DEVOPSdigest

Enterprises in the US and Europe have evolved their views on Agile and DevOps methodologies, with the vast majority now focused on how to scale and optimize the practices instead of whether to adopt them, according to a new report from Information Services Group (ISG), a leading global technology research and advisory firm.

The ISG Insights study, Agile and DevOps in 2019: Enterprise Culture is the Key, sees enterprises looking to use the Agile and DevOps methodologies to create and launch new products faster and simplify processes. The study, based on a survey of more than 300 enterprise technology professionals in the US and Europe, also finds many organizations looking for improved profitability, increased sales and improved customer satisfaction through their use of Agile and DevOps.

"Enterprises competing in an increasingly digital economy must simultaneously improve their speed to market and their flexibility," said Esteban Herrera, Partner and Global Leader of ISG Research. "Agile and DevOps practices are critical to achieving these goals and to maintaining competitive resilience."

The transformation that happens with a change to Agile and DevOps is often more cultural than technical, the study suggests. Nearly half of respondents say that Agile is a part of their company's culture.

The study also finds significant differences between regions and industries, with businesses in the US reporting greater success with Agile and DevOps than their European counterparts. These differences "could be a problem for the lagging companies because success in digital business requires a commitment to automation and rapid innovation," both of which are direct benefits of Agile and DevOps, Herrera said.

While many enterprises are embracing Agile and DevOps methods, the technology service provider market needs to mature, the study suggests, as 44 percent of those responding to the survey said they prefer to use service providers that match up with their Agile and DevOps practices, but only 39 percent said their service providers are effective in meeting their Agile and DevOps needs.

Asked what they would do differently while using Agile methods, more than six in 10 of survey respondents said they'd keep teams small and weed out poor performers. Nearly half would also better document requirements, would leverage outside consultants, would start small and build culture or would acquire Agile skills first before rolling out the methodology.