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Development ServicesThe demand for custom software solutions and development services has started to outpace the ability of companies to deliver internally. As a result, DevOps has significantly grown in popularity as it optimizes application development and delivery. This is a result of operations specialists and software developers collaborating on the app development and delivery from start to finish.
So what practices are gaining the most traction today?
1. Break down Silos
It’s important to break down various functional IT silos to eliminate the traditional assembly line approach. In the past, companies set up an environment where different IT disciplines functioned independent of each other. This in turn limited active collaboration between development and operations teams and that created problems that delayed deployment.
To effectively respond to the demand quickly, IT managers are better off building DevOps teams that are comprised of individuals from various IT disciplines. Each of these DevOps teams will be held accountable for a specific category of the solution.
When IT teams are disconnected, it creates a challenging environment for development teams to stay in synch. Further, the teams can also end up with their own unique perspectives that can hinder development and deployment of the application. Breaking down silos essentially streamlines the DevOps process.
2. Choose Compatible Tools
DevOps tools are developed based on demand and as a result people also tend to choose tools that are more popular. But it’s a bad idea to limit your choices to the popular tools alone as their might be better options that are highly compatible.
A popular trend is to choose all the tools for the project from a single vendor as the tools will already be highly integrated. By taking this route, you can pretty much guarantee that the information received by the app developer regarding the health of the app will be accurate.
3. Performance Reviews & Monitoring
Performance reviews of software development teams and individual contribution has become common place. Although this practice is beneficial to the organization, management should also learn to base their reviews on the team’s ability to meet the app’s development and deployment deadlines and goals.
Further, it is also important to monitor the technology infrastructure platform as data needs to be collected on the user interface (UI). Monitoring of specific functionality also needs to be built into the app while giving development teams better access to a clear framework that provides better instrumentation. In other words, don’t forget the users!
4. Real-Time Project View
Incorporate project management tools that can provide real-time updates on the current stage of application development. These tools can also be used to display the critical resources needed to complete the current task. This in turn will essentially simplify project coordination activities and give you a reliable picture of what’s going on. Without access to the correct information, managing app development will essentially become chaotic.
5. Always Choose Software Automation
DevOps is all about speed, so it’s always good to go with application automation whenever possible to reduce errors, costs, and time. This will definitely save the team members a lot of time and save the company money in the process.
These can include the following:
- App source code development
- Configuration of the system and middleware
- Database and networking changes
- Pre-production tests (regression testing and load testing)
6. Manage Change as a Team
The current standard is to continuously deploy apps and to do that successfully, various groups have to efficiently collaborate during rapid application development (RAD). As a result, it’s crucial that any change is managed effectively. When a change in the app is requested, it should be communicated immediately to everyone involved (regardless of their discipline).
Companies are quickly evolving every day to meet the changing needs of the end users. As a result, there is always pressure to continuously deliver digital solutions that meet or exceed expectations.
The best way to approach this is by following the tips above and stressing the value of team effort, commitment, and clear communication. This in turn will ensure that the customer is always satisfied with the application delivered and whatever updates you make to it.
Has your company embraced a DevOps method? Please share your experiences in the comments box below.
Featured image: zenoss.com
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