Align Continuous Planning with GitLab's Release Schedule and Documentation Process
To ensure Continuous Planning updates are effectively communicated and follow best practices, we should consider aligning the release and documentation process with GitLab’s existing release schedule and structure. This will provide consistency, keep users informed of upcoming changes, and improve the adoption of updates by CSMs and other stakeholders.
Tasks:
- Adopt GitLab’s Release Cadence:
- Follow the same monthly release timeline as GitLab.
- Define a clear release schedule for Continuous Planning updates.
- Establish a Release Documentation Process:
- Create release notes for each update, detailing new features, improvements, and bug fixes.
- Use a consistent structure for documenting release notes (e.g., breaking changes, new features, deprecated features, fixes, etc.).
- Internal Communication Plan:
- Communicate upcoming releases and release notes to the CSM team ahead of each release.
- Set up a system for notifying users and relevant stakeholders (e.g., via Slack).
- Automation for Release Notes:
- Automate the generation and publishing of release notes to reduce manual effort.
- Integrate the release documentation with GitLab’s documentation system for easy access.
Expected Outcome:
By aligning Continuous Planning with GitLab’s release and documentation process, we will create a more predictable and structured update cycle. This will enhance the communication of changes to users and ensure that CSMs are always informed about the latest developments.