Quick fixes to improve efficiency and profits within a business can be hard to find, but DevOps has generated results that are hard to dismiss. As suggested in its title, DevOps can be seen as a firm handshake between development (technology) and operations that indicates a shift in mindset, better collaboration, and tighter integration. Small and frequent changes with a focused value.
What is DevOps?
It all begins with the culture inside an organization – and the people who play a part in it. As technology and operations become more closely intertwined, and as organizations become increasingly reliant on cloud infrastructure, executives and project managers must develop fluency in DevOps to remain competitive and ensure their teams are performing at their full potential.
DevOps is a set of practices that combines software development and IT operations. It transforms the way operations, developers, and testers collaborate during the development and delivery processes. Getting these groups to work cohesively is a critical challenge so it helps to focus on the goals of adopting a DevOps culture.
Goals of Adopting a DevOps Culture
- Increased collaboration, visibility, and alignment
- Shifts in scope and accountability
- Reliable and shorter release cycles
- Ability to manage unplanned work
- Continuous learning and delivery
However, the true meaning of DevOps is all about delivering continuous value. It includes concepts of continuous improvements within an organization and embracing failure. This lays the foundation of an experimental mindset. To better understand the benefits a DevOps culture, it is helpful to understand its framework:
The DNA of DevOps:
- Culture – Before silos can be broken down, an attitude of shared responsibility of an organization’s goals is required. Collaboration within an organization is critical.
- Automation – Similar to the technical practices centered around continuous delivery, teams undertaking a DevOps transformation should be devoted to automating as many manual tasks as possible, especially with respect to continuous integration and test automation.
- Lean – Development teams are maximizing the predictability, efficiency, security and maintainability of operational processes within an organization.
- Measurement – The organization is dedicated to compiling data on their processes, deployments, etc. in order to discern their current capabilities and where improvements could be achieved.
- Sharing – A culture of openness and sharing within and between teams (enabled with the proper tools) keeps everyone working toward the same goals and lessens friction with hand-offs if issues occur.
Lean management and continuous delivery are fundamental to delivering value within an organization. By understanding the value of this business practice and making small, incremental changes, your team can embark on the journey right away. Contact Convverge to assist you in adopting a DevOps culture to drive real change, quickly. For a full list of our consulting services, check out Our Specialties page.
