Why is it important to define a pipeline in Copado?

Defining a pipeline in Copado is crucial because it ensures a structured release process. A well-defined pipeline outlines the specific steps, stages, and approvals that a project must go through from development to deployment. This structure helps teams manage their workflows more effectively, enabling better coordination and communication among team members. It minimizes the risk of errors by enforcing standardized procedures and checkpoints, thus allowing teams to follow best practices throughout the deployment process.

Additionally, a structured release process facilitates ease in tracking progress and identifying bottlenecks, ensuring that every part of the code is tested and reviewed properly before it goes live. It also helps in compliance with organizational policies and regulatory requirements, making the release process more predictable and reliable. While options like decreasing deployment times, generating documentation, and tracking user story completion rates are valuable benefits, they are secondary outcomes of having a well-defined pipeline rather than the primary importance of having one.