Test release processes early and review regularly

There is an interesting article in CIO on 7 Ways to Improve Your Software Release Management.
Of the 7 ways the one that stood out for me was 3. Get lightweight processes in place. Test them early and review them regularly. If you are fan of agile processes this will appeal to you. It combines immediacy, flexibility and iteration - all important characteristics of agile development. To quote the article:

Lightweight processes are those that do not require lengthy bureaucratic approvals or endless meetings to get agreement. They usually require only the minimum acceptable level of inputs and outputs. What they lack in bulk and bureaucracy, they make up for in response to change and popular adoption!

Underpinning this approach is the thorny issue of documentation. You need to record what you did and how you did it. Otherwise, what do you review and how do you improve?

We don't mean the kind of documentation that endangers rain forests and puts its readers to sleep. We mean documentation that people (technical and otherwise) can read and act on.

Combining this attitude with the other 6 points in the article looks far more likely to support change than many of the inflexible and slow methods in current corporate use.

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