In this article
Stage 8: Delivery
Overview
Delivery takes approved pull requests through merge, build verification, and work item updates. This stage closes the loop between implementation and tracking systems, ensuring that completed work is accurately reflected across all project management surfaces.
IMPORTANT
Delivery is the only stage with zero agents. All operations at this stage are driven by prompts and auto-activated instructions. This reflects the procedural, checklist-oriented nature of delivery workflows.
When You Enter This Stage
You enter Delivery after Stage 7: Review with an approved pull request.
NOTE
Prerequisites: PR approved, CI checks passing, no merge conflicts.
Available Tools
Prompts and Skills
| Tool | Type | How to Invoke | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| git-merge | Prompt | /git-merge | Merge approved PRs into the target branch |
| ado-get-build-info | Prompt | /ado-get-build-info | Check build status for the current branch |
| backlog-execute | Skill | /backlog-execute | Apply reviewed work item and backlog updates |
Auto-Activated Instructions
| Instruction | Activates On | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| git-merge | Merge operations | Enforces merge, rebase, and conflict rules |
| backlog-guardrails | Files under a backlog tracking root | Requires backlog-management before any tracker mutation |
| community-interaction | Backlog agent and GitHub reference | Enforces community communication standards |
Backlog conventions and the Azure DevOps pull request protocol are no longer auto-activated instructions. They live in the backlog-management skill and load on demand when a workflow activates it.
Role-Specific Guidance
Engineers merge their approved PRs and verify builds. TPMs update work item status and close sprint tasks. SREs validate deployment pipelines and monitor post-merge build health. Data Scientists package notebooks, dashboards, and documentation for stakeholders.
Starter Prompts
/git-merge Merge the approved PR into main
/ado-get-build-info Check build status for the current branch
/backlog-execute run
Stage Outputs and Next Stage
Delivery produces merged code on the target branch, updated work items, and verified build results. Transition to Stage 6: Implementation for the next sprint, or to Stage 9: Operations when the final sprint is complete.
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