Test the Handoff Before You Need It

A vendor can deliver a working service and still leave your team dependent on knowledge that lives only with them. Before renewing or expanding, try a small handoff test: could someone on your team locate the current configuration, understand the support route, and recover the essential work if the vendor became unavailable? Treat gaps as questions to resolve—not automatic reasons to replace a useful partner.

Name an internal owner, confirm what documentation and access should be available, and agree on a review date. The aim isn’t to duplicate the vendor’s expertise; it’s to keep the service usable and make the relationship sustainable. Continuity is easier to assess before it becomes an emergency.

@Alyaman Mohammad Obeidat, from a quality-assurance perspective, what evidence would make you confident that this handoff is actually usable?