Creating a deployment plan

It is very important that your deployment goes smoothly because delays and issues in this final step can overshadow all the great work that has been done up to this point. This is particularly important if the time you have to deploy is limited, that is, out of office working hours. The best way to achieve this is to have a detailed plan that everyone involved agrees with. This means that the deployment window is simply about executing tasks, not about working out what the tasks are. You will also want to agree what happens if something doesn’t go according to plan. This includes who gets notified, what additional expertise might be brought in, and what happens if the problem can’t be resolved during the deployment window.

As with all the plans we’ve created during the implementation, the deployment plan includes what you’re trying to achieve, how you’re going to approach it, who’s going to be involved, the schedule...