Northstar Development / INSIGHT

A useful development handover

Keep ownership clear after launch.

Keep ownership clear after launch

A handover should identify the source, hosting, accounts, content ownership and maintenance responsibilities. Include the workflows staff need to use, not only an archive of code. Document how updates are reviewed and released.

Make the scope reviewable

Agree on post-launch support and the boundary between defects and new scope. Keep an inventory of integrations and renewal responsibilities. The team should know who to contact when a dependency or business process changes.

Bring these questions to the first conversation

• What should a visitor or staff member be able to do?
• Which products, content or systems must the website connect?
• Who supplies the verified information and approves the finished work?
• How will the main journeys and the handover be tested?

Business websites, web applications and integrations built with a clear scope. Plan the operating details, deliver the experience and leave your team with an understandable handover. A focused brief gives the project a useful starting point and exposes the dependencies before delivery dates are agreed.