What is your favourite DevOps consulting outcome?

A Journey to DevOps Success

I’ve been asked to share my favourite DevOps consulting outcome, and this question immediately led me straight down memory lane to a unique project that went from chaos to one engineering system with an exceptional client.  🎯

So, today, I’ll share the story of my favourite experience of one of my most rewarding DevOps outcomes with a long-term client. 

The question that triggered this trip down memory lane is, “What’s your favourite DevOps consulting outcome?

Well, let me explain how we navigated complex challenges and fostered a transformation journey - a tale you might find familiar if you’ve ever tried to manage a multi-billion-dollar software project! 

I guess you could call this experience a journey of simplification and unity, and I hope it’s an experience that you find value in.  😉

1.  Setting the Stage

Our story starts with a software project that began with a complex start and completely fragmented teams.  This particular client was knee-deep in crafting a piece of software that was a multi-billion-dollar product.

With a profit margin running into billions, the leadership’s knee-jerk solution to most problems was, “Why not just hire more people?”

But as we all know, this isn’t always the most efficient solution.

The project landscape was vast and fragmented.  Imagine 80 to 90 teams scattered across 13 locations in 9 different countries!

To make matters worse, each team operated independently with their own source control system.  You could find everything, from Git to Subversion to even a homegrown Source Control System - a true testament to their problem-solving creativity.

2.  The Build Puzzle - An Intricate Dance of DevOps

This particular puzzle of builds turned out to be an intricate dance of DevOps, where creating one working version of their product was like conducting an orchestra with 10,000 builds every day.

A fleet of heavy-duty servers and a dedicated team were constantly at work to ensure smooth operations. The process was intricate, to say the least, and was crying out for simplification.  🔧

3.  Introduction of Agile and DevOps

My journey with this client started at this high point of complexity.  My initial advice to this hardworking team was simple: restructure their processes.  I proposed a simplified, streamlined process.  I nudged them towards making their process easier, faster, and slicker.

To pinpoint the areas in need of improvement and to find a way to make it faster, easier, and less convoluted, as well as provide clarity, I curated a ‘State of Agile and DevOps’ report.

This report spotlighted their ‘opportunities for improvement,’ with their complex build problem taking the top spot.  🔄

4.  Road to Transformation

My role was to guide, consult, coach, and help the people involved to cut through the complexity.  However, I was there to consult, and they were the ones who had to get their hands dirty.

They were in the driver’s seat, understanding their code, the intricacies of their work culture, and the hurdles they needed to jump to bring about a change and set them straight on the path to transformation.

And boy, did they rise to the occasion!  🚀

5.  A Unified Front - Triumph Over Fragmentation

Over the course of a marathon of four years, a period they jokingly referred to as a ‘company record’, we successfully moved everyone onto Azure DevOps.  They now use Team Foundation Version Control, a single source control system.

This was undoubtedly a significant milestone.

This unification allowed everyone to work within the same structure, creating a harmonious symphony of codes instead of cacophony.  🎯

6.  Building Towards ‘One Engineering System’

This transformation was only the first step towards migrating them onto GIT and optimising their processes further.  The first hurdle they needed to cross.

The next mission?

To adopt the ‘One Engineering System’ concept, first coined by Microsoft.  The idea was to create a system that allowed everyone to use the same basic procedures, even while the specific details of each product varied.

We needed to ensure everyone was on the same platform.

7.  Azure DevOps is a Key Player

Azure DevOps became the unsung hero in our journey and this is precisely why I love Azure DevOps so much.  This tool perfectly embodies and captures the essence of the ‘One ES’ philosophy.

It makes collaboration seamless, minimises confusion, and increases efficiency levels.

Again, this is why I love Azure DevOps and why it’s my go-to tool.  ⚒️

8.  Key Takeaways and Next Steps

This project was an educating adventure that underscored the significance of simplification and system unification in DevOps.

The best part?

Well, lessons were learned and the direction of future steps were set in place.

This experience of DevOps transformation in action is one that I’m proud to recount and it taught me valuable lessons about the territories of simplification and system unification.

And the beauty of this journey is that all organisations, regardless of size or industry, can embrace this approach, experience its transformative power, and reap the benefits.  🎓

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