📘 CT-SOP-118.1.18 — Platform Retirement, Feature Shutdown & Partner Transition SOP

Effective Date: July 27, 2025 Applies To: CEO, CTO, CLO, Platform Directors, Partner Success Team, Support Staff Review Cycle: Semi-annual or upon platform restructure Related Legal Depot Sections: Sections 4.26, 6.1.1, 6.1.7, Partner Agreements

1. Purpose

To ensure that platform or feature shutdowns, brand exits, and partner wind-downs are conducted in a transparent, secure, and coordinated manner—minimizing disruption to members and maintaining CrownThrive’s reputation as a responsible host and ecosystem steward.

2. Scope

This SOP applies to:

• Full retirement of CrownThrive-operated or hosted platforms
• Permanent removal of a major feature (e.g., affiliate tools, loyalty modules, messaging)
• Transitioning or removing external partner-led programs (e.g., loyalty cards, course hubs)
• Migration of instructors, affiliates, or members affected by shutdowns

3. Triggers for Retirement or Transition

4. Process Steps

4.1 Decision & Approval

• CEO, CLO, and CTO approve retirement or sunset plan
• Platform or feature assigned shutdown ID (e.g., RET-PLAT-008)
• Final decision documented and archived

4.2 Internal Coordination

• Notify affected internal teams (Support, DevOps, Legal, Brand Directors)
• Define:
• Last active day (sunset date)
• Data retention/export plan
• Partner/member communication schedule

4.3 Public Notification

• Minimum 30-day advance notice sent to:
• Platform users via email and dashboard banner
• Partners with staff accounts or live programs
• Include:
• Sunset date
• What’s affected
• Where to export/download data
• Transition support channels

4.4 Partner Offboarding

• If partners have:
• Loyalty cards → Point redemptions frozen 7 days before closure
• Courses → Final payout and file access scheduled
• Stores → Final affiliate report generated
• Partner receives offboarding PDF summary and optional migration support

4.5 Feature Deactivation & Archiving

• CTO disables platform access on retirement date
• All content/data exported and archived per retention policy
• Public pages redirect to transition notice or new platform

5. User Trust Protections

✅ Minimum 30-day notice for active users ✅ Redemption/payout timelines honored ✅ User-facing FAQs and support published ✅ Public transparency via Help Center + Legal Depot ✅ Sunset notice archived and time-stamped

6. Escalation Contacts

7. Compliance Markers

✅ Executive approval logged ✅ 30-day member notice issued ✅ Partners received closure instructions ✅ Data exported or deleted per retention schedule ✅ Public record updated via Help Center + Legal Depot ✅ Final report archived in Legal Drive

8. Version Control

• Version: 1.0
• Last Updated: July 27, 2025
• Maintained By: CEO + CLO + CTO
• Next Review Due: January 2026 or upon next platform closure