Cutover Checklist
The cutover checklist is the plan in executable form: every task, its owner, its duration, its dependency and its verification, in the order it must happen. During the window it is the only document anyone uses.
If you change this
It implies 6 topics across 3 modules, including Data & Analytics and Integration which you might not expect.
See the path ahead →Why it matters
A checklist built from rehearsal is a schedule. A checklist built from assumption is a wish list, and the difference shows up at hour twelve.
- It sequences the dependencies: The order is the design, and it is where errors are cheapest to find.
- It assigns the people: Each task has one owner who is rostered and reachable.
- It carries the verification: How you know a task succeeded, not that someone ticked it.
The workflow
- 01
Task capture
Every task from every workstream, at the level someone can execute.
- 02
Sequencing
Dependencies mapped; the critical path identified and shortened where possible.
- 03
Duration
Timings taken from rehearsal, with contingency at the task level.
- 04
Ownership
One named person per task, with a named backup.
- 05
Verification
Each task's completion evidence defined.
- 06
Rehearsal
Executed end to end, then corrected — the checklist is the rehearsal's output.
- 07
Execution
Run against the clock, with status visible to the command centre.
A task that says "load data" is not a task. If two people could disagree about whether it is finished, it needs to be split until they cannot.
What you need in place
- Task-level granularity: An hour or less on the critical path.
- Rehearsal-derived durations: Estimates are consistently optimistic.
- A named owner and backup per task: Availability confirmed, not assumed.
- Verification per task: Counts, totals or a specific check.
- Live status: Everyone can see where the plan is without asking.
- Decision points marked: Including go/no-go checkpoints and the point of no return.
Questions to ask
01Granularity
Could a different person execute this task from the checklist alone?
If not, it is a heading rather than a task.
02Durations
Where did the timings come from?
Rehearsal, or someone's confidence.
03Availability
Is every owner rostered and contactable for their window?
Including overnight and across time zones.
04Verification
How do we know each task actually worked?
A tick is not evidence.
05Contingency
Where is the slack, and how much?
Slack at the end is not contingency; it is the end.
Metrics and KPIs to track
Task completion against plan
Started and finished within window.
Rehearsal convergence
Variance between successive rehearsals.
Owner coverage
Tasks with a confirmed owner and backup.
Verification coverage
Tasks with defined completion evidence.
Checklist changes
Made during execution, which indicate planning gaps.
Alongside this