  • Integration Documentation: Technical specs, credentials, monitoring
  • Custom Code Documentation: What each script does, dependencies, maintenance notes
  • Data Dictionary: Custom fields, records, and their purposes
  • Training Materials: Slides, videos, exercises from user training
Warning: Undocumented Customizations

Undocumented customizations become a liability. If the original developer leaves and no one knows what a script does or why a workflow exists, you're stuck. Require documentation for every customization before it moves to production, not as an afterthought during closeout.

Lessons Learned Workshop

Capture what worked, what didn't, and what you'd do differently. This benefits future projects and provides closure for the team.

Workshop Structure

  1. Timeline Review: Walk through the project phases—what happened when?
  2. What Went Well: Celebrate successes and identify practices to repeat
  3. What Could Improve: Honest assessment of challenges without blame
  4. Surprises: Things that caught the team off guard
  5. Recommendations: Concrete suggestions for future projects

Common Lessons Learned Themes

  • Data migration always takes longer than expected
  • Executive involvement makes or breaks the project
  • Training should start earlier and include more hands-on practice
  • UAT needs more business user involvement
  • Integration testing should happen in production-like environment
  • Change management is as important as technical implementation
Pro Tip: Anonymous Input

Supplement the workshop with anonymous surveys. Some team members won't speak candidly in a group setting, especially about leadership or partner performance. Anonymous feedback often surfaces the most valuable insights.

Support Transition

Define how ongoing support will work after the project team disbands.

Support Model Options

Decision Point: Ongoing Support Model
Internal Only Build internal NetSuite expertise. Lower cost but requires hiring/training. Best for larger organizations with dedicated IT.
Managed Services Partner provides ongoing administration and support. Higher cost but access to expertise. Good for organizations without internal NetSuite skills.
Hybrid Internal team handles day-to-day; partner for complex issues and enhancements. Balances cost and capability.

Support Transition Checklist

  • Support contact points defined and communicated
  • Escalation procedures documented
  • SLAs agreed (response times, resolution targets)
  • Knowledge base accessible to support team
  • Admin credentials transitioned to internal team
  • Monitoring and alerting handed over
  • Vendor contacts (NetSuite, integration partners) documented

Celebration and Recognition

ERP implementations are marathons. Take time to acknowledge the team's effort and celebrate the accomplishment.

Recognition Ideas

  • Executive thank-you message to the project team
  • Team celebration event (dinner, outing, party)
  • Individual recognition for outstanding contributions
  • LinkedIn recommendations and endorsements
  • Case study or internal article highlighting the project
Consultant Insight

Don't skip the celebration because you're "too busy" or "there's still work to do." There's always more work. Formal recognition provides closure, boosts morale, and reinforces the behaviors you want to see in future projects. The team sacrificed weekends, worked long hours, and dealt with enormous stress. They deserve to be celebrated.

Project Closeout Checklist

Project Closeout Checklist
Formal acceptance sign-off obtained
All deliverables confirmed complete
Open items list documented with owners
Knowledge transfer sessions completed
All documentation delivered and accessible
Admin credentials transitioned
Support model agreed and implemented
Lessons learned workshop conducted
Project financials closed out
Team recognition completed
Phase 2 backlog documented
Chapter 14.6

Ongoing Optimization

Go-live is not the finish line—it's the starting line. The real value of NetSuite emerges through continuous improvement and expanding utilization over time.

Post-Go-Live Enhancement Roadmap

During implementation, you accumulated a list of "Phase 2" items—features that didn't make the initial cut. Now it's time to prioritize and plan.

Roadmap Development Process

  1. Consolidate Requests: Gather all deferred items, enhancement requests, and user feedback
  2. Categorize: Group by functional area (Finance, Sales, Operations, etc.)
  3. Prioritize: Score by business value, effort, and strategic alignment
  4. Sequence: Create a quarterly or semi-annual release schedule
  5. Communicate: Share the roadmap with stakeholders so they know what's coming
Priority Criteria Timeline
Quick Wins High value, low effort, immediate need 0-30 days post go-live
Phase 2A High value, medium effort, strong stakeholder demand Quarter 1 post go-live
Phase 2B Medium value, addresses gaps found during stabilization Quarter 2 post go-live
Future Nice to have, lower priority, or dependent on other work As capacity allows
Pro Tip: Resist Scope Creep

Just because you have a roadmap doesn't mean you should immediately start Phase 2. Give users 2-3 months to stabilize on the current system before introducing major changes. Constant change leads to fatigue and prevents users from ever feeling comfortable.

Continuous Improvement Framework

Establish a sustainable process for ongoing system improvement.

Monthly Review Cycle

  • Week 1: Collect feedback from super users and support tickets
  • Week 2: Analyze and prioritize improvement opportunities
  • Week 3: Implement approved quick wins
  • Week 4: Review metrics and plan next month's focus

Quarterly Business Reviews

  • Review KPIs and system metrics
  • Assess progress against roadmap
  • Gather executive feedback
  • Adjust priorities based on business changes
  • Evaluate NetSuite release features for adoption

User Feedback Collection

Create multiple channels for users to provide input on system improvements.

Feedback Channels

  • Idea Submission Form: Simple form for submitting enhancement ideas
  • Super User Meetings: Monthly meetings with power users from each department
  • Annual Survey: Comprehensive survey on system satisfaction
  • Support Ticket Analysis: Review support requests for common themes
  • Executive Check-ins: Periodic discussions with leadership on system value
Consultant Insight

The best enhancement ideas often come from front-line users who interact with the system all day. Create a culture where feedback is welcomed and acted upon. Even if you can't implement every idea, acknowledge submissions and explain prioritization decisions. Users who feel heard are more engaged and forgiving of system limitations.

NetSuite Release Management

NetSuite releases major updates twice per year. Establish a process to evaluate and adopt new features.

Release Review Process

  1. Review Release Notes: Read the release notes when published (typically 6-8 weeks before release)
  2. Identify Relevant Features: Flag features that address known gaps or requests
  3. Test in Sandbox: Sandbox is updated before production—test new features there
  4. Plan Adoption: Decide which features to enable and when
  5. Communicate Changes: Inform users of new capabilities and any changes to existing behavior

Release Timing (2025 Schedule)

  • Release 1 (2025.1): January-February production rollout
  • Release 2 (2025.2): July-August production rollout
Note: Automatic Updates

NetSuite updates are automatic—you cannot opt out of releases. However, many new features are optional and must be enabled. Establish a process to review each release before it hits production so you're not surprised by changes.

Advanced Feature Adoption

Many organizations only scratch the surface of NetSuite's capabilities at go-live. Plan to expand utilization over time.

Common Phase 2 Expansions

  • Advanced Financials: Multi-book accounting, advanced revenue recognition, planning and budgeting
  • Inventory Management: Demand planning, WMS, lot/serial tracking
  • Manufacturing: Advanced manufacturing, work orders, routing
  • CRM: Marketing automation, partner relationship management
  • Analytics: SuiteAnalytics Workbook, dashboards, custom reports
  • Automation: Additional workflows, scheduled scripts, email automation
  • E-commerce: SuiteCommerce, web store integration
Pro Tip: Crawl, Walk, Run

Adopt advanced features incrementally. Master the basics before adding complexity. Organizations that try to implement every module simultaneously often end up with a system that's configured for everything but optimized for nothing.

Long-Term Support Model

Plan for sustainable system support as the initial project team moves on.

Internal Capability Building

  • NetSuite Certification: Invest in certifications for key internal resources
  • SuiteWorld Attendance: Send team members to NetSuite's annual conference
  • User Groups: Participate in local and virtual NetSuite user groups
  • Online Learning: Leverage SuiteAnswers, NetSuite Learning Cloud, community forums

Partner Relationship

  • Maintain relationship with implementation partner for complex needs
  • Consider a retainer for ongoing advisory services
  • Engage partner for major enhancements or new module implementations
  • Annual health check to identify optimization opportunities

Measuring Success

Define how you'll measure the ongoing value NetSuite delivers to the organization.

Operational Metrics

  • Days to close (monthly, quarterly, annual)
  • Order-to-cash cycle time
  • Procure-to-pay cycle time
  • Inventory turns
  • User productivity (transactions per user)

System Health Metrics

  • Support ticket volume and resolution time
  • System uptime and performance
  • User adoption rates
  • Integration error rates
  • Customization maintenance effort

Business Value Metrics

  • Cost savings from eliminated systems/processes
  • Revenue enabled by improved capabilities
  • Employee time saved
  • Audit findings related to system controls
  • Executive satisfaction with visibility and reporting
Consultant Insight

Establish baseline metrics before or immediately after go-live so you can demonstrate improvement over time. A year from now, when someone asks "Was the NetSuite investment worth it?", you'll have data to prove the value. Without baselines, you're relying on anecdotes and gut feelings.

The Journey Continues

A successful NetSuite implementation is not a destination but a foundation. The organizations that extract the most value from their investment are those that treat the system as a living asset—continuously improving, adapting, and expanding to meet evolving business needs.

Congratulations on completing your implementation journey. Now the real work begins: making NetSuite an indispensable part of how your organization operates, grows, and succeeds.

Final Thought

The best implementations are never "done." They evolve with the business, incorporate user feedback, adopt new capabilities, and continuously improve. Treat your NetSuite system as a strategic asset that deserves ongoing investment and attention—because that's exactly what it is.