Keeping Docs Updated With Releases

Why this matters

Releases change how dashboards, metrics, and data models behave. If docs lag behind, people use the wrong filters, trust the wrong numbers, and make poor decisions. Keeping docs aligned with releases avoids confusion and support tickets, and builds trust in BI.

• Real task: A dimension is renamed in the data model. You must update metric definitions, SQL examples, and dashboard labels on release day.
• Real task: A new dashboard version adds a filter. You must document its behavior and add migration notes for scheduled reports.
• Real task: A metric formula changes. You must adjust business logic, caveats, and historical comparability guidance.

Who this is for

• BI Analysts and Analytics Engineers responsible for dashboards, metrics, and data catalogs.
• Product/Data PMs who coordinate release notes and stakeholder communications.
• Anyone maintaining internal analytics wikis or doc-as-code repos.

Prerequisites

• Basic understanding of your BI stack (dashboards, data models, metrics layer).
• Ability to read release notes and map technical changes to user-facing impact.
• Access to your team’s documentation space and conventions (templates, versioning tags).

Concept explained simply

Each release is a small change to how people get answers. Docs are the user interface for those answers. When something ships, three things must align: the product, the data, and the docs. If one lags, users see contradictions.

Mental model

Think of docs as “release companions.” For every release artifact (ticket, PR, or note), there should be a matching doc change or an explicit “no doc impact” record. One change in code or configuration → one decision in docs (update, deprecate, or note).

Core workflow you can reuse

1. Intake: Parse release notes and tag each item with doc impact type: none, minor (typo/label), major (logic/UX), deprecation.
2. Plan: Create/update a doc task per impacted asset (dashboard, metric, dataset). Assign owner and due date anchored to release day.
3. Prepare: Draft updates in a branch or wiki draft. Add version banner and rollback note template.
4. Verify: On release day, smoke-test the BI asset and reconcile with your draft.
5. Publish: Merge/publish docs with version and effective date. Log the change in a doc change log.
6. Announce: Send a brief, action-oriented summary to stakeholders with links to the updated pages.
7. Follow-up: Monitor questions and add FAQs for the first week.

Worked examples (3)

Example 1: Column rename in a dataset

Release note: “orders.status renamed to orders.order_status; values unchanged.”

• Impact mapping: dataset docs (field list), dashboard filters referencing orders.status, SQL examples.
• Doc updates:
  • Add deprecation note on orders.status: “Deprecated in v2024.12; use orders.order_status.”
  • Update field table: new name, same enum values, same null rules.
  • Update sample queries and screenshots.
• Announcement: “Renamed column to align naming. No metric impact.”

Example 2: New dashboard filter

Release note: “Added Region filter with default = Global. Affects all top-level tiles.”

• Impact mapping: dashboard usage guide, FAQ (“Why did my numbers drop?”).
• Doc updates:
  • Describe default behavior and how it changes totals.
  • Add screenshot marking the new filter and default.
  • Add warning: Scheduled reports inherit saved filter value.
• Announcement: “New Region filter—check defaults in your saved views.”

Example 3: Metric formula change

Release note: “Active Users now excludes staff logins.”

• Impact mapping: metric definition page, comparability section, downstream dashboards.
• Doc updates:
  • Definition: “Active Users (v2): distinct non-staff users with activity in last 30 days.”
  • Comparability: “Values post-2024-12 are 1–3% lower; do not compare across cutoff without adjustment.”
  • Add migration SQL snippet to reproduce v1 if needed.
• Announcement: “Active Users refined; expect small reductions vs prior months.”

Templates you can copy

Date: YYYY-MM-DD
Release: vYYYY.MM
Asset: [Dashboard/Metric/Dataset]
Change type: [Minor/Major/Deprecation]
Summary: One-sentence impact
Details: What changed and why
Effective from: version/date
Owner: name
Links: [internal doc IDs or page titles]

This page documents: [Current Version]
Previous version: [vX note]
If you still need the old behavior, see: [Old behavior note]

Subject: [Release] What changed in [Asset] today
What: [1–2 bullets]
Who is affected: [roles/teams]
Action: [what to review/change]
When: Effective [date/time]
More info: See updated page titles in the docs
Contact: [owner]

Exercises (hands-on)

These match the exercises below. Do them here first, then submit your answers in the exercise blocks. Tip: Aim for clarity over length.

Exercise 1 (ex1): Plan doc updates for a dashboard release

Scenario: Release v2024.12 adds a Region filter (default Global) to the Executive KPI dashboard and renames “orders.status” to “orders.order_status.” No logic changes.

• Task A: List all docs impacted and the exact edits you would make.
• Task B: Write one Doc Change Log entry using the template.
• Task C: Draft a 3-sentence stakeholder announcement.

Exercise 2 (ex2): Revise a metric definition

Scenario: Release v2025.01 changes “Active Users” to exclude staff. Old docs say: “Active Users: distinct users with activity in last 30 days.”

• Task A: Write the new definition and a comparability note.
• Task B: Provide a short migration SQL or logic hint to mimic old behavior.
• Task C: Draft a stakeholder update (≤100 words) with an action item.

Quick checklists

Pre-release (T-3 to T-1)

• Review release notes and tag doc impact for each item.
• Create doc tasks with owners and due dates.
• Prepare drafts with version banners and notes.

Release day

• Smoke-test assets (filters, totals, labels).
• Publish/merge docs and record change log entries.
• Send stakeholder announcement.

Post-release (T+1 to T+7)

• Answer questions and add FAQs.
• Archive deprecated sections as scheduled.
• Retrospective: what slowed doc updates?

Common mistakes and self-check

• Mistake: Updating screenshots but not definitions. Self-check: Does the written logic match the product behavior?
• Mistake: Silent deprecations. Self-check: Every removal has a banner and a timeline?
• Mistake: No version cutover date. Self-check: Can a new joiner tell from when the change applies?
• Mistake: Announcements without action. Self-check: Does your note clearly say what to do?
• Mistake: Drafts not verified on release day. Self-check: Did you smoke-test and reconcile before publishing?

Practical projects

• Build a “Release-to-Docs” playbook with your team’s exact steps and owners.
• Create an impact matrix template (change type → doc actions → announcement rules).
• Set up a doc change log page and backfill the last 3 releases.
• Define a version banner convention and apply it to 5 core pages.

Learning path

• Start: Learn your team’s release cadence and where notes live.
• Practice: Run the workflow on a small feature (label rename).
• Level up: Handle a major metric change with comparability guidance.
• Scale: Introduce a doc change log and version banners across key pages.

Next steps

• Complete the exercises and compare with the provided solutions.
• Take the Quick Test below to confirm understanding.
• Pick one Practical Project and ship it this week.

Quick Test and progress note

This test is available to everyone; only logged-in users will have their progress saved.

Mini challenge

Find one recently shipped change in your org. Create a doc change log entry, add or update a version banner on the relevant page, and send a 3-sentence announcement to stakeholders. Timebox to 30 minutes.