CIO Event: Scaling DevOps Reflections
Event Summary
To survive in today’s complex “deliver better software, faster” era, organizations all over the world are in some state of transformation. Many call it DevOps, or digital transformation, moving to the cloud, adopting containers, agile IT. Whatever you call it, it’s about accelerating the delivery of a consistent and compelling customer experience through software. To do this successfully, CIOs must do three things: 1) become transformational agents; 2) embrace and champion DevOps culture, and 3) standardize, simplify and automate their software delivery pipeline at scale.
Argyle Executive forum, in partnership with Puppet, is bringing together leading CIOs and senior IT executives across industries to discuss best practices in evolving digital transformation strategy for The 2018 Virtual Event: Scaling DevOps Success to Deliver Better Software, Faster.
The above description is referenced from argyle event website. To access the event replay directly, click here to access the event replay.
CIO Event Refections
I was delighted to join the argyle event discussing how to best scale devops in order to delivery software faster, and with increasing quality. During this forum, we shared rich ideas surrounding many of the assumed underpinnings of a digital transformation, and how these practically translate within the context of effective software delivery.
The dynamic of the group was to share some key thoughts around various facets of the transformation, together with contrasting viewpoints in order to create rich dialogue about the transformation experience and the journey to at-scale devops.
Opening Remarks
Sanjay Mirchandani, CEO, Puppet
During Sanjay´s opening remarks, there were a few key notes that I took away from the conversation. His first point focused on the fact that every company is becoming a software company. This is important in that it belies the point that we are not only driving software in certain sectors, but rather a digital transformation that is consuming the very way we interact, and this affects nearly all businesses.
"Every organization is becoming a software company" - Sanjay Mirchandani
In nearly all sectors, from banking to manufacturing, companies are embracing this digital challenge. In doing so, they are confronted with the shear scale of the demand, and striving the understand the complexity of the road ahead. The magnitude cannot be overstated regarding the relevance of the change in every area of a transforming business, from technology, to operations and to the very culture of the organization itself.
Sanjay shared a finding that nearly half of all CIOs that do not transform (digital transformation) will not exist in 2020. That is a powerful metric, and underpins the importance of a digital and devops transformation, because the manner in which we interact has changed, and in order to maintain parity organizations must drive toward this new digital paradigm or cease to exist.
"Half of the CIOs that do not transform will not exist in 2020" - Sanjay Mirchandani
Sanjay further discussed the important of driving top talent. While there are amazing technologies moving into the marketplace every day, during this devops revolution, it is important to remember that talented engineers and support teams are required in order to turn the potential of those technologies into powerful assets.
"You need the best talent to make magic out of the great technology products." - Sanjay Mirchandani
The final major reflection from this conversation with Sanjay was a discussion around the journey to standardize, simplify and automate. While in many cases, each of these are critical objectives, my reflection on this lies in that it is the synergy of these three that helps us drive organizations and a digital transformation to the next level. Executing these together, we drive a synergy that allows us to achieve what Sanjay referred to as "pervasive automation."
"The objective is to standardize, simplify, and automate." - Sanjay Mirchandani
In this wrap-up, which I believe was a powerful insight, Sanjay shared that constantly driving an improved level (%) of automation will prepare the organization to thrive in the this era of constant modernization.
Reflection. The importance of automation cannot be understated. The power of the tools that continue to appear daily can also not be underestimated. However, the true power of transformation lies not in our tools, but rather in the level of talent within the organization. By having a strong engineering mindset, and a culture of constant improvement, our talented teams can drive incredible levels of change, with powerful impacts, throughout the organization and to their end-customers.
Methods to Drive DevOps Adoption
Richard Isle, Head of Corp Apps & Software Dev, Great River Energy
During this conversation with Richard, he shared the manner in which his organization is thinking about the adoption of DevOps and a DevOps mindset. This has gone relatively well with the software developers in his organization. A key point that Richard raised was the importance of constantly questioning why we are doing the things we are doing, and ensuring an ever present focus on value.
"We must continuously ask what we are doing [related to the developer experience], and why." - Richard Isle
The second item of note that Richard raised was a focus to ensure that we are constantly looking for those items that are "on fire" and automate each of them, one challenge at a time. In doing this, Richard emphasized the point that we must place a high emphasis on how we are working just as much as the work item we must accomplish.
"We must focus on the how are we working, and almost secondarily, though counter-intuitive, what we are doing" - Richard Isle
Reflection. Focusing on the way in which we work, and driving practical value is a cornerstone to any digital transformation. In the early phases, it is important to establish an organization that can serve as the catalyst to drive change into the organization. We must do this through practical, hands on, pilots. Only by doing this, and focusing at the same time on how we deliver, can we continue to mature and improve over time.
Focus Areas of Differentiation in Large Scale Transformation
Maureen Jules-Perez, Vice President, Enterprise Services & Head of IT Strategy and Transformation (Oath), AOL
In this section of the conversation, Maureen shared her thoughts around areas of differentiation, but led with the need to ensure a high bar of talent. This continued the theme begun in Sanjay´s discussion around the importance of talent as the catalyst for driving great technology solutions and delivery ecosystems forward. In order to accomplish this, Maureen´s view was that we must continually raise the talent bar.
"Ensure you continually raise the bar of talent." - Maureen Jules-Perez
The second, but I believe extremely relevant point, raised by Maureen was that we must ensure standards, and at the same time, ensure we give teams the freedom to drive and solve the problems of modernization that face our organizations. Only by doing so are we able to unleash the full scale of talent that we have brought into or up-skilled within the organization.
"Get out of the way and let the team solve it." - Maureen Jules-Perez
The final point Maureen shared that impacted me was an assurance that we also give the teams the support they need to drive change, and effectively deliver. That is, while we may get out of their way on the one hand, it remains equally critical that we also ensure the support they need during this complex journey of transformation.
Reflection. As we invest in high caliber teams, we must at the same time ensure that we also communicate our transformation message to the entire organization. In many cases, this will require a multi-channel marketing campaign to ensure the message is simple, clearly articled, and reiterated over time. As this message continues to resonate with our teams throughout the organization, we must then continue to hone and update that message. A transformation is a vibrant, ongoing event. Teams must understand the rationale, and long term journey; at the same time, they must also understand key milestones, progress and lessons learned in an ongoing dialogue with the organization.
Automation Platform Delivery & The Promise of DevOps
Brian Timmeny, Global Head of Advanced Engineering, DevOps & Engineering Processes, BBVA
During my section of this panel conversation, I discussed the importance of ensuring that the transformation journey is a practical one. It remains of paramount importance to ensure that the journey is not a theoretical one, but rather one where individuals understand the rationale of the journey, and also their role within the transformation.
"Within a large scale transformation, individuals must practically understand the rationale, and long-term journey, and also their role within the larger transformation." - Brian Timmeny
The second point upon which I focused in this discussion was to review the importance of a devops ecosystem. This offering, and ensuring the ecosystem may be accessed "as a service" is important to drive near and long-term adoption. By offering these platform capabilities, we can lower the cost of entry for our delivery organization, and drive consistency across our delivery teams. This ecosystem encompasses the delivery life-cycle from the planning stage through production deployment.
"By offering these [devops] platform capabilities, we can lower the cost of entry for our delivery organization, and drive consistency across our delivery teams." - Brian Timmeny
My final point in this section was to review the importance of executing pilots as a method to drive change. In this way, we signal to the organization the importance of driving practical change within the teams, not in theory, but in a very practical way. By mounting the right organization to support this culture, we give create a catalyst that creates capabilities over time and transforms the organization in a very material and practical manner.
Capabilities & Organization Transformation Drivers
Vishal Venkatram, Chief Information Officer, Global Delivery and Transformation Executive Leader, GE Power
Vishal began this segment of the conversation by sharing that we must be honest with our business and downstream partners to let them know that the time when we once received full scale working applications has come to end. That is, today we build modern software incrementally, with a high level of focus on minimum viable capabilities. In doing this, we can establish monetized value against functionality, prioritize and deliver that functionality incrementally over time. This remains a large learning curve for the teams taking part in this transformation.
"It is important to share with our teams that the era of getting everything at the same time is over." - Vishal Venkatram
The second item of note shared by Vishal surrounded the need to establish a very clear vision for the transformation, including the background and justification. In Vishal´s view, individuals prefer predictability and understanding the current and future circumstances surrounding the transformation is a powerful driver in the larger transformation process. Further, Vishal shares, that we must raise and discuss the specific reasons underpinning team discomfort, and address them in a very intentional manner.
"We must [constantly] address why and how people are uncomfortable." - Vishal Venkatram
Reflection. Sanjay also shared, during this session, the importance of having a vision, and sharing that same vision. Adding to that, an important fast-follower is to ensure that teams also have constant visibility to that same vision and progress along the transformation journey. In doing so, we not only buy the wider organization into the process, but also invite feedback to constantly course correct along the way.
Conclusion
Every company is becoming a software company. This is affecting all industries from banking to manufacturing. As technologies evolve and allow for unprecedented software delivery velocity and quality, we must at the same time invest in our people. It is great people who, in the end, will drive the value promised by a digital transformation. We must trust and engage with our people across the organization. A well defined vision, constantly shared with our teams, is a cornerstone to driving next generation capabilities and unprecedented velocity and quality into our delivery life-cycle.
