Launching any new product or service can be extremely daunting if you don’t feel like everything is ready to go. When it comes to launching software, you want to improve your credibility and standing by releasing a successful project. Sure, you can update and review parts that need tweaking as time goes on. However, you don’t want any major problems in the weeks leading up to the big day or moments after the release.
To help you ensure that every launch day goes off without a hitch, we’ve created a list of six steps that you should consider.
Create a Great Team
You’re only as strong as the weakest member of your team, so you’ll want to pay great attention to your hiring process. Make sure to define clear roles and responsibilities for each member, as this will increase productivity and drive results. Furthermore, you should ensure your team has access to all the resources they need.
Test, Test, and Test Again
When you’re developing software and gearing up for its release, it’s imperative that you test as much as you can. If possible, you should test the software after any minor tweaks and major changes. This will help you keep an eye on what is going wrong and at what stage.
Release Management
In short, release management refers to the collective process of planning, designing, scheduling, testing, deploying, and controlling software releases. For a more in-depth explanation head take a look at this link – https://www.servicenow.com/products/itsm/what-is-release-management.html.In essence, release management will help improve productivity, organization, communication, and coordination.
Automate Wherever Possible
If you want to improve the quality of your software release management, you should aim to automate and standardize procedures wherever possible. Automation will eliminate the need to conduct boring and repetitive tasks. On the other hand, standardization can help improve your consistency when it comes to inputs and outputs.
Maintain Transparency
When you release software, it’s only natural that you have countless walk-through sessions with key stakeholders, marketing teams, and development teams. Although you may encounter some issues along the way, it’s vital that you remain transparent about the issues you are facing with all the involved parties.
Foster Seamless Communication
Last but not least, communication is key. Make sure you provide everyone with the information they need to do their jobs. If something has changed in regard to the release, make sure everyone is up-to-date. Don’t hesitate to schedule regular meetings with all those involved.
Downtime, bugs, and angry users are all common issues when it comes to the release of new software. However, there are plenty of methods you can adopt to minimise the risk of negative reviews. It’s vital that your software makes a great first impression, so don’t be afraid to push back the release date if you believe that this is truly necessary. Make sure everyone on your team is aware of their responsibilities and working together towards a common goal.