Go-Live Rescue vs, Standard Support: When Do You Need a SWAT Team?

Launching a new system is the most critical moment in a project’s lifecycle.

However, many organizations confuse "post launch support" with "rescue".

When a launch goes wrong, standard support tickets aren't enough, you need immediate stabilization.

In this article, we explain the difference between maintaining a system and rescuing a failing go live.

First: What is Standard Support?

Standard support is designed for stable systems: 

It handles routine issues, user inquiries, and minor bugs.

It operates on SLAs (Service Level Agreements) that allow for response times of hours or days. 

It assumes the system basically works, but needs occasional maintenance.

Second: What is Go-Live Rescue?

Go-Live Rescue is a rapid-intervention service for systems that are failing operationally.

It is not about logging tickets, it is about stopping the bleeding.

This involves:

  • Isolating the root cause of crashes or data mismatches.
  • Applying production-safe fixes immediately.
  • Restoring financial reconciliation and trust in data.

Third: The Real Difference

  • The Goal: Support aims to maintain availability, Rescue aims to restore broken business continuity.
  • The Speed: Support follows a queue, Rescue works in real-time until stability is achieved.
  • The Method: Support fixes symptoms (e.g., "restart the server"), Rescue fixes the root cause (e.g., "rewrite the slow query").

Fourth: When to Choose Go-Live Rescue?

You don't need rescue for a password reset. 

You need it when:

  • Financial totals do not reconcile at the end of the day.
  • The system is too slow to handle daily transaction volumes.
  • Operational teams have resorted to manual workarounds (Excel) to keep the business running.
  • Critical integrations between systems have stopped syncing.

The Conclusion:

If your system is live but your operations are suffering, standard maintenance is not the solution. 

You need a stabilization plan to move from "firefighting" to "controlled operations" before the damage becomes permanent.