Start DevOps Transformation

We have started to hear a lot about DevOps, because of the kind of applications that needs to be developed, when a company/organisation/firm changes its strategy from being a "product centric" company (customer agnostic) to a customer centric company. The systems being developed empowers customers/users/business/end users and allows them to get more things done, by themselves.

In today’s world, every major company/organisation/firm is related to software development and needs to behave as one. There is more pressure than ever to move faster and be more agile without sacrificing security or reliability. This pressure often manifests itself by project being cancelled or put on hold. This is the situation where DevOps seeks to address:

1. how to get development, operations and other groups within the organisation to collaborate around a set of shared goals, to deliver software faster and more reliably to customers and end users?
2. Key technical practices that underpin a DevOps initiative include getting dev and ops teams to standardise on a common set of agile processes and tools for software delivery. 

The changing face of the applications are called "systems of engagement". To make "systems of engagement" happen successfully where all the stakeholders are happy, content and satisfied at the end of the delivery of applications, DevOps has been framed.

DevOps is not a product, or even a particular technology. DevOps is technology agnostic. DevOps is a methodology that unites separate functions of software development (Dev) and production and operations (Ops) into a single, integrated, and continuous process. DevOps also gets qualified representatives from the users community (users/customers/business) to be part of testing the application and give feedback, identify how to make things better, especially from customer/user experience (UX).

DevOps is all about breaking down the barriers between Dev and Ops. It leverages people (from business/user community, as well), processes, and technology to stimulate collaboration and innovation across the entire software development and release process. Dev and Ops must act and feel like they are a single team. But DevOps is never finished. The DevOps ends with a feedback cycle and the continuous improvement is the mantra for success.

Recognising that you have a problem is the first step to making meaningful change. It is about 80% of the problems/issues/challenges being solved. By seeing the value that DevOps can bring to your organisation, it might now strike you that you have been mired by dysfunctional processes without realising it.

How do you get out of dysfunction and get on the right track to DevOps?

Here are the 5 steps/corrective actions you end up taking as far as getting DevOps on to the right track: Here they are:

? Form application teams that integrate every discipline--from Dev, Testing, and Ops (include users) --together

? Improve education, communications, and cross-skilling

? Re-evaluate and rebuild your service delivery cycle

? Evaluate new technology to support DevOps

? Pick the right app or the right line of business to start with DevOps

Start small with the cultural shift, too — don’t expect to sell DevOps to everyone at once. In fact, by winning over smaller groups with specific projects, you’ll create ambassadors who can help promote DevOps elsewhere in the organisation, creating a multiplier effect. Be mindful of potential obstacles/challenges being posed by many, avoiding to move out of the comfort zone.

DevOps is a culture, not a role! The whole company needs to be doing DevOps for it to work.