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Phase 4
Release Management & Deployment Cycles
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Software releases mark critical milestones in the product journey: they deliver new features, fix issues, and shape the user experience. But without structure, releases can become chaotic, risky, and costly. Release management provides the framework for planning, coordinating, testing, and deploying changes in a predictable, repeatable way. This module explores the release management life cycle, the distinction between release and change management, the differences across Agile and Waterfall approaches, and the role of PMs in aligning cross-functional teams. By the end, you’ll understand how disciplined release management ensures smoother launches, reduces risk, and accelerates learning.
What is Release Management?
Release management is the discipline of planning, scheduling, and controlling the deployment of software into production. It ensures new updates—whether major overhauls or small patches—are delivered efficiently, safely, and with minimal disruption.
The Release Management Life Cycle
Like product management, release management follows a structured sequence of stages:
Release Management Life Cycle — Stages
- Identify Needs
- Plan Release
- Build & Test
- UAT
- Prepare
- Deploy
- Monitor
- Future Planning
PM’s Role in Release Management
While release managers or DevOps teams execute the process, PMs have a crucial role in:
- Prioritizing scope by deciding what makes it into each release.
- Aligning stakeholders to ensure shared expectations.
- Balancing speed vs. stability by making trade-offs on when to ship.
- Communicating updates and translating technical changes into user value.
- Championing post-release learning by feeding feedback into the roadmap.
Resources
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