IT eagerly adopted lean methodologies from manufacturing because they help to reduce waste resulting in a bunch of benefits, including lower expenditures, shorter delivery time, streamlined processes, and ultimately increased quality of the final product.
The main difference between physical and digital product manufacturing is that the former depends on repetition, but the latter–on change. This factor is crucial throughout the software development cycle and predetermines principles adopted for delivering value to the customer effectively. In this context, it is hard to manage changes, so DevOps methodologies come into play.
The term 'DevOps' stems from the combination of 'Development' and 'Operations,' offering a new way to create and administer digital products through tighter cooperation between developers and system administrators.
Core DevOps principles include extensive use of automation, tighter release schedules, constant improvement of communication, clear rules and standardization, and testing. Here we will look at the main types of software waste and how DevOps approaches will help decrease them and make the process more efficient.
Uncompleted work
This might include poorly documented or not correctly tested code or even code not added to the repository. Such wastage leads to delays, financial losses, and a detrimental impact on quality.
DevOps effectively reduces the above waste by bringing skills and structure to the team, increasing autonomy so that they always consistently finalize what they've started.
Development of unnecessary features
The primary purpose of any digital product is to fulfill particular customer needs, and any excessive functionalities are not good because they entail more time for development, making the product more complex. Additionally, those extra features will require support throughout the application's lifetime, which will require additional costs and resources.
DevOps introduces an approach whereby value is delivered through constant iterations. New features and updates are released and added based on consumers' responses providing scalability and setting functionalities in line with current demand.
Reevaluation of already made decisions
Software development often requires numerous reviews and approvals, creating a 'loop' of grinding reevaluation, and returning to the same decisions.
DevOps requires that working processes are visualized at all stages, making them conclusive and clear for all stakeholders. Therefore, all online and face-to-face communications become increasingly focused and productive.
Transfer of work to other parties
During the project transfer to another team or contractor, gaps in context, important information, or some vital understanding of concepts might emerge. This may result in delays and poor quality of the released product.
DevOps introduces small teams with diversified skill sets and promotes constant communication and cooperation between involved parties, eliminating the siloed approach.
Delays
Delays are the most prominent waste during software development because they always trigger other issues and lead to a stoppage in other areas.
Although it is hard to make different teams work fully autonomously due to the interdependent nature of cooperation, DevOps introduces mapping of the connections between them along with measures to streamline various processes, which could be a game-changer.
Tasks shift
Software development and delivery might also be negatively impacted by recurring switching in jobs and focus when people move from one assignment to another.
DevOps employs automation, reusable templates, and many other tools to avoid delays and make unscheduled work less problematic for team members.
Quality issues
It is necessary to resolve bugs as soon as they emerge, not allowing them to move down the pipe, as it will lead to further disruptions, expenses, and delays in linked processes.
DevOps prohibits passing on defects regardless of nature, addressing them immediately, saving time and resources upfront.
DevOps employs automation, reusable templates, and many other tools to avoid delays and make unscheduled work less problematic for team members.
The bottom line
The above waste types are interconnected, so managing them requires a deep understanding of the whole system and concentrating on root causes rather than ramifications. Netframe has proven expertise in DevOps and will help your business save time and keep up with changes during software development.
