build automation

How often have you or one of your teammates checked the source code into the code library which then instantly triggered an automated build?  How many times did this instant build succeed? Do you have an automated build and release system that ensures your software is built in the same way each and every time? Are deployments to staging environments entirely automated and executed with a single click? While reviewing a defect in a production release, are you able to backtrack through the source code changes and identify the root cause of failure? If the last good checkin happened a few days ago, identification of this root cause of failure would become even more difficult. Seasoned CM practitioners advise that you perform a daily build to avoid such integration issues. What an irony it is that only a few projects take advantage of this simple, yet powerful technique known as Continuous Integration (CI).