Why is back promoting only tested and approved user stories a best practice?

Back promoting only tested and approved user stories is considered a best practice primarily to ensure quality and minimize disruptions within the development process. By focusing only on user stories that have passed thorough testing and approval, teams can be confident that the features being promoted to production or higher environments meet the required standards of functionality and reliability. This practice helps to avoid introducing bugs or unverified changes that could disrupt existing workflows or negatively impact user experience.

Furthermore, promoting only those tested changes helps maintain a stable environment for users and allows teams to manage and mitigate risks effectively. When each promotion is backed by rigorous testing, it reduces the likelihood of issues arising after deployment, thus fostering trust and confidence among the team and end-users alike. This best practice leads to a smoother release process, which can enhance the overall efficiency and productivity of the development cycle.