Process 3: Prepare for Release

In this process, the project team begins creating deployment and training documentation.

Figure 5. Prepare for release

Activities: Prepare for Release

During the release preparation process, the team begins developing content and procedures for deploying the solution into the production environment. The first activity is to create deployment content. This includes updating the master plan, including the deployment plan. The second activity is to begin developing training content for the users who will interact with the solution and for IT staff members who will deploy, operate, and support the solution.

The following table lists the activities involved in this process. These include:

• Preparing for deployment.
• Preparing training content.

Table 6. Activities and Considerations for Preparing for Release

Activities

Considerations

Prepare for deployment

Key questions:

• Does the team understand the topology of the production environment?
• Has the team chosen a pilot group for the solution?
• Is a feedback process available for a pilot test?
• Does the team have experience deploying similar solutions?
• Is the team utilizing existing or deploying new infrastructure?
• Have Development and User Experience documented preparation, installation, training, and stabilizing processes?

Inputs:

• Functional specification
• Master project plan, including:
  • Pilot plan.
  • Deployment plan.
• Customer baseline, including:
  • Topology diagrams of the production environment.
  • Hardware and software inventory data.

Outputs:

• Updated master project plan, including:
  • Pilot plan.
  • Deployment plan.
  • Deployment infrastructure, including hardware and software.

Best practices:

• Ensure that the customer baseline is accurate and current.

Prepare training content

Key questions:

• Are users familiar with the technology being deployed?
• Is the IT staff generally familiar with the technology being deployed?
• Will the solution significantly affect how employees perform their jobs?
• Must users understand all of the solution’s features or just part of them?
• What is the general mood in the organization about change?
• Does IT regularly communicate with users about its initiatives?
• What media are available for communicating with users?

Inputs:

• Interim solution builds
• Interim documentation builds
• Master project plan, including:
  • Training plan.
  • Communications plan.

Outputs:

• Master project plan updated, including:
  • Training plan.
  • Communications plan.
  • Training content.

Best practices:

• Ensure that every group in the organization affected by the solution gets the information it needs without burdening it with too much information.

This accelerator is part of a larger series of tools and guidance from Solution Accelerators.

Download Get the Microsoft Operations Framework 4.0

Solution Accelerators Notifications Sign up to learn about updates and new releases

Feedback Send us your comments or suggestions