Defining Production-Worthy Systems: Focus on Business Outcomes

When a system goes live, the question isn't just "Did we meet the technical requirements?" The more important question is: "Is this system delivering meaningful business value?"

In pension modernization projects, that means reducing turnaround times, improving member and employer experience, and enabling smoother, more automated processes. A production-worthy system drives these kinds of outcomes from day one, rather than just passing Quality Assurance.

What Does "Production-Worthy" Really Mean?

At Sagitec, we define a production-worthy system as one that is:

• Functionally complete as per agreed scope. This might also include scope changes throughout the project as agreed upon.
• Operationally stable and secure. This doesn't mean that one should expect no defects or issues. It means no critical defects limit your organization's ability to process work and serve your customers.
• Aligned to measurable business outcomes, including those defined in the RFP and further refined by client SMEs during the implementation.
• Usable by all stakeholders (members, employers, internal staff).
• Sustained with training, documentation, and support.

It is beyond code quality; it's about whether the system performs your core business functions reliably and accurately.

Generating Momentum and Buy-In Across the Agency

Production readiness isn't just about whether the system works, it's also about how your staff will perceive the system as you go-live. Clients that invest in agency-wide engagement efforts, such as regularly showcasing modernization progress through internal forums or staff updates, often see more engaged staff during UAT, stronger adoption, and smoother transitions. When staff across departments see tangible progress, and understand what's coming next, they enter UAT and go-live with confidence, curiosity, and a shared sense of mission, not anxiety.

These forums should be leveraged not only to communicate updates, but to generate excitement and transparency across the organization.

Assessing Readiness Before Go-Live

These indicators help assess whether the system can support real-world business operations on Day 1.

• Validation of real-world, end-to-end business scenarios during UAT. SMEs and front-line users collaboratively test core workflows (e.g., retirement, refunds, payroll adjustments) using production-like scenarios that mirror actual daily operations. When questions arise among end users, SMEs clarify the business intent, and Sagitec supports with training or enhancement planning, if required.
• Staff confidence post-training or UAT. Short surveys or readiness checklists asking questions like "I feel confident using the new system to complete my daily tasks."
• Employer feedback. Selected employers test reporting or enrollments and confirm they can complete submissions without support.
• Accuracy of high-volume converted data in UAT/parallel payroll runs. Most of the legacy data is converted and cleansed before UAT starts, and testing efforts like Parallel Payroll are reconciled 100%.

Tracking Business Value Post-Go-Live

Go-Live is the start, not the end. Success should continue to be measured through operational metrics that reflect real-world performance and impact. While leading indicators help inform go/no-go decisions, lagging indicators help evaluate the system's impact after go-live and track sustained business value. These metrics should be tracked starting after stabilization and optimization:

• Percentage of retirement applications processed within SLA
• Average processing time for refund/withdrawal requests
• Employer reporting failure rate
• Percentage of employer reports submitted without manual follow-up
• Member portal login and transaction rates
• Time to complete service purchase or buyback transactions

Do you want to know more about how you can move to measuring business outcomes? Reach out to our CRM team to discuss.