How does DevOps help businesses?

Software development using the DevOps methodology is becoming more and more popular. This is because of the undoubted advantages of this approach. Learn more about DevOps and the reasons for implementing it.

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Software development using the DevOps methodology is becoming more and more popular. This is because of the undoubted advantages of this approach. Learn more about DevOps and the reasons for implementing it.

What is DevOps?

DevOps comes from agile methodologies. They allow for flexible software development. During development, the product can be adapted to the changing requirements of the client/company management, the market, and end users.

Agile is based on the division of work into iterations (stages last from 2 to 4 weeks). After the completion of each stage, the effect of the actions is assessed by the product manager and presented to the client. He can submit his comments and, if necessary, the iteration is repeated. 

Thanks to the agile approach, the product will not miss the client’s expectations because he observes the whole development progress. In DevOps, this approach is called Continuous Delivery and assumes the shortest possible iterations. This allows you to get feedback from the client often.

In DevOps, developers (dev) and specialists responsible for software exploitation (ops) work closely together. They are one team and constantly communicate with each other. This allows being sure that the product is possible to implement.

DevOps features include Continuous Integration. This practice is to update the repository as often as possible so that all team members have access to the current version of the software. Thanks to this, conflicts between functionalities created by different specialists can be avoided. 

Fewer conflicts are also possible thanks to automatic code quality testing tools. Automation in DevOps is also necessary for the ongoing update of the repository.

Advantages of DevOps for business

  • Speed

​​Thanks to DevOps, software development is much faster because of the team members’ cooperation and short iterations. The product can be released to the market earlier than with traditional methodologies. This is crucial because time can decide about gaining a competitive advantage.

The pace of work on the project is also related to automatic testing and software integration. The team controls the operation of the product throughout development, instead of testing it only after the product is completed. Therefore, there is no need to build a test environment and return to the development stage after detecting bugs and rewriting the finished code.

  • Flexibility

The DevOps work culture based on short iterations allows for dynamic adaptation of the software to the client’s and users’ needs. The application development team receives feedback from them after each iteration. It can make the right changes quickly.

This approach works very well in times of dynamic changes in the market of new technologies. Each month can bring new competition solutions that can make your product no longer innovative. Thanks to DevOps, you can quickly modify it and stay in the game.

  • Cooperation

DevOps requires constant communication between specialists responsible for the development, software operation, and quality assurance. This increases the efficiency of work on the application and allows for achieving the synergy effect associated with combining the work of specialists with different skills. They can learn from each other, increasing their qualifications. The morale of the entire team also improves.

  • Customer satisfaction

In DevOps, after each iteration, the client receives access to a software prototype. He does not have to wait impatiently for the whole product to be created but can take part in the process. He provides feedback, knowing that he affects the shape of the future application.

Sometimes the client initially cannot specify his vision of the product or define it incorrectly. If he had a chance to see the already finished application, it could turn out that it is not in line with his expectations. When he receives prototypes for evaluation at an early stage of work, he can determine whether the work is going in the direction that suits him.

DevOps also allows confronting prototypes with the expectations of end users. Constant testing makes it easier to adapt to their needs.

  • Higher product quality

Thanks to application testing procedures at every stage of development, the risk of bugs in the finished product are reduced. When testing only after development is complete, there is a greater risk of missing issues.

Thanks to DevOps, functionalities are less likely to conflict with each other. It’s easier to add new functionality without causing critical problems in production. This is because, during subsequent iterations, smaller changes are made and tested right away.

In DevOps, higher code quality and efficiency are also achieved. It is cleaned and maintained throughout development. This improves the performance of the application and reduces the risk of bugs and the need for frequent patches.

The quality of the code also makes it easier to introduce new members to the team. When the code is readable and understandable, the recruited programmers will get to know it faster and start working.

Final words

Currently, (2022) DevOps is probably the most influential trend in software development. DevOps specialists are in high demand on the labor market - according to Statista, 38% of IT recruiters are looking for them. 28% of IT specialists would like to learn how to work in this methodology, and 21% of software development teams have adopted it.

This proves the effectiveness of DevOps, which improves team collaboration, innovation, and product quality. It helps in meeting the needs of customers and end users. Therefore, it is worth considering implementing this approach in your company or hiring a contractor who works based on DevOps.

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How does DevOps help businesses?
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January 18, 2023