5 Ways Reducing Pull Request Size Boosts Deployment Frequency

Pull requests (PRs) are a pivotal component of the product delivery workflow and development cycle. The size of these PRs can significantly impact the deploment frequency and the overall efficiency of a product delivery team. In this guide, we'll explore five ways that tracking and minimising PR size can improve releases, strategic planning, and the breakdown of ticket or issue sizes.

1. Improved Code Review Process

PRs encapsulate every proposed code change. When these changes are extensive, fully understanding them can be challenging for developers. Reducing the size of a PR minimises the volume of changes that require review at a given time, allowing developers to focus on fewer code modifications and the code coverage (testing) associated with it, thereby boosting the quality of code reviews.

Smaller PRs act as a quality control mechanism, reducing the incidence of bugs and ensuring the code's stability. They are generally more coherent and concise, making it easier for developers to understand the intent behind each change. This clarity encourages more meaningful discussions around the proposed changes, enhancing the effectiveness of the code review process.

2. Accelerated Integration and Deployment

Larger PRs often lead to a prolonged review process, which inherently delays the merging of code and its deployment. Reducing PR size can substantially speed up the review, approval, and merging process, leading to a faster software release cycle. This also means the code and related feature can be tested easier and faster.

Faster releases mean new features, enhancements, and bug fixes can be integrated into the product more quickly. Smaller PRs also decrease the likelihood of deployment errors, enhancing the reliability of releases.

3. Enriched Collaboration and Learning

Reducing PR size can also influence team dynamics. Smaller PRs require more frequent interactions among team members, promoting a collaborative environment and shared understanding of the codebase.

For new team members, smaller, more manageable changes allow them to grasp the codebase more easily, aiding in their quicker integration into the team's workflow. Furthermore, the ongoing, incremental learning that smaller PRs facilitate promotes continual knowledge sharing and collective growth, strengthening the team's overall competency.

4. Efficient Planning and Task Management

Monitoring PR size plays a vital role during the planning phase of the product delivery process. Teams working with smaller PRs tend to break down tickets (or tasks) into smaller, manageable units during planning, enhancing the accuracy of sprint planning. So, if you tend to have large releases, the first place for improvement is usually the tickets during planning and splitting them into bite-size stories as well as refining them more often (at least to start with).

Smaller tickets mean faster turnarounds from pick-up to deployment. This allows for more frequent checking and validation of work, ensuring any deviations are detected and rectified early. Thus, managing PR size aids in task management and strategic planning, improving delivery efficiency.

5. Reduced Merge Conflicts and Enhanced Productivity

Larger PRs, particularly those open for extended periods, are susceptible to more merge conflicts. Reducing PR size means PRs can be reviewed and merged faster, narrowing the window for potential conflicts.

Smaller PRs also contribute to a sense of progress and accomplishment within the team, especially when story pointing or estimations are involved. Additionally, they also imply a smaller scope for any required rework, meaning the team spends less time on revisions and more time on creating new value.

In conclusion, monitoring and reducing PR size can yield benefits for product delivery teams. It's a strategy well worth considering for any team aiming to improve their performance and efficiency.