Release and Release Planning

Mudassir IqbalMarch 2, 2024Agile & ScrumNo comments

In the context of Agile project management, release and release planning are closely linked concepts that play a crucial role in delivering features and functionalities to users.

Release

A release refers to the delivery of a set of functionalities or features to the end user. This could be a new version of an app, a software update, or the launch of a new product entirely.

Frequency: In Agile, releases tend to happen more frequently compared to traditional project management approaches. This allows for faster feedback loops and quicker adaptation to changing needs.
Content: Releases can be major updates with significant new features or functionalities, or they can be minor updates focusing on bug fixes, performance enhancements, or minor improvements.

A release in agile software development is a deployable software package that can be made available before the end of an iteration of an application.

Release – Several Sprints worth of work directed to operations for possible rollout and testing

Release Planning:

Release planning is the process of defining, planning, and coordinating the activities involved in delivering a release. It involves tasks such as:

Identifying features and functionalities to be included in the release.
Estimating the effort and time required for development and testing.
Setting a release date and establishing a development timeline.
Identifying dependencies between different features and functionalities.
Planning communication and marketing activities for the release

Release planning enables organisations to make informed investment decisions; it sets expectations, aligns stakeholders and development teams; and it allows product people to guide the work of the dev team.

Release planning can help answer questions such as:

When will the project be completed?
Which features will be available by the end of the year?
How much will the project cost?
What are the critical dates and milestones?

Planning with the medium-term horizon of the team allows having a vision for the future so the architecture or design of the planned features can be adapted without having to redesign them.

Who is Involved?

Scrum Master − The scrum master acts as a facilitator for the agile delivery team.
Product Owner − The product owner represents the general view of the product backlog.
Agile Team − Agile delivery team provides insights on the technical feasibilities or any dependencies.
Stakeholders − Stakeholders like customers, program managers, subject matter experts act as advisers as decisions are made around the release planning.

Release Burndown Chart

Release Planning vs Spring Planning

Mudassir Iqbal

I am the founder of Know Your Project (KYP) IT Consulting and Training Company. We are based in Pakistan but work extensively with middle-market businesses directly in the European, Middle East and South Asia Regions, as well as through partnerships with multinational companies like yours. I have personally delivered several digital change projects across many sectors globally - including construction, technology, finance, manufacturing, warehousing, logistics, telecommunication. My areas of expertise are concerned with Business Process Re-engineering (BPR), IT Governance and Assurance, PMO Setup, and Business and IT Agility. I also have substantial experience strategizing ERP implementations and have been working with Oracle, SAP, Microsoft Dynamics and Odoo for the best part of my professional life. Both nationally and internationally, I’m also providing in-depth, high-caliber executive development and training in various fields, covering topics such as project planning, project management, leading teams, cultural change. I’m a passionate writer and speaker on the topics of Digital Transformation, CIO, ERP and Project Management.