Project Management: 10 Open Source Implementation Tips

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• Create a policy/governance program.
  Organizations need to know who's using open source and for what, as well as how the software is performing.
• Create an open source review board.
  This group evaluates requests within the company to use open source products.
• Thoroughly test applications.
  A key approach is to test in isolated parts as widgets, themes and other new code is introduced. If you can find automated testing tools, put them to use.
• Maintain separate environments for testing and production.
  A development environment also makes sense for companies with heavy custom development resources
• Select widely supported platforms.
  Those open source platforms with the greatest support are likely to be the most mature and reliable.
• Keep abreast of release changes.
  Most open source software is frequently updated. You need to stay up on changes to see what new features and capabilities have been added.
• Upgrade only when needed.
  There's no need to upgrade with every release. Focus on key requirements and upgrade when key requirements like security updates pop up.
• Be active in communities.
  Open source succeeds because people are constantly improving the software. Having users take an active approach is important for success.
• Work with open source project leaders when changing code.
  Any revisions in open source code should be submitted to the community for review, so that they might be included in the mainline code base.
• Share success stories.
  Sharing successful strategies helps strengthen the community. Successful adoption of open source is based on best practices and experiences from others.