Release Value Stream
Overview
The value stream “Release”, as shown in Release Value Stream Model, ensures that the Service Offers for ordering a new, a change in, or the decommissioning of an Actual Product Instance or its support to them are offered to consumers. The Release value stream maintains the Service Offer Catalog, the catalog views, and the Service Offer promotion and information of available Service Offers to the consumer base so that the individual consumer can find and order Digital Products, or support for them. Service Offers should be made available for viewing and requests for access over multiple channels. This value stream publishes the Service Offers based on various triggers and inputs, such as:
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The Product Release, as a result of the Integrate value stream
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The decision of the Product Manager to provide a new (bundled) Service Offer based on existing Service Offers and releases
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The decision to change or terminate an existing Offer
The Release value stream delivers a digital service by means of a Service Offer that is made available and can be requested.
Key Stakeholder
The primary stakeholder of the Release value stream is the Catalog Manager, who is primarily responsible for defining, implementing, and publishing the Service Offers so that they are available to be consumed by the target consumers.
Value
The outcome of the Release value stream is to ensure the management of the consumable Service Offers for the Digital Product. These Service Offers are for new service consumption; there are Service Offers for support or to change/retire an Actual Product Instance. This also provides the following additional value to the consumers but is not limited to:
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Centralization of the catalog (e.g., providing access control to all the products and services being offered to the consumers)
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Enabling self-service (e.g., the aggregated Service Offer Catalog facilitates user self-service capabilities by providing detailed information about the Service Offer Catalog item and its detailed attributes)
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Providing traceability (e.g., the Service Offer Catalog allows traceability of service, from ordering to fulfillment of the service)
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Reducing cost (e.g., the Service Offer Catalog reduces the time that the consumer requires from ordering to fulfillment of the service)
Cross-Value Stream Dependencies
The Release value stream depends on:
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Deploy:
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Released Offers for the support or consumption of an Actual Product Instances (new, changed, or terminated) can depend on a deployed Product Release
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Value streams that depend on the Release value stream are:
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Evaluate:
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Improvements start with drivers, that are expected to arise from all seven value streams
All Value Streams will capture data to ensure that the quality of the Digital Product will meet the requirements.
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Consume:
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Service Offers that can be fulfilled are based on released Service Offers, and can only be activated after deployment of the release
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The Consume value stream feeds the result of the deployment back into the Release value stream stages for reporting
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The Release value stream, as shown in Release Value Stream Details Model, is the more comprehensive view for included scenarios and detailed value stream stages for the value stream, and will be described in detail in the following sections.
In the following sections we document the scenarios and stages of the Release value stream:
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Scenario: Release a New Service Offer
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Scenario: Change an Existing Service Offer
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Scenario: Bundle Existing Service Offers
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Scenario: Terminate a Service Offer
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Stage: Define Service Offer
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Stage: Implement Service Offer
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Stage: Publish Service Offer
Release Scenarios
The Release value stream is applicable for the following four scenarios:
Release a New Service Offer Scenario
The outcome of this scenario is to provide the consumers with the possibility to request a new Actual Product Instance of a Digital Product or to request a new form of support on an Actual Product Instance. The following activities are part of this scenario:
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Link the Service Offer to existing (via deploy/deployed) support/fulfillment plan(s); this includes linkage of the Service Offer to its internal and external support or fulfillment parties
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Provide customer access to the Offer (views)
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Promote and inform the availability of the new Service Offer
Change an Existing Service Offer Scenario
The outcome of this scenario is to maintain an up-to-date Service Offer for the consumers. The reason for the change of the Service Offer can vary. Recurring Change activities are:
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Change of charged service price; e.g., annual service fee recalculation
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Change of underlying terms and conditions; e.g., when the SLA changes
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Change of the fulfillment or support plan; e.g., to include more automation
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Change of access to the Service Offer; e.g., to change who can consume the service
Bundle Existing Service Offers Scenario
The outcome of this scenario is to combine multiple existing Service Offers into a single Service Offer, so that customers only need to order a single Service Offer, instead of multiple Service Offers. Activities in this scenario are:
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Combining and chronologically orchestrating/sequencing the Service Offers
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Providing customer access to the Service Offer (views)
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Promoting and informing the availability of the new bundled Service Offer
Terminate a Service Offer Scenario
The outcome of this scenario is to remove a Service Offer from the catalog and stop it from being ordered in the future. This scenario can be executed when the all-encompassing Digital Product is terminated, but it can also be executed in a normal release cycle of a Digital Product, when new versions of the Digital Product become available. Activities in this scenario are:
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Marketing and promotion of the termination of the Service Offer; this could include promotion to, for example, a new or replacement Product Release
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Change the Service Offer validity
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Remove customer access to the Service Offer (views)
Define Service Offer Stage
Description
The purpose of the value stream stage “Define Service Offer” is to obtain the Service Offer information from the Integrate value stream and to plan the creation and publication of Service Offers to Consumers. Offers can also represent the consumption of cloud services making the Service catalog an Aggregation catalog between their own and cloud services; planning should take place to identify which cloud Service Offers would be made available.
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Implement Service Offer Stage
Description
The purpose of the value stream stage “Implement Service Offer” is to onboard the Service Offer into the Service Offer Catalog and to prepare all that is needed so that the Service Offer can be published.
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Publish Service Offer Stage
Description
The purpose of the value stream stage “Publish Service Offer” is to activate or release the Service Offer so that it can be ordered by consumers.
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