Continuous Release Planning

Naturally, it should also be noted that the revisions must be shared with the members of the team and the stakeholders each iteration. This provides reassurance that you are still on track with the project.

This is why, in agile release planning, it is not uncommon to see some deviations from the initial plan. The development team that started working on the project may not be intact at the end of the process because they realized a need for additional staff along the way. Course correction may also reveal that there are some staff members that are no longer needed by the team and would be assigned to other projects.

Agile projects move forward through continuous planning, and agile teams perform corrections along the way. These “course corrections” are where the release plan is allowed to respond to the various feedback it encounters along the way and, simultaneously, effect the necessary changes to address any issues or problems.

The features that have been earlier tagged as priorities by customers may also change, and these will require revisions on the part of the development team. Therefore, in agile release planning, release plan revisions for each iteration are a given, provided they remain dedicated to the original goals.

Benefits of Product Release Planning

• It improves the communication within the organization – among members, horizontally and vertically.
• It provides the business a clearer view of its objectives and goals since it facilitates the alignment of the goals of the business and its programs.
• It allows the business to identify its dependencies.
• It encourages coordination among and between teams, programs, and projects within the business.
• It improves business efficiencies by matching demand to capacity since it decreases (and even eliminates) excess works in progress.

Challenges Faced in Product Release Planning

The difficulties encountered in release planning are caused by the following:

• Unclear and vague features. If the features or specifications are not properly and completely presented, they will be difficult to understand, and virtually make evaluating them near to impossible.
• Project size and complexity. Not all projects are the same. Some are bigger than others, and there are projects that are more complex than the rest.
• Fast pace change. Change is constant, and it also affects release planning. As the project is underway, it is inevitable that some changes may take place. Some features planned on before may no longer make sense several months into the development of the project. The priority of the company may also change over time, and it is also possible that the business will encounter situations that will affect its resources and its ability to fund what was originally planned.
• Uncertain, incomplete, and inconsistent information. There is a certain degree of difficulty in obtaining data needed for release planning. Most are estimates, so there is also some uncertainty thrown into the mix.

As product managers gain experience launching products that impact large groups of customers and a dynamic organization, they will develop a set of best practices for a successful release. All release plans require changes and there is always room for improvement. As product managers, we can increase the success rate with the next release by evaluating the progress towards the product goals and by seeking feedback from both the customers and the development team.

A successful release can make all the difference between happy customers and disgruntled ones. Managing a successful release requires skillful coordination of dates, tasks, and people. Effective product managers build releases and lead their cross-functional product teams to move the work forward as planned and collaborate to deliver customer value.