The Benefits of Automated Version Control and Configuration Management

Other than avoiding mass chaos, there are so many additional benefits to implementing automated version control and configuration management that you'll want to invest the additional time, effort, and relatively minor upfront costs to implement it. Version control and configuration management provides the following benefits.

Improves Communication Among Extranet Partners/Content Developers

By automating the communication process, a version control system enables the Webmaster to establish a single, consistent channel for communicating and processing change requests, ensuring that none fall through the cracks. Employing a consistent communication mechanism also ensures that threats to quality and schedules are discovered, communication bottlenecks are eliminated, and development and test time is saved. Most programs can be configured to automatically notify users that their requests have been received, and the team can be confident that all requests are reliably stored and easily accessible.

Protects Shared Web Source Files under Rapid Development

A version control system helps you store and track changes to Web source files. A good system can accommodate Web sites containing a few pages to sites with thousands of pages and any combination of file formats. It should be flexible enough to enable you to customize the program to accommodate any Web directory structure.

Version control systems use a check-in/check-out process to protect shared files from being accidentally overwritten in a team environment. To edit a project file, a developer checks it out of the archive and puts a lock into effect. While the file is locked, no other developer can modify the file until the first developer checks it back in. Most systems also enable you to allow multiple developers the ability to edit copies of the same file in parallel. Later, the version control system automatically merges the changes into a single version.

Enhances Development Workflow

Another benefit of implementing version control is that it encourages the establishment of good workflow practices. A good version control system automates development workflow by enabling the Webmaster to quickly prioritize and assign Web content requests, run reports to determine the status of any request, determine whether project files are still checked out, or view a summary of the modifications made to project files.

Report summaries should be available that show the classification of job priorities, workload assignments, and job progress updates. In addition, managerial reports that illustrate trends, number of requests, project closure rates, requests by originator categories, and department and resource allocation should be available.

Saves Time

With an integrated system, enhancements, new features, and content can be added much more quickly and at less expense. The resulting information, products, and services provided by the extranet team can reach users, prospects, and customers faster. This translates into the potential for increased revenues.

Reduces the Number of Defects Introduced into the System

Many of the most common defects that are introduced during the development process can be eliminated with automated version control and configuration management. Defects caused by accidental overwrites, lack of communication, and manual merging of changes can be prevented by a good version control system.

Reduces the Costs and Time to Find Defects That Are Introduced

Most version control systems feature a severity rating system that enables team members to specify the priority level of their change requests. A list of requests sorted by severity rating can then be generated, so that the most important defects can be addressed immediately, resulting in the rapid resolution of the most severe and revenue-critical defects.

Reduces Maintenance Costs

An important part of an automated version control and configuration management product is its ability to re-create an earlier revision, or build, of the system. The software maintains a cumulative history of the changes made to each source file, including what has been changed, when, and by whom. It then becomes easy to restore an earlier version of a file, reducing maintenance costs. With the rapid application development cycles involved in extranet maintenance, it is often necessary to restore an earlier version of a file as a basis for a new Web page or image.

Improves Productivity of the Development Team

When communication is streamlined and everyone has visibility into all aspects of a project, true team collaboration is possible, and productivity skyrockets.

Reduces the Costs of Content and Application Development by Eliminating

• Unproductive meeting time and redundant e-mails
• Rework and unnecessary changes
• Time spent preparing manual reports

Improves the Quality of Extranet Applications by

• Ensuring that outstanding issues get resolved
• Enabling early and ongoing participation by nontechnical staff
• Encouraging software component reuse

Secondary Benefits of Version Control and Configuration Management

• Better corporate image
• Improved team morale. The extranet team feels that their efforts are being supported.
• Less overtime and weekends required on the part of the development staff.
• Increased respect for the extranet development team from organizations external to the effort.
• A more competitive stance in the marketplace
• Increased customer satisfaction
• Improved communications among all staff at all levels and between levels