Continuous Delivery
“Continuous Delivery” is an often used term in software industry these days. Read on to discover what is it, and why it matters to your business.
Status Quo
Many businesses are now optimizing their processes by using Lean principles. But not many of those are applying Lean analysis methods when providing technology solutions, especially in the realm of manual processes. Ironically, technical delivery processes are most frequently series of complex tasks regularly repeated, for which Lean process improvements are suited perfectly. Manual processes render all parts of the delivery lifecycle difficult. Developers must choose between new features and system stability. QA must be flawless, otherwise overlooked regressions lead to production bugs. What seem to be minor environmental inconsistencies result in mysterious errors and ultimately unsuccessful deployments. Poor morale and departmental infighting can become pervasive.
Win-win Solution
Beat your competition and turn your new release into a business advantage! Well certainly, but how?
The process of releasing software to the end user can sometimes be a painstaking, unpredictable, and laborious procedure.
With Continuous Delivery you can transform your company into an inventive, lean and agile new startup. Continuous Delivery produces dependable, low risk releases that constantly adapt software according to user feedback, market shifts and strategic business changes. We expedite the total process while refining overall quality. Development, test, support and operations work cohesively as your robust delivery team.
From Continuous Integration to Continuous Delivery
Initially a fundamental practice delineated in the Extreme Programming approach, Continuous Integration is now a critical component in incremental and iterative software production.
Continuous Delivery is naturally linked to Continuous Integration, an approach that ensures a system's instantaneous release with any recent change in place and ready to go on demand. The goal of Continuous Delivery is to make releases a non-event: instead of being a huge intimidating occasion, releases become regular, based on user feedback and current demands.
Implementation
Shifting to a Continuous Delivery system may necessitate a change in tools, process and staff. The move to Continuous Delivery is effectively a mix of top-down and bottom-up agreements for a serious cultural change. For clients looking to move their current businesses to Continuous Delivery, we propose the following three steps:
- Recognize tools, processes and skills that are lacking
- Build awareness of deficiencies and generate solutions
- Collaborative and practical, hands-on, technical execution
Experience shows us the 3rd step is the most important - people learn and retain more with hands-on execution. With our joint collaboration, the cultural transitions we implement will transition smoothly and endure long term