Release Plan in Agile: Strengthening Product Quality and Team Management with One Document

The workflow of any team may change depending on the circumstances happening around the world, the changes occurring in the industry an organization works in, and the weather of a team. There are many factors and situations, which is why, as time goes by, more and more methodologies are invented to help software development companies manage business processes easier.

Agile, Lean, Waterfall, etc. – one can run into many terms when deciding on which methodology will be ideal for the team. Thus, agile software development has gained significant popularity in recent years. More and more businesses are adopting it to deliver software products more efficiently. One of the key components of agile software development is agile release planning. And today, we want to talk about it in detail by figuring out its purpose, understanding how it differs from roadmapping, and finding out the way to create an agile release plan.

Agile Release Planning and Its Importance for Business

Knowing the ins and outs of Agile is common in the business nowadays, but not everyone may understand what an agile release planning is. It is the method of defining and planning the release of a software product using Agile principles. This is an iterative process, which involves continuous feedback and improvement throughout the entire release cycle. Considering that the approach focuses on the delivery of products in small increments or sprints and efficient use of resources, it simply leads to faster time-to-market, higher quality, and greater customer satisfaction.

Agile release plan is a critical aspect of the Agile methodology and is an essential part of any Agile project. It serves several purposes in software development. When taking a closer look at the key principles of this approach, the following should be mentioned:

• Iterative planning is the basis of the method. The whole process is iterative and involves continuous alterations, because the release plan is reviewed and updated regularly. Thus, it is possible to ensure that it meets the changing requirements, priorities, and resources.
• Collaborative approach is what this type of planning involves as well. It means that all stakeholders, including customers, developers, and project managers, work together and are able to define the scope and goals of the release more accurately.
• Incremental delivery is another principle of this type of planning. The software product is released in small increments, rather than as a single large release. As a result, teams receive feedback from stakeholders earlier and more often, leading to a successful outcome.

Creating an agile release plan helps to outline the work that needs to be done during a specific iteration or release cycle. By breaking down the tasks into small increments, it leads to higher quality software products and greater customer satisfaction. Therefore, many companies implement this practice into their processes.

Read Also Iterative Development vs. Incremental Development: Spotting the Differences and Choosing the Best

How to Prevent Confusion Comparing Agile Release Planning and Roadmapping

Some may find these two methods similar, which is why it is essential to understand the processes they include and be able to spot the differences. Indeed, product roadmap and agile release plan are related, because they are both project management tools that provide a high-level view of a project’s progress. However, they serve different purposes and are used in different contexts during the product development life cycle. Some of the organizations use them in tandem or interchangeably to achieve the set goals.

The differences of these two lie in such factors as approach, flexibility, collaboration, and purpose. So, let’s take a closer look.

Agile release plan is flexible and adaptable to improvements, which makes it really dynamic. It is created collaboratively by the development team, product owner, and other stakeholders. It is typically used in Agile software development methodologies and provides a framework for delivering a product in smaller, iterative cycles. The plan usually includes the following:

• features to be delivered,
• estimated effort required to complete each feature,
• timeline for delivery.

Product roadmap, on the other hand, is the plan that is less adaptable to changes, which makes it well-suited for projects where the requirements are relatively stable. The tool provides a high-level view of the product’s development over a longer period of time. Having one is good for understanding the overall direction of the product, including its vision, goals, objectives, and milestones. It is a more static document that is a part of a more traditional approach to software development. It is often used in Waterfall and other non-Agile methodologies, but can be useful in Agile as well.

Read Also Product Roadmaps for Startup and Enterprise: Taking Up a Rocky Road or Turning Around?

Best Practices and How to Compile a Plan

While agile release planning offers numerous benefits for custom software development, it also presents challenges that must be addressed to ensure success. Considering that the process involves a collaborative approach, it means that active participation from all stakeholders is required. Without active participation, the approach can become less effective. Significant planning and coordination among team members is also needed, while sometimes it can be challenging to implement. So, what can be done to prevent most of the difficulties?

• Involve All Stakeholders
  Customers, developers, project managers, etc. – everyone should be involved in the process to have a clear idea of the planned tasks.

• Define the Release Goals
  The goals of the release should be clearly defined. Therefore, think about the scope, timeline, and resources that the team needs to finish the product.

• Prioritize Requirements
  It is common knowledge, but all requirements should be prioritized based on their importance and urgency. This smart move basically saves money, resources, and time.

• Monitor Progress
  It is better to be able to monitor all the progress regularly. Any issues or roadblocks should be addressed promptly.

If you ensure that all these practices are implemented, there are more chances to avoid issues. Each team member will be able to understand their roles, define responsibilities, and lead the project to success.

Read Also When Running in Circles Isn’t Such a Bad Idea. The Benefits of Agile Software Development

In order to create a plan that will be useful for the team, check if you have followed these steps:

1. The first step is to define the product vision. Be sure that it includes the product goals, target audience, and expected outcomes;
2. Next, break down the product development into smaller iterations. Each sprint should have a set of features that can be delivered within a defined timeframe;
3. Then, prioritize the features. A product owner can do it based on various factors, including customer needs, market trends, and others;
4. After that, the development team should estimate the effort required to complete each feature or sprint;
5. The next task is to define timelines for each sprint and the overall product release;
6. If you included all the needed details into the plan, give it to the team to review. Let everyone refine it regularly to ensure that each requirement remains relevant and aligned with the product vision.

Conclusion

With the amount of modern methodologies, product and project management become more diverse. Companies have more chances to find those that are suitable for their needs and type of workflow. Agile release planning is one of those approaches that can adjust the tasks of the team that uses Agile methodology. If you are one of them, then creating such a plan will be for sure beneficial for your business.

For those who want to enhance the development process even more, we can offer our IT staffing services and find the best solution for your project to let it shine. Our experts are always ready to help, so you can contact us when it’s convenient for you.