Tips for Continuous Improvement in DevOps Practices

If you’re not doing these things in your team then don’t complain about having troubles or having to run experiments. Or even Scrum being difficult to master. In 25 years of doing Agile I have found several things that are easy to implement but which few teams do. I also hear complaints that processes must emerge because we’re in a complex system and that Scrum is difficult to master. All this does is justify not taking appropriate action. I list 10 things hear that can be immediately regardless of where you are and which will make a big impact. 1. Use Minimum Valuable Increments—essentially, the smallest value that can be released that provides value. These must also be fully kitted. See https://lnkd.in/gUEMaZAE if you don’t know what MVIs or full-kitting is. BTW – a sprint increment is not an MVI. Although it can be converted into it, that has to be declared and understood. 2. All team members know how to focus on finishing. See https://lnkd.in/gXtycA7G 3. You use a definition of ready so you don’t start something too early. 4. You have explained to management why interruptions don’t just delay what you’re working on but literally create more work to do. See https://lnkd.in/gigh6T9x 5. When something goes wrong you look at the system people are in before looking to blame people. Learn more about systems thinking here https://lnkd.in/g_x-NGrn 6. Your teams have explicit workflows within the team and agreements across the teams. 7. When you have people with scarce skills so teams can’t be fully cross-functional, you know how to efficiently share them across the teams that need them. 8. You do a minimal amount of test-first, even if it’s only asking, “How will I know I’ve done that?” when asked to do something. 9. You do a minimal amount of DevOps even if it’s only letting Ops know what’s coming their way. 10. You select which practices to use based on which ones follow first principles better in your context. See attachment. You can get a significant improvement if you do all of these. When picking a coach / consultant / or trainer, use this list as a checklist to make sure you’ll be taught this.

I've tried and implemented countless devops methodologies throughout my career. Yet, one principle has stood the test of time: the importance of action over exhaustive planning. I come across multiple DevOps managers and senior executives who love to come up with the perfect strategy. However, when it is time to roll up the sleeves and dive into the work, their initial rush often dissipates. So, whenever I start working with a client on optimizing their DevOps, here are the first steps I take to ensure success. Emphasize Action: Taking action and learning through doing is prioritized over endless planning. Iterative Improvement: Focus on continuous, incremental enhancements to the processes and products. Valuing Feedback: Direct and immediate feedback to enable swift and efficient adaptation. Empowering Teams: Take initiative and experiment to foster agility and responsiveness. #technology #blockchain #software #development #coding

There are multiple ways to approach improving developer velocity - and one of the newest highlighted by DevOps.com is progressing CI/CD with Continuous Merge, a new concept invented by LinearB that decreases the window between a pull request, review, and merge and can be implemented with tools like gitStream. As Ori Keren highlights in the article, CM is extending CI/CD and allowing engineering teams to improve their workflows, moving code through their software development pipelines faster and more efficiently 👇 “CI/CD has done wonders to improve the quality and efficiency of the software development toolchain, but it mainly focuses on things that happen after code has been written and reviewed,” said Ori Keren, CEO and co-founder of LinearB. “Continuous merge is a mindset that extends CI/CD practices further upstream to improve the quality and efficiency of the code review process. We’ve reached a point where code review times frequently cause the most significant delays in the software delivery process; continuous merge is how we fix that.” Learn more about modern approaches to increasing developer velocity and CM in the full article, which I'll link in the comments 🔗

Title: "Enhancing Software Development Efficiency: An Insight into Sprint DevOps Methodology" The Sprint DevOps Methodology is an innovative approach that combines the agility of the Sprint framework with the efficiency of DevOps practices. It's designed to enhance collaboration, streamline workflows, and accelerate product development in a sustainable manner. Here's an overview of the methodology: Introduction to Sprint DevOps Methodology: Sprint DevOps merges the iterative nature of Agile sprints with the continuous integration and delivery aspects of DevOps. This synergy aims to improve software development and deployment processes, ensuring faster release times without compromising on quality. Key Components: 1. Agile Sprints: Short, time-boxed periods usually one to four weeks depending on your organization, where a team works to complete a set amount of work. This encourages frequent reassessment and adaptation of plans. 2. DevOps Practices: Focuses on automation, continuous integration (CI), continuous delivery (CD), and strong collaboration between development and operations teams. 3. Collaborative Culture: Emphasizes communication and collaboration within and across teams, breaking down silos between developers and IT operations. Implementation Strategies: 1. Integration of Teams: Cross-functional teams are formed, combining developers, IT operations, QA, and other relevant stakeholders. 2. Automation: Automate as many processes as possible, such as testing, builds, and deployments, to increase efficiency and reduce errors. 3. Continuous Feedback Loop: Implement mechanisms for constant feedback from users and stakeholders to continually refine and improve the product. 4. Iterative Development: Develop in small, manageable increments with regular reviews and adaptations. 5. Monitoring and Metrics: Continuously monitor the performance of applications and infrastructure to proactively address issues. Benefits: 1. Faster Time to Market: By reducing development and deployment times, products can reach the market faster. 2. Improved Product Quality: Continuous testing and feedback ensure high-quality outcomes. 3. Enhanced Collaboration: Breaking down barriers between teams fosters a more collaborative and efficient work environment. 4. Flexibility and Scalability: Can easily adapt to changing requirements and scale as needed. Challenges and Solutions: 1. Cultural Shift: Adopting a new methodology requires a change in mindset. Solution: Gradual implementation and training can ease this transition. 2. Tool Integration: Integrating various tools for CI/CD can be complex. Solution: Select tools that are compatible and offer seamless integration. The Sprint DevOps Methodology is a forward-thinking approach that aligns with the dynamic needs of modern software development. By adopting this methodology, organizations can achieve greater efficiency, faster delivery times, and higher-quality products.