Program data

The design, creation, and implementation of a corporate process that allows customers to request a product fix to resolve critical software bugs. The view of this project is at the daily operational level with agile improvements involving operational technology analysis and end-user analysis to the general operational framework.

Project initial deployment: 2000.

Request for a global implementation: 2019 – 2020.

The number of people impacted: approx. 5’000 people per total, approx. 200 power users, 7 (seven) business units.

Context

By default, software bugs are fixed in current or future development releases.

Besides, there was no formal process in the case of critical software bugs or software problems that needed a faster resolution. The customer was unable to ask R&D to deliver a small patch to fix the critical bugs for his software version (cf. hotfix or patch). Moreover, there was no process to log those requests in the information system and track progress.

Prior requests were made by email to various project managers who started working on some bug fixing without any process or corporate visibility.

This methodology was inefficient, and it needed a controlled process combining formal logging, transparent project management processes, and corporate tools.

Solution

I searched for project management tools or software to capture these hotfix requests, but they were:

(i) too complicated to use within agile projects,

and (ii) unconnected with other corporate tools.

As Atlassian JIRA was the bug tracker, I decided to use JIRA as a light project management tool. This solution is working very well, despite JIRA not being a project management tool per se.

Project Implementation

The total project took a couple of months to implement.

It was continuously adapted over the years to deal with new corporate processes. No extra investment was required as it uses existing corporate tools (Microsoft Suite, Atlassian JIRA).

Other indications and data that are taken into account: are stakeholders, desired and committed delivery dates for hot fixing, requested versus committed scope, configuration management tools, and environment management tools.

Long-term viability

The process is robust and still running 20 years later.

Today, the adoption of this process by other product teams in several international locations has reached 99%.

Other advantages of this process: no requests are lost anymore; ownership within R&D is clear; cross-functional teams are following the process.

The implementation was very successful since the beginning with accurate workflows using existing tools without additional investment. The process improved the speed of resolution & quality of bug fixing.

More information about efficient workflows for urgent software Hotfix Patch Delivery

Unexpected bugs and vulnerabilities can arise at any time in the fast-paced world of software development. When a critical issue is identified, releasing a hotfix patch as quickly as possible is essential. However, the delivery of a hotfix patch quickly and efficiently can be a challenging task — especially when the patch must be delivered outside of regular business hours.

Implementing an effective workflow for rapid hotfix delivery can help reduce project failure. By clearly defining the steps of the process, automating tasks and/or processes via RPA (robotic process automation), and communicating effectively with clients and partners, the risk of delivery delay or inefficiency is significantly reduced. Additionally, by actively monitoring the hotfix after delivery, the company can quickly detect and address any issues or feedback, further reducing the risk of project failure.

As we saw in the above Case Study, a large fintech software development company faced this problem when a critical security vulnerability was discovered in one of their products. To address the issue, they needed to release several hotfix patches, and as soon as possible. To ensure that the patch was delivered efficiently and without any delays, the company implemented a well-defined workflow for hotfix patch delivery.

Workflow Process

The company’s workflow for hotfix patch delivery consisted of the following steps:

1. Identification: The first step in the process was to identify the issue and assess its severity. If the issue was deemed critical, the hotfix patch delivery process was initiated.
2. Preparation: The next step was to prepare the hotfix patch. The development team worked quickly to create the patch, which was then tested and validated to ensure that it would resolve the issue without causing any unintended consequences.
3. Communication: Once the patch was ready, the company communicated with its customers and partners to let them know that a hotfix patch was available and to provide instructions for downloading and installing the patch.
4. Deployment: The hotfix patch was then deployed to the customers and partners who needed it. The deployment process was automated to ensure that the patch was delivered quickly and efficiently.
5. Monitoring: The final step in the process was to monitor the hotfix patch for any issues or feedback from customers and partners. The development team was available to address any concerns and provide additional support as needed.

Within this frame, the company’s workflow for hotfix patch delivery was a success. The critical issue was resolved quickly, and the hotfix patch was delivered efficiently without delay. The company’s reputation for delivering quality software was enhanced, and its customers and partners were satisfied with the rapid resolution of the issue.

In conclusion, a well-defined workflow for the delivery of hotfixes and patches is essential for the efficient resolution of critical issues in software products. The workflow outlined in this case study provides a template that other organisations can use to ensure fast and efficient patch delivery.