Are you considering implementing DevOps but not sure how to get started? This article covers some of the considerations and highlights the importance of working with a DevOps consultant to help you have a smooth transition. It is republished here, from our partner Caylent’s blog.
Efficiency is one of the fundamental pillars upon which any successful business is built. We’re all familiar with the old adage that “Time is money,” but many companies don’t appreciate just how deep this simple observation runs.
Amongst businesses who do prioritize the efficiency of their operations, there is an ongoing need to devise better workflows and to identify where other inefficiencies lie.
While efficiency matters to any firm, software development is one of those businesses that puts an even greater emphasis on the concept. Everyone has no doubt heard of DevOps, even if their organization hasn’t yet jumped onboard for the opportunities it provides. But many are still under the impression that it is just another buzzword, rather than a solid and powerful concept capable of transforming your development processes.
In reality, DevOps is something that every software development team should be using. However, implementing DevOps properly will require the assistance of a DevOps consultancy services if you want the transition to proceed smoothly.
What Are the Business Advantages of DevOps?
DevOps is a set of practices that, when taken together, provide businesses with the fastest route possible from concept to reality in software development. Not only does DevOps help to speed up the production of new infrastructure, application, and infrastructure, it also guides developers naturally towards more thorough automation and testing. Therefore, creating a more consistently high-quality product.
But DevOps runs deeper than this. It isn’t just about improving your statistics and churning out better products at a faster rate. Full DevOps implementation will positively impact every area of your organization. It is not uncommon for the introduction of DevOps to transform the productivity, satisfaction, and the overall culture across an entire company if embraced wholeheartedly.
What Is a DevOps Consultant?
Of course, if implementing DevOps was as easy as simply deciding to do it and then informing your workforce, everyone would be adhering to it! In reality, implementing DevOps should be a gradual and controlled process. Those who dive straight in unprepared are the most likely to face issues implementing the DevOps methodology amongst their team. Hiring a specialist consultant or DevOps-as-a-Service is the best way of ensuring a smooth transition.
A DevOps consultant will be able to guide you and your organization through this process, ensuring that you don’t rush it or lose your momentum halfway through. The consultant will bring with them the expertise and knowledge that cannot be replicated, there is no substitute for first-hand experience in helping the transition move along smoother.
It is common practice for a DevOps consultant to stay with an organization until they have fully implemented new practices. This can take some time but, despite popular misconceptions, DevOps consultants do not arbitrarily camp out in businesses. They provide a highly valuable service that cannot be replicated.
Save Money (and Stress)
Sure, anyone can go online and search for DevOps. They will find numerous guides, articles, and words of advice available on the subject (some of them written right here). However, implementing DevOps requires a deeper understanding of the concepts involved, and the logistical challenges implementation throws up. A DevOps consultant or DevOps-as-a-Service team isn’t necessarily cheap, but they will always represent the most cost-effective means of making the transition. In addition, a DevOps consultant or DaaS team can offer a custom-tailored solution to help meet your specific business needs and ambitions.
Using a professional and experienced consultant also greatly reduces the amount of stress involved. Without their guidance, confusion is likely, and either you or your employees will feel the full weight of the ensuing worry.
A Holistic Approach
Your organization can’t benefit from DevOps unless the whole team is on board. It is no use having half of your workforce adhering to DevOps and prioritizing the efficiency of their workflows if they are then going to pass their work on to someone in the pipeline who is still working according to old procedures. When properly implemented, DevOps can slowly reduce the technical debt you incur through inefficient coding practices. But this only works if DevOps is being practiced by all of your developers.
A DevOps consultant will outline a feasible system and timeline in which to introduce new processes to your team. They will also be able to help you implement practices which ensure that everyone is progressing at the same rate. This results in a much more coherent approach to learning for the whole team and/or organization. Plus, it also gives your workers peace of mind that these new practices aren’t going to dramatically impact their performance.
A Realistic Assessment of Your Situation
The first thing that any good DevOps consultant or DaaS team will want to do is an assessment of your business. They will look to find out what your current development policies and practices are, as well as how you approach problem-solving and collaboration. With this information, they will be able to guide your team towards the most important aspects of DevOps and establish exactly what it is that you want to achieve by implementing the methodology
A thorough initial assessment is the key to reaping the full benefits of hiring a DevOps consultant or DaaS team, and it is one of the best reasons to take this approach. This initial assessment won’t just provide useful information about your development practices, it will also give you a good indication of the overall health of your business or organization.
DevOps is much more than just the latest buzzword in the field of software development. The set of best practices provides a powerful concept with the potential to radically overhaul organizations, but it needs to be implemented properly. Without a DevOps consultant to handle your transition, you are risking missing out on many of the benefits that DevOps should ultimately provide.
If you are concerned about achieving a smooth DevOps implementation, take a look at our DevOps-as-a-Service offering.
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