Every project has a start date and an end date, which essentially means that no single project will ever run on for forever. Project Managers that work on operational tasks required to support the day-to-day operations of a company that do not have an end date should perhaps reevaluate their role in the task (or their formal title as Project Managers). What happens towards the end of a project when most deliverables and milestones have been completed and you are about to initiate the closing phase? A good Project Manager will need to start documenting a Transition Plan so that a formal handoff of the project can be performed.
Each time we purchase a product or service, they come with a user guide or manual that illustrates features and provides information on how to contact support teams in case issues arise. The same approach must be taken at the conclusion of projects; the Project Manager should develop a Transition Plan document that will help the operations support team understand all aspects of the output from a completed project. A project could be successfully completed but a mismanagement of the transition to support may lead to frustrations on the part of operations support teams or the end users if there is confusion on how issues need to be addressed.
Here are some recommendations on how to effectively execute a project handoff to the operations support teams:
- Document a Comprehensive Transition Plan
A Transition Plan document allows a Project Manager to easily conduct knowledge transfer to the operations support team as everything relating to the project output will be outlined in one single document. This plan should include:
- Identified operations support team resources and their backups
- Any business resources responsible for offering expert assistance to end users
- Contingency plans in the event certain features fail to operate
- Links to training guides and user manuals
- Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
- Risk mitigation plans and disaster recovery procedures
- Third party vendor support contact information
- Contact information for the help desk and the business subject matter expert (for escalation management)
- Ensure Adequate Training of the Operations Support Team
The maintenance and support teams will need to be trained on how to handle issues that arise once the project has been completed and transitioned to them. The Project Manager should work with the trainer(s) and third-party vendors to ensure that the operations support teams have been fully trained to handle any issues as they relate to the project output. This training will include the participation of the operations support teams in testing, along with the reviews of SLAs and user guides.
- Communicate Progress of the Transition Process to all Stakeholders
Communication breakdown can lead to misunderstandings that may derail the project’s success. The Project Manager must frequently communicate progress statuses to all stakeholders so that everyone is on the same page as to which resources will be taking over the support duties, and who are the responsible parties that will handle future deployment issues. Once all transition work has been completed, a transfer signoff will need to be executed by both the Project Manager and the operations support team manager to formalize the handoff.
At PM Imperative, we cover the latest trends in Project Management and Product Management. As PM practitioners, we understand the value the Project Managers and Product Managers bring to each organization and that’s why we focus on the most practical strategies that Project and Product Managers can implement immediately. If you found this post useful, be sure to check out our latest book: The PM Imperative – Guide for Leading & Managing Projects, People & Delivering Value. https://pmimperative.com/shop/
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