Even with DevOps rapidly becoming an industry standard as a software development methodology, some IT pros still think of it as something new. In a technology world known for its rapid pace of change, this appears to be a surprising development. Of course, many industry veterans still call Agile new even after nearly two decades of use.
What follows is an analysis of a recent survey of tech professionals on DevOps and its usage at their organizations. Perhaps, the survey findings offer a measure of insight into DevOps’ true place in the software engineering world?
As with any revolutionary change in methodology, some businesses struggle with successfully adopting DevOps. This fact is noted in DevOps Pulse 2017, a recently released survey by Logz.io, a data analytics company, which polled over 700 technology organizations. Madison Moore reported on the study’s findings in SD Times.
Half of the companies in the study only recently began adopting DevOps. This group includes either those firms currently in implementation or with a successful adoption within the past year. Still, data that shows 50 percent of the surveyed companies in the preliminary stages with DevOps bodes well for the methodology’s continued growth.
Some of the reasons companies struggle with DevOps include a few common complaints. Inflexible company policies, poor communication and transparency, as well as little incentive for change among tech managers rank near the top of the list.
“These three actions — among others — are often tied to the fact that it is very hard to escape the typical silos that develop within companies and teams. Everyone and every team has a different way of working and a different set of priorities to address, and goals to meet,” noted a comment from the survey.
In addition to the three challenges highlighted earlier, many survey respondents also reported difficulty in finding IT professionals experienced in DevOps. The extra time and resources required to change procedures and structure to adopt DevOps remain hard to find while still meeting the current responsibilities of the organization. Most company executives likely won’t allow a few months of no software being written and deployed for a revolutionary methodology change.
In fact, the survey respondents already suffer from stress, with nearly half reporting either moderate or extreme levels of pressure. 70 percent also worry about becoming burned out. In this environment, it is no surprise DevOps seems like the latest “new kid on the block” conspiring to siphon their productivity.
Along with the survey findings related to the struggle to implement this new methodology, DevOps Pulse 2017 also noted some of the cost savings achieved by combining DevOps adoption with Cloud-based service offerings. Many respondents use cost management programs like Cloud Native, Cloud Health, and other Amazon Web Services tools.
In short, while adopting DevOps is difficult, its benefits definitely make it worth the effort. Ultimately, companies need to ensure their staff receive proper training. A gradual rollout of the new methodology using a pilot project ensures minimal disruption to the business.
Keep coming back to the Betica Blog for additional insights from the software development world. Thanks for reading!
Posted on December 8, 2017 | Categories Software Development | Tags Agile, DevOps, Software Development