DEVOPSdigest

Value Stream Management (VSM) is still a budding initiative in the software delivery industry but is quickly gaining momentum, according to Holistic Solutions Drive The "Value" In Value Stream Management, a paper from CollabNet VersionOne based on a commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting.

Some of the key study findings include:

■ Organizations understand the importance of optimized software delivery but struggle to attain it. VSM, a new approach to unifying software delivery, can help.

■ VSM is still new but rapidly gaining traction with 40% of respondents reporting they are have implemented or are expanding their implementation.

■ By helping enterprises measure business outcomes, VSM can break down communication barriers and allow enterprises to track how their software efforts are helping the business grow.

■ 94% of respondents have heard of VSM, 21% say they’re "very" familiar with it and most expressed interest, near-term plans, or current adoption.

75% of early adopters say their VSM initiatives have been effective at supporting capabilities important to their software development and delivery success

Data on early adopters show the promise VSM holds. Per the findings, more than 75% of early adopters say their VSM initiatives have been effective at supporting capabilities important to their software development and delivery success and 90% credit their initiatives for helping them create new value for end customers.

"Connecting and measuring business value to software delivery pipelines is critical for success, however, it’s still a challenge for many organizations," said Flint Brenton, CEO of CollabNet VersionOne. "This research reveals the positive impact that value stream management can have on an organization’s bottom line, and most importantly, how it helps create delighted customers. While there is still much the industry needs to learn about adopting a VSM strategy, it’s promising to see the growing awareness and eagerness to start the journey."

Ultimately, the study recommends software organizations either start or grow a VSM initiative, use output and outcome metrics to measure progress and business value and to look for a holistic VSM solution.

However, the study also heeds that VSM adopters should first implement a strategy before considering tooling.

Methodology: Forrester Consulting conducted an online survey with 305 global IT and business professionals involved in the planning, building, release, and/or management of software at enterprise firms.