Release Management

Release Management compels IT to streamline, automate and enforce the processes

necessary to test, control and monitor the flow of software and hardware changes into an
IT infrastructure while protecting the live environment from negative impacts. IT
operations will seek to maintain and improve the communication between Business
Owners and IT leading to improved acceptance of changes.

• Release Manager
1. Develop the Release Policy to identify, create/implement processes to efficiently
manage releases
2. Act as facilitator to collaborate with Business Owners/Stakeholders regarding the
delivery of software product releases and updates
3. Take ownership/responsibility of the release from inception to deployment
4. Ensure secure management and control of software and hardware
5. Analyze risks and impacts
6. Involve stakeholders in QA
7. Authorize release
8. Put into practice forward release scheduling

• Release Management Policy should:

1. Define the release process/plan suitable to the organization
2. Classify and prioritize change
3. Define clear release acceptance
4. Practice effective software control and distribution utilizing a Definitive Software
Library (DSL)
5. Practice effective hardware control and distribution utilizing a Definitive
Hardware Library (DHL)
6. Implement version control
7. Determine how software will be built, released and audited

• Release Management Activities:

1. Build and configure
 Store controlled software
 Design necessary release builds (Major, Minor, Emergency; Delta,
Full, Package)
2. Test and accept
 Test extensively to acceptance criteria
 QA/QR release testing
3. Schedule and plan
 Plan a formal roll out
 Impact analysis
4. Communicate and prepare
 Coordinate release communications
 Communicate release preparations
 Coordinate training activities
5. Distribute and install
 Release and distribute software/hardware
 Perform audits to ensure
 Provide management information about release quality and operations
 Create back-out contingency plan

Benefits of Release Management (Critical Success Factors – CSFs):

• Successful, controlled, efficient and repeatable process for software/hardware
releases
• All releases have formal release management plan.
• Decreased error reporting with releases
• Increased rates of software/hardware solutions
• Faster/fewer/timely release cycles
• Only authorized/approved software and hardware exists in the live environment
• Less disruption software/hardware environment
• Smoother transition from development to production
• Compliance with legal obligations (e.g. licensing)

Performance Metrics (Key Performance Indicators – KPIs)

Some instances of KPIs could include:
• Number of urgent releases
• Number of releases implemented
•