9 Benefits Of DevOps For Your Business

Apps drive the modern business — and customer — worlds. But with a growing demand for both internal and external apps, IT teams are struggling to keep up, with only 26% able to support all app requests.

But here’s the silver lining: DevOps is transformative for the way teams collaborate, innovate and deliver value to customers. And it’s not just a set of practices or tools — it’s a cultural shift that breaks down divisions between teams and streamlines the entire software delivery process.

DevOps, short for “development” (Dev) and “operations” (Ops), is a collaborative approach that integrates development, testing, deployment and operations processes throughout the software development lifecycle.

This integration forms a DevOps pipeline, where all the automated processes and tools an organisation needs are in one place. As a result, app development becomes more efficient and effective.

Across the board, technology has revolutionised every industry. Today, it’s no longer a luxury but the backbone of how organisations operate. With speed, agility and innovation at the baseline, initiatives around areas like cloud computing, integration and AI application development are ramping up the complexity of software delivery.

DevOps provides a framework for managing this complexity, helping organisations adapt quickly to changing market dynamics, deliver faster value to customers and fuel sustainable growth. There’s a strong focus on breaking down traditional barriers between teams and encouraging cross-functional technical teamwork by emphasising automation, continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD).

As a result, teams can achieve shorter development cycles and reduce errors. This leads to faster and smoother roll-outs of new features, fixes and updates, providing better service to customers and employees alike.

Faster application development increases productivity by up to 40%, ROI up to 285% and shortens delivery timelines significantly. And when IT is fuelled by DevOps, these benefits naturally follow.

DevOps is a powerful way to speed up software delivery, reducing lead times and boosting efficiency across the app development journey. Teams can automate manual tasks, refine workflows and nurture a culture of continuous improvement. This means features and updates are delivered to customers quicker, keeping your business ahead of the competition.

DevOps bridges the gaps between development, operations and other cross-functional teams by breaking down communication barriers and promoting a culture of shared responsibility.

It emphasises transparency, knowledge sharing and collective problem-solving, all of which contribute to the accelerated delivery of quality software. This approach also extends to integrating customised AI solutions into the app development process, enhancing innovation and agility.

And when it comes to this collaboration, companies may be deciding between DevOps or Agile. But there’s no need to choose one or the other — they can be used together to create a complementary system that improves customer-focused applications.

It’s not just about getting your app out the door — it’s also about improving it with new features and fixes. The faster you can build and release, the sooner you can improve the product for your customers.

And with DevOps automation tools including CI/CD, teams can release new features and updates quickly and frequently while minimising the chance of errors.

Through practices like automated testing, code reviews and infrastructure as code (IaC), DevOps helps organisations improve the quality and reliability of their software products. By identifying and addressing issues earlier in the development cycle, teams can deliver more stable and resilient applications, leading to greater customer satisfaction and loyalty.

This is also where the SRE vs DevOps discussion comes into play. Organisations have the option to amplify this DevOps advantage by integrating complementary Site Reliability Engineering (SRE).

Once DevOps successfully facilitates the development of an application, SRE can step in to address any subsequent problems and provide important insights on the results of the DevOps process. This symbiotic relationship allows SRE and DevOps to work together, rather than compete, in order to improve application development.

DevOps emphasises using automation tools and practices, including IaC, to streamline the provisioning, configuration and management of IT infrastructure. By treating infrastructure as code, organisations can manage resources efficiently, reduce manual errors and achieve greater consistency and scalability across environments.

DevOps helps organisations close the skills gap by promoting continuous learning and cross-functional collaboration. By mastering DevOps tools, teams can upskill and adapt to evolving technologies, making the organisation more agile and innovative. This approach reduces reliance on external resources, leading to long-term cost savings and greater operational resilience.

DevOps can help to mitigate common risks associated with software development and deployment, like costly downtime or security breaches. By promoting early detection and resolution of issues, teams can identify and address potential problems before they affect customers or business operations.

Software development and deployment are more flexible and agile with DevOps, so organisations can quickly adapt to changing market conditions and customer demands.

By breaking down traditional barriers and fostering cross-functional collaboration, DevOps helps teams to quickly respond to feedback, iterate on features and pivot when necessary. These practices keep organisations competitive in dynamic environments.

Following DevOps practices also allows for flexibility through application lifecycle management (ALM), a framework which helps stakeholders and teams better understand the project scope and each of its moving parts. ALM focuses on planning and monitoring, giving teams the insight they need to make the best decisions and proactively prepare for any necessary shifts.

DevOps practices, like automation, optimisation and resource management, help organisations reduce operational costs. By streamlining processes, eliminating waste and maximising resources, DevOps helps organisations with efficiency, cost savings and improving their bottom line.

A DevOps platform and its tools requires a combination of cultural, organisational and technical practices — and are only as effective as the teams that run them.

First, automating manual processes and adopting the right tools are important prerequisites for organisations beginning their DevOps journey. And building a culture of collaboration and shared ownership is equally as important. Encouraging transparency, open communication and continuous improvement can align teams toward common goals.

DevOps monitoring is also a vital component of successful implementation. By regularly measuring DevOps metrics and analysing key performance indicators (KPIs), teams can identify areas for improvement and iterate on their DevOps practices effectively.

Launching new app features and experiences is easier than ever. And with the DevOps methodology, you can quickly deliver improved app capabilities. The Salesforce Platform DevOps Centre helps your teams increase collaboration, productivity and speed of your application changes and release.

To get started, check out the DevOps Guide to learn how to implement best practices, drive agility securely and enable fast and safe delivery for your customers.