In the last decade, several organizations have struggled to adopt DevOps practices to deliver software faster and more efficiently. Automation is key to achieving success with DevOps, and one of the critical implementations of automation in DevOps practices is a continuous integration and continuous delivery, or CI/CD.
With developers writing and delivering code faster and multi-cloud adoption increasing, organizations are exploring new ways to build systems to deliver software and collaborate on a global scale. 90% of the top open-source projects on GitHub were backed by companies in 2022, showing that organizations are exploring the benefits that open-source communities and technologies provide. Thus, by implementing CI/CD processes, DevOps teams can release product updates quickly, efficiently, and securely, which adjusts to the newest trends in the technology industry.
With that in mind, here are three benefits organizations can see from implementing CI/CD practices.
1 – Ensure that processes do not stop
In its most basic form, automation helps teams deliver code to production faster and reduces manual tasks by analyzing each step of the software development lifecycle (SDLC) and making them consistent and replicable. By automating the entire SDLC via CI/CD, from build to testing and delivery, companies can operate more efficiently, minimize “bottlenecks” and deliver faster to market.
There is a cultural element to the success of CI/CD practices, too. Rather than simply delivering larger code changes, which can take time to integrate and test into the code base, a CI/CD practice encourages developers to make smaller, more frequent changes rather than waiting for a major release. This helps software teams deliver iterative updates faster, as small code changes are easier to integrate, test, and release compared to large updates.
2- Deliver safer codes
Almost every developer person understands the importance of testing code before release. In 2022, developers updated 50% more vulnerable packages on GitHub compared to 2021, helping to keep 18 million projects safe. Regularly testing code in CI/CD helps teams discover bugs, security flaws, and any issues sooner, making resolution easier and helping to mitigate the harmful effects of the software supply chain. So, before putting CI/CD into practice, DevOps teams need to build a security system into the pipeline – otherwise, they risk security threats such as insecure code or exposed private data.
By integrating code reviews and approvals into a CI/CD workflow, teams can improve code quality, encourage collaboration in integrated development environments, or work closely with coders to help developers do better work. This means applying loops and feedback tools – such as Static Application Security Testing (SAST) or Software Composition Analysis (SCA) – to the SDLC. Many CI/CD platforms have preview tests that can be used as a jump start, but determining when and how tests will be applied depends on each organization’s unique needs.
3 – Eliminate silos for better collaboration
In a DevOps team, everyone is responsible for collaboration and product success. After all, the key to DevOps is breaking down barriers through cross-collaboration and multiple communication channels. CI/CD comes from this – by reducing manual tasks and cutting back and forth from automation, DevOps teams have more opportunities to share feedback and integrate it into their work.
Adopting CI/CD best practices is also about company culture. By increasing quality, agility, and productivity, product launches are less stressful and more sustainable for the DevOps team. As a result, developers feel more fulfilled and empowered to deliver the best work possible.
Above all, a great programmer experience is crucial to a successful company. Being able to stay focused and make significant progress on the job can make a big difference in employee satisfaction – and getting CI/CD right can help with that. By automating software delivery, investing in security, and embracing a collaborative culture, organizations can enable DevOps to do what they love most – deliver amazing code.
*The content of this article is the author’s responsibility and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of iMasters.
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