Project Retrospectives · Published October 13, 2026
Retrospective: Why Acceptance Took Half a Year
The system was live for months while acceptance stalled. The causes were documents, process and communication, not software.
This project finished development in 2023, ran in production for half a year, and only then completed acceptance. Looking back, almost none of the delay was technical: incomplete documents, unclear process and a change of counterpart.
Three direct causes
Acceptance material was prepared late. Government projects need test reports, security scans and manuals, and we started assembling them after launch, which took over a month.
The client's owner changed mid-project. The new owner did not know earlier agreements, so many points were reopened.
The security assessment queue. The third-party assessor had no slot for six weeks.
What we changed
Acceptance documents are now planned as deliverables produced during development, not after launch.
Key meetings produce written minutes confirmed by both sides, so a change of personnel can be handed over cleanly.
Third-party assessment windows are identified early and placed on the critical path.
Government acceptance is an exam in documents and process. Good engineering is only a pass; prepared paperwork is what finishes it.
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