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A Scrum project often goes through a number of phases. Five phases, composed of nineteen processes, are suggested in A Guide to the Scrum Body of Knowledge (SBOK). The Release phase is the final stage of a Scrum project.

This phase includes two processes that emphasize delivering the Accepted Deliverables to the customer and identifying, documenting and internalizing the lessons learned during the project. It is important to note that the processes are not necessarily performed sequentially or separately. At times, it may be more appropriate to combine some processes, depending on the specific requirements of each project.

Ship Deliverables

In this process, all deliverables from the accepted User Stories of previously completed Sprints are delivered or transitioned to the relevant business stakeholders. A formal Working Deliverables Agreement documents the successful completion of the release. As new product increments are created, they are continually integrated into prior increments, so there is a potentially shippable product available at all times throughout the project. Ship Deliverables should include Working Deliverables Agreement, Working Deliverables, and Product Releases.

Retrospect Release

In this process which completes a release, business stakeholders and Scrum Core Team members assemble to reflect on the release and identify, document, and internalize the lessons learned. Often these lessons lead to the documentation of agreed actionable improvements to be implemented in future project releases. The primary responsibility of the Scrum Guidance Body is to ensure that the lessons learned in each project are not lost and are embedded in the organization. Additionally, the Scrum Guidance Body may provide expertise in various areas including Quality, HR and Scrum. When the initial Program Product Backlog or Prioritized Product Backlog are developed they are based on User Stories and required functionalities. Often, non-functional requirements may not be fully defined in the early stages of the project and can surface during the Sprint Review, Retrospect Sprint or Retrospect Release Meetings. These items should be added to the Program Product Backlog (for the program) and Prioritized Product Backlog (for the project) as they are discovered.

Executing the two processes of the Release phase ends a project in successful fashion—one that satisfies all parties involved. Remember that the processes do not need to be performed sequentially or separately. They can be adjusted to complement the specific requirements of each project. In the Release phase, assuming all of the prior phases of the project were followed, the Scrum Team can enjoy a job well done while keeping in mind lessons learned for future projects.