1. A method comprising: receiving, by a software development system, data representative of a plurality of update requests for a deployed software application; assigning, by the software development system, a unique update request identifier to each update request included in the plurality of update requests; displaying, by the software development system, a portal configured to facilitate management of a plurality of software development operations associated with the plurality of update requests for the deployed software application, the plurality of software development operations comprising one or more environment selection operations, one or more branch operations, one or more build operations, and one or more software release operations, wherein the software development operations are performed by the software development system; receiving, by the software development system via the portal, a plurality of requests to perform the plurality of software development operations associated with the update requests; establishing, by the software development system, a plurality of links between the requested software development operations and the update request identifiers; and using, by the software development system, the established links to track the update requests throughout a software development lifecycle of a plurality of software updates created in response to the update requests by creating, based on the established links, one or more audit trails associated with the update requests and that identify one or more activities associated with the update requests during the software development lifecycle of the plurality of software updates.