Digital Enablement
The Care and Feeding of Software: Planning for Code Maintenance
Code doesn't change by itself, but the world around it does.
Read MoreAuthor: Samuel Fleming
Many projects undertaken by enterprises are low profile, operational undertakings that seldom make headlines. These are the day-to-day, care-and-feeding efforts that keep the enterprise humming along: software must be updated, systems migrated, and supporting business processes evolved. These operational projects can pull from different budgets and are usually exempt from requirements to develop business cases and justify expense.
By approaching operational projects differently from strategic projects, enterprises miss out on the opportunity to innovate, reduce costs, and mitigate risks. Changes are often not reviewed by IT with the same rigor, exposing the project (and the organization!) to a variety of potential pitfalls, including:
Thankfully though, your IT department likely already has processes in place to mitigate these risks through DevOps practices. Even though your project may not entail writing code, the core DevOps principles can help your project achieve success.
Treating operational projects like strategic projects can be a boon to your organization’s delivery cadence, reducing risk and driving success. The guidelines suggested above are a starting point for integrating these projects into the IT workstream, increasing visibility into the status of all projects and the demands placed on your IT teams. Implementing these core DevOps tenets can help shape a clear path to success, regardless of the obstacles presented.
Samuel Fleming is an architect at RevGen Partners. He is passionate about delivering technology solutions to address big and small business challenges.