4.6 The Release Plan

The Release Plan is a document outlining the procedures needed to get the project out the door. The Project Manager develops it, unless this is a very large release in which an additional person or team of people are brought in to manage the project s staging and release. IT and the Project Managers negotiated contracts in Phase 3. Based on these contracts they know when hardware, software, and services will be delivered. For projects that include new equipment, staging will be identified along with the personnel needed to stage the new equipment. Staging can be as simple as having software updated on corporate servers or managing the logistics of having equipment drop shipped from the manufacturer to specified end users; and it can be as complex as setting up a staging area where all equipment is received, configured, and shipped to end users.

Regardless of the complexity of the project, a key person needs to be responsible for the release of the project. This person should understand what is being received and by whom, who is responsible for putting the pieces together, and who receives the completed solution. A location will be needed for staging, and the individuals responsible for staging should be identified and their schedules cleared to perform the necessary tasks . If appropriate, stagers will need to be trained on the project or installation. The Release Plan should identify the persons(s) responsible for creating and performing the training as well as provide the schedule for stager training. This training may include something as simple as a meeting the day the equipment is assembled , or may require a series of classes before the equipment arrives. Copies of the staging plan along with itemized staging tasks should be created and disseminated before staging takes place.

A project that works wonderfully in the lab but is not staged properly will be a disaster. End users do not react well to receiving bits and pieces of a solution. From the end user s point of view, every solution needs to be plug-and-play. Spend the time up front detailing the Release Plan since the devil is in the details. An army wins or loses wars based on the proper flow of supplies . You don t want a disaster on your hands because of poor execution.

Every project must have a Release Plan. This may be as simple as a one-page document stating that on a specific day the link to the new application will be available for the Webmaster to post. For complex projects that include new hardware, software, and networking lines, the plan may be a large document that outlines what equipment is due from which vendor, which personnel are responsible for installing hardware and software, and who receives what equipment and when. A release schedule, similar to the one outlined in Phase 2, is needed for a complex project release.

4.6 in a Nutshell

The Release Plan identifies what will be needed to get the project out the door.

1. Regardless of the complexity of the project, a key person responsible for the release of the project should be identified.

2. This person must know what is being received and by whom, who is responsible for putting the pieces together, and who receives the completed solution.