Is your company overdue for DevOps? Pivoting to DevOps is far different from converting to a rigid system for development because it's technically a philosophy. A combination of development (Dev) and operations(Ops), DevOps marries boundlessness with organized accountability to enable teams to do more using less time and effort. It is an approach to developing technology that encompasses company ideals, tech workflows, accountability, real-time quality testing, and constant improvements. The principles of DevOps include: 

● Collaboration at all levels

● Built-in quality control

● Automation

● Clear accountability

● Continuous improvement

DevOps can reduce bugs, improve output quality, shorten development cycles, and make client-customer responsiveness more dynamic. However, some companies are reluctant to embrace DevOps because they think it's only for "big tech" companies. The reality is that companies of all sizes are expanding what they're capable of doing using DevOps. Take a look at the five signs that it's time to finally embrace DevOps.

1. Tons of time is being wasted on manual testing.

Is your talent being preoccupied with manual testing instead of innovating? This is one of the most common problems for companies that haven't embraced DevOps. The emphasis on automating what can be automated is a core quality of DevOps that allows companies to ramp up efficiency to achieve more. DevOps creates a system where it's possible to be productive instead of just being busy.

2. Launches are painfully slow, and it's eons between releases.

Slow, choppy launches and "frequent" releases that come at a glacial pace are signsthat you're suffering from a poor workflow and a lack of DevOps.

DevOps uses principles of continuous integration and deployment to ensure that upgrades are rolled out as soon as they become necessary. In fact, setting things up to support frequent releases that go live upon approval is one of the hallmarks ofDevOps.

Another benefit is that DevOps can slice development cycles by uniting all teams under operational requirements. So suddenly, releases become fast without being rushed.

3. There's constant confusion between teams.

DevOps uses connection and communication between different teams to create a cohesive system that allows everyone to do what they do best. In fact, the unification that occurs once DevOps is adopted is so profound that it will positively impact every department. The reality is that it's common for teams to operate in silos. They only come together when it's time to try to fit pieces together at the end stage of development. Unfortunately, this often results in the need to reconfigure individual "finished products" to make them work with other pieces. DevOps brings internal and external teams into a single track to create a smooth, collaborative workflow. 

4. There's plenty of blame to go around over deployment failures.

DevOps reduces failures by utilizing automation for quality testing without human error. It also allows for faster error correction without the need for rollbacks. That's because DevOps uses a module-based scheme that allows for isolated fixes and updates. 

5. The focus is on structures instead of people.

The most exciting thing about DevOps is that it uses technology to take the focus off of technology. First, there's the benefit of freeing up teams to focus on innovation instead of constantly troubleshooting bugs. This is where companies really start to see a snowball effect with innovation and successful development, because their talent has the time to focus on improvement instead of maintenance. DevOps also allows companies to improve engagement with customers and end users using data-driven insights for experience enhancements.

Don’t Wait to Implement DevOps

The pace of innovation is growing exponentially, while the need to do more with less staff and resources has never been greater. This makes DevOps an increasingly vital tool, as it enables hi-tech businesses to develop new solutions faster, more flexibly and with greater efficiency.

While it’s true that the above examples describe a perfect scenario for DevOps and start-up needs and triggers are frequently imperfect, the methodology has a proven track record of being implemented alongside other best practices to free up time, increase development speed, reduce confusion among teams and more.

Similarly to RevOps, a DevOps expert is likely not your first tech hire. However, as your internal team size grows, and your customers’ demands intensify, your business infrastructure will become more complex. This might be the perfect time to implement DevOps best practices, as it has now become the most popular software development methodology globally.

Is your company interested in seeing what it means to be powered byDevOps? Contact Commit to learn how we can help!