Right-Sized Compliance: What Must Be True At Go-Live (And What Can Wait)

Go-live projects tend to fail in one of two ways: scope creep keeps them in perpetual UAT, or a launch proceeds without the controls needed to defend the validated state. This article offers a practical gate for deciding what must be true before launch, what can stay manual in Phase 1, and what is optional. It lays out ten controls, each with the conditions to meet, the evidence an auditor expects, and the typical owner. It also separates capabilities that become mandatory only once automated from features often mistaken for compliance requirements, and it argues that governance gaps, more than missing functionality, drive inspection risk. Walk through the checklist and test your own go-live readiness against it.