Operations · 20 min

Plan a go-live: change communications, UAT and the first two weeks after

Word or Copilot Chat

Short answer: Give Copilot the go-live date, what's changing and for whom, and your requirements doc. Ask for impacted groups, a communications plan with dates, a user acceptance testing schedule with testers and pass criteria, and a hypercare plan for the first two weeks. Then draft the first announcement.

Last checked against Microsoft docs: Oct 21, 2026

Go-lives tend to go wrong on the people side. Someone wasn't told, testing got squeezed, nobody knew who to call on day one. A plan for all three makes the launch quiet, and quiet launches are what get people promoted into bigger programs.

A common situation (composite)

The new system goes live on the 15th.
Testing is "whenever people have time".
Three teams don't know it's happening.

What you get

Data: the go-live date, what's changing, and the requirements doc.
Does: drafts impacts, communications, UAT and hypercare plans.
Output: one plan document and a first announcement.
How often: for every system or process go-live.

Before you start

Needs: Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat with pasted notes works. A Microsoft 365 Copilot license lets Copilot reference your files directly. Not sure what you have? Start here.
Microsoft's label for this scenario: Microsoft 365 Copilot.
Where: Copilot in Word, or Copilot Chat.
Access: Copilot only uses content you already have permission to open. Use only information your company allows in Copilot.

The steps

Write down what's changing, for whom, and the go-live date.
Run the prompt with your requirements doc referenced or pasted.
Confirm testers and owners with their managers.
Run the follow-up to draft the first announcement.
Review the plan weekly until two weeks after go-live.

Copy this prompt

We're going live with [change] on [date]. Requirements: [file or paste].
Who's affected: [teams or roles]

Draft:
1. Impacted groups: what changes for each, and how big the change is (small, medium, large)
2. Communications plan: message, audience, channel, sender, send date, working back from go-live
3. UAT schedule: test scenario, tester role, dates, pass criteria
4. Hypercare plan for the first two weeks: who's on call, how people report issues, daily check-in, when hypercare ends

Use only groups and owners I gave you. Mark gaps as NEEDS OWNER.

(Prompt from stuckwithcopilot.com/guides/change-plan-and-uat/)

Make it better

Run this next, in the same chat.

Draft the first announcement for the largest impacted group: what's changing, when, what they need to do and by when, and where to get help. Under 150 words, plain language, no hype. Then a three-line reminder for the week before go-live.

(Prompt from stuckwithcopilot.com/guides/change-plan-and-uat/)

Data tip: use this with your work Copilot, and leave out passwords, payment details and anything your company marks restricted.

What a good result looks like

Every group knows what changes for them, every test has a tester and pass criteria, and hypercare has a clear end date.

If a feature is missing

Without file access, paste a short summary of the requirements and run the plan in Copilot Chat.

Make it smarter

Keep a short "What it got wrong" note. Paste it above the prompt next time, like "Don't invent dates".

Not sure what to ask? Copy the quick note for your Copilot admin.

Questions people ask

Plan a go-live: change communications, UAT and the first two weeks after?

Give Copilot the go-live date, what's changing and for whom, and your requirements doc. Ask for impacted groups, a communications plan with dates, a user acceptance testing schedule with testers and pass criteria, and a hypercare plan for the first two weeks. Then draft the first announcement.

What do I need for this?

Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat with pasted notes works. A Microsoft 365 Copilot license lets Copilot reference your files directly. Without file access, paste a short summary of the requirements and run the plan in Copilot Chat.

What is hypercare?

The first days or weeks after go-live, with extra support and daily checks. It ends on a date you set, so it doesn't drag on.

Who should do UAT?

People who will use the system every day. The project team knows it too well to spot the problems that matter.

Can Copilot send the communications?

No. It drafts them. You or the named sender send them on the dates in the plan.

Next step

Try it once, then make it yours.

Run the prompt on one real task this week. Then pick your next workflow.

See the workflow library ↗

Cite or share this guide

Plan a go-live: change communications, UAT and the first two weeks after. Stuck with Copilot. https://stuckwithcopilot.com/guides/change-plan-and-uat/ Last checked Oct 21, 2026.

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Where this comes from

Inspired by Microsoft's Copilot scenarios. See the original at Microsoft Copilot adoption (Microsoft's change management scenario). The prompts and steps here are rewritten and expanded by Stuck with Copilot. This site is not affiliated with Microsoft.

Official references

Last checked against Microsoft docs: Oct 21, 2026.