How to ensure a successful release management process? 5 key steps
Release management is a complex process that deals with major deployments in Application lifecycle management process. Its reach extends to hardware, applications, networks, code, cloud and anything that is broad and sophisticated enough to require a substantial amount of planning and support to successfully deliver it. How good you are at your release management skills depends not only on the release management process, but also on the success of the persons concerned, both initially and in the long run.
Release management is a high-impact method that deserves rock solid execution, so here some of the pro tips to ensure that release administrations are successful in Alm solutions.
1.Plan your release efficiently: The planning phase in an Alm process is the crucial and time-consuming phase from planning to retirement. A detailed release schedule would encourage the team to remain on track and ensure that requirement and specifications are properly followed.
There are several ways of handling a release plan. The Systems Development Life cycle (SDLC) in one of the most popular release management techniques.
With a high degree of reliability and consistency, the SDLC helps software engineers prepare, build, manage and replace software systems. The SDLC may be used by other project management processes in combination or in place. There are many approaches to handle a release schedule. The Systems Development Lifecycle is one of the most common release management techniques.
At this stage it is suggested to create workflow for both your team and key stakeholders, so they can follow it throughout the release. This workflow must include the overall structure of how the release is staged and what are the roles played by team member.
2. Releasing build: Once the release plan is decided, designing and building the product for release is finalized. Here the product is developed based on the requirements drafted in the release plan.
After fixing all the issues and bugs, it is time to prepare the product/software for the real-life testing. This could need many iterations. It is submitted to the testing environment for customer approval as the team builds the product. This helps the tea, to detect any glitches or difficulties in a real-world setting that can occur.
However, if the product is found to be faulty at this stage, it is sent back to stage two. This could be continued unless the release is finalised.
3. Testing for customer approval
Testing for customer approval or User Testing Approval (UAT) is when the end user of the product user gets to use the final product. It is either done online or shared with company employees.
It is considered one of the most important steps to release management as the user data collected during this testing could decide the final launch of the product.
4. Preparation for the final release
At this stage, final touches are given to the product from the date collected during the UAT. The release preparation is also reviewed by the QA team.
In this process, the QA conducts checks to ensure the build meets the acceptable standards and business requirements planned in the release plan.
Once everything goes well, the functional team plans for the final release for deployment upon approval from the application/software owner.
5. Deployment of release
This is the big day for any team when your final product will be released into the live production environment. but before sending the build for production, the deployment stage needs to educate and train about the application to the end user and the company.
MicroGenesis offers the best Application LifeCycle Management process to its clients in partnership with some well-known ALM partners. We possess experience across diverse domains such as Aerospace, Defence, Automobile, Manufacturing, Medical and IT .
ALM solutions offer end-to-end traceability in all phases of Application Lifecycle Management while also ensuring improved efficiency in developing, testing, and maintaining applications.