How detailed should a cutover runbook be?

Detailed enough that a deputy who did not write it can execute any task from the row alone: what to do, in what order, how long it takes, what proves it worked, and who to call when it does not. If a row needs a conversation to interpret, it is not finished.

When should the runbook be written?

A first version should exist before the final conversion rehearsal, so the rehearsal tests the document as well as the data. It is then corrected from rehearsal timings and frozen ahead of the weekend.

Who should own the go/no-go decision?

A named decision-maker agreed in advance — typically the programme sponsor with the business owner of the service going live — acting on criteria agreed before the weekend. The cutover lead presents the evidence; the authority is never improvised in the room.

What happens on Monday morning if the decision was go?

Hypercare begins as the runbook hands over: support routes staffed, known-issue guidance written, ownership passing in an orderly way to the business teams who will run the system. That handover is planned, not assumed — the discipline in knowledge transfer planning.

Cutover Planning: The Go-Live Weekend Runbook

How to build an HCM cutover runbook for the go-live weekend — freeze, conversion, testing, go/no-go and rollback, with an owner and evidence for every task.

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Karim Chaouki — AML and ADP Workforce Now Implementation Consultant

Senior Implementation Consultant. AML compliance, ADP Workforce Now HCM, payroll systems. PMP Certified. Bilingual EN/FR. Toronto, Canada.

About Karim Chaouki
Blog — AML & HCM Implementation Insights
AML Compliance Consulting
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Bilingual Implementation Manager