Do you have an approach to check whether your developers are following all the coding guidelines you enumerated at the beginning?
You can make several excuses to dodge these fundamentals but what if it jeopardizes the sanctity of your custom software development project?
Traditional solutions are posing communication problems between the internal departments of the organizations which need to be mended. Quality check alone is not the answer and the way out. It is essential that you analyze what has led to the doom in the communication structure by digging deep into the details both explicit and implicit. But despite that, if your custom software development project has failed you, then it is time to do a reality check by restructuring your current ecosystem, rewriting rules for coding, establish structured system for unit testing, ensuring zilch duplicity of code and to develop a refurbished system of checks and balances, to swing your project to success.
Market volatility is a hard-hitting fact with its pluses and minuses. The need for rapid custom software development is the need of the hour. The dynamicity can be overbearing but at the same time can be materialized to its fullest if your internal communication system is robust. The demand for customized solutions is increasing at a fast rate but will the solutions be sufficient and seamless?
Now that’s a question you need to ponder on!
Looking at the demand, software development companies would apparently want their application to be rich and user-friendly. But if there is a gap in your internet strategizing causing conflicts then it is essential that you bridge the gap. The best bridge that can fit this plight is DevOps.
Have you heard about DevOps prior to this?
If you have not, worry not because this article will cover DevOps intricately and will also show the importance of it in custom software development.
What is DevOps?
As you are aware, DevOps is an amalgamation of two very important processes namely Development and Operations. It simply implies streamlining the entire development and operations and ensuring they flow smoothly symbiotically to ensure the custom software development process is on track and doesn’t go haywire.
In the past, there were two silos, one being the developers (or the creators of the system), while the other being the operations silo, who dealt with the system or product after its creation. In modern times, the unified system of DevOps deals with the system as a whole from generation, consolidation, source control, unit testing, releasing to deployment and infrastructure management, helping businesses create and improve software products more efficiently.
Earlier in the entire system of custom software development, there were two silos; one being the developers who were creators of the system and the other being the operations silo who undertook the responsibility of the system after its creation. Now, the more modernized version talks about a holistic system right from the creation, the integration, controlling the source, testing the system and deployment. It also implies now that infrastructure is managed more efficiently because everything is transparent, communications are lucid for the custom development project to see sunnier days.
Enterprises are yet to accept DevOps wholeheartedly but they are slowly inching towards practices related to DevOps. According to Statista, a boost of 7% was registered in DevOps adoption in the one year period between 2017 and 2018. A projection made by IDC also stated that the DevOps software market is slotted to grow from $2.9 billion to $6.6 billion from 2017 to 2022.
Source: Statista
The Greens and the indigos show marginal but noticeable improvements in the adoptions, something that can’t be neglected.
DevOps and Custom Software development go hand in hand
It is time to come out of the thought process of everything generic and common. Custom software development is about addressing your specific needs which are relevant only to you. DevOps creates custom software that has ears for everyone’s demand. It also conforms to all demands and looks to streamline the various project development phase by automating the entire process and enhancing the quality of the software delivered with demanded customizations.
In the entire software development lifecycle, there are several facets of it that have to be considered like time to be given, manpower to be allocated, expenses to be incurred, resources that would help the project to evolve over time. If your aim is to optimize these pointers mentioned above, then the entire SDLC has to be automated. Automation is like the magic wand that prevents wrecking of the project and eliminating manual labor that is open to several errors and bugs.
Automation has aided projects in reducing their errors because it has a reliable system of error detection.
Now, we are not saying this for the sake of it, because there are organizations who do this and are able to run their system smoother than ever. For instance, Instagram which as all of us know is a popular social media platform and a popular custom software application has umpteen features and functionalities which they add continually. If it wasn’t for the automated testing system, would they be able to endure it? The answer is a big No!
DevOps becomes a great solution because it improvises the coding practices of the programmers and also dissects the testing system. It also consolidates the communication between the coders, engineers, testers, project leads, and clients. The rich feature of immediate validation and clarification of errors is the need and fuel for a custom software development project. It also helps in saving expenses and optimization of time that is needed for testing. As your glitches are fixed you can be assured that your software quality is undeterred and sets benchmarks.
With DevOps, one can also be assured of heightened responsiveness to stakeholder feedback and swift completion of it. Your ability to respond faster to the client’s needs and feedback will have a positive ripple effect on the custom software development project. The fine unification of the quality assurance team with the entire process right from the beginning also will be a grand boost to the product quality.
Figures to strengthen your case
Veritis has come with some interesting data insights establishing the supremacy of DevOps in Custom software development.
50% of the organizations have already implemented the coveted strategy and the numbers are increasing.
Organizations have experienced 22% lesser time denoted unplanned work and errors
A brisk increase of 20% CAGR is expected from 2018 to 2023
Faster lead times are close to 440 times compared to older strategies.
Continuous Code delivery in DevOps
This is a crucial process in DevOps. Delivering small increments in the custom software development project upscales the quality of final delivery. It also implies that the software will be delivered on time thanks to DevOps. It also helps in reducing the hidden costs associated with the primary delivery of the project when not done in bits and pieces. It will be wise to see why continuous delivery is essential.
- Bad commits can be avoided.
- Liberal deployment of code whenever the need arises.
- Speeding up the entire workflow with the ability to make swift changes time and again.
- Queries can be handled in a better manner and new features can be created even in the middle of the project.
For a successful error-free custom software development project a right DevOps strategy is the key. Teams can work together in tandem where they can learn from their peers and also clients who are involved holistically right from the nascent stage of the project.
Purpose and Role of DevOps in Custom Software Development
There is a wide difference between the traditional ways of writing code and the coding system now. Earlier writing codes for software was a complicated process. It was rigid in a way that if any deviation happened, it had to be rewritten entirely. But now the software has to upscaled regularly because changes are inevitable. Engineers face this challenge every day in their coding life and DevOps plays a large role in adapting this.
DevOps benefits the custom software development company more than we can imagine. It saves a lot of time without sacrificing the quality of the product. When your targets and goals are fixed there is no stopping your custom software development project to turn out better than expected. DevOps is extremely popular in the case of a custom software development project because it helps companies to function smoothly and enables them to work in a collaborative manner. It is something you can count on because it is a reliable form of support. It also enables resources to coordinate effectively with their critical operations. It also takes and factors the dynamic changes in custom software development. It is with DevOps that you will experience control and stability in the ongoing process of the work.
You can easily witness substantial gains after you have applied DevOps in the custom software development process. This is essentially the reason why DevOps is gaining momentum like never before.
Implementation of DevOps
DevOps uses technology stacks and various tools to manage the different applications under its application. The tools help in completing various tasks such as the deployment of code and infrastructure administration.
There are 6 building blocks on which the implementation is dependent and we have tried to give you a bird’s eye of the same.
- Faster delivery: As DevOps functions on continuous delivery requiring it to provide smaller versions of the project, it allows for rapid delivery and also innovation.
- Scale: DevOps runs on properly operating and management of the infrastructure and development processes. As a code practice, it helps in the seamless handling of the entire Software development life cycle process.
- Speed: When the entire process flow speeds us, it will eventually lead to higher customer delight and will brighten the chances to stay up in the game.
- Dependable: With continuous best practices and integration going hand in hand, DevOps goes a long way in ensuring a good quality output that is also safe and ends up in overall positive experience.
- Security: With its unique configuration management tricks and techniques, tougher automated protocols security can be achieved. DevOps has two key practices as it uses infrastructure as code and policy ensuring better security.
- Better collaboration: The invention of the concept was done to ensure that operations and development work together in a collaborative environment deducting the chances of complexities and errors arising out of the custom software development project.
Where can you start?
You might be wondering what a DevOps laden strategy works best for those who have a lot of software offerings. But for Non-IT work streams also, it helps in improvising on your current software and will help you achieve your goals in a smoother manner. It is a brilliant process of bridging gaps and helps build stability especially when there are regular software updates.
For more on DevOps and how it can be a part of your IT infrastructure, contact us. We will ensure that the transitions involved in modernizations are smooth and do not disrupt your core business activities.
