What is a release in Scrum?

A release planning is carried out by the product owner. The product owner talks to the customer about when a release will take place. As a rule, a release is developed every three months. A release planning contains the functions which are implemented within three months to one year. To a release a vision of a product must be formulated which arises from the following analyses:

• Target group and buyer analysis (Which target group is intended for the product?)
• Need and benefit analysis (What need and what benefit is covered by the product in the target group?)
• Functional analysis, comparative analysis and niche analysis to other products (How does the product differ from other products?)
• Price analysis and distribution analysis (What price can be set for the product or service and how can it be distributed?)

A release is a summary of several sprints. However, it may also be released during the sprint. A release planning should be designed flexibly, so that the wishes of the customer are adjusted according to current project results. From the Scrum team, the Scrum master, product owner and the developers should be aimed at the beginning of a project a Minimum Valuable Product (MVP), with which already in the early phase of the emergence of the product value can be created at the customer and the product can be improved.

The marketing department can be informed by the release plan, when which functions at which time can be released. A too high level of detail should be avoided, since the developers should have the freedom to omit functions. During sprint planning, a sprint goal is agreed upon. The Product Owner can change the Sprint goal during the Sprint with agreement of the customer. This procedure should be avoided.