How to Deliver a Great Software Release?

If not managed properly, software releases can be a development team’s worst nightmare. It can result in delivering software full of coding bugs and interdependencies that will ultimately require more time and resources from your company, as well as potentially impact your clients’ trust in your products and services. 

These days, ensuring smooth software releases has become essential for business success. According to a report by Synopsis and CISQ, issues with software quality cost U.S. businesses $2.41 trillion in 2022. 

In this article, Bocasay, our offshore outsourcing company, explains how to ensure a smooth release process for your next software product. 

What is a Software Release? 

In software development, a software release refers to the process of making a software product or a new version of a software product available to end-users. This process involves several steps, including development, testing, quality assurance and distribution. A software release can be a major release that introduces significant new features and functionality, or it can be a minor release that includes bug fixes, performance improvements, or other smaller changes.

The release process typically involves creating a build of the software, which is a compiled version of the code that is ready to be distributed to end-users. This build is then tested extensively to ensure that it is stable, reliable and free of coding bugs. Once testing is complete, the build is packaged and released to end-users, either through a direct download or through a distribution platform such as an app store.

A software release is a critical milestone in the software development lifecycle, basically representing the point at which the software is made available to end-users. It is important to ensure that the release process is well-managed, with thorough testing and quality assurance, as well as ultimately to guarantee that the software is reliable and meets the requirements of its end-users.

7 Key Steps for a Great Software Release

Avoid overworking your development team and losing trust from clients and users. Here are seven essential steps for a great software release:

1.Plan and Define Release Goals: Before starting the release process, it is essential to define the goals of the release and plan the necessary steps to achieve them. This includes identifying the features and improvements that will be included in the release, setting release dates and allocating all necessary resources.

2. Develop and Test the Software: Once the release goals are defined, the development team can start working on the software. It is important to follow best practices for software development, including coding standards, version control and continuous integration. Thorough testing should be conducted throughout the development process in order to identify any coding defects or issues as early as possible.

3. Conduct Quality Assurance: Quality assurance is an essential part of the release process, as it ensures that the software meets the desired quality standards. Quality assurance involves testing the software thoroughly and documenting any defects or issues that are found. These issues can then be addressed before the software is released to end-users.

𝔸𝕔𝕔𝕖𝕤𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕓𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕕𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕀𝕋 𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕛𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕤 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝔹𝕠𝕔𝕒𝕤𝕒𝕪, 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕠𝕗𝕗𝕤𝕙𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕠𝕦𝕥𝕤𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕔𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕡𝕒𝕟𝕪. 𝕆𝕦𝕣 𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕗𝕖𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝𝕤 𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕧𝕚𝕕𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕤𝕜𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕖𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕚𝕤𝕖 𝕟𝕖𝕔𝕖𝕤𝕤𝕒𝕣𝕪 𝕥𝕠 𝕔𝕒𝕣𝕣𝕪 𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕨𝕖𝕓 𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕛𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕤, 𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕤𝕥 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕡𝕝𝕖𝕩 𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕤. ℝ𝕖𝕢𝕦𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕗𝕣𝕖𝕖 𝕢𝕦𝕠𝕥𝕖 𝕥𝕠𝕕𝕒𝕪!

4. Prepare Documentation and User Guides: Documentation and user guides should be prepared to help end-users understand how to use the software effectively. This includes writing clear instructions, providing screenshots and diagrams, as well as creating tutorials or videos if necessary.

5. Release the Software: Once the software is tested, documented and approved for release, it can then be deployed to end-users. This may involve publishing the software to an app store, making it available for download from a website, or distributing it through other channels.

6. Monitor Feedback and Issues: After the software is released, it is important to monitor feedback from end-users and address any issues that arise as quickly as possible. This may involve releasing patches or updates to fix bugs, improving performance, or adding new features based on user feedback.

7. Analyze and Improve: Finally, it is always crucial to analyze the release process and identify areas for improvement. This includes:

• Reviewing the release goals.
• Evaluating the effectiveness of the development and testing process.
• Gathering feedback from all relevant stakeholders. 

This information can be used to make improvements to the software itself, as well as to the release process, essentially optimizing future releases.

Why you should consider outsourcing your next software development project

When considering outsourcing, it is important to carefully evaluate potential providers and select a partner that has the skills, experience and resources to meet your specific project requirements. The benefits of outsourcing software development for businesses include the following: 

→ Cost savings: Outsourcing software development can be more cost-effective than hiring an in-house team. This is because outsourcing providers often have lower labor costs, as they are based in countries with lower living expenses. Outsourcing can also help to reduce overhead costs such as office space, equipment and utilities.

→ Access to a larger talent pool: Outsourcing can provide access to a larger pool of skilled software developers, including those with specialized expertise. This can be especially valuable for businesses that are working on complex or specialized projects that require specific technical skills.

→ Increased flexibility: Outsourcing can provide businesses with greater flexibility in terms of staffing and project management. Outsourcing providers can often scale their team up or down quickly based on project needs, which can be especially valuable for businesses with fluctuating workloads or tight project timelines.

→ Faster time-to-market: Outsourcing can help to accelerate the software development process, which can lead to faster time-to-market for new products and features. Outsourcing providers can often work more efficiently than in-house teams, as they have streamlined processes and specialized expertise.

→ Reduced risk: Outsourcing can help to reduce the risk associated with software development projects. Outsourcing providers often have experience working on similar projects and can provide valuable insights and expertise to help mitigate risks and ensure project success.