With Kanban, tasks are not assigned to a predefined or planned release schedule. Releases are made at the team's discretion, as more and more tasks are being completed. The idea here is to continuously release new features and improvements as and when it makes sense for the team. For example, some teams may choose to release based on a regular basis, such as every Friday. Other teams may choose to release based on they have completed something useful.
To release a version from your Kanban board, perform the following steps:
- Click on the Release… link at the top right-hand corner of your board.
- Enter the version number from the Release dialog.
- Select the release date.
- Enter a short description for the version.
- Click on the Release button to release the version, as depicted in the following screenshot:
Once you have released a version, all the issues in the last column will have the version number added to their fix versions field, and be taken off the Kanban board.
One thing to note about versions when working in Kanban is that you should not create the version you want to release ahead of time.
It is important to note that with Kanban, the "release plan" is to be continuously optimized. There is no point in releasing something simply because of a rule that states a release needs to be made on a Friday, when there are not many completed tasks. The team needs to look at their current lead time, and then make the decision whether or not it makes sense to make a release.