Encompass Best Practices for Development and Deployment

1. Formulate Acceptance Criteria
   • Analyze the problem we are trying to solve
   • Write up a one or two-page Requirements Document
     • Include a diagram if possible
     • Use the document when validating requirements with the Business
     • Use the document when communicating with QA and Training
   • Come up with a solution
     • Reach out to fellow Admins and/or Developers to brainstorm
     • Document components that will make up the solution
       • plugin, codebase, custom fields, screens, etc.
         
2. Come up with a Business Communication Plan
   • Do we need Compliance approval?
   • What users will be affected by the change?
   • Do we need Training involved?
   • Do we create a wiki that will help explain the feature?
   • Inform Support Teams
     
3. Once Development is completed, the feature must pass:
   • Unit testing by the developer/admin
   • Dev Demo to Stakeholders
   • Code Review including
     • forms, code-behind
     • custom fields, biz rules
     • custom C# code
   • QA Testing by QA 
   • User Acceptance Testing by Stakeholder
   • Explicit Approval by Stakeholders Ideally via Email with Product Owner and Scrum Master Copied in the email
     
4. Come up with a Deployment Plan – Build a list of steps that will be needed in order to deploy the feature depending on the work that was done. For Example:
   • Deploy Master Plugin
   • Import UW Summary Form
   • Import 2 Modified Custom Fields
     • CX.ModifiedFieldOne
     • CX.ModifiedFieldTwo
   • Import 3 New Custom Fields
     • CX.CustomFieldOne
     • CX.CustomFieldTwo
     • CX.CustomFieldThree
   • Import 1 modified Business Rule
     • Auto-Populate Closing Date Rule
       
5. Come up with a Roll Back Plan – Build a list of steps that will be needed to put things back the way they were before your deployment. For Example:
   • Rollback Master Plugin
     • Get the latest from Master
     • Increment Version Number
     • Deploy Master Plugin
   • Rollback UW Summary Form
     • Import from Backup made just before deployment
     • Rollback 2 Modified Custom Fields
     • Import from Backup made just before deployment
     • CX.ModifiedFieldOne
     • CX.ModifiedFieldTwo
   • Remove New Custom Fields (if needed)
     • Delete CX.CustomFieldOne
     • Delete CX.CustomFieldTwo
     • Delete CX.CustomFieldThree
       
6. Execute Rollback Preparation – For Example:
   • Backup UW Summary form by exporting the form only from Input Form Builder
   • Back up existing Custom Fields and Biz Rules modified by exporting them from Input Form Builder
   • Add all backups in the Jira Story that governs the feature you are working on (source control, separate conversation)
     
7. Execute Deployment – Pair Up with someone whenever possible
   • Announce deployment in Release Chat/Team Chat
     • Announce all components and services 
   • Stage your Deployment objects (separate best practice) 
   • Execute Deployment Plan
   • Smoke Test (separate conversation)
   • Be aware of reports of things not working as expected in and around the area that your feature touched
   • Make sure to over Communicate in Release Chat or Telephone and not Email if you have questions or input on any existing issues or outages post your deployment