Question
Clearly sourced
Expert knowledge for digital decisions
What happens in the project in case of illness or vacation?
Short answer
This should be clarified before the project starts – on both sides. What matters is not a promise, but preparation: shared repository, documented environment, automated tests and at least one second person with access. This way, an absence is inconvenient rather than threatening.
On the Service Provider's Side
What should help:
- At least one other person is familiar with the project
- The code is in a shared repository, not on a single computer
- The environment is documented, not just known
- Access details are stored, not in someone's head
What does not help: A promise that someone will step in without that person ever having been involved in the project. Onboarding takes time – for a mature system, weeks.
On Your Side
The same applies in reverse. If the only person who can make technical decisions is out for three weeks, the project comes to a standstill. A named representative with the same authority prevents this.
This point is almost never discussed and affects projects just as frequently.
What You Can Agree On
- Response times during operations, independent of individual persons
- An escalation point
- Stored access details
The Self-Test
If your contact person at the service provider were to fall ill tomorrow – could someone else continue working? If the honest answer is no, you should address this before it happens.
The same applies to your own side.
Key facts
- Effective
- Shared repository, documented environment, tests
- Rarely discussed
- Representation on the client side
Sources
All external claims are backed by traceable sources.- 01
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