Launch Your Software Solution
Experience your new software solution as it goes live!
How do you launch a software solution?
The software launch process is more than just launching your new software live. The whole process includes prepping for your launch, running your launch, and taking care of post-launch tasks.
Prepping for your launch often starts during the design and early build phases. While this may seem too early to start thinking about the launch, it’s vital that we know your expectations and needs for your launch as early as possible. Knowing this information lets us verify what we can deliver in the given timeframe.
For example, if your business plans to launch the product to coincide with other marketing initiatives or events, that requires significant planning and management to ensure it all happens on schedule. We would need to meet with your marketing and events team to ensure alignment for the launch.
Realize that prepping for your launch can be overwhelming, especially if you don't know your options. Our job as your partner is to go through the options with you so that you can make informed decisions and feel confident in your choices.
We admit that we will have strong opinions about launch strategies, but that's because we've seen what works and what doesn't. Our goal is to give you the benefit of our knowledge and experience so that you can minimize your risks and increase the likelihood of a successful launch.
Running your launch occurs on the day everything goes live. Some people prefer launching everything simultaneously, whereas other clients prefer to do a progressive launch rollout. These options should match your business goals and needs for introducing your new software product to the world.
Post-launch tasks include everything necessary to keep your software updated and running smoothly. Such tasks may consist of regular monitoring and maintenance, performing bug fixes, and managing user requests. Post-launch tasks can also address your plans for updating and expanding your software’s capabilities for your next phase of business growth.
We understand that launch day can be stressful, and it’s our goal to make this process as low-stress as possible.
How do you stay on track with a software launch?
Steelhead Software will keep your launch on track by designing launch day preparation plans and rollout processes far before your launch.
During your project's discovery and design phases, we discuss with you and your team when you would want to launch. Having a rough date lets us plan backward to verify when every step of the process needs to occur to keep your launch on schedule. At this point, you and your team will also decide what project rollout processes will work best.
In our biweekly sprint reviews, we regularly review your launch day preparation plans and rollout processes to verify everything is moving accordingly. The moment we notice any risk that could negatively impact your launch day, we communicate that immediately.
If problems arise that could push back your launch day, we will pause the build to go over your options. Remember, you will always have full control over which options we follow to bring your product live.
We understand that launch day can be stressful, and it’s our goal to make this process as low-stress as possible. To help lower that stress, as we get closer to your launch date, you can expect daily communications from us to assure you of our progress and verify that everything is on track. Your peace of mind and delivering the best product for your needs are our top priorities.
Finally, we are always available to be on-site during your launch. Being there in-person is something we truly enjoy because it gives us the opportunity to deliver great service and prove our partnership commitment. Plus, having us there gives you that added security of knowing you have a team of experts on-site ready to support you no matter what.
“Steelhead did a fantastic job of building on top of our existing application and supporting us along the way.”
- Marie Boianoff, Co-Owner (Fabric Boutique)
What happens after launch day?
While it may seem like the end of the process, launching your software product is actually just the beginning. What happens after launch day is equally as crucial to your business success.
After all, you invested in this new software solution to upgrade how you do business. To protect your investment, you must consider what is needed to maintain your new solution.
We generally schedule several post-launch meetings directly after the full launch and rollout. In these meetings, we discuss several topics, including:
Backlog items: Features and capabilities not part of the initial launch.
Bug fixes: Any needed corrections to the computer code or any system errors that occurred during launch
Support services: Services needed to maintain and update your solution long-term.
We also offer continuous improvement services, which can help you plan new features and capabilities for your software solution to help support future business growth. You can learn more about our continuous improvement services here.
However you choose to proceed after launching your solution, we at Steelhead Software are here to give you support and guidance. We appreciate the time, effort, and trust you provide us during the software development cycle, and we want to do everything we can to continue being your technology partner and ally.
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