Warehouse Load Contract Review (Handoff)

Warehouse Load Contract Review (Handoff)

1. 01

   Freeze the pipeline schema and publish a versioned contract before the client's team touches the warehouse

   Export column names, types, nullability, and refresh cadence from the orchestrator into a single document the client signs off on. Any later change becomes a versioned amendment, not a silent edit.

2. 02

   Map every source system to its named owner on the client side

   For a 12-connector build, expect 3 to 5 distinct owners across marketing, finance, and IT. Unnamed sources are the ones that break at 2am during month-end close.

3. 03

   Document the transformation logic in plain language, not just SQL

   A client analyst should be able to read why a revenue figure differs from the source system without opening a dbt model. Pair each model with a one-paragraph business rule.

4. 04

   Run a parallel-load reconciliation for two full refresh cycles

   Compare row counts and aggregate totals between the legacy report and the new warehouse output. Sign off only when variance is explained line by line, not rounded away.

5. 05

   Transfer credentials, secrets, and environment access through the client's own vault

   Rotate any keys created during the build so agency staff retain no standing access after handoff. Record the rotation date in the handoff log.

6. 06

   Deliver a failure runbook covering the five most likely pipeline breaks

   Typical entries: expired API token, schema drift in a source table, connector rate limit, warehouse credit exhaustion, and a stalled scheduler. Each entry needs a named first responder.

7. 07

   Schedule a 30-day post-handoff review with a defined exit criterion

   The retainer converts to support-only once the client team has resolved two incidents unaided. Put that condition in writing so the engagement has a clean end state.