Prepare for an Altus Release (Pre/Post Checklist)

Altus follows a structured release model that delivers regular updates, enhancements, and fixes.

To ensure a smooth experience, organisations should adopt a proactive release management approach, including:

  • Monitoring upcoming changes
  • Preparing before updates
  • Validating after deployment
  • Communicating impacts to users

This checklist provides a practical guide to support pre- and post-release readiness.


Important: Understand the Release Model

Altus releases are delivered through a structured release train approach, ensuring controlled and predictable updates.

👉 Refer to:
https://docs.altus.pro/products/AltusPPM/ReleaseChecklist.html?q=release

This model ensures:

  • Regular cadence of updates
  • Controlled feature rollout
  • Alignment with platform and solution-layer architecture


Step 1: Monitor Upcoming Changes (Ongoing)

Before any release:

  • Review What’s New in Altus (Settings → Knowledge)
  • Check the Product Roadmap for upcoming features
  • Review the latest Release Notes

👉 References:

✅ This ensures you are aware of:

  • New features
  • Behaviour changes
  • Potential impact areas


Step 2: Assess Impact

Identify how the release may affect your organisation:

  • Configuration settings (e.g. new options or defaults)
  • Customisations (forms, fields, logic, reports)
  • Security roles or access behaviour
  • Reporting (Power BI Insights)

⚠️ Changes to customised environments may require additional validation due to solution layering.

👉 Refer to:
https://docs.altus.pro/products/AltusPPM/AsBuilt/Releases/Solution-Layers.html?q=release%20manag


Step 3: Plan and Prepare

Before the release:

  • Identify impacted stakeholders (e.g. PMO, Admins, Finance, Resource Managers)
  • Prepare:
    • Training updates
    • Communication materials
    • Internal release notes

If applicable:

  • Use test/dev environments to validate changes
  • Coordinate release timing if updates are manually managed


Step 4: Manage Deployment (If Applicable)

If your organisation uses controlled deployments:

  • Check update behaviour in Altus Hub (hub.altus.pro)
  • Confirm whether updates are:
    • Automatic, or
    • Manually controlled

👉 Refer to:
https://docs.altus.pro/products/LegacyProducts/SenseiHub/intro.html?q=hub

✅ Ensure:

  • Updates are applied in line with your governance model
  • Responsibility for deployment is clearly defined


Step 5: Validate After Release

After the update:

  • Review the environment version in What’s New
  • Test key functionality:
    • Projects and work records
    • Configuration settings
    • Security access
    • Timesheets and workflows
  • Validate:
    • Existing customisations
    • Integration points
    • Power BI Insights reports


Step 6: Communicate Changes

After validation:

  • Share updates with users:
    • New features
    • Changes to behaviour
    • Known limitations
  • Highlight benefits:
    • Efficiency improvements
    • New capabilities

✅ This supports user adoption and reduces confusion


Step 7: Update Operational Processes

Where required:

  • Update:
    • Training materials
    • Knowledge base articles
    • Internal documentation
  • Align processes with new functionality


Step 8: Capture Feedback

Post-release:

  • Gather user feedback
  • Identify improvement opportunities
  • Submit feedback via the Product Roadmap (Productboard)

👉 This provides a direct input into future product development


How This Impacts Altus

Effective release preparation ensures:

  • Minimal disruption to users
  • Smooth transition to new features
  • Continued alignment with governance models
  • Improved adoption of new capabilities


Best Practice Checklist

✅ Before Release

  • Review roadmap and release notes
  • Assess impact
  • Plan communication and testing
  • Confirm deployment model

✅ After Release

  • Validate key functionality
  • Confirm access and integrations
  • Communicate updates
  • Capture feedback


Key Considerations

  • Releases may introduce new functionality or behaviour changes
  • Customisations may require additional validation
  • Governance and communication are critical for success
  • Release monitoring should be part of ongoing operations


Tips

  • Align Altus releases with your internal change management process
  • Use test environments wherever possible
  • Engage stakeholders early
  • Leverage your implementation partner or client care team for guidance


This now completes your full release management story:

  • Monitor releases ✅
  • Understand roadmap ✅
  • Prepare + validate ✅
  • Govern updates ✅


Altus Help Centre