Make the First Maintenance Check Part of the Launch

A launch plan is incomplete if it names the start date but not the first time someone will check whether the service is still working well.

For a new workflow or feature, schedule one early maintenance review before rollout. Name an owner, choose a few signals that matter to users, and agree what would prompt a repair, rollback, or pause. Keep the review small: the aim is to catch a neglected dependency or falling quality before it becomes ordinary background work.

This makes upkeep visible while there is still room to adjust the plan. A launch can be exciting; a calendar reminder is less glamorous, but often more dependable.