tech·nic·al·ly agile class·i·fic·at·ion

Release Management

Strategies for orchestrating timely and efficient software releases through iterative planning and continuous improvement.

Approaches to planning incremental and iterative software releases.

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Overview

Release Management is the structured approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling the movement of releases to test and live environments. It is crucial for ensuring that software is delivered in a predictable and sustainable manner, aligning with organisational goals and customer needs. By managing releases effectively, teams can minimise risks associated with deployment, enhance collaboration across departments, and ensure that all stakeholders are informed and engaged throughout the process.

This concept enables teams to deliver value incrementally, allowing for rapid feedback and adaptation. It fosters a culture of continuous improvement, where each release is an opportunity to learn and refine processes. Release Management also integrates seamlessly with practices such as Continuous Delivery and Agile methodologies, ensuring that the flow of work is optimised and that quality is maintained at every stage.

Unlike Agile Planning or Product Management, which focus on the strategic aspects of development, Release Management is inherently operational, dealing with the tactical execution of delivering software. It requires a deep understanding of both technical and organisational dynamics, making it a vital component of modern product development. By establishing clear release processes, organisations can enhance their ability to respond to market changes and customer feedback, ultimately driving greater satisfaction and loyalty.

Learn More about Release Management

Blog

Without Delivery, There Is No Value

Value in software is only realised through delivery. Frequent releases validate assumptions, reduce risk, and enable rapid feedback, adaptation, and continuous improvement.
Blog

Stop Hiding Behind Complexity and Start Delivering Continuously

Continuous delivery is achievable for any software, regardless of complexity. Success depends on investment in automation, quality, and process improvement—not technical barriers.
Blog

Stop Promoting Branches

Explains why promoting code through multiple branches slows delivery, increases risk, and suggests GitHub Flow or Release Flow as simpler, safer alternatives for deployment.
Blog

Avoid the pick-n-mix branching anti-pattern

Explains the risks of the pick-n-mix branching anti-pattern in source control, its impact on code quality, and recommends feature branching and toggles for stability.
Blog

Building a release pipeline with Release Management with Visual Studio 2013

Explains how to set up a scalable release pipeline using Release Management in Visual Studio 2013, covering continuous release, feedback environments, and DevOps practices.
Blog

Release Management with Team Foundation Server 2012

Enhance your release management strategy with Team Foundation Server 2012. Discover automation techniques and best practices for seamless deployments.
Videos

Unlocking Continuous Delivery: How Feature Flags Transform Software Development

Explains how feature flags enable safe, incremental software releases, support continuous delivery, and use user feedback to improve features before full rollout.
Blog

Create a Release Management pipeline for Professional Developers

Step-by-step guide to building an automated Release Management pipeline for professional developers, covering build, deployment, environment setup, and parameterisation.
Blog

Quality enablement with Visual Studio 2012

Discover how Visual Studio 2012 enables continuous quality in software development, helping you meet modern user expectations and enhance brand differentiation.
Blog

Execute Tests with Release Management for Visual Studio 2013

Learn how to automate test execution during deployments using Release Management for Visual Studio 2013, including setup steps, environment tips, and common issues.
Blog

In-Place upgrade of TFS 2008 to TFS 2010 with move to new domain

Learn how to successfully upgrade TFS 2008 to TFS 2010 while migrating to a new domain. Follow expert tips to avoid common pitfalls and ensure a smooth transition.
Videos

Streamline Your Release Management Setup: A Step-by-Step Guide to Simplifying Server, Client, and Agent Installation

Learn how to quickly install and configure release management server, client, and deployment agent, including TFS integration and permission setup, using simple default settings.
Blog

The High of Release

Overview of Microsoft’s new web-based Release Management tools for building flexible, integrated DevOps pipelines in VSTS and TFS, supporting diverse deployment options.
Blog

Release planning and predictable delivery

Explores how agile teams can achieve predictable software delivery through quality focus, effective release planning, and continuous improvement, despite inherent uncertainty.
Videos

Is Your Project Ecosystem Truly Agile?

Explains why true agility requires end-to-end automation and short feedback loops, not just Agile teams, to maximise value and efficiency for stakeholders in project delivery.
Videos

Unlocking Code Quality: The Transformative Power of Frequent Deployments

Explores how frequent code deployments improve code quality, reduce technical debt, enable faster feedback, and support iterative, user-focused software development.
Blog

Continuous value delivery with modern business applications

Discover how modern business applications enable continuous value delivery, transforming software development practices for happier consumers and faster updates.
Blog

NDC London: Second Look, Team Foundation Server & VSO

Overview of a session at NDC London demonstrating new features in Team Foundation Server and Visual Studio Online, with end-to-end ALM demos for .NET development teams.
Blog

Guidance: A Branching strategy for Scrum Teams

Discover effective branching strategies for Scrum teams to enhance code quality and streamline development processes. Optimize your workflow today!
Blog

Standard Environments for Automated Deployment and Testing

Discover how to automate deployment and testing with Standard Environments in Visual Studio 2012 TFS, enhancing your DevOps practices for seamless delivery.
Blog

Create a Standard Environment for Release Management in Azure

Step-by-step guide to setting up a standard Azure environment for Release Management, including VMs, storage, networking, and Application Insights for analytics.
Blog

The benefits of Visual Studio Online for the Enterprise

Explains how Visual Studio Online streamlines enterprise software development with cloud-based tools, continuous updates, scalability, security, and simplified management.
Blog

Upgrading TFS 2010 to TFS 2012 with VSS Migration and Process Template consolidation

Upgrade your TFS from 2010 to 2012 seamlessly with expert insights on VSS migration and process template consolidation. Enhance your team’s efficiency today!
Blog

Should I upgrade to TFS 2013 Update 2?

Covers new features and upgrade steps for Team Foundation Server 2013 Update 2, including improvements in backlog, test, release, and version management.
Videos

Free Workshop 04: Introduction to Sprint Reviews [Review & Retrospective]

Covers key concepts of Sprint Reviews, interactive workshop delivery using Teams and Mural, technical challenges faced, participant feedback, and retrospective insights.
Tags

Continuous Delivery

Continuous Delivery is the practice of frequently delivering small increments of valuable product directly to real users, enabling rapid feedback, validation, and continuous improvement from the very first iteration.

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