Project Toolkit

Service Transition

Service Transition

Transitioning the solution from project delivery into live service operation.

Service Transition

Service transition moves the solution from project delivery into live operational service, ensuring support teams are ready to maintain it.

Purpose

Service transition ensures:

  • Smooth handover to operations
  • Support teams are prepared
  • Service levels are defined
  • Knowledge is transferred
  • Ongoing maintenance is planned

Transition Process

flowchart LR A[Plan
Transition] --> B[Prepare
Operations] B --> C[Knowledge
Transfer] C --> D[Handover] D --> E[Early Life
Support] E --> F[BAU] classDef blue fill:#108BB9,stroke:none,color:#fff class A,B,C,D,E,F blue

Transition Activities

Activity Purpose
Service design Define how service will operate
Support model Establish support structure
Knowledge transfer Share technical and operational knowledge
Documentation Complete operational documentation
SLA definition Agree service levels
Tool setup Configure monitoring and ticketing
Training Train support staff

Key Stakeholders

Stakeholder Role in Transition
Project team Provide knowledge, complete documentation
Operations team Receive handover, prepare for support
Service manager Own ongoing service delivery
Business owner Accept service into operation
Vendor Provide support commitments

Documentation Required

Document Purpose
Operations manual How to run the service
Support guide How to resolve issues
Runbooks Step-by-step procedures
Architecture docs System design and components
Contact list Escalation and vendor contacts
Known issues Outstanding defects and workarounds

Service Level Agreements

Define expectations for:

Metric Example
Availability 99.5% uptime
Response time P1: 15 mins, P2: 1 hour
Resolution time P1: 4 hours, P2: 8 hours
Support hours 8am-6pm Mon-Fri
Escalation path L1 → L2 → L3 → Vendor

Knowledge Transfer

flowchart LR A[Identify
Knowledge] --> B[Document] B --> C[Train] C --> D[Shadow] D --> E[Reverse
Shadow] E --> F[Handover] classDef blue fill:#108BB9,stroke:none,color:#fff class A,B,C,D,E,F blue

Knowledge Areas

Area Content
Technical Architecture, code, configuration
Operational Procedures, monitoring, maintenance
Business Processes, users, stakeholders
Vendor Contracts, contacts, support

Transition Criteria

Entry Criteria (ready to transition)

  • Solution tested and approved
  • Documentation complete
  • Support team trained
  • Tools configured
  • SLAs agreed

Exit Criteria (transition complete)

  • Formal handover accepted
  • Support team operating independently
  • No critical issues outstanding
  • Early life support period completed

Common Pitfalls

Pitfall Mitigation
Late planning Start transition planning early
Insufficient documentation Document throughout delivery
No knowledge transfer Schedule dedicated handover time
Unclear ownership Define service owner clearly
Missing SLAs Agree service levels before go-live

Transition Checklist

  • Transition plan created?
  • Support model defined?
  • Documentation complete?
  • Knowledge transfer done?
  • Support team trained?
  • Tools configured?
  • SLAs agreed?
  • Handover accepted?
  • Early life support planned?
Last updated: 13 January 2026
Themes

Delivery

Operations