March 14, 2023

By: Tushar Jassal, Associate Principal - Consulting, LTIMindtree

The shift toward DevOps and Agile practices

DevOps is the future of the IT industry! Yes, you read it correctly. The DevOps practice started to gain prominence in mainstream IT services globally around 2007-08⁽¹⁾, and its adoption has steadily increased. The DevOps market is expected to grow from USD 3.62 billion in 2018 to USD 20.1 billion by 2026 at a CAGR of 24.7% ⁽²⁾ from 2018 to 2026. Similarly, the Enterprise Agile Transformation market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 19% ⁽³⁾ from USD 17.8 billion in 2019 to USD 71.4 billion by 2027.

This trend of organizations from different industry verticals adopting the DevOps and Agile ways of working for their IT services is significant. However, it is not alarming if we consider some critical global developments, especially in recent years, which have made organizations rethink their IT strategy and have resulted in an increased demand for scalable, agile, and secure software and web-based online applications. In addition, many organizations are under continued pressure to keep their IT costs low due to the macro and microeconomic challenges their businesses have recently faced. Therefore, the need to accelerate digital transformation has never been greater.

DevOps plays an important role in dealing with this change. It leverages the Agile concepts to streamline the IT service delivery by bringing application development and operations together, enabling organizations to achieve the digitalization of their businesses, reduce time-to-market and innovate faster.

The necessity of a tailored framework for the transition of DevOps and Agile engagements

Considering the trend described in the section above, we can expect a further increase in the number and complexity of DevOps and Agile-related IT outsourcing opportunities. The complexity and risk of transitioning these services from a client’s existing IT service provider to a new service provider will also enhance multifold.

Key scenarios where a dedicated transition approach is required to take over the DevOps and Agile work

Traditionally, the IT services transition has been structured around the Waterfall approach. Many existing transition frameworks in the industry have yet to perfect their processes to fit this Agile philosophy. The updated ways of working for the transition of DevOps and Agile services should be able to address the new challenges and risks that come with the takeover of these services. The top six scenarios which need to be addressed are:

Challenges and risks with the takeover of DevOps and Agile engagements

DevOps and Agile Transition Framework vs. conventional Waterfall Transition Framework

The overall philosophy of the transition process remains the same between the Waterfall and DevOps and Agile transitions. However, the process of planning and implementing these transitions varies widely due to the different nature of DevOps and Agile services, viz. Waterfall services. Some key differences in the transition approach are highlighted below, considering DevOps transitions.

Key differences between DevOps Transition & Conventional Waterfall Transition

In addition to providing a structured approach to transitioning the DevOps services, this framework also allows the Agile coaches to introduce improvements and transform the existing services of varying DevOps maturity, as required by the engagement.

Our experience in implementing the DevOps and Agile Transition Framework

A key requirement for one of our clients at LTIMindtree was to transition the DevOps services from its existing IT service providers. This was in addition to the standard requirement to consolidate the services from a multiple vendor landscape to a single vendor. We leveraged our proven transition framework for DevOps services, allowing our client a seamless transition experience and successfully complete the transition project in the planned timeframe with required quality.

Using the best practices incorporated in our framework and transition approach, we were able to effectively mitigate some of the most critical risks that often come with transitioning projects. One of the key risks we were able to address was the potential for a reduction in the velocity of the project deliverables. We did this by taking a proactive approach to transition planning, which included integrating the necessary transition efforts into our project deliveries. This approach allowed us to seamlessly transition the project to the incumbent team without causing significant delays or disruptions.

Another measure we took was to perform a focused self-study, which involved conducting a thorough review of the project deliverables, processes, and technologies to identify any potential risks or challenges that might arise during the transition. By doing this, we were able to anticipate and address any potential issues in advance, which helped to streamline the transition process and ensure a smooth handover.

In addition, our team members provided critical support to the DevOps tasks of the incumbent team during the Shadow and Reverse Shadow Phases. This involved working closely with the incumbent team members and supporting them in implementing the planned user stories, tasks, and other project activities. This collaborative approach helped to build trust and confidence between the two teams, which ultimately led to a successful transition.

Overall, our approach to transition not only enabled us to meet our transition objectives but also ensured that there was no disruption to the client’s business. As a result, we received impressive client satisfaction feedback, which is a testament to the effectiveness of our transition approach and the hard work of our team.

During the transition, we also utilized a suite of LTIMindtree accelerators and enablers, which have either been developed in-house or sourced from our partners in the IT industry. These complemented our DevOps transition framework to ensure a high-quality, risk-mitigated transition implementation.

• The LTIMindtree Canvas Transition Portal is an AI-driven online platform for end-to-end transition management. It provided essential governance control and real-time status reporting to our client and the LTI management on the various transition activities. It also automated the process of managing and performing knowledge transfer activities.
• A suite of knowledge discovery and reverse engineering toolsets from LTIMindtree were deployed to understand the custom application code better and enhance the knowledge acquisition of our delivery teams. This strategy also facilitated in overcoming the risks associated with the limited or non-availability of subject matter experts and low quality of existing application documentation while optimizing the overall knowledge transfer efforts and timelines.

Conclusion

As businesses continue to adopt DevOps and Agile practices in their IT processes, it is becoming increasingly clear that the traditional process for IT services transition needs to be updated and aligned accordingly. This means that the transition processes used by IT service providers must be scalable and flexible enough to meet the needs of implementing these new services.
At LTIMindtree, we understand the importance of staying updated with the latest trends and best practices in the industry. That is why we have developed a robust and structured framework for a transition specifically designed to meet the evolving needs of our clients. By leveraging our framework, we can provide a risk-free takeover of services without disrupting our client’s business.

Our approach to transition is built on a foundation of collaboration, communication, and transparency. We collaborate closely with our clients to understand their unique needs and requirements, and we tailor our services accordingly. This means that our transition processes are flexible and scalable, allowing us to provide customized solutions that meet the specific needs of each client.

In conclusion, LTIMindtree is dedicated to providing cutting-edge transition solutions that align with the latest industry best practices. By leveraging our powerful framework and our commitment to collaboration, communication, and transparency, we are able to provide seamless, risk-free transitions for our clients, ensuring that their business operations are not disrupted in any way.