ctcLink DG5-C is going live! – Conversion/Go-Live Milestone 9

Conversion/Go-Live – Milestone Message 9:  It’s a Go!

DG5-C is going live!

The Go-Live Validation session held this afternoon with the DG5-C subject matter experts (SMEs) went well and the third set of DG5 colleges — Bellevue College, Everett Community College, and Grays Harbor College  — are ready to go live as planned tomorrow, Nov. 8, 2021.

The Go/No-Go briefing just concluded, during which Bellevue, Everett, Grays Harbor, SBCTC,ctcLink Project PMs and leadership discussed the results of this afternoon’s validation session and affirmed readiness to go live.

The result: All officially approved a “Go” for DG5-C

College SMEs took several hours today to review their ctcLink environment — checking local college configuration and data to ensure everything was how and where it should be. No major issues were identified during the validation session. The minor issues have either already been resolved, or a solution/guidance is in place to make the adjustments post go-live.  

What happens next?

The SBCTC/ctcLink teams will clean up any issues and make final preparations for bringing the ctcLink system back online. While the official launch of DG5-C is tomorrow morning, it’s expected the ctcLink system will be back up and operational for ctcLink colleges late tonight, at which time all ctcLink colleges will receive the customary ctcLink Alerts message from SBCTC announcing the system is back up and operational.

The post go-live support Webex room opens at 9 a.m. for Bellevue College, Everett Community College, and Grays Harbor College.

Hats off to a successful team effort!

Thank you to all who contributed to yet another significant ctcLink milestone: The ctcLink family is now 26 members strong – 25 colleges and the SBCTC agency. Only nine more to go!

We cannot thank Bellevue, Everett, and Grays Harbor, as well as previously deployed colleges, enough for helping us (and each other) get there. A rousing standing ovation to all the college SMEs for their hard work, stress, and exhaustion leading up to this moment. We appreciate your time and expertise all along the way, and especially today, to check for issues and validate the system to ensure ctcLink is ready for you and your users. 

For overcoming such incredible challenges, we acknowledge the extraordinary grit, determination and leadership of DG5-C college project managers Maria Rivas, Bellevue; Sindie Howland, Everett; and Jason Lake, Grays Harbor, as well as Andrew Glass, prior GHC PM. Managing such a large project in these unparalleled times is no easy task, but thanks to their leadership, and the hard work and resiliency of the local college ctcLink teams, they worked together to make it happen.

We also laud the steady guidance of the DG5-C executive sponsors — Rodger Harrison, Bellevue; Pat Sisneros, Everett; and Darin Jones, Grays Harbor, in their important role supporting their college PMs with issues outside the PMs’ control and acting as visible ctcLink project champions.

And, of course, without the ongoing engagement of the DG5-C college presidents, Gov. Gary Locke, Bellevue; Dr. Daria Willis, Everett; and Dr. Ed Brewster, Grays Harbor, this accomplishment would not have been possible.

Profound gratitude and much-needed sleep for the SBCTC ctcLink team members who worked round-the-clock for another remarkable job bringing three more colleges successfully onto ctcLink and supporting college SMEs to the finish line.

Congratulations DG5-C!

Watch for one, final DG5-C Milestone Message later this evening letting everyone know when the ctcLink system is back online.