The system is in production, but is it clear how user questions and operational issues will be received? For SIers, PMs and DX leaders in Japan, the go-live date should come with a concrete agreement on how to work with the offshore team afterwards.
Do not stop at “post-launch support included.” Before users start, define the work covered, responsible people, support hours and conditions for moving into ongoing maintenance.
1. Choose contact points and a shared tracking location
Agree who receives user reports, who coordinates on the Japanese side and who takes responsibility on the Vietnamese side. Give each issue a tracking ID, owner and status so separate teams do not act without knowing about each other’s work.
Urgent reports may use a different channel from routine requests, but record the discussion in the shared tracking location. Specify receiving hours, escalation and backup contacts. Do not assume continuous availability without agreement.
2. Report business impact before asking for a fix deadline
Explain which operation is affected, which users face the problem, when it occurred and whether work can continue through a temporary alternative. Share reproduction steps and appropriate evidence through the agreed channel.
Use common criteria to assess impact. Distinguish acknowledgment, the next status update and an estimated resolution. Acknowledging receipt does not mean a completion time has been established or promised.
3. Separate defects, usage questions and new requests
Compare actual behavior with the agreed requirements before classifying a report. If information is missing, mark it for investigation and identify who will provide details, rather than immediately declaring it a defect or out of scope.
Assess the impact of additional requests and confirm how to proceed. Support scope, effort charging and out-of-hours work must follow the specific project agreement.
4. Hypothetical example: one report, two actions
After an order system goes live, a user reports that a report cannot be exported. Investigation shows that export works with the designed filter, but the user did not know a period had to be selected. The user also wants an extra column that was not in the specification.
The team records two separate actions: guidance on the existing operation and assessment of the new column. The Japanese contact confirms priorities, and the offshore team explains the impact before both sides decide what to do. They do not combine both actions into one urgent fix.
5. Agree when initial support ends
Before closing this phase, review open issues, continuing owners, contact arrangements and any operating instructions that need additions. Unfinished work should have an explicit follow-up plan.
If a periodic business process has not yet occurred, document support arrangements for when it does rather than treating it as verified. Agree who confirms the transition and the scope of subsequent maintenance.
Plan delivery through go-live and beyond with TECHNEST
TECHNEST brings years of experience serving the Japanese market, designing and developing business systems, modernizing legacy applications and collaborating with Japanese consulting partners.
Discuss post-go-live arrangements while defining the development scope. Explore our outsourcing services or contact TECHNEST to clarify a suitable support model together.
