Enterprises implementing SAP R/3 or for that matter any ERP have a target "Go Live" date. This is the date when the entire implementation would be complete, the legacy system would be discontined and the new ERP would be used for all organizational activities. ERP implementation project managers are very particular about the "Go Live" date. In a recent conference on SAP, one SAP consultant discussed why even though the "Go Live" date is a critical parameter, other control and risk parameters should be taken into account before the green signal for "Go Live" is given. He stressed on four key control / risk issues: Readiness Assessment - It makes sense to have a periodic readiness assessment based on the budget for implementation. This can also be done based on the key milestones in the ERP implementation. A readiness assessment would include understanding the state of organizational readiness in the erp implementation. This should ideally be measured against the implementation plan. Risk Assessment of Open Issues - Before going live, an enterprise should conduct a risk assessment of open issues. Open issues would mean implementation issues which are pending or have not been resolved. For example, in a particular module, there might be a case where certain feature are still not configured and would affect the processing of data in the new environment. Considering Disaster recovery and Business Continuity - Business continuity and disaster recovery should be considered at the time of going live. There have been cases where the due to lack of business continuity planning, the plan date for "Go Live" had to be postponed. Proactive Monitoring - During an ERP implementation, many issues arise. An enterprise should proactively monitor such issues. Monitoring would mean ensuring that issues arising are resolved on a timely basis. A mechanism should be in place to ensure that issues are brought to the notice of the management and adequate action is taken. Related Posts How to Deactivate SAP* User ID Creating a Sales Document in SAP SD SAP Business Object Repository