Date Published July 21, 2025 - Last Updated July 21, 2025
As a leader in a traditionally structured IT organization, I have explored the fundamental principles of DevOps and considered how they might be applied within my own environment. The benefits of coordination, collaboration and agility in a DevOps setting are certainly appealing.
But how relevant are DevOps principles to an organization with a traditional structure and where work involves service delivery and platform growth, rather than software development? Could adopting a DevOps mindset lead these organizations to smoother collaboration, faster delivery and more resilient systems?
Embrace collaboration
One of the core principles of DevOps is breaking down the barriers between teams. Bringing people together with shared accountability for the development and support of a service can provide new insights.
You don’t need to completely restructure your teams to achieve this level of collaboration. Encourage regular cross-functional meetings, create shared communication channels and involve any stakeholders who interact with the service from start to finish. Host lunch and learn sessions where subject matter experts can share their work and the roadmap for their service.
Collaboration does not have to be formal to be effective, but it does require intentionality and follow-through.
Focus on automation
DevOps emphasizes automation to streamline workflows, reduce errors and free up time for more meaningful work. There is not a single organization that will not benefit from some level of automation.
Start small and focus on workflows or processes that are pain points for your teams or customers. What processes do your customers find frustrating? What work consumes significant resources from your staff? Automating even one step in the process can build momentum for further changes.
Feedback matters
In traditional organizations, there are typically feedback loops gauging service from the frontline and for the project management office. Backoffice teams may be measured in part by their performance on incidents and projects, but these metrics don’t capture the full scope of their work.
How can you bring feedback to the rest of the organization that is meaningful? Perhaps use part of your collaborative cross functional meetings to share feedback from both customers and internal teams. Facilitate service reviews with members across all teams where they can analyze and discuss all aspects of the service and the ways in which they work together. Encourage continuous feedback, both positive and negative, at all levels of the organization.
Rethink your metrics
Traditional teams often measure success based on project metrics or customer service metrics. DevOps introduces various quality metrics, usage and cycle times.
Are there ways you can apply these metrics to gain insight into your organization? For example, what is your typical cycle time once you identify an initiative until it is completed? What prevents you from moving more quickly? Can you adopt an agile approach to address initiatives in small bursts of focused effort?
Test for failure
A core practice within DevOps involves creating test scenarios that anticipate potential points of product failure. The process begins with the identification and observation of possible failures, followed by the development of code to address these limitations. Only after a successful test is the solution implemented. This approach can be applied to documentation, user guides and communications.
How might a customer misunderstand the information or the process? Have you considered all the right variables of platform, locatio, and versions? Anticipating where issues may arise could improve your communication and support resources.
Develop the right mindset
You do not need to run a DevOps organization to adopt DevOps thinking. As a manager, you can create opportunities for collaboration across all teams, seek opportunities for automation, champion fast feedback loops and integrate continuous improvement.
All of these can help your organization move faster, with more confidence, and with even better service results. You can start simple and start where you are today. Just take it one step at a time.