{"id":76117,"date":"2019-01-07T04:06:06","date_gmt":"2019-01-07T04:06:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/intelligentbee.com\/blog\/?p=75709"},"modified":"2025-05-27T12:16:12","modified_gmt":"2025-05-27T12:16:12","slug":"software-deployment-checklist-for-businesses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/intelligentbee.com\/blog\/software-deployment-checklist-for-businesses\/","title":{"rendered":"Software Deployment Checklist for Businesses"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-75710\" src=\"https:\/\/intelligentbee.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Software-Deployment-Checklist-Banner.png\" alt=\"Software-Deployment-Checklist--Banner\" width=\"800\" height=\"400\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every business wants their new app or software, whether in its first iteration or the form of an update, to launch successfully. In this day and age, many users expect polished, hi-tech platforms accessible at their fingertips. Sorting out all the kinks and bugs on your new software is critical in ensuring all systems and their usability are optimized and performing well.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Overall, software or <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">web deployment<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> covers installation, configuration, running, testing, and tweaking systems in your product. You want to make sure that nothing less than the best is getting released to the public. It may sound like a daunting task, but with this checklist, you can make sure that you\u2019ll have all your bases covered.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Software deployment testing can be done both in a test environment before deployment or in the live environment after deployment. For this article, we\u2019ll go with live environment testing after deployment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-75711\" src=\"https:\/\/intelligentbee.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Software-Deployment-Checklist-Infographic.png\" alt=\"Software-Deployment-Checklist--Infographic\" width=\"800\" height=\"3554\" \/><\/p>\n<h1><\/h1>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_68_1 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/intelligentbee.com\/blog\/software-deployment-checklist-for-businesses\/#Understanding_the_Deployment_Process\" title=\"Understanding the Deployment Process\">Understanding the Deployment Process<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/intelligentbee.com\/blog\/software-deployment-checklist-for-businesses\/#Consider_a_continuous_deployment_process\" title=\"Consider a continuous deployment process\">Consider a continuous deployment process<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/intelligentbee.com\/blog\/software-deployment-checklist-for-businesses\/#Set_up_performance_metrics\" title=\"Set up performance metrics\">Set up performance metrics<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/intelligentbee.com\/blog\/software-deployment-checklist-for-businesses\/#Keep_an_eye_on_error_logs\" title=\"Keep an eye on error logs\">Keep an eye on error logs<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/intelligentbee.com\/blog\/software-deployment-checklist-for-businesses\/#Use_an_error-tracking_program\" title=\"Use an error-tracking program\">Use an error-tracking program<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/intelligentbee.com\/blog\/software-deployment-checklist-for-businesses\/#Flexible_Software_Deployment\" title=\"Flexible Software Deployment\">Flexible Software Deployment<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Understanding_the_Deployment_Process\"><\/span><b>Understanding the Deployment Process<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3><b>Close the loop between development and operations<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Having your <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">development and operations departments on the same page<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of your deployment schedule is best for everyone in the team. There should be transparency and responsibility to inform both sides about infrastructure changes, timing, and release strategy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3><b>Develop a rollback plan<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the live version of your software encounters too many problems, it\u2019s wise to have a rollback plan. Revert it to the previous state and ensure that the rollback has no issues, either. Sometimes, this can cause more problems than patch up a problematic software release.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3><b>Notify stakeholders of the release<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is an easily overlooked part of the planning process that can make a huge difference when it comes to successful adoption of the software. Something as simple as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.brighthubpm.com\/monitoring-projects\/52884-keeping-project-stakeholders-in-the-loop\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">informing users and stakeholders<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> about the schedule can save a significant amount of time and prevent unnecessary confusion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3><b>Develop and finalize your release strategy<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The deployment comes in different kinds, so align with your team about which type you want to execute for your software. Will you roll it out completely or by batches? Does it require a reinstall for your users or will the update take effect online? Go for the right kind of operations that matches the nature of your software.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3><b>Keep changes to a minimum<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As you near deployment, you should be able to lock all systems in place. If you plan on making any changes, make sure you inform your team and keep them to a minimum. Any alterations should not be significant enough to delay the timeline unless you plan on pushing it back. It\u2019s always better to be sure and prepared.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3><b>Utilize automation tools<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wherever you can remove human error, do so. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.trustradius.com\/build-automation\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Automation tools<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> now exist to make deployment possible in a few clicks of a button. This can speed up repetitive tasks and allow you to control how much you want to deploy rather than all at once. Automation is also essential in your rollback strategy\u2014if you automate that process as well, there\u2019s no need for you to redo or lose a lot of changes on your code.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Consider_a_continuous_deployment_process\"><\/span><b>Consider a continuous deployment process<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.agilealliance.org\/glossary\/continuous-deployment\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Continuous deployment<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, part of the continuous improvement mindset, involves deploying new software updates automatically when developers make a change (it assumes that there will always be bugs in the production version). The upside of incremental rollouts is that they\u2019re systematically quicker and easier to rollback than full-releases. But of course, there are additional costs involved with the high demand for quality assurance testing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3><b>Keep a close eye for bugs or crashes<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even though deployment is fully automated nowadays, errors can still occur. Standby during the deployment proper and get ready to dive in to fix your codes or scripts should it be needed. This is where your rollback plan can potentially come in handy. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3><b>Test all critical areas of your software<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make sure all systems are greenlit and working as they should. Do several tests such as functionality testing, user experience testing, performance testing, compatibility testing, and security testing, to name a few. These tests will allow you to gather statistical and analytical data on how well your software is performing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3><b>Systematically report all bugs and errors<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Proper categorization of errors makes prioritizing and testing a lot simpler. The most urgent fixes should be first deployed in the test environment for <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/airbrake.io\/blog\/what-is\/regression-testing\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">regression testing<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> before being deployed in the live environment. Repeat this testing cycle for all as you move forward in the deployment process.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Set_up_performance_metrics\"><\/span><b>Set up performance metrics<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How will you know if your deployment was a success? You can create your KPIs for the software surface level, such as page load times and server CPU usage. Or, you can drill down further and come up with custom KPIs. These can measure the efficiency and effectiveness of every aspect of your DevOps\u2019 toolchain.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Keep_an_eye_on_error_logs\"><\/span><b>Keep an eye on error logs<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How are your logs doing? Take note of the volume and make sure that it hasn\u2019t changed drastically. It\u2019s generally bad news if logs stop or if the number drastically increases. Check the records of any new features you\u2019re testing out as well and identify a baseline of when you need to step in if you start receiving error logs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Use_an_error-tracking_program\"><\/span><b>Use an error-tracking program<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s always a good idea to utilize a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.capterra.com\/top-free-bug-tracking-software\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">bug-tracking software<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> like Bugzilla or Airbrake to manage contextual information about the errors your software encounters. Not only will these tools make you quicker to respond to potential issues, you\u2019ll also get a much better idea of the software\u2019s overall health.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Flexible_Software_Deployment\"><\/span><b>Flexible Software Deployment<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this day and age, software deployment needs to be flexible and agile. Here\u2019s how you can do that:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Having a <\/span><b>software deployment checklist<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can help you get your business in order. If you\u2019re prepared for any scenario, you\u2019ll be able to think on your feet faster.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Have the necessary <\/span><b>deployment tools<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in your arsenal so you can automate all the critical parts of your software development and deployment.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep <\/span><b>observing KPIs<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to detect any problems, should there be any. Be sure to trace the source so you can avoid the same issues from arising next time.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Never release an update without a <\/span><b>rollback strategy<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Sometimes, the best way to fix software issues is to revert to the previous version, so don\u2019t forget to backup.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The best case you can hope for during software deployment is to let it run itself without having to worry too much. With preparedness and having the right tools to support your processes, you can be sure that your next deployment will always go smoother than the last.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The success of a software deployment doesn\u2019t just rely on the performance, scalability, and excellent user experience of your software\u2014it should also be able to reflect in your business success goals. If your number of users, conversations, and usage are increasing, that means that the new software has made a significant impact on your business operations as well.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Software development is a meticulous process. If you choose to seek external support, be sure to avoid common mistakes when outsourcing software development. The more careful you execute this, the more it will save you from future headaches on possible bugs, crashes, or any other failures you don\u2019t want your software to have.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Every business wants their new app or software, whether in its first iteration or the form of an update, to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":76929,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[73],"tags":[1624],"yst_prominent_words":[1768,1777,1776,1775,1774,1773,1772,1771,1770,1769,307,1767,1766,1765,1764,1763,1739,530,334,311],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/intelligentbee.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76117"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/intelligentbee.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/intelligentbee.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/intelligentbee.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/intelligentbee.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=76117"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/intelligentbee.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76117\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":133441,"href":"https:\/\/intelligentbee.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76117\/revisions\/133441"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/intelligentbee.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/76929"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/intelligentbee.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=76117"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/intelligentbee.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=76117"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/intelligentbee.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=76117"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/intelligentbee.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=76117"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}