18 terms to know before you sign off on Go-Live
The governance vocabulary that separates a defensible pre-go-live conversation from a guess. Plain English, no vendor jargon — written for the people who carry the decision, not the people who build the system.
BOARDROOM GLOSSARY · FOR CFOS, CIOS & COOS
18 terms to know
before
you sign off on go-live.
The governance vocabulary that separates a defensible pre-go-live conversation from a guess.
Plain English, no vendor jargon — written for the people who carry the decision, not the people
who build the system.
ISSUED BY
ORPINGTON ADVISORY
READING TIME
6 MINUTES
VENDOR-NEUTRAL
01
Readiness & Testing
TERMS 01–09
01
Executive sponsor
The named, accountable executive backing the programme —
distinct from a steering-committee member in title only.
Why it matters:
No sponsor named in the room means no one owns
the go/no-go call.
02
Change management
The formal plan for preparing end users — training, communication,
adoption — ahead of go-live.
Why it matters:
Weak change management is a leading predictor of
post-go-live productivity collapse.
03
UAT (User Acceptance Testing)
Testing performed by actual end users against real business scenarios,
not IT staff checking that screens load.
Why it matters:
“UAT complete” means little if it only covered the
happy path.
04
Edge case
A transaction outside the routine — large orders, period-end close,
manual overrides.
Why it matters:
Most go-live failures surface at edge cases, not
everyday transactions.
05
Data reconciliation
Confirming migrated data matches the legacy system exactly, not
approximately.
Why it matters:
Partial reconciliation is still financial exposure at go-
live.
06
Master data
Core reference data — customers, vendors, chart of accounts, item
masters — that every transaction depends on.
Why it matters:
Errors in master data propagate into every
transaction built on top of it.
07
Cutover
The defined window in which the business switches from the legacy
system to the new ERP.
Why it matters:
An undefined or informally-planned cutover window
is a governance red flag.
08
Rollback plan
The documented criteria and procedure for reverting to the legacy
system if go-live fails.
Why it matters:
If it isn’t written down, it doesn’t exist — no matter
what was discussed verbally.
09
Stabilization (hypercare)
The window immediately after go-live with elevated support to catch
and fix issues fast.
Why it matters:
No stabilization plan means day-one issues compete
with business-as-usual.
How to use this in the room —
these nine terms cover what gets
tested
and
migrated
. When a status update uses one of
them, ask which definition on this page the speaker means. Terms 10–18 overleaf cover what gets
governed
—
accountability, risk, and the evidence standard a board decision rests on.
ORPINGTON
ERP STEWARDSHIP, END TO END
BOARDROOM GLOSSARY
Orpington Technologies Inc. · Saskatchewan, Canada ·
info@orpingtontech.com
·
https://www.orpingtontech.com/
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02
Risk, Accountability & Governance
TERMS 10–18
10
Severity-one defect
A production issue that stops the business operating — payroll,
invoicing, shipping — not a cosmetic bug.
Why it matters:
Boards should be told how many Sev-1s are open at
go-live, not a total defect count.
11
Integration testing
Testing that connected systems (WMS, CRM, payroll, banking)
exchange data correctly under real conditions.
Why it matters:
“Connectivity confirmed” is not the same as
integration tested under load.
12
System integrator (SI)
The firm engaged to configure and implement the ERP — distinct from
the software vendor itself.
Why it matters:
An SI grading its own readiness has a structural
conflict of interest.
13
Scope creep
Uncontrolled expansion of requirements beyond what was originally
approved and budgeted.
Why it matters:
Unmanaged scope creep is among the most
common causes of ERP budget overruns.
15
Evidence-based diagnostic
An assessment that verifies self-reported answers against underlying
documentation, rather than accepting status labels at face value.
Why it matters:
This is what separates a defensible pre-go-live report
from a status update.
16
Board-defensible
Documentation sturdy enough to stand up to scrutiny if a go-live
decision is later questioned.
Why it matters:
The bar to aim for with any pre-go-live report you sign
your name to.
17
Trial balance reconciliation
Confirming the migrated general ledger trial balance matches the
legacy system to the cent.
Why it matters:
One of the clearest yes/no evidence checks
available before go-live.
18
Fixed fee vs. day rate
Two billing structures — fixed fee caps cost, day rate scales with time
spent.
Why it matters:
Incentive structure matters: a day-rate SI is not
incentivised to finish fast.
14
Go-live readiness score
A quantified, evidence-based assessment of preparedness — as opposed to a subjective status label.
Why it matters:
A number can be defended to a board; a status colour usually can’t.
“A number can be defended to a board. A status colour usually can’t.”
TERM 14 — GO-LIVE READINESS SCORE
Fluent in the vocabulary. Still need the evidence.
Knowing the terms tells you what to ask for. It doesn’t tell you whether your own
programme’s answers hold up. The free Confidence Score walks all six scored
variables using this exact vocabulary.
SCORE YOUR
PROGRAMME
orpingtontech.com/free-diagnostic
ORPINGTON
ERP STEWARDSHIP, END TO END
BOARDROOM GLOSSARY
Orpington Technologies Inc. · Saskatchewan, Canada ·
info@orpingtontech.com
·
https://www.orpingtontech.com/
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