Activity: Manage Beta Test

Purpose Beta testing is "pre-release" testing in which a sampling of the intended audience tries out the product. Beta testing serves two purposes. Firstly it gives the product a controlled "real-world" test, and secondly it provides a preview of the next release. The Deployment Manager needs to manage the product's beta test program to ensure that both these purposes are served.
Steps Select Beta Reviewers Prepare and Distribute Deployment Unit Review Survey Results and Raise Change Requests Provide Feedback to Reviewers
Input Artifacts: Deployment Plan Deployment Unit Stakeholder Requests	Resulting Artifacts: Change Request
Role: Deployment Manager

Workflow Details:

Deployment

Beta Test Product

Select Beta Reviewers

It is a good idea for a company to keep a database of potential beta reviewers and an archive of their feedback. The Deployment Manager can decide on reviewer profile characteristics, and select beta-reviewers from the reviewers database, staff nominations and others who may have expressed an interest to sign-up to a beta program.

Prepare and Distribute Deployment Unit

The Deployment Manager needs to make the deployment unit (consisting of a build, end-user support material and release notes, and installation artifacts) available to the reviewers. The deployment unit can be shipped, or made available on a product page of an internal web site. Participants in the beta program will need to be provided passwords to download the product, and limited licenses.

The Deployment Manager also needs to make sure that any participating beta site has signed and accepted the terms of the beta program such that there is a legally binding beta agreement. The beta agreement should cover the termination clause, review duration, confidentiality and non modification or transfer of the product.

The Deployment Manager should provide a feedback e-mail alias on where to mail the questionnaires in the Release Notes and End-User Material that accompanies the beta product. Another method to gather feedback is to have the beta reviewer respond to on-line queries.

Review Survey Results and Raise Change Requests

The Deployment Manager gathers and reviews the feedback, and raises Change Requests based on reviewer feedback. The Change Requests are submitted as part of Change Control mechanism for review by the Change Control Board. The Change Control Board determines the relative importance of each request, and whether it warrants further action. The Deployment Manager should prepare an Results Evaluation Summary, and brief the project on the specifics of the beta feedback.

Provide Feedback to Reviewers

Some companies maintain a Beta News Letter that is distributed to reviewers informing them of upcoming product reviews and general trends. In any case, the Deployment Manager should make the effort to acknowledge the valued beta reviews. In some cases a personal response on the follow up on a particular issue is a good idea.