Digital Enablement Development Release Cycle

The Digital Collaboration uses an Agile framework to develop and release digital products.

Agile

Agile is an umbrella term for a variety of development methods which focus on adaptability, continuous development, iteration and collaboration.[1]

Stages of Development and Release

DCD uses open-source software to develop applications, and follows three stages for releasing these applications.

Pilot

DCD may test multiple open-source applications to develop a particular tool. When a tool is in pilot it means that an open-source application is being tested to see if it can meet the users' needs, before the tool undergoes a more comprehensive development by the DCD team. It is a short-term, experimental phase to see how the large-scale service may work in practice.[1].

Open pilot testing means that the potential open-source application is available to anyone in the user-base to test. Closed pilot testing means that the potential application is only available internally to the team who will be developing the tool. The DCD team uses both of these pilot testing methods depending on what makes the most sense for the tool which will be developed. However, when possible open pilot testing is preferred as it includes the user at the earliest stage of development.

If the open-source application being tested is unsuitable, a different application will be pilot tested.

Currently the following tools are in pilot:

• Message