The summary.
A LIVE SYSTEM NOBODY USES IS A FAILURE
Define success as measurable outcomes, not as the system being switched on.
PHASE IT — DEFERRAL IS HOW PROJECTS FINISH
Small changes are absorbed; large ones overwhelm. Establish a change process with a named decider, or informal requests accumulate invisibly until the timeline is unachievable.
RESIST REPRODUCING CURRENT PROCESSES
They were shaped by the current system's limitations, and frequently nobody remembers why. Preserve only genuine advantage, regulation, or real need.
Document every configuration decision and its reason — it is asked about for years.
NEVER REDUCE TESTING BECAUSE OF THE TIMELINE
Every problem not found in testing is found by users, in production, at greater cost. Test period-end especially — it runs rarely, so failures surface at the worst moment.
DIRTY DATA DESTROYS TRUST IMMEDIATELY AND PERMANENTLY
First impressions of accuracy are very difficult to reverse.
EXPECT PRODUCTIVITY TO FALL AFTER GO-LIVE, AND RESIST ADDING FEATURES DURING STABILISATION
LEADERSHIP ABSENCE IS THE MOST DECISIVE CAUSE OF FAILURE
Decisions go unmade and resistance goes unaddressed. Visible commitment means the sponsor deciding, and using the system themselves.
