Release management

One of the most significant milestones in an app based service management is the release of an app version.

Whether it's launch, periodic bug-fix update, major feature, infrastructure or value-chain integration change it all comes down to app version releases.

Projects usually kicks-off with a service-level goal (e.g. Enable Chromecast, Switch from payment-wall provider A to provider B), but, as the project planning goes deeper, different effort and resource requirements for each of the project's target platforms are identified and assigned.

Zapp Releases reflects the effort around each target platform in a project, and they are designed to help everybody understand better what is the project's status and what should be done next.

The 'All Releases' screen is the main screen of your app in Zapp CMS; it supplies an overview on your app's management activity:

Each row in this table represents a single release, so you can see all of your app's releases at once.

The overview screen enables a quick view over all of you app's planned and undergoing releases, their status, how many days are left until their deadline and whether they're stuck (and why).

Releases can be marked as "in focus", such releases will be always displayed at the top of this table.

In case the release has an assigned target version, clicking on its number opens a menu with quick links to useful functions:

Edit layout will launch the studio with the release's target version's assigned layout loaded.

General opens up the version's general settings.

Styles, Assets and Localisation opens the version's styles, assets and localisation screens (respectively).

Plugin configuration opens the version's plugin gallery.

Info opens the app's info screen.

Clicking on the release name opens up the release view:

Here you can and edit the release's state and status, set or reset deadlines and add links to relevant documentation, message boards, store consoles and specs.

The versions displayed at the bottom sections are versions that are relevant only for this release.

Multiple versions can be created during the effort of a single release.

Set the release's target version to the version that represents the latest stable version that represents the latest progress in this release.

Eventually when the app version is ready to be submitted, the target version represents the submitted version.

Use releases to create sync across teams, share screen during project meetings and reflect project decisions such as deadlines changes, what's in-focus, mark stagnation and reason, update links to relevant boards and set target versions on the go so everyone are on the same page.