So, what is DevOps? Simply put, it’s the combination of two terms, development and operations). Less simply put, it’s an enterprise software development phrase used to describe a type of agile relationship between IT Development and Operations teams, traditionally two separate business units.
The goal of DevOps is to change the culture and improve interdepartmental relationships in large enterprises by advocating for better communication and collaboration between them. In the past, Operations would wait for the Development team to finish the creation and testing of an app within its silo before releasing it to Operations for implementation. This waterfall strategy would typically cause several delays in deployment because the Operations team would invariably raise issues with Development when the code, once received, would not operate as expected.
In a DevOps model, Operations is made a co-owner of the Development cycle and provides valuable input early in the design process so developers can build a product that is more in tune with Operation’s expectations for performance and requirements for implementation. DevOps allows organizations to create and improve products at a faster pace than they can with traditional software development approaches. And, it’s rapidly gaining popularity.
Here are the top 10 reasons why organizations are adopting a DevOps approach:
- Shorter development cycles for faster time-to-market. There is less time spent fixing software because collaboration and continuous testing helps get it right before release, enabling faster innovation for improved ROI. This is the biggest benefit of a DevOps model.
- Minimal disruption. More agile development enables early detection and faster correction of problems when or even before they occur, limiting the disruption of service to customers.
- Collaborative work teams. All members have responsibility for quality, timelines, budget and app performance – everyone shares in the credit for happier, more engaged teams. Culture becomes more about overall project success than individual goals.
- Eliminate the blame game. Putting everyone on the same team improves transparency for group decision making and communication, and rids the workplace of a “war room” atmosphere.
- Improved processes across IT and teams. Input from both sides of the DevOps perspective yields more streamlined workflows that are less prone to error and programming defects, addressing overall IT priorities.
- Increased automation. Many DevOps tasks, like testing code for bug discovery, can be automated, reducing hours of manual labor and increasing efficiencies. Developers can work on tasks that cannot be automated.
- Get time to focus. Smoother deployments with fewer failures and roll-backs give software engineers more time to focus on improving the quality and performance of the next release.
- Cross-skilling and self-improvement. Push IT staff out of their comfort zones to build skills in complementary areas, get exposed to new ideas, and create new relationships. This in turn increases team flexibility and agility to handle more diverse tasks.
- Environment consolidation. Eliminate the unnecessary task of transferring data between environments. Use the same environment for development, testing and deployment, saving time and expense.
- Respect from senior management. Accomplish business goals with a lower headcount while driving down costs and reducing overhead.
We are dedicated to helping businesses of all sizes operate more productively and securely. This article is intended to give you information to help you better prepare for the digital transformation facing most organizations today.
