DevOps for Future IT
The perennial reliance on technology to achieve digital dominance and internal efficiency has escalated the rate of inflow of business requirements, averaging more than 2-3 requirements daily, for which the current delivery capacity of one solution per working day. Development teams have made a fair attempt to attain agility in solution delivery, by adopting Agile/Scrum methodology leveraging on a different solution management tool available in their working environment. Despite the efforts, developers can boast of delivering business requirements slow execution rate with a team of lean delivery squads of Business Analysts, Developers, Integration, Testers et al. Some teams struggle to deliver less than 50% of the required efficiencies to meet the business timescales.
Business alignment to Functional requirements demands increased business user participation and customer journey assessments, emphasizing the importance of considering User experience from the start. Requirements Traceability should be simplified to provide an overview of the current Scope and Change Management process, thereby reducing delivery timelines. There is the need to have Project Onboarding and Management harmonized into a single solution as having to use multiple platforms; manage projects with one solution and manage the delivery cycle on the other. Such double entries will be eliminated in multiple platforms, improving efficiencies and economies of scale. Project Prioritization, Workforce Management Project Priority and urgency have been a challenge as developers need to have a matrix to benchmark priority and urgency and provide detailed reports of delayed or deferred projects due to project reprioritization. Developers struggle with effective measurement of individual and team contribution to tasks/projects and how to translate to key performance indices to achieve team/individual performance evaluation.
The advent of DevOps which will provide an important principle for modern software development and operations, is fast becoming a part of our collective framework and guide for IT Operations, but rather, it represents a fundamental transformation by which IT Teams approach the development, delivery, and software maintenance. By definition, DevOps practices and principles provide a seamless consolidated connection of the stakeholders from software development (Dev) and IT operations (Ops) through teamwork and automation. The adoption of DevOps aims to improve the continuous delivery of software products and patch fixes by adopting an efficient and effective development life cycle approach.
Prior to the introduction of DevOps, development teams tend to work in silos and have controlled interaction with IT Operations, hence little collaboration, and fewer opportunities to share knowledge. This is eradicated with a new all-inclusive principle as stakeholders work towards a common objective and have a shared vision as well as responsibility for delivering values to the end-users/customers. Another critical principle is Automation of repetitive tasks, test activities, infrastructure, and process building. With automation, there are reduced errors and faster realisation of the software developed. Development teams can roll out software products and patches frequently hence shortening the time to market and heightened user experience.
Furthermore, the advocacy for continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) within the DevOps approach cannot be left out. With Continuous integration, there is routine practice for merging code changes into a shared code base repository, automatically triggering automated builds and tests. The persistent approach guarantees that the codebase is updated and tested. Issues and failures can be detected earlier, hence quicker resolution and feedback. Conversely, continuous delivery focuses on always having a deployable version of the software, enabling quick and reliable deployment. DevOps does not stop at Software delivery; it also promotes the use of infrastructure as code (IaC). This involves provisioning and maintaining computing infrastructure through machine-readable definition files. This practice offers guaranteed consistent, repeatable, and reliable infrastructure deployments, which can be easily scaled and managed while reducing the risk of configuration inconsistencies.
There is a transformational shift in mindset for the various teams from silos to a mindset of shared responsibility and continuous improvement. This then permeates to improve the culture of the organisation hence stakeholders are seen to take ownership of the entire software delivery process, from development and testing to deployment and maintenance. By stimulating a cultural change, the DevOps model commissions teams to work together with a view of achieving a common goal, driving innovation, and enhancing the overall efficiency of software development and delivery. The impact of DevOps has been far-reaching, with organisations (small, medium, and large) across different industries recognizing its potential to accelerate software delivery, improve reliability, and drive innovation. By erasing the barriers between development and operations, IT leaders can see the impact of DevOps, thereby staying competitive in today’s dynamic digital landscape.
In conclusion, DevOps brings about a paradigm shift to organisational culture and technical approach in software development and operations. It introduces a comprehensive approach that emphasizes collaboration, automation, and integration; hence becoming the foundation for organisations to transform their software delivery processes, drive continuous improvement, and adapt to the ever-changing demands of the digital era. As this approach continues to evolve, DevOps will remain a crucial element of modern software development, enabling organisations to tackle the challenges of an increasingly complex and competitive market landscape.
Nosagieragbon Ezomo writes from Edinburgh, Scotland
