READINESS-5: how we test a go-live claim
Every critical readiness claim tested for Status, Owner, Evidence, Date and Action (READINESS-5), then cross-checked between workstreams.
T1SIT complete, 98% pass rate
Reported: Green- S
- Status: present
- O
- Owner: present
- E
- Evidence: partial
- D
- Date: present
- A
- Action: missing
Pass rate excludes 3 interfaces deferred from SIT. No action recorded to close them.
Illustrative example. Fictional programme. Not a client engagement.
The five elements
Status
Current and specific, not “on track”.
What failure looks like
G1Programme status GreenReported: Green
Status: missing3 of 5 workstream reports are Amber. The steering pack consolidates them as Green.
Owner
A named person with authority, not a team.
What failure looks like
M1Mock 3 reconciliation passedReported: Green
Owner: missingKSA open-item variance of SAR 2.1M unresolved. Ownership disputed between SI and client finance.
Evidence
An artefact you can open: test log, reconciliation output, signed approval.
What failure looks like
I1All 23 interfaces built and testedReported: Green
Evidence: missing20 tested end to end. ZATCA e-invoicing, bank host-to-host and WMS tested only against mocks.
Date
When it will be true, not “soon”.
What failure looks like
T2UAT signed off by the businessReported: Green
Date: missingSign-off from 4 of 6 entity process owners. Both KSA entities pending, no date.
Action
What happens if it slips.
What failure looks like
T1SIT complete, 98% pass rateReported: Green
Action: missingPass rate excludes 3 interfaces deferred from SIT. No action recorded to close them.
Illustrative example. Fictional programme. Not a client engagement.
Scoring
A claim reported Green with 2 of 5 is an assumption, not a fact.
- Key: presentpresent
- Key: partialpartial (not counted)
- Key: missingmissing
Reported: Green2 of 5 evidenced
T1Testing
SIT complete, 98% pass rate
Reported: Green3 of 5 evidenced
Status: presentOwner: presentEvidence: partialDate: presentAction: missingPass rate excludes 3 interfaces deferred from SIT. No action recorded to close them.
T2Testing
UAT signed off by the business
Reported: Green2 of 5 evidenced
Status: presentOwner: presentEvidence: partialDate: missingAction: missingSign-off from 4 of 6 entity process owners. Both KSA entities pending, no date.
T3Testing
No open Severity 1 defects
Reported: Green3 of 5 evidenced
Status: presentOwner: presentEvidence: missingDate: presentAction: missing6 defects downgraded from Sev 1 to Sev 2 in the last 10 days with no change-board record.
M1Data migration
Mock 3 reconciliation passed
Reported: Green1 of 5 evidenced
Status: presentOwner: missingEvidence: partialDate: missingAction: missingKSA open-item variance of SAR 2.1M unresolved. Ownership disputed between SI and client finance.
M2Data migration
Master data cleansing complete
Reported: Green3 of 5 evidenced
Status: presentOwner: presentEvidence: partialDate: presentAction: missing3.8% duplicate vendor records remain. No signed data-quality threshold to judge against.
I1Integration
All 23 interfaces built and tested
Reported: Green2 of 5 evidenced
Status: presentOwner: presentEvidence: missingDate: missingAction: missing20 tested end to end. ZATCA e-invoicing, bank host-to-host and WMS tested only against mocks.
C1Cutover
Cutover plan approved, 2 rehearsals done
Reported: Amber4 of 5 evidenced
Status: presentOwner: presentEvidence: presentDate: presentAction: missingRehearsal 2 ran 61 hours against a 52-hour business window. No re-plan agreed.
C2Cutover
Rollback plan in place
Reported: Green0 of 5 evidenced
Status: partialOwner: missingEvidence: missingDate: missingAction: missingDocument exists. Rollback criteria and point of no return not agreed by anyone with authority.
G1Governance
Programme status Green
Reported: Green2 of 5 evidenced
Status: missingOwner: presentEvidence: missingDate: presentAction: missing3 of 5 workstream reports are Amber. The steering pack consolidates them as Green.
G2Governance
Hypercare resourcing confirmed
Reported: Green2 of 5 evidenced
Status: presentOwner: partialEvidence: partialDate: presentAction: missingSI roster confirmed for 4 weeks. Client super-users not released from day jobs; none named.
Illustrative example. Fictional programme. Not a client engagement.
Contradiction testing
Pass rate on reduced scope
T1SIT complete, 98% pass rateI1All 23 interfaces built and testedTesting reports SIT 98% passed. Integration shows 3 interfaces, including ZATCA e-invoicing, were never tested end to end. The 98% is measured on a reduced scope.
Reconciliation passed while a business entity has not signed UAT
M1Mock 3 reconciliation passedT2UAT signed off by the businessMigration reports Mock 3 passed. KSA finance has not signed UAT and carries an unowned SAR 2.1M variance. KSA is not ready on the same evidence.
Cutover approved with no agreed rollback point
C1Cutover plan approved, 2 rehearsals doneC2Rollback plan in placeCutover reports the plan approved. Rehearsal 2 overran the window by 9 hours and no one has agreed when to roll back. The plan has no tested exit.
Headline status not traceable to workstream status
G1Programme status GreenT3No open Severity 1 defectsThe steering pack reports Green. Workstream reports are Amber and Sev 1 defects were reclassified without a record. The headline status is not traceable to evidence.
Illustrative example. Fictional programme. Not a client engagement.
From findings to a decision
Each condition names the evidence that closes it, its owner and the date that evidence is due.
The programme reports Green. The evidence supports go-live for the four UAE entities. It does not yet support KSA, and the cutover has no agreed exit.
If any condition is not met by its date: go live with the UAE entities on D-day and move both KSA entities to Wave 1b. Do not proceed without condition 3 in any scenario.
1ZATCA e-invoicing, bank host-to-host and WMS interfaces pass end-to-end test with business sign-off.
- Owner
- Integration Lead + KSA Finance Controller
- Evidence by
- D-10
2KSA SAR 2.1M variance resolved, or accepted in writing against a documented threshold, with a named owner.
- Owner
- Group Financial Controller
- Evidence by
- D-14
3Rollback criteria and point of no return agreed; rehearsal 3 completes inside the 52-hour window.
- Owner
- Cutover Manager, approved by Sponsor
- Evidence by
- D-7
Illustrative example. Fictional programme. Not a client engagement.
What tooling does and doesn't do
- DoesExtracts and cross-checks every claim.
- Doesn'tDecide. A principal reviews every finding and makes the judgement.
ChisokuLabs forms the judgement; the review does not guarantee go-live success.
How we use AI, safely
Yes, to extract claims and cross-check evidence, under the policy. AI processing runs only through providers contracted for zero data retention, and your data is never used to train AI models. Every finding is reviewed and signed by the principal; AI does not make the go-live recommendation.