DevOps: What, Why, & How?

Organisations around the world are adopting a DevOps model to streamline their software delivery lifecycle and deliver better software quicker. DevOps software delivery has been shown to be quicker, more efficient, and higher quality, while at the same time boosting staff morale and motivation.

It’s no surprise that it’s estimated the global DevOps market will grow to $12.85 billion by 2025. DevOps may be getting more popular, but Gartner has predicted that 75% of DevOps initiatives in 2022 will fail due to reasons other than technological limitations. In this blog, we’ll discuss what DevOps means, what benefits you’ll see from implementing it, and how to do it properly so that you don’t end up on the wrong side of that Gartner statistic.

What is DevOps? 

In the past, a team of software developers write the code before passing it on to the operations team to put into production. Not only does this slow down delivery, but it can result in silos that don’t communicate with each other effectively. Under a DevOps model (DevOps = Development + Operations), both teams work more collaboratively and have more equal responsibilities.

Specifically, DevOps is a set of tools, processes and practices that combine the typically separate functions of software development and IT operations. The result is a more agile and efficient delivery process that means the end user gets a better product. The State of DevOps Report determined that high-performing DevOps organisations spend 22% less time on unplanned work, but the benefits don’t end there.

Benefits of adopting DevOps

Speed

Because DevOps is a continuous loop, teams will be able to develop, integrate, and roll out updates quicker than ever before. With a unified delivery ecosystem, you’ll have fewer delays and get updates out of the door quicker.

Reliability

Continuous integration and delivery mean that every minor change will be checked to make sure it’s functional and safe. Anything that you deliver will have already been checked and monitored, so customers will have a better experience and you’ll experience fewer issues.

Improved collaboration

DevOps is more than just a model for development and operations; it’s a cultural model too. It emphasises accountability and transparency, and teams will combine their workflows and share a lot of responsibilities. The teams work together much more closely and communicate more than ever before, so the process is much more efficient.

Reduced costs

DevOps results in less friction between teams, fewer delays, and fewer mistakes – delivery is much more streamlined end-to-end which means less money gets wasted. Also, some elements of DevOps are automated, which lowers operational costs.

Better employee engagement

The increased collaboration and communication mean that teams work together better. It’s for that reason that teams that switch to DevOps report having higher engagement. Anything businesses can do to break down barriers will be helpful in this regard, and DevOps is perfect for it.


How to get DevOps right

As we heard from Gartner at the start of this blog, a lot of DevOps implementations are destined to fail. The problem is that many businesses treat DevOps like it’s just a framework. Remember, this is a complete shake-up of your cultural philosophy as well as a new set of practices that need to be adopted. The success of DevOps depends on both of those aspects.

Cultural philosophy

At its core, DevOps aims to break down barriers between development and operations teams and bring them together. They’ll need to communicate frequently, which many teams may not be equipped for currently. If you’re going to implement DevOps, you need to facilitate seamless communication between these teams and build the bridges that will be needed for continued collaboration.

Also key is that teams must take full ownership for their services. Traditionally, the development team might pass on the code to the operations team in the hopes that they’ll iron out the kinks. Under DevOps, all employees have greater accountability for their work and must be thinking about the end user’s needs. This needs to be clear, otherwise trust and quality will suffer.

Practices

Continuous integration – Developers upload their changes to a central repository and automated tests are run to check stability. Continuous integration helps developers discover bugs before the changes go live and allows them to address them. This in turn improves software quality and reduces the time it takes to release software updates.

Continuous delivery – Similar to continuous integration, continuous delivery means that all changes to code are automatically deployed into a preproduction or staging environment after the build stage. This means that developers can then decide to promote the changes into production at any time.

Continuous monitoring – Data is always being captured, categorised, and analysed to understand how changes and updates are impacting the user experience. This gives great insight into the causes of problems and feedback can be seen in real time, allowing for quick reactions.


The benefits of implementing a DevOps model into your organisation is clear, especially if you’re going to compete against other organisations that are using it. DevOps results in software of a higher quality, with more frequent updates, greater insight into how people use your product or service, and a better experience for the end user. It’s the best option to stay relevant in our fast-moving world.

If you would like to learn more about how Vantage Consulting can help you find the best people to help you on your DevOps journey, get in touch.

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Al Vickers

24th December

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