While many companies are starting to reap the benefits of DevOps, there are also a number of pitfalls companies might step in resulting in a lack of business outcome.

Before digging into the mistakes we tend to see in the market, I want to give you a small primer.

A Primer

At the core of DevOps lies the principles of Three Ways, which, putting it briefly, consist of:

1. Systems Thinking: Emphasis on the entire system rather than a specific department or division
2. Amplify Feedback Loop: Close the loop from your business to the customer and back again.
3. Culture of Continual Experimentation and Learning: A culture of experimentation, learning, and repetition.

The C.A.L.M.S. principles are a beneficial bedrock in addressing DevOps because they expand on the Three Ways. Behind the letters you find:

• Culture: Focus on learning, experimentation, and an outcome focus.
• Automation: Focus on reducing manual tedious tasks with automated solutions.
• Lean: Reduction of waste and focus on flow.
• Measurements: Building insights across the whole value stream.
• Sharing: Creating an open-minded and sharing culture.

Anyone considering implementing DevOps should spend some time understanding and transferring those principles to their own context.

Mistakes You Should Learn From

Below is a list of mistakes that will set your back severely. Read through them, relate to them, and consider how to mitigate or avoid them in your DevOps implementation.

• DevOps Ends at IT Operations?
• Let’s Buy a Tool Chain!
• Automate Everything!
• DevOps is Not the Goal—It’s the Means

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