Great products are the result of careful release planning, not chance. Release planning in Agile or other frameworks has a large impact on delivery speed, team collaboration, and overall customer satisfaction and success.
This video explains various models of software release planning and shows how to develop a release strategy that is perfect for your team. At Amoeboids, we automate the release management process to make it more transparent, predictable, and scalable.
About This Release Planning Video
In this video, you’ll learn about practical release planning techniques and how to choose the best ones for your product. This video describes when each model is most helpful, ranging from time-boxed and continuous releases to Agile release planning and feature-based scheduling. You’ll see how these methods simplify Agile release cycles and how using the right tools makes it simple to create a clear and accurate roadmap.
Key Takeaways from the Video
- Proven release planning approaches are explained in common terms.
- How release planning fits into the release management process.
- Balancing flexibility and structure for more effective delivery.
- Why teams should regularly review their release roadmap.
Step-by-Step Release Planning Explained
Step 1: Clearly define the release’s goals and outcomes
Step 2: Prioritise features based on customer and business importance.
Step 3: Select an approach, such as Agile release planning, feature-based, time-based, or continuous
Step 4: Create a clear release roadmap for all stakeholders.
Step 5: Using release management guidelines, track results and adapt accordingly.
The most effective Agile release management connects strategy and execution, keeping teams on track and customers engaged.
Best Practices for Release Planning
To plan a successful software release, you need to:
- Align each release with business objectives.
- Keep a clear release roadmap available to stakeholders.
- Automate updates to save time and effort.
- Collaborate with development, QA, and product teams.
- Refine the Agile release process on a continuous basis.
Teams can use Amoeboids’ Release Planning and Reports app for Jira to automate reports. It also improves visibility while adhering to release management best practices.
Full Video Transcript: A Brief Guide to Release Planning
0:00
[Music]
0:06
A brief guide to release planning.
0:09
Teams that iteratively deliver their product to customers usually spend significant effort on release planning.
0:16
Release planning can follow different frameworks and methodologies depending on the product, team expertise, preferences, and a few other factors.
0:25
Here are some popular approaches to release planning.
0:30
Agile Release Planning
This approach breaks the software development process into shorter iterations called sprints. Each sprint lasts two to four weeks and delivers prioritised features based on business value.
0:47
Feature-Based Release Planning
Grouping features into logical sets and releasing them as packages is feature-based release planning. Features are prioritised by business value and released when ready, offering greater flexibility since no fixed sprint duration exists.
1:09
Time-Based Release Planning
Agreeing on a fixed release date regardless of included features defines time-based release planning. The goal is to deliver new product versions at regular intervals.
1:29
Continuous Release Planning
This involves releasing smaller updates or enhancements continuously. Using continuous integration and deployment, teams push changes as they’re made. However, this requires a high level of process and organisational maturity.
1:50
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach. The right strategy depends on your team’s needs and the nature of the project.
1:59
Regularly evaluate and adjust your release planning process to ensure it delivers effectively.
2:06
Visit http://Amoeboids.com now to learn more about our Release Planning and Reports app for Jira.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does release planning fit into Agile project management?
It connects sprint-level work to long-term product goals, ensuring that the release roadmap reflects business priorities.
What challenges do teams usually face during release planning?
Teams face shifting priorities, poor visibility, and process gaps, making it difficult to coordinate, schedule, and release on time.
Can release planning be automated with tools like Jira?
Yes, by using Amoeboids’ Release Planning and Reports app for Jira, teams can automate planning, streamline reporting, and gain real-time visibility.
Watch the video to learn more.