According to a Perforce report, 65% of software developers, managers and executives have already taken a step forward towards Continuous Delivery.

But are you ready keep up the pace and take a step forward? And if you should take a step forward, which should be the first - DevOps or Continuous Delivery? To provide an answer, let's examine what each of these concepts mean.

A generally accepted definition of DevOps is that two departments, software development and IT operations work together for a rapid development and deployment.

This approach is at an opposite pole of the long-standing philosophy in software development, where software development and IT operations function as silos, not knowing what the other side is doing and what problems it is facing, although both parts are working on the same project and have a common objective: customer satisfaction.

Continuous Delivery, on the other side, is the method or process that is used by DevOps to develop code and use automation in an integrated way, ensuring optimization along the way, monitoring, measuring and improving the overall performance of the software.

This way, risks are decreasing, the quality of software increases and deployment time changes from weeks to days and even hours.

Given the fact that certain roles have to collaborate differently, DevOps is rather a cultural shift in an IT department or IT company, using Continuous Delivery as a development practice.

Together, implemented in the same time, helps companies achieve the benefits of agility and greater responsiveness to delivery.

From this perspective, we can't say that DevOps or Continuous Delivery should come first, but what should come first is a mindset of change based on an integrative approach towards development and collaboration between teams.

There are, thus, a few prerequisites which facilitate change and, consequently, the adoption of DevOps and Continuous Delivery. These are:

Collaboration platforms

Such as GIT, Jenkins, SALT, Jira or Trello - they are key to making the practice of Continuous Delivery possible, ensuring that Development QA and IT operations teams are in sync.

Skills

Technical skills and soft skills - spanning from expertise in integration and automation to excellent communication skills, these are essential in an agile environment, where teams should be able to prioritize quickly and efficiently, as well as finding solutions to escalate issues.

If you're thinking to switch to Continuous Delivery and start accelerating your revenue and the productivity of your IT department, request an assessment to receive a tailored step-by-step plan of action. If you're looking for a team with the right skills and know-how, get in touch with one of our Continuous Delivery specialists.