The new ALM

The digital transformation is putting software development and algorithms at the heart of IT and corporate activities. Due to the strong pressure to innovate, however, it is becoming apparent that conventional processes for implementing new applications and solutions are not suitable for guaranteeing the required speed.

New algorithms and business processes require an adapted IT architecture. DevOps (development and operations) is an approach for integrating the development of algorithms into IT operations at an early stage of the development process.

The requirement is to increase the efficiency and speed of development, testing, commissioning and operation with the help of a consistent and coordinated process.

"Already, IT departments in large companies with more than 2,000 employees in particular are under intense pressure to support shorter innovation, release and go-to-market cycles"

describes Joachim Hackmann, Principal Consultant at PAC and author of the study "DevOps - Reality Check in German companies".

E-3 Magazine spoke to Jörg Landwehr, Managing Director of Basis Technologies in Berlin, about DevOps. The interview also discusses the importance of DevOps for Abap and the entire SAP community.

Can you explain DevOps to an existing SAP customer in just a few words?

Jörg Landwehr: DevOps describes measures for the development and provision of software that are aimed at aligning development projects more closely with the actual needs of a company.

Development and operations work much more closely together thanks to DevOps. Changes to the software can be deployed faster and more securely, increasing its relevance in the company and also offering greater added value.

What are the historical roots of DevOps?

Landwehr: In large IT companies, it is not uncommon for development teams and operational teams to work separately and in silos.

The principles of agile development meant that new functions could be created far more quickly, but the operational teams were unable to keep pace with the implementation of these changes. DevOps principles arose from the idea of bridging this gap.

And this difference also exists in SAP environments?

Landwehr: We at Basis Technologies recognized that this gap between development and operations in SAP environments still existed.

Even if changes could be made to the applications more quickly, deployment in production had to wait for the regular release cycle, which was often quarterly or even half-yearly.

So DevOps for SAP too?

Landwehr: DevOps was originally important for customer-relevant systems of engagement such as web interfaces and mobile apps, as frequent and rapid changes were expected here.

Today, we are also seeing a need for equally fast deployment times in enterprise applications such as SAP, for example, in order to make important, customer-relevant functions usable.

Our DevOps tools enable the secure and rapid deployment of changes in SAP systems. Comprehensive process automation and numerous analysis functions minimize the risk of errors during changes and thus enable faster release.

Who can teach DevOps today? Where can you learn DevOps?

Landwehr: Any organization can implement DevOps today. A recent survey by Computer Associates found that 70 percent of organizations have already implemented DevOps in some form, although a much smaller number can be considered advanced DevOps users.

This may be due to the fact that changes in the corporate culture, the organization and the tools themselves are necessary - even essential - in order to fully benefit from the advantages of DevOps.

There are numerous local events and online resources that provide users with helpful information on DevOps, with many well-known companies such as Netflix, Facebook and Amazon describing their experiences with DevOps.

Is DevOps a general instruction manual or a toolbox?

Landwehr: DevOps is described as a culture, a movement, a practice, a philosophy and probably much more. DevOps is not a strict, codified methodology, and its implementation can vary from company to company.

However, there are some principles that generally apply, such as the switch to agile development, multidisciplinary collaboration and communication, maximum automation of processes and faster feedback loops.

And what does that mean for SAP?

Landwehr: All of these ideas apply to DevOps for SAP just as they do to any other IT system in the organization. Some can be enabled by tools - such as the workflow and automation features of our Transport Expresso software - while others require more organizational and corporate cultural changes.

DevOps does not force you to make an all-or-nothing decision. Companies can choose certain aspects of their journey from ALM to faster, more secure software delivery: Tangible improvements will almost certainly bring about all of them.

Can you give an example of what DevOps actually improves?

Landwehr: To put it simply: IT organizations can better respond to the changing demands on their business by implementing DevOps processes and tools, whether for SAP or other systems.

Changes and therefore added value can be provided faster and more often - and with less risk. The online shopping platform Etsy, for example, uses DevOps to deliver 60 updates per day, while Netflix uses its "Simian Army" of automated testing tools to reduce downtime for customers by continuously testing the stability of its online video streaming service.

DevOps enables IT, including SAP systems, to keep pace with the transformation of the entire industry - a necessary requirement in the era of digital change.

You offer a DevOps suite for SAP. What exactly does the existing SAP customer get here?

Landwehr: Basis Technologies offers a DevOps suite that enables SAP users to implement an agile IT model based on DevOps principles. This enables fast, secure SAP changes immediately after completion.

The ability to undo these changes and return the system to its previous state reduces the risk even more. This newfound flexibility allows for more frequent rotational changes in development and thus creates the opportunity to respond better to changing business requirements.

The ultimate goal is a transformation towards a process of continuous integration, delivery and added value - and at a faster pace.

What benefits and opportunities can an SAP user realize with your DevOps suite for SAP?

Landwehr: Our DevOps tools enable faster and more secure delivery of changes in SAP to adapt applications as quickly as business requirements change.

Unplanned production downtime can be drastically reduced by reducing risk and errors, while automating the development lifecycle reduces costs and frees up valuable manpower for other projects.

But SAP is generally very complex?

Landwehr: Thanks to DevOps, teams and release cycles can also be coordinated if there are dependencies between SAP and other applications. Comprehensive delivery also increases the value of the application for the company. Our customers have reported a 90 percent increase in deployment speed, a reduction in manual work of up to 95 percent and a 70 percent reduction in production downtime.

What are the costs for the DevOps suite for SAP?

Landwehr: All DevOps tools from Basis Technologies are licensed via an annual subscription. Use of the software, support, maintenance and the right to upgrades are included.

This model is the ideal solution for many customers, as it allows them to either increase or decrease their usage depending on their business conditions and strategy. A normal implementation usually takes between two and six weeks.

Installation and configuration of the software are quick and easy and can normally be completed within a few days.

And the training?

Landwehr: Our tools can be managed and maintained by non-experts in the company after a short training course. Adding users is generally very quick, with only two hours of training required. The prices for the application can be found on our website.

What changes, what stays the same? Can DevOps be applied to Abap development?

Landwehr: DevOps is used by our customers for Abap development. As a result, they achieve an improvement in the quality of SAP development and an associated reduction in errors, failed deployments and rework.

Development can therefore be completed in far fewer cycles, resulting in significant cost savings. Our tools can also perform automatic Abap component tests so that errors are detected before they leave development.

What are the advantages of DevOps for Fiori and Hana developments?

Landwehr: Both Fiori and Hana developments are supported by our DevOps tools. Our tools are also SAP-certified as add-on deployments for Hana.

What is your recommendation for 2016? Does it have to be DevOps and who should feel addressed by it?

Landwehr: An increasing number of companies are currently implementing the digital transformation or have at least set their sights on doing so. Both customer-oriented systems and enterprise applications such as SAP must deliver faster provisioning.

There is no denying that DevOps is becoming increasingly important. Numerous companies have already recognized this approach for faster deployments as important to their business.

We at Basis Technologies are certain that this assumption will prove to be true for enterprise applications as well as for systems of engagement. The growing number of customers and implementation partners who have already contacted us to find out how DevOps can be used for their SAP systems confirms this.

The end of Application Lifecycle Management, ALM?

Landwehr: This does not mean that the traditional, security-oriented ALM approach that characterizes SAP will be replaced. Rather, we expect to see a greater degree of individual innovation in companies where agile development and DevOps will have great success, create a real euphoria, change traditional working attitudes and help to fundamentally change processes in the overall organization.

Finally, an assessment from Gartner: "By 2018, the shift to agile, DevOps-based and web-scale IT practices will prove to be as resounding as the shift to lean production in industry in the early 1980s."

Thank you for the interview.