There is no single way to cultivate a DevOps approach into your workplace but there are some DevOps core principles that you’ll need to put in place for a successful cultural change. These include being customer-focused, developing systems thinking, introducing automation and improving communication. 

 

 

Customer Focus

The ultimate goal of a DevOps approach is to create a work environment that is agile, innovative and able to respond quickly to changing customer needs. To do this, you will need to regularly review data, processes and the marketplace. You’ll need to anticipate customers’ needs and wants faster than your competitors. That means you’ll need to cultivate an organizational culture that is built on the main focus of meeting the needs of your customers. In an effort to do this effectively, your organization should regularly review performance targets to identify any processes that could be improved or automated. 

 

 

Ownership and End-to-End Responsibility

The united team mentality that is behind the DevOps approach helps break down the barriers that have traditionally existed between your development and operational teams. For example, developers were usually focused only on creating code and were not concerned with anything more with regard to the application. End-to-end responsibility means that those walls no longer exist but rather everyone on the DevOps team is accountable for the product at every stage. This DevOps core principle will enhance the quality of your product because each one on your team feels some ownership of it. 

 

 

Systems Thinking

Another DevOps core principle requires people to change their way of thinking about development and operations. Rather than see the process in silos, DevOps helps people see the bigger picture. This, in turn, will improve the productivity of your teams. For example, if there is a need for a product fix, your DevOps will have a better understanding of where to go to get the fix done. Cutting down response time to the problem improves the efficiency of your product. Through systems thinking, your teams will work together better and faster. 

 

 

Continuous Improvement

Ongoing improvement of your processes and production is one of the top DevOps core principles. With your teams united, focused on a single goal, there is more opportunity to continuously improve. This helps teams stay agile and flexible in the face of change, whether that be new technologies or different consumer wants. 

 

A key component in this principle is to welcome failure. That is, your DevOps teams should be okay with failure and treat it as a learning opportunity. This takes the fear out of failing and creates a culture of learning, which leads to a positive impact on your organizational culture. 

 

 

Automation

Automation plays a big part in the DevOps approach. It allows processes to be streamlined, which reduces the time teams need to respond to customers and to fix any application issues. By automating as much as possible, as often as possible you’ll be able to quickly release new software to your customers. The reality is that machines are much faster at developing software. So it is important for your DevOps teams to identify processes that can be automated and to do so as soon as possible. 

 

 

Collaboration and Communication

Collaboration and improved communication are valuable DevOps core principles. Teams that are able to work collaboratively can build more robust products. They’ll cut back on response time, which improves customer service. 

 

Building collaboration among your DevOps team requires a dedication to fostering communication, sharing ideas and developing solutions together. Collaboration brings your development teams and operational teams together so they can focus on providing the best customer service. 

 

As you cultivate a DevOps approach among your teams, understanding between each section will result in better communication among employees. Through this improved communication, your teams can further work on their collaboration process. The goal should be continual improvement in both collaborative efforts and communication among everyone involved. 

 

 

Autonomous Teams

Allowing your teams the ability to self-organize toward a common, defined goal is key to creating a DevOps culture within your organization. Autonomous teams are more likely to take responsibility for the product, collaborate with others and be focused on the results. While this is a shift from the traditional way of doing things, allowing your teams to be autonomous gives each member the opportunity to grow and achieve personal satisfaction. This, in turn, will lead to positive results for your organization and the company culture. 

 

 

Focus on Results

DevOps organizations always begin a project with the end product in mind. The entire DevOps approach points in this direction. United teams that understand the whole production process, are able to communicate and collaborate effectively and are given autonomy will be equipped to create products that solve real-world problems for your customers. 

 

 

Bringing it all together

Organizations that want to improve their products, reduce response time, and build a company culture that fosters growth and productivity have been looking to the DevOps model. The essential idea behind the DevOps approach is to bring your development and operational teams together and teach them how to work effectively while developing an application for your customers. The results are faster product development times, improved innovation, collaboration and communication and a secure and reliable application. 

 

While there is no one-size-fits-all method of cultivating a DevOps approach at your organization, encouraging all eight DevOps core principles is an important part of the process. 

 

To learn more about the DevOps core principles or to introduce DevOps into your processes, contact Technossus today.