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Cutover checklist (free downloadable PDF)
85-item cutover checklist organized by phase: pre-cutover preparation, dress rehearsal, T-1 readiness, the cutover window, post-cutover validation, and hypercare. Free to use, downloadable as PDF.
An 85-item cutover checklist covering all six phases of a typical migration cutover: preparation, dress rehearsal, T-1 readiness, the cutover window, post-cutover validation, and hypercare. Use the web version below, or grab the printable PDF.
How to use this checklist
Each item should be checked off by the named owner before the phase’s go/no-go gate. Phases run sequentially — do not begin the next phase until every item in the current one is closed or explicitly waived in writing by the cutover lead.
The items annotated (ERP) apply only to ERP migrations (SAP, Oracle, Dynamics, NetSuite). Items annotated (Data) apply to large data-platform migrations. Skip the ones that don’t apply.
For a checklist tailored to your specific migration — system type, team size, window length — use the free cutover plan template generator.
Phase 1 — Pre-cutover preparation (T-14 to T-2)
- Cutover lead assigned and announced to all stakeholders
- Cutover plan finalized and signed off by every stream lead
- Go-live date confirmed with executive sponsor
- Cutover window communicated to end users (date, time, expected downtime)
- Cutover window communicated to downstream system owners
- Source-system configuration freeze procedure documented
- Source-system configuration freeze in effect and announced
- Rollback environment prepared and verified
- On-call rotation defined for the cutover window
- On-call rotation defined for hypercare (T+0 to T+14)
- War room location / Slack channel / video bridge confirmed and tested
- Decision-maker contact list prepared (sponsor, security, legal, vendors)
- Communications templates prepared (kickoff, mid-window, go-live, hypercare)
- Source-system data backups taken and verified restorable
- Integration endpoint inventory reviewed and confirmed
- (ERP) Transport queue confirmed empty and stable
- (Data) Source schema lock procedure documented and tested
Phase 2 — Dress rehearsal (T-7)
- Non-production environment refreshed from latest production snapshot (≤7 days old)
- Non-production environment confirmed to match production data volumes
- Dress rehearsal scheduled at the same time of day as the production cutover
- Every cutover-team owner confirmed attending (no delegation upward)
- Rehearsal runbook accessible to all participants
- Time-tracking spreadsheet prepared (per-task start/end timestamps)
- Debrief log structure prepared (5 categories: time, risks, sequence, decisions, comms)
- Source-system lock executed and timed
- Final backup snapshot taken and verified
- Data migration executed end-to-end and timed
- Row-count and checksum validation executed and timed
- Smoke tests executed on target and timed
- Business validation simulated and timed
- Full rollback procedure exercised
- Total elapsed time captured (must fit cutover window with ≥30% buffer)
- Action list produced with owners and dates (all closed before T-1)
- Runbook updated with every deviation from plan
- Debrief held within 24 hours of rehearsal end
Phase 3 — T-1 readiness review
- All action items from the dress rehearsal closed (or waived in writing)
- Final source-system backup taken and verified restorable
- Rollback environment confirmed ready
- War room / Slack channel / video bridge re-tested
- On-call rotation re-confirmed for cutover window + hypercare
- Stakeholder contact list re-confirmed reachable
- Communications scheduled for cutover window start
- Formal go/no-go meeting held with executive sponsor
- Go decision recorded in writing with sponsor sign-off
- T-0 timeline distributed to all participants and on-call
Phase 4 — Cutover window (T-0)
- War room opened on schedule
- Kickoff communication sent to stakeholders
- Source-system lock executed; user access blocked
- Final backup snapshot taken
- Final backup snapshot verified restorable
- Data migration initiated
- Data migration completed within timing budget
- Row counts validated between source and target
- Checksums validated between source and target
- Sample-record verification completed (≥100 records)
- Smoke tests executed against target
- All smoke tests passed
- Business validation initiated by key users
- Business validation sign-off obtained in writing
- DNS / load balancer / integration endpoints cut to target
- Target system opened to users — go-live moment
- Go-live communication sent to end users
- Status update sent to executive sponsor
- Hypercare support channel opened
- Cutover window closed in writing by cutover lead
Phase 5 — Post-cutover validation (T+0 to T+1)
- Real user transactions monitored for the first 4 hours
- Critical business workflows confirmed working by business owners
- Integration flows confirmed end-to-end by infra lead
- Overnight batch jobs confirmed running
- Reporting pipelines confirmed running
- Final data reconciliation between source and target completed
- Incident triage list opened with assigned owners
- Rollback option confirmed open through D+3
- Daily hypercare stand-up scheduled
- Executive sponsor briefed on day-1 status
Phase 6 — Hypercare (T+1 to T+14)
- Dedicated hypercare support channel staffed
- Incident SLA tracked daily (target: hours, not days)
- Daily hypercare stand-up held (open issues, resolution status, sentiment)
- Rollback environment maintained through D+3
- Source-system access controls reviewed
- Source-system decommissioning plan documented
- Standard support team transition plan documented
- Transition meeting with the standard support team held
- Source-system decommissioning executed (typically D+14)
- Lessons-learned retrospective scheduled and held
- Action items from retrospective assigned to the next program
Generate a tailored plan
The static checklist works for most cutovers, but if your program has unusual constraints — short window, large team, specific system — the cutover plan template generator produces a phased plan sized to your migration, with RACI per activity and rollback triggers built in.
Related
- Cutover rehearsal: the complete guide — the pillar, with the four-rehearsal taxonomy
- Cutover phases breakdown — what each phase owns
- Cutover activities & responsibilities — RACI per activity
- What is a cutover? — definition and scope
Frequently asked questions
- What should a cutover checklist include?
- A complete cutover checklist covers all six phases of the cutover process: pre-cutover preparation, dress rehearsal, T-1 readiness review, the cutover window itself, post-cutover validation, and hypercare. Each phase has 10–20 specific items covering activities, owners, validations, and go/no-go gates.
- Is this cutover checklist free?
- Yes. The checklist is fully free. The web version is open; the PDF download requires an email so we can send you product updates occasionally. Unsubscribe anytime.
- Can I customize the checklist for SAP or ERP cutovers?
- Yes. The checklist is system-agnostic. Items annotated (ERP-specific) or (Data-specific) apply only to those programs. For a tailored plan, the cutover plan template generator produces a checklist sized to your migration type and team size.
- How many items should be on a cutover checklist?
- Between 60 and 120 items depending on program complexity. Smaller platform replacements need fewer; multi-region ERP migrations need more. The checklist here covers 85 items, which suits most ERP, CRM, and platform-migration programs.
- When do I start working through the checklist?
- T-14 days at the latest. The pre-cutover preparation phase begins two weeks before the cutover window opens. Some items (executive go-live confirmation, executive sponsor alignment) should start earlier — typically T-30.