What are some of the tools and methods that you use to track and manage software changes?

Software changes are inevitable in any development project, but they can also introduce risks, errors, and delays if not managed properly. Release management is the process of planning, coordinating, testing, and deploying software changes across different environments and stakeholders. In this article, we will explore some of the tools and methods that you can use to track and manage software changes effectively and efficiently.

1 Version control systems

A version control system (VCS) is a tool that records and tracks the changes made to the source code of a software project. It allows you to create, compare, merge, and revert different versions of the code, as well as collaborate with other developers. A VCS can help you manage software changes by ensuring consistency, traceability, and quality of the code. Some of the common VCS tools are Git, Subversion, Mercurial, and Perforce.

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Elham Oliayi

Senior Release Manager at Sennheiser
(edited)
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As a release manager, I've found semantic versioning to be a game-changer for our development process. By using the MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH format, we've improved communication, streamlined planning, and enhanced collaboration.

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2 Configuration management tools

A configuration management tool (CMT) is a tool that automates and standardizes the process of configuring and provisioning the software and hardware resources needed to run a software project. It allows you to define, store, and apply the desired state of the system across different environments, such as development, testing, staging, and production. A CMT can help you manage software changes by ensuring reliability, repeatability, and scalability of the system. Some of the common CMT tools are Ansible, Chef, Puppet, and Terraform.

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3 Change management tools

A change management tool (CMT) is a tool that facilitates and documents the process of requesting, approving, implementing, and reviewing software changes. It allows you to capture, track, and communicate the details, status, and impact of the changes, as well as manage the dependencies, risks, and issues associated with them. A CMT can help you manage software changes by ensuring compliance, accountability, and visibility of the changes. Some of the common CMT tools are Jira, ServiceNow, Trello, and Asana.

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Arthur Cagman

Employed as Change Coordinator at Tek Systems/Bank of America
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Not too sure Jira is a good tool for Change Management. ServiceNow and Remedy are excellent tools you can also get KPIs from them

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4 Testing tools

A testing tool is a tool that verifies and validates the functionality, performance, security, and usability of a software project. It allows you to design, execute, and report on various types of tests, such as unit, integration, system, regression, and acceptance tests. A testing tool can help you manage software changes by ensuring quality, functionality, and compatibility of the software. Some of the common testing tools are Selenium, JUnit, TestNG, and Cucumber.

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James Grainger

Release & Automation Lead at AstraZeneca
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Low code / no code test automation software like Leapwork make it easier for teams to maintain their scripts and keep current

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5 Deployment tools

A deployment tool is a tool that automates and streamlines the process of delivering and releasing software changes to the target environments and users. It allows you to build, package, distribute, and deploy the software artifacts, as well as monitor and rollback the deployments if needed. A deployment tool can help you manage software changes by ensuring speed, efficiency, and accuracy of the software delivery. Some of the common deployment tools are Jenkins, Bamboo, Octopus Deploy, and AWS CodeDeploy.

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6 Feedback tools

A feedback tool is a tool that collects and analyzes the feedback from the users, customers, and stakeholders of a software project. It allows you to measure and improve the satisfaction, engagement, and loyalty of the users, as well as identify and prioritize the issues, bugs, and enhancements of the software. A feedback tool can help you manage software changes by ensuring alignment, responsiveness, and value of the software. Some of the common feedback tools are SurveyMonkey, UserVoice, Zendesk, and Google Analytics.

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Nancy Pietrosewicz (Carswell)

Diversely experienced Release Manager looking for my next opportunity to make an impact.
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The biggest mistake I see teams make is hosting a regular robust retrospective. They gather tons of feedback but the don’t ever bother to rank the data or follow-through on next steps. How wasteful is that? You have loads of specific ideas on how to improve and you do nothing with it. It hearts my heart. My last manager said(paraphrasing) ‘I don’t want Our team to own another thing. We held the retro as required’ I was floored, shocked and quite frankly saddened that they didn’t see the value.

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Joshua Davis

I empower organizations to improve their software lifecycles, and succeed!
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I highly recommend Jira for software project success. Its integrated features for feedback, issue tracking, task management, and collaboration are invaluable. With Jira, you can centralize feedback, make informed decisions with analytics, foster teamwork, and seamlessly integrate with other tools. It's the key to delivering high-quality software and ensuring user satisfaction. Trust me, Jira is a game-changer for effective release management.

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Jude Fernandes

Release Manager @Openbet
(edited)
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It is the Release Manager or Scrum Master to make sure the feedback or improvements are prioritised with key stakeholders and make it into the Release cycle. You can use MoSCoW if you need to. You might want to negotiate and collaborate, if teams are pushing not to take it in, but i don't see why, a manager would say No if it brings value in..

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Nancy Pietrosewicz (Carswell)

Diversely experienced Release Manager looking for my next opportunity to make an impact.
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Thanks for sharing your perspectives. I use JIRA but it sounds like there is a lot more value I could gain from doing a deeper dive into functionality available. Great insight.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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What are some of the tools and methods that you use to track and manage software changes?

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1 Version control systems

2 Configuration management tools

3 Change management tools

4 Testing tools

5 Deployment tools

6 Feedback tools

7 Here’s what else to consider

Release Management

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