Updated on: 13.02.2022

Hypercare Phase - Success Drivers in Project Management

Subject area

Project management

Hypercare Phase

The hypercare phase is an essential success driver in project management. This is not only true for IT services.

What is the Hypercare Phase?

The term hypercare phase describes the period of intensive customer and user support in the course of introducing a new service. The prefix "hyper" is Greek and means that something is very strong. Originally, the term was mainly used in connection with the introduction of new IT systems. In the meantime, however, a hypercare phase is also planned for the market launch of new products and services or for process changes. This is certainly also related to the increasing spread of change management, which places a much higher value on user acceptance. This triumph has also continued in the age of agile development projects. It has become generally accepted that many good ideas fail not because of the level of innovation, but often because of insufficient communication and immature feedback and optimisation processes in the first weeks after launch or go-live. This is why the hypercare phase is now an integral part of the service design process.

Why should a hypercare phase be included in the project?

A well-prepared and adequately resourced hypercare phase can be a key driver of success. Even for services that may not meet the customer's needs from the start, iterative feedback loops can allow for a quick adjustment of the scope of services. A support phase with a corresponding budget should therefore be planned into the service design. This brings the following advantages, among others:

  • higher user acceptance
  • Competitive advantage through fast and needs-based adaptation of the service
  • Uncovering new potentials
  • Attentive listening in the hypercare phase can be a driver of innovation

What period should the hypercare phase cover?

How long and how intensive the support should be in this critical project phase cannot be answered in general terms. In principle, however, it can be said that the higher the degree of innovation, project volume and uncertainty, the longer the period should be chosen and the higher the intensity of support should be. In the run-up to the project, an objective must be defined with suitable metrics. The latter can be quite different depending on the character of the project. A fixed time interval should therefore not be planned so much as a suitable threshold value for the transition to regular operation.

  • Monetary success indicators, if the hypercare phase has the goal of ensuring a successful ramp-up.
  • Support metrics (e.g. cases, tickets, cancellations) are well suited to make the completion of the Hypercare phase measurable

Good planning makes the difference

It is not uncommon for extensive acceptance tests to be dispensed with due to lack of time, and instead more resources are planned for subsequent support. If the task is known and the risk variables are easy to predict, this can also be the right way to go. Such an approach is particularly suitable for smaller changes. In large innovation projects, however, possible project risks should not be minimised or even ignored. Even the best hypercare phase cannot replace good risk management. On the contrary, assumed scenarios and probability parameters should be the essential design parameters.

Success factors in the hypercare phase

Hypercare Team

The most important element is, of course, the staff involved. The project team from IT, product management, marketing and other specialist departments must merge with the support and training organisation to form a solid unit.

Process

In addition to a team that understands each other, a scalable process model is another important building block that contributes to the success of the hypercare phase. The integration of other important stakeholders should be anchored in the process and be part of regular launch monitoring.

Hypercare Plan

As mentioned above, solid planning should be done in advance. In a roll-out project, in many cases the regional and time sequence is crucial and it must be ensured that the necessary resources are available at all times.

Success factors in the hypercare phase
Good planning lays the foundation for a successful hypercare phase.