7.3.1.1 Kanban Team*
The Kanban Team plays a crucial role in facilitating the deployment or release of completed deliverables. They can perform quality assurance checks, test the functionality of the deliverables, and provide feedback on the overall quality. The team can also identify any lessons learned from the initiative and share them with the rest of the team.
Figure 7-10 illustrates how a Kanban Team can create a release using an AI-enabled digital Kanban tool:
Figure 7.10: Creation of Release in Kanban (Source: Jira)
Figure 7-10 above shows a "New Release" with fields for naming and describing a new software or product release. It also includes options to set the start and release dates, likely with customizable methods for defining those dates.
Figure 7.11: Sample Release Plan (Source: ClickUp)
Figure 7-11 shows a software development workflow management board, specifically the "Release Plan" view in ClickUp, with tasks categorized by status (Overdue, Today, Done). It displays task details such as title, assigned team, start and due dates, priority, and development type, providing an overview of the progress and schedule of ongoing software releases.
Figure 7.12: Product Roadmap (Source: Jira)
Figure 7-12 shows a product roadmap categorized into "Now," "Next," "Later," and "Won't Do" phases, outlining planned features and initiatives. Each item on the roadmap includes a brief description, assigned goal, and impact score, providing a high-level overview of the product strategy and development timeline.
For more information, see section 3.2.
7.3.1.2 Accepted Deliverables
Accepted deliverables can include features or products marked as "Done" or "Ready for Release" on the Kanban Board. For example, validated code, tested features, approved designs, or finalized documents.
7.3.1.3 Release Plan*
The Release Plan captures information on which deliverables are to be released to customers, along with planned intervals and release dates. A release typically includes requirements that should be completed and shipped together as part of the release. There may not be a release scheduled at the end of every iteration or development cycle. Releases depend on the organization’s strategy and release planning, which may be driven by functionality—where the objective is to deliver working deliverables once a set of predetermined functionality has been developed—or by date, where releases occur on predefined dates. Each deliverable should only be released when it offers sufficient business value to the customer.
Figure 7-13 illustrates how releases can be planned using an AI-enabled digital Kanban tool:
Figure 7.13: Planning Releases in Kanban (Source: Notion)
Figure 7-13 shows a product release page in Notion, with a highlighted "v1.0.0" release, indicating it's unreleased and associated with the 'dev/1.0.0' branch, dated August 5, 2021. A placeholder message indicates that release stages are coming soon as part of a GitHub integration, and the current stage database will be replaced.
7.3.1.4 Acceptance/Rejection Criteria*
Predefined criteria for evaluating whether deliverables are release-ready, such as functional tests, performance benchmarks, or user acceptance testing (UAT) results.
For more information, see section 8.2.2.1.
7.3.1.5 Dependencies and Integrations
In Kanban, release management focuses on delivering value continuously while managing dependencies and integrations effectively. Since Kanban optimizes flow rather than enforcing fixed iterations, handling dependencies requires visibility, collaboration, and automation.
Managing Dependencies
- Visualizing Dependencies: Kanban Boards use linked cards, swimlanes, or color-coded tags to highlight dependencies across teams, systems, or features.
- Work-in-Progress (WIP) Limits: By limiting WIP, teams ensure that dependent work is not blocked for long, reducing delays.
- Pull-based Coordination: Teams pull work when ready rather than pushing dependencies prematurely, preventing bottlenecks.
Handling Integrations
- Continuous Integration (CI): Frequent code integration ensures that features are always in a releasable state.
- Automated Testing: Reduces integration risks by catching issues early.
- Decoupled Releases: Feature toggles and microservices allow independent releases, minimizing dependency conflicts.
By managing dependencies and integrating work efficiently, Kanban-driven release management ensures smooth, predictable deliveries without unnecessary delays.