Product orientation with DevOps

Article: Digitalisation is the goal – DevOps is how to achieve it

Today's customer expectations mean that software has to reach users faster all the time. The DevOps production model allows us to act with more speed, quality and flexibility.

Classic software cycles no longer work if applications and digital services are to continually develop in an agile manner, which is what users expect today. For this dynamic to work, from the outset IT solutions must be considered over their entire life cycle. In concrete terms, this means that partners and specialist departments alike must view solutions as a long-term product instead of an IT project designed for a limited period of time. DB Systel supports the specialist departments at Deutsche Bahn by providing agile teams and the DevOps production model in order to not only run applications efficiently, but to continually improve them in an agile manner.

"Working together with our partners, we use DevOps to continually create the conditions that allow us to deliver on what customers expect of digitalisation – speed, flexibility, quality and, consequently, the creation of customer value."

Ulrich Vogler, Head of the "Building DevOps Teams" strategic programme, DB Systel

Benefits of the DevOps production model:

Independence and relief of strain on staff

Independent services reduce dependencies between teams. On a day-to-day basis, agile DevOps teams have end-to-end responsibility for the entire life cycle of an application or IT service.

Automation reduces workload

Automation leads to stable, repeatable and high-quality workflows in the DevOps process.

Fulfils user wishes

Users get directly involved in agile formats and can give immediate feedback and ideas for how the IT service should be designed going forward. This not only leads to faster reactions, but also reduces the effort required.

Enables rapid, structured development

DevOps enables continuous further development of the product in quick, small steps and shortens the time to market. At the same time, this production model allows for a predictable, stable budget.

DevOps facilitates new forms of collaboration

We are establishing DevOps as an important production model. To this end, we support, coordinate and coach teams to become independent DevOps units. This allows them to take end-to-end responsibility for developing and operating an IT solution. In practice, there are different models of collaboration between DB Systel and our partners in the Group. Product teams take care of one or more specific solutions, while other models rely on close cooperation or even mixed teams made up of employees from DB Systel and Group partners.

The DevOps success story

There’s no going back – how DevOps is permanently changing rail IT

DevOps methodology is increasingly being used in the DB Group and is now about much more than just software development and operations.

If there is a need to transform IT offerings into dynamic, customer-centred products, we should talk about it.

Digitalisation is the goal – DevOps is how to achieve it