Project Name
Document Version 1.0
Prepared by Jane Doe, ITS
Last Edited March 21, 2016
PLAN
REQUIREMENTS
SOLUTION
ANALYSIS
DESIGN
BUILD
TEST
TRAIN/DEPLOY MAINTENANCE
TO THE DOCUMENT OWNER: This template is provided as a guideline and resource. The structure and instructions
give detail about what might go into a completed document. Only you and your team, however, know what will
best fit the needs of your specific effort, and you are encouraged to adapt the template as appropriate to meet
those needs.
Deployment Plan
The Deployment Plan details the steps necessary to move the product into a production environment. It
will be reviewed by technical staff and stakeholder representatives to ensure that all elements of the
transition to the new or updated system have been considered and fully planned. The plan includes
technical deployment activities, actions required for any transition between systems or versions, release
communications, and contingency plans in case of problems.
Executive Summary
Provide a high-level summary of the deployment plan.
Deployment Overview
Provide an overall description of the deployment. If the rollout will occur in more than one phase,
identify each of the phases and the deployment steps that must be taken for each.
Deployment Steps
Outline the steps which will be followed to move the product into production, including technical work,
communications, and customer transition, referring to the Communications Plan and other documents as
appropriate. The outline should not include low-level details, such as specific actions to take or email
lists to be used; these may be covered in the Release Playbook section below.
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Project Name
Document Version 1.0
Business Process Changes
List any business processes that will be modified with deployment. Describe the pre-deployment and
post-deployment states, referring to the Business Process Workflow as appropriate. Outline the steps
required to enable the transition.
Assumptions, Dependencies, and Constraints
Assumptions
List assumptions about the product's capabilities and use when it is released to production, support
needs, rollout, etc.

What non-technical deliverables are expected to be complete before the deployment, such as
training and documentation? Reference other documents as appropriate, such as the Training
Plan and User Documentation Deliverables List.
Dependencies
List dependencies that can affect the deployment, such as the completion of related efforts outside the
scope of the project or the availability of key resources.
Constraints
List factors that limit the ability to deploy, such as scheduling and the academic calendar, resource
availability, and expectations regarding service availability.
Operational Readiness
Site Preparation
Describe any preparation required for the location where the product will operate. Define any changes
that must occur to the operational site and specify features and items that should be modified to adapt
to the new product. If appropriate, include the diagram of the system from the Design Blueprint for
reference, to depict where all system components will reside within the operational site. Identify the
steps necessary to assist the customer in preparing the customer’s designated sites for installation of the
accepted products.
Assessment of Deployment Readiness
Describe the method for assessing deployment readiness. Where applicable, identify the configuration
audits and reviews to be held after a product is tested and accepted and before the product is installed in
the production environment.
Deviations and Waivers
Provide additional information regarding any waivers and deviations from the original project
requirements.
Deployment Plan
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Project Name
Document Version 1.0
Release Planning
Release of the Product
Describe the processes for release of the product for operational use in a playbook fashion, including
order, dependencies, and required resources. List the groups that will be involved in the release, including
technical staff, support personnel, and customer representatives, and the mechanism for coordination. In
addition to plans for the release event, detail the plans for handling issues in the first few days or weeks.


What project resources should be available following the product deployment, and for how
long?
What escalation paths will be available for support staff, such as the Help Desk and operators,
during and shortly after the release?
Contingency Planning
Describe the contingency plan to be executed if problems occur during deployment activities.


What criteria will be used to determine whether a roll-back to the original system is required?
If a roll-back is needed, what steps will be taken to implement this? What data or other
information must be archived during the system release for this scenario?
End of Life Planning
If applicable, describe the plan for disposition or retirement of the old system. Provide reference to other
documents as appropriate.
Glossary
Define all terms and acronyms required to interpret the Deployment Plan properly. It may be
appropriate to refer to another document or other external source.
Appendices
Include any relevant appendices.
Revision History
Identify changes to the Deployment Plan.
Version
Date
Deployment Plan
Updater Name
Description
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