Martin Larizzate – Friday Deployments Aren’t the Issue—Your Quality Processes Are
With over 15 years of experience in software development, I’ve seen countless debates about the so-called «best practices» in our industry. One of the most persistent is the idea that avoiding deployments on Fridays is a good strategy. On the surface, it might seem like a reasonable approach to prevent last-minute issues from ruining your weekend. But the truth is, this mindset often masks a deeper problem: the lack of fundamental quality processes.
In this article, I’ll explain why skipping Friday deployments is not a best practice but a symptom of broken quality processes. More importantly, I’ll show you how investing in robust testing, automation, and monitoring can eliminate the need for such defensive strategies altogether.
The Myth of Risky Friday Deployments
The argument against Friday deployments is simple: if something goes wrong late in the day, there’s limited time to fix it before the weekend. However, this assumes that deployments are inherently risky, an idea rooted in fear rather than logic.
The risk of a deployment has nothing to do with the calendar. It has everything to do with the quality of your development and release processes. Without strong unit tests, functional tests, or automated pipelines, any deployment—whether on a Monday or a Friday—can result in disaster.
By avoiding Friday deployments, teams aren’t solving the problem. They’re just kicking the can down the road. The bugs and risks remain, waiting for the next deployment. Instead of managing risk, this approach perpetuates it, creating a cycle of hesitation and inefficiency.
The Real Issue: Inadequate Quality Processes
So, why do deployments fail? The answer lies in a lack of fundamental quality measures that should be standard in every development team. Here are the key areas where many teams fall short:
- Unit Testing
Unit tests ensure that individual components of your application behave as expected. Without them, bugs at the component level can propagate unchecked through your system. - Functional and Integration Testing
These tests validate how different parts of your application work together. Teams that skip these tests risk introducing errors that only surface in production. - Automated CI/CD Pipelines
Automation is the backbone of reliable deployments. CI/CD pipelines catch issues early, ensuring that code changes are thoroughly tested before they reach production. - Monitoring and Rollback Mechanisms
Even with the best processes, occasional issues are inevitable. Effective monitoring systems and rollback plans allow teams to identify and resolve problems quickly, minimizing impact.
When these practices are missing, deployments become high-stakes events, fraught with anxiety. Avoiding Friday deployments is not a solution—it’s a crutch for teams that lack confidence in their processes.
The Defensive Strategy Behind Avoiding Fridays
Let’s be honest: the real reason teams avoid Friday deployments isn’t technical—it’s emotional. No one wants to spend their weekend firefighting production issues. But this defensive strategy reflects deeper organizational problems:
- Burnout and Overwork
Teams that fear weekend disruptions often operate in environments where burnout is common. Instead of addressing the root causes of overwork, they adopt strategies to minimize potential crises. - Lack of Investment in Quality
Organizations that don’t prioritize quality measures force their teams into reactive modes of operation. Developers bear the burden of poor processes, leading to a culture of fear and defensive decision-making. - Short-Term Thinking
Avoiding Friday deployments might reduce immediate stress, but it does nothing to address long-term issues. Without a commitment to quality, these problems will resurface again and again.
By focusing on fixing their processes instead of fearing deployments, teams can eliminate the need for such defensive strategies altogether.
Why Investing in Quality Is the Solution
To build confidence in deployments—no matter the day—teams must prioritize quality at every stage of development. Here’s how:
- Adopt a Test-Driven Development (TDD) Approach
TDD ensures that every piece of code is backed by tests, reducing the likelihood of bugs slipping through. - Build Robust CI/CD Pipelines
Automated pipelines ensure consistent testing and deployment, catching issues early and enabling faster feedback loops. - Implement Comprehensive Monitoring
Real-time monitoring tools provide visibility into your application’s performance, making it easier to identify and resolve issues quickly. - Foster a Culture of Continuous Improvement
Encourage your team to learn from each deployment, refining processes and tools to prevent recurring issues.
When these practices are in place, deployments become routine, low-risk events. The day of the week becomes irrelevant.
Conclusion: Friday Deployments Reflect a Broken System
Avoiding deployments on Fridays isn’t a best practice—it’s a defensive reaction to deeper systemic issues. It’s a way for teams to protect their personal time from the consequences of inadequate quality controls.
The real problem lies in the lack of investment in foundational processes like unit testing, functional testing, and automation. Organizations that prioritize these practices empower their teams to deploy confidently any day of the week.
So, the next time someone suggests skipping a Friday deployment, ask yourself: is the problem really the day, or is it your processes? Let’s stop blaming Fridays and start addressing the real issues.
_- Martin Larizzate -_ Java and Mulesoft Certified Developer, Salesforce Ranger and Salesforce Solution Architect
