Going Live

Simulations and tests are excellent and necessary design tools, but they have limitations: not very option can be tested, emergent effects may only be seen when a certain size and volume is reached, and never underestimate both the ingenuity and the stubborness of humans. 

Staging 

Going live requires a deliberate staging in phases. In each phase you have to install functionality to monitor for effects, look for unintended consequences, see if users understand the principles, and detect if users try to “game the system”. 

After each iteration and  possible tuning of the design you can increase the size or scope of the implementation. The rule of thumb is that every significant increase in size or scope will show new emergent effects, new unexpected behavior and new examples of human ingenuity. 

Managing Expectations 

It is necessary to openly communicate the fact that not everything can be foreseen in the design and test phase, that going live is part of the methodology where feedback and ideas are welcomed. E