Overview
Sticking to the release timelines is a herculean task. Irrespective of how good a team you have, you need to start every release from scratch. Without sufficient checks & balances in place it is too easy to lose the handle on delivery.
That is where pre-release checks come in handy.
Notify your team about the state of the upcoming release. Present the data/information in such a way that one can easily spot what items are pending, stuck & who is the owner of the next step. For example, sending a notification 4 days before the impending release that clearly identifies completed, pending & delayed items will help highlighting any unmitigated risks.
App used
Automated Release Notes
Platform
Jira Cloud, Jira data centre
Details
Email notifications are one of the most popular communication templates used in Automated Release Notes (ARN) app for Jira. Emails are apt for pre-release intimations & discussions, because for many teams, Email offers the most intuitive way to collaborate with their colleagues.
Combining the intuitiveness of Email with power of ARN
Automated release notes makes pre-release email notifications powerful by allowing you to send those easily to users in select Jira groups, or specific Project roles in Jira. This means that relevant set of users are always kept in the loop, even if the teams & projects continue to change due to arrival/departure of multiple colleagues.
Moreover, the ability to segregate Jira issues using JQL sections adds a layer of flexibility to your release management processes. Add to it the possibility of highlighting stats & one can easily put up the summary of release related items right at the top.
The emails coming from ARN will act as ready reckoners or agenda for your discussions. However, if not dealt with caution - these pre-release notifications can soon become 'Just another email' in your team's inbox. Thus, always follow up these notifications with quick 15-20 minute meetings to talk things through. Depending on the size of the release & team, you can even do these pre-release meetings more than once.
