Developers beware: there’s a silent killer lurking among us according to Francis Pindar, Founder of AdminToArchictect. Pindar, a 26X Salesforce certified guru, says that silent killer is WIP or work-in-progress.

Pindar, a developer by trade, has experienced this issue firsthand when trying to move app development along. He would eagerly fire something over the fence to testing where, inevitably, a backlog of work would inhibit its movement. And by the time testing came back, Pindar explains there’d be issues.

When apps get hung up in the work-in-progress phase, it can be tricky to move things along. Listen in as Pindar discusses the frustrating effects of this silent killer in our webinar DevOps Full Circle: Development to Architecture to App Management.

On a positive note, there are things we can do to increase workflow and circumvent the silent killers that lurk among us. Read on and learn how.

Agile methodology: The small portion approach

Many of us have grown accustomed to a more traditional approach to DevOps, the so- called Waterfall methodology where development is done in stages. It’s a simple four- pronged approach: design, build, test and deploy.

However, notes Pindar, this linear approach lends itself to holds-ups in the process – recalling our earlier example of delays due to a backlog in testing. View this post for a full explanation of Waterfall, Agile and DevOps.

In today’s environment, a post-pandemic frenetic pace of app development, speed is of the essence even more so than ever before. That’s in part why Pindar espouses taking an Agile approach to app development. Using agile methodology, development is viewed in shorter sprints. These sprints still entail the four phases – design, build, test
and deploy – but they’re each focused on the exploration of a new idea. Doing so enables a faster determination of which ideas are viable.

Increasing flow in DevOps: large batch versus single piece

Pindar takes an architect’s mindset when looking at the process, and asks the question: how can I break the process down into smaller bits? His rationale: a large batch approach requires that we get much further down the road before any testing is undertaken whatsoever. This doesn’t allow for pinpointing and addressing issues along the way.

In contrast, Pindar says, if you take a single-piece flow approach – releasing bits into production along the way – it breaks down the monolith. This approach allows for incremental testing and identification of issues much earlier on. In Pindar’s perspective, this is nirvana for the entire DevOps process.

Listen as Pindar walks us through the large batch versus single piece flow approach.

Faster isn’t better without security

Let’s say we’ve reached nirvana. We’re using agile methodology so that incremental testing can occur. We’re circumventing the dreaded backlog and moving along at a faster pace. Great news. But lest we forget there’s another monumental factor to take into account: security.

Fast deployments can still be achieved but in a security-conscious environment. Flosum is native to Salesforce and provides a reliable solution that enables a true DevSecOps process – with security as the central focal point. To learn more about how Flosum can provide the security your organization needs, schedule a free demo.

To help you and your organization avoid the silent killers in the DevOps process and adopt agile methodologies, hear directly from Salesforce guru Francis Pindar and watch the full webinar.

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Faizan Ali

Faizan Ali
Salesforce Consultant at Turnitin