Agile as a goal

IT managers should avoid these five typical stumbling blocks during DevOps transformation:

1. question the necessity

Not every classically organized IT landscape suffers from too high a cost burden, a lack of flexibility, insufficient application stability, productivity weaknesses or low customer satisfaction.

But optimizing them is one of the primary motives for using agile methods. In this respect, the question should first be answered as to which performance parameters could be improved by DevOps.

Otherwise, a lot of effort is invested in a change without any countable benefit because the IT organization unthinkingly follows a general trend.

2. do not understand DevOps as a tool

DevOps is often presented as a kind of agile framework. In fact, however, it is not a methodological concept in the true sense of the word, but a new philosophy with modified planning mechanisms, more flexible processes and flatter hierarchies to improve the processes between the areas of software development and operation.

Certain principles such as trust-based cooperation, the lean concept, uniform evaluation criteria, continuous delivery, automation of processes and information sharing play a key role in ensuring more efficient collaboration between the two areas.

They are the basis for faster software releases, shorter-term elimination of critical bugs, and more efficient management of unplanned tasks.

3. approach changeover in a controlled manner

The focus on DevOps can therefore lead to considerable confrontations with the mentality of the classic organization. It is therefore recommended to shape the change successively and to track success closely on the basis of defined key figures.

This can be done, for example, by measuring the frequency of new deployments or by determining the time between the identification of errors and their elimination. Measurement of application performance or the number of failed deployments can also be part of the evaluation criteria.

Alternatively, it can be helpful to use non-business-critical sample applications to introduce the DevOps approach.

4. identify pulse generators

Supervisors at all levels of management and the employees themselves must understand what is behind the DevOps philosophy. However, since the introduction is accompanied by a significant cultural change in collaboration, it can hardly be assumed that this change will take place successfully simply by announcing new procedures.

Therefore, it is important to have initiators in the company who provide the necessary background knowledge and a common understanding, but who also provide assistance with regard to the operational procedures.

Agile and autonomous teams are the operational core of DevOps processes, which at the same time means a replacement of the previously centrally controlled and accountable processes.

In this respect, a different understanding of leadership is required if departmental boundaries and hierarchies are to be eliminated as far as possible, i.e. if developers, specialist departments and management are to work together at eye level.

A new error culture is also an essential part of the changes. In addition, the DevOps transformation requires visionary thinking and inspiring action on the part of the executives.