Approaches
Continuous Improvement
Making regular, evidence-led changes to a live system after launch, based on how people use it, where they get stuck and which errors recur.
Part of Maintenance & Modernization
Continuous improvement means making regular, evidence-led changes to a system after it goes live, instead of treating launch as the end of the project.
What changes after launch
Before launch, design decisions rest on assumptions about how the system will be used. After launch, much of that can be observed: which paths people take, where they give up, which errors recur and what is slow under real load. That information only exists once the system is in use, and a team that disbands at launch loses it.
What it looks like in practice
Usage and error data are reviewed on a regular schedule, and the backlog reflects what users do as well as what they ask for. Changes are small and frequent, because small changes are easier to attribute and safer to roll back. Some improvements are removals, since a feature nobody uses still costs maintenance.
What it needs
It needs instrumentation that answers specific questions, and a deployment pipeline quick enough that small changes are worth making. It also needs a budget that continues after launch, or the work usually stops when the next project starts.
How we use it
We plan continuous improvement into Maintenance & Support engagements, with a regular review of usage data and a backlog agreed with the client.