Q: What is a Release in the Agile framework?

A: A Release means working software in hands of users. A release is different from a Sprint because at the end of a Release the software is useable by the users whereas at the end of a Sprint this may or may not be the case. A single release may contain 1 or more Sprints and can have a span of multiple weeks or months depending on the complexity and practices in each organization.  

1. The best practices for Release management

Release-best-practices-in-Agile-Yodiz Just as any task in the software development phase can be accomplished without using a formal tool or documentation, releases can be made like this as well. However, it is highly inadvisable as it leads to a lot of confusion.

It is advisable to engage in some sort of release planning before starting work on a release. Depending on the complexity of the release, this can be achieved on something as simple as a whiteboard. However, for more complicated releases, it is recommended that the team look into a more sophisticated solution, such as a project management software. This ensures a successful and timely release.

1.1. Things to focus on while working on a release are:

Focusing on Sprints/Iterations: Have the sprints or iterations met their scope or not? Reporting: Have adequate reports been generated for the release? Have release analytics been used to gauge the efficiency of the release? Effective release planning leads to work being completed within deadlines. It also ensures that all known glitches/bugs have been removed.

Now, what is Yodiz doing to address these issues? Yodiz provides you with a complete package which has advanced release planning and management capabilities. With Yodiz, you get a smooth user experience that enhances your productivity without hassle in understanding. This is achieved through the Yodiz Release board. The Release board in Yodiz provides the user with complete Data visibility. Work items are sorted according to their status in different columns. It allows you to filter work items according to different criteria (e.g. you can search items for whom a single user is responsible). It also allows you perform searches based on tags. Tags can be assigned to any work item in Yodiz and then searches can be made against the tags. This allows you to group similar work items together and then use searches based on tags to get access to them quickly. The release board provides you the option to work on any sprint at any time, and to sort the board according to any sprint.

1.2. Yodiz gives you complete control over your Releases.

The release board on Yodiz can be configured to have a custom layout. This allows the user to shape the release board to meet their own individual needs. • Additionally, Yodiz provides you with detailed Release Analytics (graphs and charts) for tracking and evaluating your releases while they are in progress or after they have been completed.

Release analytics can be found in the Dashboards section of Yodiz. Here you can create a custom Dashboard and select Analytics you want to view from a large selection of options. This allows you to evaluate the Release on a day by day basis with many useful Analytics. Evaluating the meaning of these analytics can hold the key to improvements in efficiency and productivity. In conclusion, Yodiz is offering you something other software in the market isn’t providing; and that is complete control over your releases.