https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/categories/devops/ Recent content in DevOps on Engineering Leadership in AI & Software Hugo en Tue, 16 Jun 2026 17:40:35 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/stop-building-silos-start-building-systems/ Mon, 07 Jul 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/stop-building-silos-start-building-systems/ Fragmented automation and tool silos slow delivery, increase risk, and create confusion, while a unified engineering system enables speed, safety, and clarity. Standardising on a single platform like Azure Pipelines, with shared processes and guardrails, empowers teams to focus on delivering value instead of managing complexity. To scale effectively, consolidate your toolchain, define clear boundaries, and invest in platform engineering so teams can work autonomously within a reliable system. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/why-outsourcing-devops-fails-and-how-real-engineering-excellence-starts-with-your-team/ Mon, 15 Sep 2025 06:30:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/why-outsourcing-devops-fails-and-how-real-engineering-excellence-starts-with-your-team/ Outsourcing DevOps often leads to vendor lock-in, legacy systems, and teams that cannot maintain or evolve their own tools. Real engineering excellence comes from building internal capability through partnership, where experts mentor and guide your team to modernize workflows and systems themselves. Invest in developing your engineers’ skills and mindset so your organization can achieve sustainable progress and avoid costly dependencies. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/velocity-isn-t-how-many-story-points-a-team-burns-down/ Mon, 10 Mar 2025 16:30:02 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/velocity-isn-t-how-many-story-points-a-team-burns-down/ Velocity is about how quickly your team delivers value, not just story points completed. Focus on measuring time to build, self-test, deploy, and learn from user feedback, as these are actionable and within your control. Start tracking these metrics to improve your delivery speed and effectiveness. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/stop-hiding-behind-complexity-and-start-delivering-continuously/ Mon, 24 Feb 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/stop-hiding-behind-complexity-and-start-delivering-continuously/ Complexity is not a valid reason to avoid continuous delivery; organisations like Azure DevOps and Starbucks have proven that even large, complex systems can achieve frequent, reliable releases with the right investment in automation, process improvement, and culture change. Key actions include automating everything, adopting trunk-based development, using feature flags, shifting quality left, and iterating on pain points. Development managers should focus on measuring and improving flow metrics and value delivery, prioritising organisational commitment to overcome resistance and realise the benefits of continuous delivery. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/should-you-use-one-project-to-rule-them-all-in-azure-devops/ Mon, 25 Aug 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/should-you-use-one-project-to-rule-them-all-in-azure-devops/ Using a single Azure DevOps project for all teams and products reduces fragmentation, improves visibility, and streamlines governance compared to managing multiple projects or organisations. Key benefits include unified reporting, easier collaboration, and lower administrative overhead, while Area Paths and Teams provide the necessary structure and security within one project. Development managers should consolidate into one project where possible, using Area Paths and Teams to model structure and scale, to optimise flow and delivery. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/why-done-only-counts-when-it-s-live-moving-beyond-fake-finishes-to-real-value-in-software-delivery/ Wed, 07 May 2025 11:46:58 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/why-done-only-counts-when-it-s-live-moving-beyond-fake-finishes-to-real-value-in-software-delivery/ Work is only truly done when it is live in production and delivering value to users, not just when code is written, tested, or demoed. Teams often mistake internal milestones for real progress, which delays learning and frustrates stakeholders; real feedback and value come only from live usage and telemetry. Development managers should redefine “done” as live in production, invest in automation to shorten release cycles, and focus on measuring and celebrating actual user impact. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/engineering-can-fix-technical-debt-but-leadership-has-to-invest-in-it/ Mon, 03 Mar 2025 16:30:35 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/engineering-can-fix-technical-debt-but-leadership-has-to-invest-in-it/ Fixing technical debt requires leadership investment, not just harder work from engineers. Success comes from funding automation, better testing, and empowering teams to address issues directly. If continuous delivery is not happening, leaders should reconsider their priorities and support the necessary improvements. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/from-legacy-pain-to-modern-devops-my-proven-roadmap-for-real-engineering-transformation/ Mon, 04 Aug 2025 07:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/from-legacy-pain-to-modern-devops-my-proven-roadmap-for-real-engineering-transformation/ Transforming legacy engineering to modern DevOps requires a flexible, evidence-based approach focused on testing hypotheses, starting with the most challenging products, and automating every step from code commit to production. Involve all stakeholders to define essential requirements, automate approvals and deployments, and use phased rollouts with real-time feedback to minimize risk. Focus on one improvement at a time, build a culture of continuous learning, and scale successful practices across the organization. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/testing-in-production-maximises-quality-and-value/ Thu, 13 Feb 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/testing-in-production-maximises-quality-and-value/ Testing in production using audience-based deployment enables faster feedback, safer incremental releases, and better alignment with real user needs compared to traditional Dev-Test-Staging pipelines. Microsoft’s shift to this model, driven by feature flags, progressive rollouts, and real-time monitoring, has improved quality and innovation while reducing risk and overhead. Development managers should consider moving away from environment-based branching and invest in automation, observability, and team upskilling to maximise value and responsiveness. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/are-we-still-pretending-coding-was-the-bottleneck/ Mon, 01 Sep 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/are-we-still-pretending-coding-was-the-bottleneck/ AI writing code is not the real game-changer; coding was never the main bottleneck in software delivery. The real constraints are in poor system design, handoffs, unclear requirements, and lack of built-in quality, which AI will only make more visible. To benefit from AI, focus on improving flow, building quality in from the start, and making teams accountable for outcomes rather than output. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/engineering-excellence-isn-t-perfection-how-continuous-improvement-and-fast-feedback-drive-real-agile-and-devops-success/ Mon, 21 Jul 2025 06:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/engineering-excellence-isn-t-perfection-how-continuous-improvement-and-fast-feedback-drive-real-agile-and-devops-success/ Engineering excellence is not about achieving perfection or creating exhaustive plans, but about building systems that continuously adapt and improve through fast feedback and incremental change. Key practices include clean code, observability, automated testing, and CI/CD, which together enable teams to deliver high-quality software quickly and respond to real-world needs. Development managers should focus on removing manual bottlenecks and technical debt to shorten feedback loops, as this is the foundation of true Agile and DevOps success. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/resilience-is-part-of-the-product-not-an-afterthought/ Mon, 09 Jun 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/resilience-is-part-of-the-product-not-an-afterthought/ Resilience must be designed into your product from the start, not added later or left to individual heroics. Building resilience means engineering for failure containment, rapid recovery, and continuous improvement, using tools like telemetry, feature flags, and safe deployment practices. Make resilience a core part of your development process and culture, treating it as a critical feature to avoid costly outages and business risks. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/the-crucible-of-learning-transforming-organizational-effectiveness-through-devops/ Wed, 21 Aug 2024 07:00:19 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/the-crucible-of-learning-transforming-organizational-effectiveness-through-devops/ DevOps transformation delivers major benefits when organizations address technical debt, simplify systems, and empower teams to take ownership of change. Key outcomes include faster delivery, lower costs, and happier, more effective teams, but success requires upskilling and active participation rather than outsourcing the work. Development managers should prioritize regular refactoring and foster a culture of continuous improvement to achieve lasting results. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/stop-testing-quality-in-how-shifting-left-builds-better-software-faster/ Mon, 18 Aug 2025 06:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/stop-testing-quality-in-how-shifting-left-builds-better-software-faster/ Relying on testers to catch issues late in the process increases costs, slows feedback, and undermines product trust; instead, quality should be built in from the start by moving tests and feedback as close to the engineer as possible. Key practices include automating builds and tests, adopting continuous integration and delivery, using test-driven development, and incrementally improving code quality. Development managers should focus on empowering engineers to own quality, relentlessly shortening feedback loops, and making incremental improvements to achieve faster, more reliable releases. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/do-more-staging-environments-really-reduce-deployment-risk/ Wed, 26 Feb 2025 16:30:31 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/do-more-staging-environments-really-reduce-deployment-risk/ Adding more staging environments does not actually reduce deployment risk; it only delays issue discovery and creates a false sense of security. Real risk reduction comes from investing in automated testing, continuous integration, and quality practices built into the development process. To minimize downtime and deployment risk, focus on modern engineering practices rather than adding more pre-production gates. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/every-delay-increases-the-risk-of-failure/ Mon, 10 Feb 2025 11:00:51 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/every-delay-increases-the-risk-of-failure/ Delaying software releases increases the risk of failure and falling behind competitors. Frequent, smaller releases lead to higher success rates and faster recovery, as shown by industry research. Focus on delivering quickly and iterating rather than waiting for a perfect release. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/stop-promoting-branches/ Thu, 06 Feb 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/stop-promoting-branches/ Promoting code through multiple environment branches slows delivery, increases risk, and adds unnecessary complexity. Instead, use simple branching models like GitHub Flow for continuous delivery or Release Flow if you must support multiple live versions; avoid outdated models like Git Flow and never rely on reverse integration. Focus on merging changes directly into main, use feature flags for releases, and keep branching lightweight to deliver value faster. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/how-to-build-for-business-resilience-and-continuity/ Mon, 26 May 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/how-to-build-for-business-resilience-and-continuity/ Building business resilience requires intentional design, strong observability, and aggressive decoupling so failures do not cascade across systems. Empower teams to act quickly, treat deployments as routine, and design for fast recovery using practices like chaos engineering and circuit breakers. Make resilience a core part of your culture and operations, not a one-time project, and use real metrics to guide continuous improvement. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/mastering-site-reliability-insights-from-azure-devops-on-building-a-resilient-live-site-culture/ Thu, 04 Jun 2020 02:05:28 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/mastering-site-reliability-insights-from-azure-devops-on-building-a-resilient-live-site-culture/ The Azure DevOps team at Microsoft has built a resilient live site culture by prioritising transparency with customers, investing in comprehensive telemetry, and automating deployment processes. Cross-functional teams and structured incident response drive continuous improvement and reliability at scale. Development managers should focus on these practices to boost both agility and system robustness while maintaining customer trust. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/why-big-bang-rewrites-fail-how-sustainable-change-and-engineering-excellence-transform-legacy-systems/ Mon, 08 Sep 2025 06:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/why-big-bang-rewrites-fail-how-sustainable-change-and-engineering-excellence-transform-legacy-systems/ Big Bang rewrites of legacy systems usually fail due to high costs, delays, and unchanged team mindsets, while incremental in-place improvements deliver ongoing value and reduce risk. Sustainable change comes from building a culture of continuous improvement and engineering excellence, where teams refactor and modernise systems piece by piece. Development managers should focus on fostering this culture and invest in gradual, disciplined transformation rather than risky all-at-once rewrites. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/technical-debt-isn-t-just-messy-code/ Thu, 13 Mar 2025 16:30:02 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/technical-debt-isn-t-just-messy-code/ Technical debt goes beyond messy code and includes slow feedback, fragile systems, and manual processes that hinder progress. It results from choices like delaying refactoring or skipping automation, and it compounds over time. To avoid bigger problems later, prioritize paying down technical debt now by automating, testing early, and streamlining delivery pipelines. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/still-deploying-manually-why-automation-is-the-bare-minimum-for-modern-engineering-and-your-business-survival/ Mon, 11 Aug 2025 07:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/still-deploying-manually-why-automation-is-the-bare-minimum-for-modern-engineering-and-your-business-survival/ Manual deployments put your business at serious risk due to inevitable human error, as shown by real-world failures that have caused massive financial losses. Automation of builds, deployments, tests, and quality checks is now the minimum standard for professional software development, enabling faster, safer, and more reliable releases. To protect your business and deliver value consistently, eliminate manual steps and automate every part of your delivery pipeline as soon as possible. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/stop-firefighting-bugs-why-shifting-left-saves-time-money-and-your-reputation/ Wed, 04 Jun 2025 06:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/stop-firefighting-bugs-why-shifting-left-saves-time-money-and-your-reputation/ Catching bugs late in the process wastes time, increases costs, and damages your reputation, while most issues could be prevented much earlier. Shifting left by embedding quality checks, early validation, and security into every stage of development leads to faster fixes, fewer production surprises, and greater stakeholder trust. Start building quality in from the beginning to avoid last-minute firefighting and deliver more reliable software. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/scaling-smart-how-to-tackle-technical-debt-for-sustainable-growth/ Tue, 25 Feb 2025 06:00:28 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/scaling-smart-how-to-tackle-technical-debt-for-sustainable-growth/ Unchecked technical debt slows development, increases bugs, and reduces team productivity, making scaling risky and inefficient. Addressing weak points through sustainable architecture, automated testing, and continuous integration enables faster feedback, more reliable releases, and confident growth. Development managers should prioritize managing technical debt and automation to support sustainable scaling and maintain innovation. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/transforming-agility-how-azure-devops-went-from-two-year-releases-to-880-000-deployments/ Thu, 06 Feb 2025 10:20:34 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/transforming-agility-how-azure-devops-went-from-two-year-releases-to-880-000-deployments/ Azure DevOps transformed from two-year release cycles to 880,000 deployments per year by adopting continuous delivery, shortening feedback loops, and using real-time data to guide decisions. This shift enabled rapid response to customer needs and market changes, helping them stay ahead of competitors. Development managers should focus on frequent, small releases and data-driven improvements to maximise value and agility. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/stop-flying-blind-why-telemetry-belongs-in-your-definition-of-done/ Wed, 11 Jun 2025 06:45:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/stop-flying-blind-why-telemetry-belongs-in-your-definition-of-done/ Shipping software without telemetry leaves teams guessing about usage, performance, and user behavior, which prevents learning and improvement. Teams that make telemetry a core part of their Definition of Done catch issues early, validate outcomes with real data, and make better decisions. To deliver real value, define telemetry needs upfront, automate data collection, review feedback regularly, and act on what you learn. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/stop-hoping-for-quality-why-automated-pipelines-are-the-only-way-to-deliver-with-confidence/ Wed, 28 May 2025 07:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/stop-hoping-for-quality-why-automated-pipelines-are-the-only-way-to-deliver-with-confidence/ Relying on manual quality checks leads to inconsistency and risk because people inevitably forget or make mistakes, no matter their intentions. Embedding automated quality gates like security scans, static analysis, linting, and automated tests directly into your delivery pipeline ensures that nothing is missed and quality becomes the default. To deliver reliably and protect your team and customers, make all critical checks automatic and non-optional in your pipeline. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/why-organisations-believe-their-software-is-too-complex-for-cd/ Mon, 24 Feb 2025 10:51:31 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/why-organisations-believe-their-software-is-too-complex-for-cd/ Software complexity is often used as an excuse to avoid continuous delivery, but real-world examples like Microsoft’s Azure DevOps team show that even large, complex systems can achieve frequent releases by investing in quality practices and addressing technical debt. The main barrier is not complexity but the willingness to make necessary improvements. Development managers should focus on fixing underlying issues rather than blaming complexity. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/devops-the-practical-path-to-modernising-legacy-systems-without-starting-over/ Mon, 02 Jun 2025 06:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/devops-the-practical-path-to-modernising-legacy-systems-without-starting-over/ DevOps enables organisations to modernise legacy systems without starting from scratch by introducing automation, continuous integration and deployment, and observability, which make change safer and more routine. These practices reduce bottlenecks, lower the cost of change, and help teams deliver improvements continuously. Development managers should focus on identifying friction points and adopting DevOps practices to make ongoing system improvements achievable and sustainable. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/rethinking-dev-test-staging-production-pipelines-for-safety/ Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:30:30 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/rethinking-dev-test-staging-production-pipelines-for-safety/ Traditional Dev-Test-Staging-Production pipelines give a false sense of security because staging environments do not truly reflect production, leading to missed issues and wasted resources. Modern teams should focus on releasing to small user groups in production and using real feedback to guide rollouts. Consider shifting from heavy pre-release testing to faster, data-driven feedback in production to improve safety and efficiency. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/maximising-deployment-frequency-the-key-to-faster-time-to-market-and-business-success/ Wed, 22 Jan 2025 14:16:54 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/maximising-deployment-frequency-the-key-to-faster-time-to-market-and-business-success/ Increasing deployment frequency is key to reducing time to market and driving business success, but it only adds value if deployments reach production and enable fast learning from real user feedback. Focus on stable environments, end-to-end pipeline analysis, and shortening the time to learn so you can iterate quickly and align with business needs. Prioritise building trust with stakeholders, collecting actionable data, and enabling continuous delivery to respond rapidly to opportunities and deliver the right features at the right time. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/unlocking-engineering-excellence-how-azure-devops-transforms-traceability-transparency-and-the-developer-experience/ Mon, 28 Jul 2025 07:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/unlocking-engineering-excellence-how-azure-devops-transforms-traceability-transparency-and-the-developer-experience/ Azure DevOps is a comprehensive platform that enhances engineering excellence by providing end-to-end traceability, transparency, and an integrated developer experience across planning, code, builds, and testing. Key benefits include instant visibility into what is deployed where, streamlined audit and compliance processes, and reduced friction between developers and testers. Development managers should ensure their teams fully leverage Azure DevOps’ capabilities to improve collaboration, accountability, and product quality. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/stop-guessing-how-to-make-work-visible-and-drive-real-improvement-with-azure-devops-flow-metrics/ Mon, 25 Aug 2025 06:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/stop-guessing-how-to-make-work-visible-and-drive-real-improvement-with-azure-devops-flow-metrics/ Relying on gut feeling leads to mediocre results, so making work visible with real data is essential for improvement. Azure DevOps provides a strong data foundation but its built-in metrics and visualisations are basic; using tools like Flow Viz or Actionable Agile Metrics gives deeper insights and actionable flow data. To drive better outcomes, move from guesswork to evidence-based decisions by leveraging these tools to make your team’s work and bottlenecks visible. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/devops-elevating-your-organization-s-performance-through-bespoke-solutions/ Fri, 16 Aug 2024 07:18:10 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/devops-elevating-your-organization-s-performance-through-bespoke-solutions/ Tailoring DevOps to your organization’s unique needs starts with assessing your current state, streamlining processes, and choosing the right tools, which leads to higher quality and more frequent software deliveries. Key actions include conducting solo interviews to uncover real issues, automating and rationalizing tools, and empowering teams with end-to-end ownership while ensuring compliance does not block DevOps practices. Start with small, controlled deployments and strategic timing to minimize risk and maximize efficiency. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/if-a-client-hasn't-considered-devops-consulting-as-part-of-their-agile-consulting-needs-why-should-they/ Mon, 21 Aug 2023 07:00:01 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/if-a-client-hasn't-considered-devops-consulting-as-part-of-their-agile-consulting-needs-why-should-they/ Relying on Agile alone limits your team’s ability to deliver quality software quickly and efficiently; integrating DevOps consulting breaks down silos, accelerates time to market, and embeds quality from the start. DevOps is more than tools, it is a culture shift that harmonizes development and operations, enabling continuous improvement and resilient deployments. To maximize Agile’s benefits, development managers should invest in DevOps consulting to create a truly high-performing, adaptable software delivery process. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/legacy-systems-aren-t-the-enemy-friction-is-how-to-unblock-innovation-and-accelerate-agile-delivery/ Mon, 14 Jul 2025 06:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/legacy-systems-aren-t-the-enemy-friction-is-how-to-unblock-innovation-and-accelerate-agile-delivery/ Legacy systems are only a problem when they create friction that slows delivery, increases fragility, and blocks innovation. The real issue is not system age but lack of ongoing maintenance and improvement, which leads to bottlenecks for both engineers and management. To accelerate agile delivery, focus on identifying and removing friction points, prioritising continuous improvement, and communicating the value of these efforts to the business. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/why-engineering-teams-use-staging-environments-for-risk-reduction/ Fri, 14 Feb 2025 16:30:01 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/why-engineering-teams-use-staging-environments-for-risk-reduction/ Staging environments are intended to reduce risk but often lead to wasted time, delayed feedback, and extra costs without truly preventing failures. Modern practices like feature flags, progressive rollouts, and real-time monitoring can help teams deploy safely to production while reducing waste. Consider whether maintaining staging environments is actually benefiting your team or just adding unnecessary overhead. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/getting-started-with-a-modern-source-control-system-and-devops/ Mon, 13 Jul 2020 18:41:59 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/getting-started-with-a-modern-source-control-system-and-devops/ Modern source control systems are essential for managing not just code but the entire software development lifecycle, supporting DevOps practices and providing critical metadata for process visibility. Key practices include always using source control, automating release pipelines, minimizing branches with feature flags, moving to Git, and ensuring regular feedback and testing. To stay competitive, development managers should ensure all code is in source control, automate releases, and adopt integrated platforms like VSTS that support any technology and enable continuous delivery. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/unlocking-legacy-systems-how-to-embrace-automation-and-drive-innovation/ Mon, 28 Apr 2025 06:00:34 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/unlocking-legacy-systems-how-to-embrace-automation-and-drive-innovation/ Legacy systems can and should be automated, with the main barrier being mindset rather than technology. By encouraging a culture that questions old processes and starting with small, incremental automation efforts, teams can reduce bottlenecks and unlock significant efficiency gains. Development managers should identify manual pain points and begin automating them to drive innovation and continuous improvement. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/stop-chasing-trends-how-real-agility-and-devops-build-resilient-adaptable-teams/ Fri, 27 Jun 2025 06:00:23 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/stop-chasing-trends-how-real-agility-and-devops-build-resilient-adaptable-teams/ Focusing on real agility and DevOps means building adaptable teams and resilient systems, not just adopting the latest tools or trends. Key outcomes include smoother delivery, better feedback, and teams that can handle change without disruption. Prioritise embedding adaptability into your culture and processes so your teams can lead rather than react to change. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/technical-debt-management-for-long-term-quality/ Thu, 21 Nov 2024 07:00:11 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/technical-debt-management-for-long-term-quality/ Technical debt results from choosing quick fixes over long-term solutions and can be both intentional and unintentional, eventually limiting your team’s ability to deliver value. The Azure DevOps team dramatically increased their feature delivery by prioritizing and paying down technical debt, showing that addressing it leads to faster delivery and higher product quality. Development managers should actively identify and pay back technical debt to maximize long-term productivity and value. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/best-branching-strategies-for-development-teams-explained/ Tue, 25 Feb 2025 16:30:02 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/best-branching-strategies-for-development-teams-explained/ Using separate branches for each environment increases complexity and slows feedback, making it harder to deliver value quickly. Teams should use branches to manage work in progress and rely on feature flags and progressive rollouts to control what users see. Review your current branching approach and consider simplifying it to speed up delivery and reduce risk. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/unlocking-rapid-delivery-overcoming-common-devops-challenges-for-agile-success/ Fri, 21 Apr 2023 07:00:06 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/unlocking-rapid-delivery-overcoming-common-devops-challenges-for-agile-success/ Many teams struggle to deliver products quickly due to slow feedback loops, limited automation, and resistance to change. Key improvements include automating processes, engaging compliance teams early to challenge assumptions, and fostering a culture open to experimentation. Development managers should review their delivery pipelines for bottlenecks and actively involve stakeholders to enable faster, more agile releases. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/why-azure-devops-wins-for-governance-security-and-scale-right-out-of-the-box/ Mon, 01 Sep 2025 06:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/why-azure-devops-wins-for-governance-security-and-scale-right-out-of-the-box/ Azure DevOps provides integrated governance, security, compliance, and scalability out of the box, eliminating the need for complex tool setups and manual integration. Its seamless traceability, audit trails, and ability to handle thousands of users make it ideal for large-scale, secure software development. Development managers should consider Azure DevOps to reduce operational friction and focus on delivering value rather than managing disparate tools. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/engineering-notes/building-a-resilient-token-server-engineering-for-flow-fault-tolerance-and-speed/ Thu, 08 May 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/engineering-notes/building-a-resilient-token-server-engineering-for-flow-fault-tolerance-and-speed/ Aiming for a resilient, fast, and fault-tolerant token counting system, the author replaced fragile server restarts with a batch-wide server lifecycle, added retry logic for transient failures, and implemented a local fallback to ensure uninterrupted processing. These changes improved reliability, reduced downtime, and provided clear logs for troubleshooting. Development managers should focus on building systems that handle real-world failures gracefully, prioritize flow, and include observability and fallback mechanisms from the start. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/rethinking-continuous-delivery-why-best-practices-don't-exist-in-complex-environments/ Thu, 23 Jan 2025 06:30:03 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/rethinking-continuous-delivery-why-best-practices-don't-exist-in-complex-environments/ There are no universal best practices for continuous delivery in complex environments; instead, teams should adopt flexible, situation-specific approaches. Key strategies include audience-based delivery for rapid feedback, testing in production to validate real-world performance, and a commitment to quickly finding and fixing issues. Development managers should focus on continuous improvement and adaptability rather than rigid processes. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/code-reviews-for-quality-assurance/ Wed, 27 Nov 2024 06:00:25 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/code-reviews-for-quality-assurance/ Automating code validation before pull requests speeds up delivery, catches defects earlier, and ensures consistent quality, allowing manual reviews to focus on architecture and business alignment instead of minor issues. Development managers should invest in automated testing, static analysis, and security checks, making pull requests mandatory and using manual reviews strategically. This approach reduces bottlenecks and helps teams deliver high-quality software faster. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/if-every-release-feels-high-risk-you-lack-a-true-definition-of-done/ Sat, 05 Apr 2025 15:30:00 +0100 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/if-every-release-feels-high-risk-you-lack-a-true-definition-of-done/ If every release feels risky and stressful, your team likely lacks a clear Definition of Done that ensures software is truly ready for production. A strong Definition of Done means releases are routine, with quality, security, and compliance built in, so there are no last-minute scrambles. Review your team’s process to make releases predictable and low-stress. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/let-us-do-the-maths/ Wed, 30 Apr 2025 15:30:52 +0100 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/let-us-do-the-maths/ Slow release cycles mean customer needs go unmet and competitors gain an edge. Microsoft’s shift from a two-year delivery cycle to three-week sprints allowed them to deliver features in days, improving customer satisfaction and competitiveness. Accelerate your delivery process to stay relevant and meet customer demands faster. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/there-a-common-belief-that-rollback-is-the-ultimate-safety-net/ Thu, 13 Feb 2025 15:53:38 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/there-a-common-belief-that-rollback-is-the-ultimate-safety-net/ Relying on rollback as a safety net is risky, especially for stateful applications where it can cause data issues and failures. Safer approaches include progressive delivery methods like feature flags and canary releases, which help detect and limit problems early. Teams should focus on making deployments safe to fail rather than assuming rollback will fix mistakes. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/how-important-is-devops-in-continuous-delivery-of-value-to-customers/ Mon, 20 Feb 2023 07:00:10 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/how-important-is-devops-in-continuous-delivery-of-value-to-customers/ DevOps is essential for delivering value to customers because it enables teams to quickly and effectively turn ideas into working software, closely aligning with agile principles. Both DevOps and agile focus on rapid feedback, continuous improvement, and adapting to customer needs, making them deeply interconnected. Development managers should ensure their teams integrate DevOps practices to accelerate delivery, validate value, and reduce risk. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/how-lack-of-agency-is-killing-your-devops-initiatives/ Mon, 16 Jun 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/how-lack-of-agency-is-killing-your-devops-initiatives/ DevOps only works when developers have real control over production environments, deployments, and telemetry; without this operational agency, automation just creates fragile systems and blocks learning from real user feedback. Most DevOps efforts fail because they focus on tools instead of empowering developers to deploy, monitor, and adapt in production. To succeed, give your teams full operational ownership so they can deliver value continuously and respond quickly to real-world issues. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/why-using-a-blocked-column-in-azure-devops-is-a-mistake/ Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:30:01 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/why-using-a-blocked-column-in-azure-devops-is-a-mistake/ Using a blocked column in Azure DevOps causes work to stall and be forgotten, rather than resolved. Instead, use a visible blocked tag and keep items in their active state to maintain focus and encourage action. Track blockages to address root causes and keep work moving. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/deploying-windows-os-directly-to-production-then-vs-now/ Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:30:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/deploying-windows-os-directly-to-production-then-vs-now/ Microsoft now deploys Windows updates directly to production using a gradual, ring-based rollout that starts with internal users and expands outward, guided by real-time feedback and telemetry. This approach catches issues early and enables safe, incremental releases even across complex environments. Development managers should consider adopting similar staged deployment strategies to improve release quality and responsiveness. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/branch-promotion-is-a-relic-of-slow-manual-software-delivery/ Sat, 08 Feb 2025 16:30:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/branch-promotion-is-a-relic-of-slow-manual-software-delivery/ Branch promotion slows down delivery and adds risk, while modern teams merge changes into the main branch as soon as they are ready and use feature flags to separate deployment from release. Testing in production-like environments and instant rollbacks improve speed and safety. Focus on managing the flow of work, not branches, to streamline delivery. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/frequent-releases-are-not-just-a-technical-strategy/ Fri, 07 Feb 2025 16:30:01 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/frequent-releases-are-not-just-a-technical-strategy/ Frequent releases help teams learn from real users and avoid wasting effort on features that may not work, as shown by Microsoft’s costly Windows 8 failure. Research shows that teams releasing often recover faster and reduce costs. To reduce risk and improve outcomes, prioritize frequent releases and adapt based on user feedback. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/transforming-enterprises-how-devops-drives-collaboration-and-continuous-improvement/ Tue, 16 Jun 2020 12:16:52 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/transforming-enterprises-how-devops-drives-collaboration-and-continuous-improvement/ DevOps can transform enterprise software teams by fostering collaboration, encouraging continuous improvement, and enabling automation, which together lead to faster delivery and higher quality. Focusing on a customer-centric approach helps teams respond quickly to feedback and market changes. Development managers should prioritize building a culture that supports these principles to drive meaningful organizational change. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/the-common-challenges-of-adopting-devops-practices/ Tue, 20 Aug 2024 08:04:38 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/the-common-challenges-of-adopting-devops-practices/ Adopting DevOps brings challenges like managing new types of risk and avoiding setbacks, especially as teams shift from long, structured cycles to rapid, continuous delivery. Success depends on quickly closing feedback loops, acting on real-world data from production, and adapting processes to maintain quality and flexibility. Development managers should focus on integrating feedback into daily workflows and using modern tools to manage risk without slowing down delivery. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/is-your-project-ecosystem-truly-agile/ Wed, 31 Jul 2024 06:45:01 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/is-your-project-ecosystem-truly-agile/ Having Agile development teams is not enough if your deployment processes remain slow and bureaucratic, as this creates delays, reduces value, and frustrates teams. Automating deployment and testing, implementing CI/CD pipelines, and shortening feedback loops are essential to achieving true end-to-end agility and maximizing stakeholder value. Review your current processes for bottlenecks, start automating where possible, and involve stakeholders early and often to ensure your entire project ecosystem is genuinely Agile. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/embracing-automation-the-key-to-transforming-your-development-process-and-boosting-confidence/ Tue, 14 Jan 2025 06:45:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/embracing-automation-the-key-to-transforming-your-development-process-and-boosting-confidence/ Embracing automation in testing, deployment, and validation is essential for faster, more reliable software delivery and increased team confidence. The Azure DevOps team drastically reduced feedback loops and technical debt by shifting to automated, efficient testing and empowering developers with local testing tools. Prioritizing automation and quality builds trust both within teams and with customers, so development managers should focus on automating as much as possible to enable continuous delivery and rapid improvement. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/unlocking-code-quality-the-transformative-power-of-frequent-deployments/ Mon, 13 Jan 2025 06:45:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/unlocking-code-quality-the-transformative-power-of-frequent-deployments/ Frequent deployments lead to higher code quality, faster feedback, and better alignment with user needs, while infrequent deployments cause larger, riskier changes and more technical debt. Breaking work into smaller pieces and deploying regularly encourages maintainable code and enables quick pivots based on real user data. Development managers should focus on reducing batch sizes, increasing deployment frequency, and investing in observability to improve both product quality and team performance. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/from-chaos-to-clarity-my-journey-through-devops-and-the-three-key-challenges-to-overcome/ Thu, 04 Apr 2024 11:34:59 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/from-chaos-to-clarity-my-journey-through-devops-and-the-three-key-challenges-to-overcome/ The author describes moving from chaotic, manual development practices to adopting DevOps, highlighting three main challenges: shifting culture and collaboration, integrating and automating toolchains, and fostering continuous learning. Success requires systems thinking, strong feedback loops, and a culture of experimentation. Development managers should focus on supporting people, streamlining processes, and encouraging ongoing learning to deliver better products faster. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/building-a-release-pipeline-with-release-management-with-visual-studio-2013/ Tue, 18 Feb 2014 16:30:59 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/building-a-release-pipeline-with-release-management-with-visual-studio-2013/ Explains how to set up a scalable release pipeline using Release Management in Visual Studio 2013, covering continuous release, feedback environments, and DevOps practices. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/the-evolution-of-my-journey-with-azure-devops-lessons-and-insights/ Wed, 31 Jul 2024 09:21:03 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/the-evolution-of-my-journey-with-azure-devops-lessons-and-insights/ Azure DevOps has evolved from TFS to a powerful, flexible platform that can transform team workflows, but successful adoption and migration require careful planning and sometimes custom solutions. Key lessons include the importance of assessing your environment, choosing the right migration tools, and leveraging expert guidance for complex needs. Development managers should ensure their teams are trained and consider consulting support to maximize the benefits and scalability of Azure DevOps. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/staging-environments-do-not-prevent-production-failures/ Fri, 28 Feb 2025 16:30:01 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/staging-environments-do-not-prevent-production-failures/ Staging environments do not truly prevent production failures because they cannot fully replicate real-world conditions, often giving teams a false sense of security. Leading teams now deploy changes incrementally to real users in production, using monitoring and automated safeguards to catch issues early. Consider shifting focus from pre-production testing to safer, controlled releases in production to reduce risk and respond faster to problems. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/every-unreleased-feature-is-a-cost/ Wed, 05 Feb 2025 16:30:01 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/every-unreleased-feature-is-a-cost/ Unreleased features create hidden costs and risks, as work that is not delivered provides no real value. Evidence shows that frequent releases reduce failure rates and improve stability, while long cycles lead to more rework and missed opportunities. Focus on shipping regularly to ensure your team’s efforts translate into actual value. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/empowering-your-team-why-quick-fixes-in-agile-and-devops-are-a-myth/ Thu, 09 May 2024 06:45:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/empowering-your-team-why-quick-fixes-in-agile-and-devops-are-a-myth/ There are no quick fixes for Agile or DevOps transformation; relying on external parties or contractors to deliver ready-made solutions does not build lasting capability. Sustainable change comes from empowering your own team through learning, collaboration, and continuous improvement, with consultants serving as guides rather than doers. Invest in developing your people and culture to achieve real, long-term agility. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/unlocking-value-in-devops-my-role-as-a-consultant-in-driving-change-and-overcoming-bottlenecks/ Tue, 02 May 2023 07:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/unlocking-value-in-devops-my-role-as-a-consultant-in-driving-change-and-overcoming-bottlenecks/ As a DevOps consultant, my main focus is helping teams rethink how they deliver value by identifying and addressing both technical and process bottlenecks, such as slow builds or approval delays. I do this by asking targeted questions and encouraging teams to examine their workflows, which leads to continuous improvement and better customer outcomes. Development managers should regularly review their processes to spot and resolve the biggest sources of delay. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/live-site-culture-site-reliability-engineering/ Wed, 17 Jun 2020 13:23:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/live-site-culture-site-reliability-engineering/ To stay competitive in a fast-changing market, teams must adopt DevOps and continuous delivery, shifting from infrequent releases to deploying updates daily. This requires faster feedback, shared responsibility for quality and operations, and new ways of working, as shown by Microsoft’s Azure DevOps team. Development managers should consider evolving their team structures and practices to support rapid, customer-focused delivery. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/release-management-with-team-foundation-server-2012/ Wed, 24 Apr 2013 17:38:24 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/release-management-with-team-foundation-server-2012/ Explains how to automate and streamline software release management using Team Foundation Server 2012, Lab Management, and Octopus, focusing on build, deployment, and quality. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/unlocking-the-true-power-of-continuous-delivery-how-automation-transforms-software-development/ Fri, 06 Dec 2024 06:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/unlocking-the-true-power-of-continuous-delivery-how-automation-transforms-software-development/ The main benefit of continuous delivery is the automation it brings, which increases consistency, reliability, and risk mitigation in software deployments. Real-world examples like Azure DevOps and Windows teams show that automation shortens feedback loops, reduces errors, and enables faster, higher-quality releases without increasing team size. Development managers should focus on embedding automation throughout their delivery process to protect the business and empower teams to deliver better software more efficiently. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/security-by-design-building-secure-software/ Tue, 26 Nov 2024 13:35:33 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/security-by-design-building-secure-software/ Shifting left means building quality and security into software from the start by making developers responsible for testing, integrating expertise early, and using practices like test-driven development and continuous feedback. Although it may feel slower at first, this approach reduces long-term costs, technical debt, and enables faster, higher-quality delivery as shown by Azure DevOps’ transformation. Development managers should invest in shift-left practices now to empower teams, improve products, and accelerate innovation. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/from-software-engineer-to-scrum-trainer-how-my-journey-shapes-effective-devops-training/ Fri, 20 Jan 2023 07:00:08 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/from-software-engineer-to-scrum-trainer-how-my-journey-shapes-effective-devops-training/ The author’s journey from software engineer to Scrum trainer, including recognition as a Microsoft MVP and extensive DevOps consulting across multiple industries, shapes a practical and relatable training style. Key insights include the value of learning from both successes and failures, the motivational power of real-world stories, and the belief that any team can move toward continuous delivery. Development managers should consider leveraging trainers with hands-on experience to inspire teams and drive meaningful change. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/what-is-your-favourite-devops-consulting-outcome/ Tue, 18 Apr 2023 07:00:08 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/what-is-your-favourite-devops-consulting-outcome/ A fragmented, multi-billion-dollar software project with 80 to 90 teams across nine countries was transformed by unifying processes and source control onto Azure DevOps, greatly improving collaboration and efficiency. The key outcomes were simplification, system unification, and a shift toward a ‘One Engineering System’ approach. Development managers should consider consolidating tools and processes to drive similar improvements in productivity and teamwork. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/empowering-leadership-driving-cultural-change-for-agile-success/ Fri, 07 Feb 2025 06:00:27 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/empowering-leadership-driving-cultural-change-for-agile-success/ Leadership is crucial for enabling agile success by setting a clear vision, investing in automation, supporting architectural improvements, fostering continuous learning, and breaking down silos. These actions help teams align with organisational goals, deliver more reliably, and adapt to change. Development managers should prioritise these areas to create a culture that supports frequent, high-quality delivery and ongoing improvement. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/unlocking-continuous-delivery-how-feature-flags-transform-software-development/ Thu, 16 Jan 2025 06:45:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/unlocking-continuous-delivery-how-feature-flags-transform-software-development/ Feature flags enable teams to release new features incrementally, gather user feedback early, and quickly respond to issues, supporting safer and more frequent deployments. Real-world examples like Azure DevOps show that this approach allows for controlled rollouts, continuous monitoring, and ongoing improvements based on user input. Development managers should consider adopting feature flags to improve delivery speed, reduce risk, and ensure features better meet user needs. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/unlocking-the-future-of-software-development-why-automation-is-your-key-to-success/ Wed, 15 Jan 2025 06:45:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/unlocking-the-future-of-software-development-why-automation-is-your-key-to-success/ Automation is essential for faster, more reliable software development, reducing human error and enabling consistent, rapid deployments. Real-world failures like Knight Capital show the high cost of manual processes, while leading teams achieve quick, high-quality releases by building automation into every step. Development managers should prioritize automating all possible tasks to improve quality, speed, and adaptability. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-high-of-release/ Sat, 05 Dec 2015 14:49:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-high-of-release/ Microsoft’s new web-based Release Management tools let teams build flexible, integrated release pipelines in VSTS or TFS without being locked into specific deployment tools. The focus is on orchestration and integration, allowing you to use your preferred technologies like Chef, Puppet, Docker, or PowerShell. These tools are now in public preview, so consider evaluating them to streamline your release process and support cloud or on-premises deployments. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/create-a-release-management-pipeline-for-professional-developers/ Thu, 04 Dec 2014 12:15:56 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/create-a-release-management-pipeline-for-professional-developers/ This guide walks through setting up an automated release management pipeline using TFS/VSO and Azure, showing how to build, deploy, and parameterize a legacy web app across multiple feedback environments. Key takeaways include the importance of automating builds and releases, using environment-specific parameters, and streamlining approvals for smoother deployments. Development managers should consider investing time upfront to automate and parameterize their pipelines, as this reduces manual errors and accelerates feedback cycles. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-for-cross-team-and-cross-business-line-work-item-tracking/ Tue, 04 Mar 2014 16:34:13 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-for-cross-team-and-cross-business-line-work-item-tracking/ Explains how to use a single Team Project and Team Field in TFS to streamline cross-team work item tracking, reporting, and collaboration across business lines. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/navigating-devops-crafting-unique-solutions-for-unique-organizations/ Fri, 23 Aug 2024 07:00:12 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/navigating-devops-crafting-unique-solutions-for-unique-organizations/ DevOps success depends on tailoring solutions to your organization’s unique context rather than following a one-size-fits-all approach. Bringing in external experts can provide valuable new perspectives and help spark innovation, while long-term commitment to continuous improvement and adaptation is essential. Focus on developing a flexible DevOps philosophy, regularly refine your practices, and seek outside help when needed to sustain progress. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/from-developer-to-agile-advocate-how-my-journey-unveiled-the-power-of-scrum-and-devops/ Thu, 02 Mar 2023 07:00:01 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/from-developer-to-agile-advocate-how-my-journey-unveiled-the-power-of-scrum-and-devops/ The author describes moving from traditional project management to Agile, highlighting that real change comes from rethinking processes and focusing on people rather than just adopting new tools. Key insights include the importance of simplifying workflows, avoiding unnecessary bureaucracy, and empowering teams through Agile and Scrum principles. Development managers should focus on enabling team autonomy and streamlining processes to unlock better results. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/git-flow-should-have-died-years-ago/ Sun, 09 Feb 2025 16:30:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/git-flow-should-have-died-years-ago/ Git Flow is outdated and causes unnecessary delays and complications for modern software teams. Long-lived branches and complex merges slow down delivery and increase risk. Switch to simpler workflows like GitHub Flow or Release Flow to speed up development and focus on delivering value. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/mastering-azure-devops-migration-tools-your-ultimate-guide-to-seamless-migrations/ Thu, 17 Oct 2019 19:16:03 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/mastering-azure-devops-migration-tools-your-ultimate-guide-to-seamless-migrations/ Azure DevOps Migration Tools enable experienced teams to move work items and related data between environments efficiently, supporting features like syncing changes during migration and extensive customization. For best results, set up a dedicated environment, migrate open work items first, use date-based queries for updates, and monitor API performance. Engage with the active open-source community for support and improvements to ensure a smooth migration. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/resilience-is-not-a-department/ Sat, 17 May 2025 15:30:21 +0100 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/signals/resilience-is-not-a-department/ Resilience must be built into your product from the start, not treated as a separate concern or afterthought. Focusing only on performance, cost, or speed can lead to fragile systems that fail in real-world conditions. Make sure your disaster recovery plans are tested under real scenarios, not just documented, to avoid turning your product into a liability. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/devops-demystified-why-it's-more-than-just-tools-and-how-to-embrace-its-true-value/ Wed, 07 Jun 2023 07:00:02 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/devops-demystified-why-it's-more-than-just-tools-and-how-to-embrace-its-true-value/ DevOps is not just about tools like Azure DevOps but is a broader idea focused on improving engineering systems through collaboration, agility, and continuous improvement. Shifting your team’s mindset from tool selection to embracing DevOps principles will lead to better performance and product quality. Focus on how DevOps concepts can enhance your processes rather than relying solely on specific tools. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/why-is-devops-such-a-critical-element-of-software-engineering/ Wed, 14 Jun 2023 14:30:02 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/why-is-devops-such-a-critical-element-of-software-engineering/ DevOps is essential in software engineering because it connects development and operations, enabling faster and more reliable delivery of value to customers. It acts as the glue that speeds up product releases and strengthens feedback loops, helping teams innovate and improve continuously. Development managers should consider adopting DevOps practices to accelerate delivery and enhance product quality. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/open-source-with-vsts-or-tfs-and-github-for-better-devops/ Tue, 10 May 2016 16:19:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/open-source-with-vsts-or-tfs-and-github-for-better-devops/ You can use VSTS or TFS for full DevOps and agile capabilities while keeping your open-source code on Github by setting up automated two-way synchronization between the platforms. This approach lets you manage private work and processes in VSTS, then publish selected branches to Github for public access and contributions. Set up automated builds in VSTS to sync code in both directions, using personal tokens for authentication, so you get the best of both tools without extra manual effort. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-new-normal-of-the-modern-application-lifecycle/ Wed, 10 Oct 2012 17:00:16 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-new-normal-of-the-modern-application-lifecycle/ Explores how rapid technological change, consumer expectations, and agile practices are reshaping software development, IT roles, and business relevance in the digital era. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/mastering-azure-devops-migration-a-step-by-step-guide-for-seamless-project-transfers/ Thu, 16 Nov 2023 12:47:09 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/mastering-azure-devops-migration-a-step-by-step-guide-for-seamless-project-transfers/ Migrating projects in Azure DevOps can be straightforward if you use the right tools, carefully configure your migration files, and address common issues like field mapping and iteration paths. Key steps include installing migration tools, preparing configuration files, ensuring required fields are present, and matching Git repo names between source and target. Prepare thoroughly, follow the outlined steps, and seek expert help if needed to ensure a smooth migration. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/what-is-your-peeve-in-devops/ Thu, 27 Apr 2023 09:30:06 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/what-is-your-peeve-in-devops/ A common misconception in DevOps is that continuous delivery is unattainable and developers cannot be trusted to deploy to production, but this belief is unfounded and limits innovation. With the right tools and mindset, teams can achieve continuous delivery and empower developers to lead the process. Development managers should challenge these myths and consider upskilling their teams to unlock faster, more reliable delivery. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/avoiding-the-local-optimisation-trap-how-to-ensure-your-governance-drives-organisational-success/ Sat, 08 Feb 2025 07:49:38 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/avoiding-the-local-optimisation-trap-how-to-ensure-your-governance-drives-organisational-success/ Focusing on optimising individual teams or processes without considering their impact on the whole organisation can create inefficiencies and misalignment. Integrating governance into daily work and encouraging cross-team collaboration helps ensure decisions support overall business goals. Development managers should prioritise system-wide alignment over isolated improvements to drive lasting organisational success. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/quality-enablement-with-visual-studio-2012/ Wed, 15 May 2013 03:13:20 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/quality-enablement-with-visual-studio-2012/ Explores how Visual Studio 2012 supports continuous quality enablement, automated testing, and rapid delivery in modern software development for higher user satisfaction. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/naked-alm-starting-with-why-and-getting-naked/ Thu, 02 May 2013 03:06:42 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/naked-alm-starting-with-why-and-getting-naked/ Explores the importance of understanding purpose in Application Lifecycle Management, focusing on transparency, customer value, and continuous improvement in software delivery. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/navigating-the-complex-world-of-azure-devops-data-migration/ Wed, 31 Jul 2024 12:00:49 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/navigating-the-complex-world-of-azure-devops-data-migration/ Migrating to Azure DevOps is complex, especially with legacy systems, but careful planning and attention to detail can prevent most issues. Key steps include importing legacy data before upgrades, aligning user identities to avoid workflow disruptions, cleaning up databases to meet size limits, and strictly following Microsoft’s backup procedures. Development managers should prioritize preparation and sequencing to ensure a smooth migration and minimize risks. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/why-embracing-automation-is-essential-for-reducing-human-error-in-software-development/ Wed, 18 Dec 2024 06:45:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/why-embracing-automation-is-essential-for-reducing-human-error-in-software-development/ Automation is essential in software development because it reduces human error, speeds up feedback, and creates more reliable processes. Relying on manual steps leads to costly mistakes and unsustainable workloads, while automation enables faster, higher-quality releases and happier customers. Development managers should prioritise automating repetitive tasks and rearchitecting processes that cannot be automated to improve quality and efficiency. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/standard-environments-for-automated-deployment-and-testing/ Sun, 17 Mar 2013 06:23:45 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/standard-environments-for-automated-deployment-and-testing/ Explains how to set up and use Standard Environments in Visual Studio 2012 TFS for automated software deployment and testing, enabling consistent, repeatable pipelines. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/how-do-devops-and-agile-integrate/ Tue, 13 Jun 2023 14:30:08 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/how-do-devops-and-agile-integrate/ DevOps and Agile are closely connected, each offering a different but complementary focus: DevOps emphasizes engineering and continuous delivery, while Agile centers on people and process. Combining both approaches helps teams achieve better results by leveraging their unique strengths together. Development managers should encourage their teams to integrate both mindsets for optimal performance. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/unlocking-the-superpower-of-software-development-how-shifting-left-transforms-quality-assurance/ Fri, 22 Nov 2024 14:04:14 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/unlocking-the-superpower-of-software-development-how-shifting-left-transforms-quality-assurance/ Shifting quality assurance to the start of the development process leads to higher product quality, faster delivery, and lower costs by catching issues early and fostering better collaboration. Teams that adopt this approach see improved morale and stakeholder confidence. To get started, educate your team, involve QA early, encourage collaboration, use automation, and focus on continuous improvement. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/the-limits-of-self-taught-learning-why-external-perspectives-matter/ Thu, 22 Aug 2024 07:00:08 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/the-limits-of-self-taught-learning-why-external-perspectives-matter/ Relying only on self-taught learning limits your team’s growth because people tend to stop searching for better solutions once they find one that works. Bringing in external expertise exposes your organization to new perspectives, tools, and methods, helping you identify hidden problems and explore more effective approaches. To drive innovation and align progress with your goals, balance internal learning with outside guidance and encourage your team to keep exploring beyond their current knowledge. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/devops-consulting-overview/ Fri, 16 Jun 2023 07:00:14 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/devops-consulting-overview/ DevOps consulting focuses on driving real improvement by aligning culture, processes, and tools to deliver better software faster and more reliably. Key outcomes include tailored workshops, leadership alignment, and hands-on technical support across various platforms, not just Microsoft. To get the most value, approach DevOps as an ongoing journey of cultural and operational change rather than a one-time tool implementation. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/deploying-team-server/ Tue, 30 Jan 2007 13:48:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/deploying-team-server/ Discusses the challenges, costs, and benefits of implementing Team Foundation Server (TFS) for large development teams in a corporate investment banking environment. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/how-did-you-know-you-were-ready-to-transition-from-devops-practitioner-to-devops-consultant/ Thu, 04 May 2023 07:00:19 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/how-did-you-know-you-were-ready-to-transition-from-devops-practitioner-to-devops-consultant/ Transitioning from DevOps practitioner to consultant often happens when your expertise is recognized by others, not just when you feel ready. Key signals include being noticed for your skills, sharing your insights publicly, and being sought out for advice, which can lead to opportunities to guide multiple organizations. To prepare, focus on demonstrating your expertise, sharing your knowledge, and engaging with the community to build visibility and influence. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/create-a-standard-environment-for-release-management-in-azure/ Thu, 04 Dec 2014 11:30:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/create-a-standard-environment-for-release-management-in-azure/ Setting up a standard release management environment in Azure is straightforward, cost-effective, and closely mirrors on-premises setups by using VMs, resource groups, and Application Insights for analytics. Using the old Azure portal gives better control over naming and resource organization, while Azure’s flexibility allows quick scaling and isolation for multiple environments. Development managers should consider scripting environment setup for repeatability and use Application Insights to track application usage and feedback. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/virtual-labs-in-the-modern-application-lifecycle/ Sat, 22 Sep 2012 05:22:14 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/virtual-labs-in-the-modern-application-lifecycle/ Explores how virtual labs help development and operations teams manage, test, and automate complex modern application environments using virtualisation technologies. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/why-you-need-to-tag-your-build-servers-in-tfs/ Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:11:55 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/why-you-need-to-tag-your-build-servers-in-tfs/ Tagging build servers in TFS helps manage dependencies, assign builds to suitable agents, and streamline workflows across teams and regions for reliable automation. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/mastering-the-migration-seamlessly-transitioning-from-tfs-to-azure-devops/ Wed, 31 Jul 2024 11:58:11 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/mastering-the-migration-seamlessly-transitioning-from-tfs-to-azure-devops/ Migrating from TFS to Azure DevOps can boost team collaboration, enable cloud capabilities, and provide continuous updates, but it requires careful planning to address compatibility issues and account alignment. Key steps include updating TFS, running validation tools, fixing issues, and thorough post-migration testing to avoid disruptions. To ensure a smooth transition, use the right migration tools and consider expert support for complex environments. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/30th-march-2020-office-hours-ask-me-anything/ Fri, 10 Apr 2020 18:32:34 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/30th-march-2020-office-hours-ask-me-anything/ Martin, an expert in Scrum and Azure DevOps, is hosting an open Q&A session where you can ask about DevOps, agility, or related topics. You can submit questions publicly or privately. This is a chance to get direct advice on your team’s challenges from a recognized industry professional. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-build-reports-licencies-licx-unable-to-load-type/ Thu, 23 Oct 2014 15:09:04 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-build-reports-licencies-licx-unable-to-load-type/ A build error caused by mismatched component versions in the licenses.licx file blocked successful automated builds, even though local builds worked due to developers having multiple versions installed. The issue was traced to inconsistent component versions between developer machines and the build server, highlighting the risks of unmanaged dependencies. To avoid similar problems, regularly clean up or reimage developer workstations and prioritize setting up automated builds to catch these issues early. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/bug-in-the-visual-studio-git-integration-that-results-in-a-merge-conflict/ Thu, 09 Oct 2014 15:20:01 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/bug-in-the-visual-studio-git-integration-that-results-in-a-merge-conflict/ A bug in Visual Studio 2013.3’s Git integration causes merge conflicts when developers pull from a remote branch with local commits, even if there are no uncommitted changes. The issue disrupts teams migrating from older systems and can only be worked around by moving changes to a temporary branch and rolling back the local branch, or by adopting a workflow where all work is done on feature or hotfix branches. Installing Visual Studio 2013.4 CTP resolves the bug, so upgrading is recommended to avoid these conflicts and streamline development. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/maven-release-prepare-fails-with-detected-changes-in-jenkins/ Wed, 09 Jul 2014 13:03:50 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/maven-release-prepare-fails-with-detected-changes-in-jenkins/ Explains how to fix Maven release prepare failures in Jenkins with TFS by using .tfignore files to exclude generated files like release.properties from source control. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/mask-password-in-jenkins-when-calling-tee/ Wed, 21 May 2014 13:49:04 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/mask-password-in-jenkins-when-calling-tee/ Learn how to securely mask passwords in Jenkins logs when using Team Explorer Everywhere (TEE), preventing sensitive credentials from being exposed during build processes. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/configuring-jenkins-to-talk-to-tfs-2013/ Wed, 07 May 2014 09:51:59 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/configuring-jenkins-to-talk-to-tfs-2013/ Guide to integrating Jenkins with TFS 2013 using the Team Foundation Server plugin, covering installation, configuration, and key differences from TF Build. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/reserve-an-agent-for-a-special-build-in-team-foundation-server-2012/ Thu, 04 Apr 2013 01:37:57 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/reserve-an-agent-for-a-special-build-in-team-foundation-server-2012/ Explains how to reserve a build agent in Team Foundation Server 2012 using custom activities, agent tagging, and workflow changes to ensure reliable, isolated build execution. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/how-might-we-implement-the-change-iteration-automation-for-the-tfs-automation-platform/ Wed, 01 Jun 2011 06:09:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/how-might-we-implement-the-change-iteration-automation-for-the-tfs-automation-platform/ Explains automating the update of WIQL queries during sprint or iteration changes in the TFS Automation Platform, covering UI, configuration, and job execution details. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/deployment-documentation/ Mon, 23 Jul 2007 11:13:53 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/deployment-documentation/ Outlines steps to document and improve deployment for a complex business app, focusing on automation, rollback, vendor updates, and multi-environment management. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/seamless-migration-to-azure-devops-unlocking-enhanced-collaboration-and-productivity/ Tue, 03 Sep 2024 09:57:36 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/seamless-migration-to-azure-devops-unlocking-enhanced-collaboration-and-productivity/ Migrating to Azure DevOps can boost your team’s collaboration and productivity by centralising project management and scaling with your needs. You can choose between self-service migration tools or a managed import service, both designed to ensure a smooth and accurate transition. Careful planning and assessment are essential for a successful migration, so consider expert support to avoid common pitfalls and maximise the benefits. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/10th-april-2020-office-hours-ask-me-anything/ Fri, 10 Apr 2020 18:41:06 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/10th-april-2020-office-hours-ask-me-anything/ Martin, an expert in Scrum and Azure DevOps, is hosting an open Q&A session where you can ask about DevOps, agility, or related topics. You can submit questions publicly or privately. This is a chance to get expert advice on your current challenges, so consider preparing your key questions in advance. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/mastering-cloud-migration-overcoming-the-fear-of-incomplete-data-transfers/ Thu, 07 Nov 2024 05:45:02 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/mastering-cloud-migration-overcoming-the-fear-of-incomplete-data-transfers/ Concerns about incomplete data transfers during cloud migration are often overstated; with proper planning, use of Microsoft’s migration tools, and clear communication about limitations, data loss is highly unlikely. Key steps include assessing your data, understanding cloud constraints like attachment size, and engaging Microsoft support for complex cases. To ensure a smooth migration, involve stakeholders early, plan for contingencies, and address potential issues before starting the move. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/is-your-engineering-culture-ready-to-scale-with-your-technology/ Thu, 20 Feb 2025 07:33:26 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/is-your-engineering-culture-ready-to-scale-with-your-technology/ Scaling technology is easy compared to scaling engineering culture, which is often overlooked but critical for sustainable growth. If your culture does not evolve, issues like poor collaboration, superficial DevOps practices, and lack of continuous learning can undermine progress, and more tools alone will not fix this. Development managers should focus on fostering genuine collaboration, integrating DevOps as a mindset, and making continuous learning part of daily work to ensure culture keeps pace with technology. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/30-discount-for-existing-alumni-overview/ Fri, 09 Jun 2023 11:00:46 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/30-discount-for-existing-alumni-overview/ Existing alumni are being offered a 30 percent discount on future courses to recognize their dedication and support their continued growth in Agile and DevOps. This offer aims to help committed professionals deepen their expertise, transition to consultant roles, and stay competitive. Take advantage of this opportunity to further develop your skills and advance your career. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/mastering-data-migration-how-to-minimise-downtime-and-keep-your-engineers-productive/ Tue, 05 Nov 2024 06:00:34 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/mastering-data-migration-how-to-minimise-downtime-and-keep-your-engineers-productive/ Data migration can be managed with minimal disruption if you plan thoroughly, use tools like Git to keep engineers productive during downtime, and schedule migrations strategically, such as over weekends. Dry runs and clear communication are essential to ensure everyone knows their tasks and to identify issues early. Invest time in preparation and involve experts when needed to keep your team working smoothly throughout the process. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/maven-release-perform-tries-to-do-a-get-to-a-workspace-sub-folder-in-tfs/ Wed, 23 Jul 2014 14:26:31 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/maven-release-perform-tries-to-do-a-get-to-a-workspace-sub-folder-in-tfs/ Explains issues with Maven release perform in TFS workspaces, causes of build failures, and solutions for workspace mapping, concurrency, and label handling during migration. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/connect-a-test-controller-to-team-foundation-service/ Wed, 27 Mar 2013 03:20:07 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/connect-a-test-controller-to-team-foundation-service/ Explains how to install and configure a Test Controller to connect with Team Foundation Service for automated deployment and testing in cloud-based environments. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/software-development-industrial-revolution/ Tue, 30 Jan 2007 13:55:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/software-development-industrial-revolution/ Explores how industrialising software development with tools like Team Foundation Server boosts speed, collaboration, and scalability in competitive industries. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/mastering-azure-devops-migration-expert-insights-for-a-seamless-transition/ Fri, 08 Nov 2024 05:45:01 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/mastering-azure-devops-migration-expert-insights-for-a-seamless-transition/ Migrating to Azure DevOps is complex and often a one-time event, so most teams lack the necessary in-house expertise. Key challenges include database validation, unexpected data issues, and the need for deep tool knowledge, making external experts or targeted training highly valuable. To ensure a smooth and successful migration, consider bringing in specialists or upskilling your team with expert support. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/navigating-the-tfs-to-azure-devops-migration-overcoming-compatibility-concerns-with-confidence/ Wed, 06 Nov 2024 05:45:03 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/navigating-the-tfs-to-azure-devops-migration-overcoming-compatibility-concerns-with-confidence/ Migrating from TFS on-premises to Azure DevOps is generally straightforward, with most compatibility concerns affecting older on-prem versions rather than the cloud. Key considerations include planning for the loss of unsupported customisations, ensuring code security during the transition, and evaluating how existing extensions will work in Azure DevOps. To ensure a smooth migration, assess your current setup, identify potential gaps, and proactively address customisation needs. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/mastering-azure-devops-migration-navigating-challenges-solutions-and-best-practices/ Wed, 31 Jul 2024 09:25:17 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/videos/mastering-azure-devops-migration-navigating-challenges-solutions-and-best-practices/ Migrating to Azure DevOps can streamline development, reduce costs, and improve scalability, but it comes with challenges like complex legacy systems and team resistance. Success depends on thorough planning, clear communication, extensive testing, and adaptability throughout the process. Development managers should assess their current environment, involve stakeholders, and consider expert support to ensure a smooth and effective migration. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/vsts-sync-migration-tools/ Wed, 26 Oct 2016 13:56:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/vsts-sync-migration-tools/ VSTS Sync Migration Tools help teams move work items, test plans, and team structures between TFS and VSTS or consolidate projects without migrating code. The tool focuses on essential data like work items and test configurations, with ongoing improvements based on user needs. Development managers can use or contribute to these free tools to streamline migrations and reduce manual setup when moving to VSTS. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/installing-tfs-2012-with-lab-management-2012/ Wed, 20 Jun 2012 02:30:18 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/articles/installing-tfs-2012-with-lab-management-2012/ Step-by-step guide to installing and configuring TFS 2012 with Lab Management, including SQL Server, SCVMM integration, troubleshooting, and environment setup tips. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/agentic-engineering/ Tue, 22 Jul 2025 15:58:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/agentic-engineering/ Agentic Engineering is the deliberate design and practice of software development that maximises the agency of both humans and intelligent systems. It integrates engineering excellence, DevOps ethos, and ethical autonomy to create environments where decisions are decentralised, feedback is fast, and value delivery is continuous. It’s characterised by Developer Agency, Systemic Observability, DevOps-Infused Craft, Ethical AI Integration, and Feedback-Driven Adaptation. Agentic Engineering is not a job title, role, or method, it’s a philosophy of engineering in which the ability to act with clarity, intent, and impact is engineered into the way we build, learn, and evolve. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/site-reliability-engineering/ Mon, 05 May 2025 10:17:24 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/site-reliability-engineering/ Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) is a discipline that utilises software engineering principles to develop scalable and reliable systems, effectively bridging the gap between development and operations. Originating from the need to embed reliability within the software development lifecycle, SRE ensures that systems maintain functionality and resilience under diverse conditions. This methodology prioritises automation, monitoring, and incident response, which allows teams to deliver consistent value in a sustainable manner. SRE teams establish service level objectives (SLOs) and service level indicators (SLIs) to create clear performance and reliability metrics, fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement. This proactive approach to problem-solving and engineering solutions to operational challenges enhances overall system performance, distinguishing SRE from traditional operations roles. By promoting shared responsibility for reliability across teams, SRE encourages collaboration and knowledge sharing, which not only improves user satisfaction but also drives positive business outcomes. Ultimately, the integration of reliability into the development process supports organisational strategic goals and enhances competitive advantage, making SRE a vital component in agile, DevOps, and product development frameworks. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/github/ Thu, 10 Apr 2025 10:16:54 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/github/ GitHub is a comprehensive platform that facilitates version control, collaboration, and integration within software development. Originating as a hosting service for Git repositories, it has evolved to include features such as GitHub Actions for automating continuous integration and continuous delivery workflows, and GitHub Projects for task management and progress tracking. Its significance lies in its ability to enhance collaboration among development teams, reduce friction in development cycles, and support the efficient delivery of value. GitHub is essential for organisations seeking to maintain transparency and integrate workflows between development and operations teams, as its integration with CI/CD practices allows for the automation of testing, builds, and deployments, ensuring continuous validation and delivery of code changes. The platform’s features, including issues, pull requests, and discussions, foster effective communication and alignment on project goals. Additionally, GitHub’s compatibility with a variety of third-party tools and services further amplifies its effectiveness in modern DevOps environments. By utilising GitHub’s extensive toolset, organisations can enhance team collaboration, streamline development processes, and improve software delivery outcomes. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/concepts/observability/ Wed, 09 Apr 2025 14:00:00 +0100 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/concepts/observability/ Observability is the practice of gaining comprehensive insights into systems and processes, enabling teams to understand work flows and value delivery. It transcends traditional monitoring by offering a holistic view of system behaviour, which allows teams to identify patterns, diagnose issues, and make informed decisions based on real-time data. This capability is essential for fostering transparency and collaboration within teams and across organisational silos. By implementing observability, organisations can improve their ability to deliver value predictably and sustainably, supporting continuous improvement through learning and adaptation. It encompasses not only technical telemetry but also signals reflecting team dynamics, product experiences, and alignment with strategic goals, thus providing a complete view of performance that includes both human and technical factors. When integrated into daily practices, observability cultivates a feedback-rich environment that enhances decision-making and strengthens delivery capabilities. It represents a cultural shift that empowers teams to take ownership of their processes and outcomes, aligning with Lean and Agile principles focused on understanding flow and eliminating waste. By embedding observability into the organisational framework, teams can create a resilient environment that leverages data-driven insights, ultimately leading to improved products, stronger teams, and more strategic business outcomes. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/concepts/tool/ Wed, 09 Apr 2025 14:00:00 +0100 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/concepts/tool/ A tool is a mechanism, technique, or software that assists teams in effectively implementing methods and practices within Agile, Lean, and DevOps environments. These tools are crucial for supporting collaboration, managing workflows, and fostering continuous improvement, as they enable teams to visualise and track progress, manage backlogs, and align with product goals. For instance, project management tools like JIRA and Azure Boards facilitate Agile practices by allowing teams to iterate and adapt to feedback. In DevOps, tools such as Jenkins and GitLab automate processes like Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery, enhancing delivery speed and reliability while reducing human error. However, tools are not standalone solutions; they must be integrated into a broader organisational framework and aligned with defined methodologies. While they can enhance efficiency and provide visibility into workflows, tools cannot address organisational dysfunctions or improve processes without a solid methodological foundation. Therefore, tools should be viewed as enablers that support well-defined practices rather than replacements for strong methods or frameworks. Ultimately, the effective use of tools can significantly improve team performance and adaptability in complex environments, making them valuable assets in product development and organisational design. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/system-configuration/ Wed, 09 Apr 2025 13:08:13 +0100 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/system-configuration/ System Configuration encompasses the technical setup and optimisation of software, hardware, and systems to ensure efficient and reliable operation. It is essential in Agile and DevOps environments, where the need for speed, efficiency, and flexibility is critical. This process establishes a robust foundation for operational performance, allowing teams to deliver high-quality products in a predictable and sustainable manner. Central to System Configuration are tools that automate and manage the integration of system components, such as Ansible, Chef, Puppet, and Terraform, which facilitate infrastructure as code and ensure consistent configurations across various environments. By optimising hardware and software components to work seamlessly together, System Configuration minimises bottlenecks and supports continuous integration and continuous delivery by automating testing, deployment, and monitoring. Its importance lies in enhancing workflow efficiency, fostering collaboration among teams, and reducing time spent on manual tasks, thereby allowing teams to concentrate on innovation and value creation. Furthermore, effective System Configuration is crucial for scaling Agile practices within larger organisations, as it ensures that systems are properly configured from the beginning, leading to efficient scaling with minimal disruption. Ultimately, System Configuration provides the tools and processes necessary for organisations to improve performance, reduce operational overhead, and maintain adaptable and scalable systems in a rapidly evolving landscape. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/continuous-delivery/ Fri, 21 Mar 2025 13:37:32 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/continuous-delivery/ Continuous Delivery is a software delivery practice that focuses on producing software in short, reliable cycles, enabling teams to release updates at any time. Originating from the need for more efficient and responsive software development processes, it involves delivering small, incremental improvements directly to users from the initial stages of development. This approach, as defined by Jez Humble, emphasises the ability to safely and quickly implement changes, such as new features, configuration adjustments, and bug fixes, into production. The importance of Continuous Delivery lies in its capacity to facilitate rapid validation of assumptions and collection of user feedback, which are crucial for refining products and achieving valuable outcomes. By automating essential processes like testing, integration, and deployment, Continuous Delivery not only mitigates the risk of errors but also enhances software quality and accelerates the time it takes to deliver value to users. Teams that adopt this practice can more effectively respond to market demands and stakeholder input, thereby fostering a culture of continuous learning, innovation, and adaptability within their organisations. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/categories/devops/ Thu, 20 Mar 2025 11:04:38 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/categories/devops/ DevOps is a philosophy that integrates people, processes, and technology to facilitate continuous value delivery in software development. Originating from the need to bridge the gap between development and operations, it emphasises collaboration and automation to enhance the quality and speed of software delivery. The core principles of DevOps prioritise flow efficiency over mere resource utilisation, advocate for rapid feedback loops to align with customer needs, and promote automation to minimise errors and delays. Additionally, it fosters shared accountability among developers, operations, and security teams, ensuring collective responsibility for product quality. DevOps encourages a culture of continuous improvement, where teams are committed to experimentation and adaptation. In practice, organisations embracing DevOps focus on eliminating silos, integrating quality and security measures early in the development process, leveraging data for informed decision-making, and automating as many processes as possible. This approach is crucial in agile and DevOps environments as it enables organisations to deliver software more reliably and efficiently, ultimately enhancing their ability to respond to market demands and customer expectations. DevOps is viewed not as a final goal but as an ongoing journey towards improved software delivery. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/shift-left-strategy/ Mon, 17 Mar 2025 14:46:11 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/shift-left-strategy/ The Shift-Left Strategy is a proactive approach in modern software development that emphasises the integration of testing, security, and compliance activities early in the development lifecycle, rather than deferring them to the end. Originating from the need to mitigate risks associated with late-stage defect detection, this strategy allows teams to identify and address issues sooner, thereby reducing the amount of rework required and accelerating feedback loops. By implementing practices such as automated testing, security as code, and continuous integration, organisations can enhance software quality and reliability from the outset. This approach is particularly valuable in agile and DevOps environments, where rapid delivery and high performance are critical. Ultimately, the Shift-Left Strategy fosters a culture of quality and efficiency, ensuring that products are not only delivered faster but also meet the necessary standards for security and compliance, making it an essential component of effective organisational design and product development. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/internal-developer-platform/ Mon, 24 Feb 2025 13:04:45 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/internal-developer-platform/ An Internal Developer Platform (IDP) is a unified environment designed to enhance the development lifecycle by enabling teams to efficiently build, test, and deploy applications. Originating from the need to simplify infrastructure management and application dependencies, an IDP allows developers to concentrate on delivering value rather than dealing with operational challenges. This platform cultivates a collaborative and innovative culture, empowering teams to experiment and iterate quickly within a structured framework. By embedding best practices into the development process, an IDP promotes reliability and predictability in software delivery. It also facilitates continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) practices, which are vital for maintaining competitiveness in rapidly evolving markets. By automating repetitive tasks and standardising workflows, an IDP boosts productivity and shortens lead times, enabling organisations to swiftly adapt to changing customer demands. Ultimately, the long-term advantages of an Internal Developer Platform lie in its capacity to foster a sustainable development ecosystem that aligns with organisational objectives, thereby driving innovation and operational excellence. This alignment is essential for nurturing a resilient and adaptive organisational culture focused on continuous improvement and value delivery. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/automated-testing/ Tue, 11 Feb 2025 10:17:24 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/automated-testing/ Automated Testing is a vital practice in software development that utilises automation tools to execute tests systematically, thereby enhancing the quality and reliability of software products. Originating from the need to streamline the testing process, this approach allows development teams to identify and address issues early, significantly minimising manual testing efforts and expediting the delivery of high-quality software. The significance of Automated Testing lies in its capacity to facilitate predictable and sustainable value delivery, fostering a culture of continuous improvement through shortened feedback loops. This practice aligns with Agile and DevOps principles by promoting a shift-left strategy, which encourages earlier testing in the development cycle, enhancing collaboration among cross-functional teams. Furthermore, Automated Testing serves as a long-term enabler of organisational agility, embedding quality assurance within the development workflow. This integration leads to increased throughput and a sustained focus on customer value, ultimately resulting in improved customer satisfaction and retention. By adopting this proactive approach, organisations empower their teams to innovate and adapt, ensuring competitiveness in a fast-paced market environment. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/azure-pipelines/ Tue, 11 Feb 2025 10:17:24 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/azure-pipelines/ Azure Pipelines is a cloud-based service designed to automate the processes of building, testing, and deploying applications, thereby enabling teams to deliver value in a predictable and sustainable manner. Originating from the need for efficient software development practices, it integrates seamlessly with various version control systems to facilitate continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD). This capability allows teams to implement code changes frequently and reliably, significantly reducing manual errors and accelerating feedback loops while enhancing collaboration among cross-functional teams. The importance of Azure Pipelines lies in its ability to streamline workflows and improve overall efficiency throughout the software development lifecycle, supporting a diverse array of programming languages and platforms to meet varied project needs. By offering a consistent framework for managing builds and releases, it promotes a culture of continuous improvement and innovation. Furthermore, its integration with Azure DevOps tools, such as Azure Boards and Azure Repos, fosters a cohesive project management environment that enhances visibility into the development process and aligns teams towards shared objectives. This systemic approach ultimately drives organisational agility and resilience, with long-term benefits including increased deployment frequency, reduced lead times, and a heightened focus on delivering high-quality software that aligns with customer requirements. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/cycle-time/ Tue, 11 Feb 2025 10:17:24 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/cycle-time/ Cycle time is a key performance metric that measures the total duration required to complete a unit of work, from initiation to delivery. It is widely used in agile and DevOps methodologies to enhance team efficiency and predictability in value delivery. By monitoring cycle time, organisations can pinpoint bottlenecks, streamline processes, and optimise workflows, which leads to quicker product and service delivery. Understanding cycle time empowers teams to make data-driven decisions, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and enabling better forecasting and planning based on historical data. This predictability is crucial for aligning stakeholder expectations and meeting customer needs promptly. Furthermore, cycle time promotes a holistic view of value delivery, encouraging teams to consider the entire workflow rather than focusing on individual tasks. By minimising cycle time, organisations can improve their responsiveness to market dynamics and customer feedback, thereby gaining a competitive edge. In an era where rapid and sustainable value delivery is essential, the emphasis on cycle time is vital for organisational success. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/deployment-frequency/ Tue, 11 Feb 2025 10:17:24 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/deployment-frequency/ Deployment Frequency is a key metric that measures the rate at which software is released into production, playing a vital role in contemporary product development. It originates from the need for organisations to enhance their responsiveness to customer needs by facilitating quicker feedback loops and adjustments. By optimising deployment frequency, teams can not only release features and fixes more frequently but also validate their assumptions and learn from real-world usage promptly. This concept is crucial for cultivating a culture of continuous improvement and innovation, allowing teams to experiment, iterate, and adapt to market changes effectively. A high deployment frequency reflects a mature DevOps practice characterised by automation, collaboration, and efficient processes that enable rapid delivery without sacrificing quality. Additionally, it fosters a sense of accountability and ownership among team members, as they can directly observe the impact of their contributions on end-users. By prioritising deployment frequency, organisations can establish a sustainable delivery rhythm that enhances customer satisfaction and drives long-term business success through consistent value delivery and adaptability. This systemic approach not only promotes resilience and agility but also ensures that teams remain competitive in an ever-evolving digital landscape. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/deployment-strategies/ Tue, 11 Feb 2025 10:17:24 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/deployment-strategies/ Deployment strategies are systematic approaches that organisations utilise to release software into production, balancing the need for speed with risk management. These strategies are essential for enabling teams to deliver value in a predictable and sustainable manner, facilitating rapid iterations and continuous feedback. Techniques such as blue-green deployments, canary releases, and rolling updates help mitigate the impact of potential failures, allowing teams to address issues swiftly without causing significant disruption to users. The effectiveness of deployment strategies lies in their capacity to cultivate a culture of experimentation and learning, encouraging continuous improvement where each deployment provides insights for refining processes. This approach enhances operational efficiency and aligns with Agile and DevOps principles, fostering collaboration and shared responsibility among cross-functional teams. Furthermore, well-defined deployment strategies contribute to a resilient organisational structure, enabling teams to adapt to evolving market demands and technological changes. By prioritising safe and efficient releases, organisations can maintain a competitive advantage while ensuring customer satisfaction remains central to their product development efforts. Ultimately, the integration of deployment strategies into the broader organisational framework supports sustainable growth and reinforces the importance of delivering value through strategic software releases. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/frequent-releases/ Tue, 11 Feb 2025 10:17:24 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/frequent-releases/ Frequent releases are the practice of delivering small, incremental updates to products or services on a regular basis, originating from agile methodologies and widely adopted in DevOps environments. This approach is essential for organisations seeking to swiftly respond to user feedback and market dynamics, ensuring consistent value delivery to stakeholders. By segmenting larger projects into manageable releases, teams can mitigate deployment risks, as smaller updates are easier to test and validate. This practice cultivates a culture of continuous improvement, enabling teams to iterate based on real-world usage and feedback, which is vital for maintaining a competitive edge in adapting to evolving customer needs and technological advancements. Additionally, frequent releases promote collaboration among developers, testers, and product owners, fostering a cohesive environment for product enhancement. They also contribute to a sustainable development pace, reducing the risk of burnout associated with large, infrequent releases, which in turn boosts team morale and builds stakeholder trust through visible progress and tangible outcomes. By integrating frequent releases into their operational frameworks, organisations can ensure they remain responsive and relevant in a rapidly changing market landscape. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/release-management/ Tue, 11 Feb 2025 10:17:24 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/release-management/ Release Management is a systematic approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling the deployment of software releases to testing and live environments. Originating from the need for structured software delivery, it plays a critical role in ensuring that software is released in a predictable and sustainable manner, aligning with both organisational objectives and customer expectations. Effective release management minimises deployment risks, enhances interdepartmental collaboration, and keeps all stakeholders informed and engaged throughout the release process. This practice allows teams to deliver value incrementally, facilitating rapid feedback and adaptation, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement where each release serves as a learning opportunity. It integrates well with Continuous Delivery and Agile methodologies, optimising workflow and maintaining quality at every stage. Unlike Agile Planning or Product Management, which focus on strategic development aspects, Release Management is operational, concentrating on the tactical execution of software delivery. It necessitates a comprehensive understanding of technical and organisational dynamics, making it essential for modern product development. By establishing clear release processes, organisations can better respond to market changes and customer feedback, ultimately enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/test-automation/ Tue, 11 Feb 2025 10:17:24 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/test-automation/ Test automation is the practice of employing software tools to execute pre-scripted tests on applications prior to their production release. Originating from the need to enhance software quality and expedite feedback loops, this approach allows development teams to automate repetitive testing tasks, thereby enabling them to concentrate on more intricate scenarios that necessitate human insight. The significance of test automation lies in its capacity to provide predictable and sustainable value, facilitating continuous integration and continuous delivery practices. This enables teams to release software updates more frequently and with increased confidence, as automated tests yield immediate feedback on code changes, allowing for swift identification and resolution of defects. Consequently, this reduces the risk of errors in production and promotes collaboration among cross-functional teams by ensuring access to reliable testing results. Furthermore, test automation nurtures a culture of continuous improvement, empowering teams to measure and refine their testing processes over time. By integrating testing into the development lifecycle rather than treating it as a separate phase, organisations can achieve higher quality products and a more resilient development process, equipping teams to respond effectively to evolving market demands and customer requirements. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/troubleshooting/ Tue, 11 Feb 2025 10:17:24 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/troubleshooting/ Troubleshooting is the systematic process of identifying and resolving issues within software, hardware, and systems, which is essential for maintaining and optimising functionality. This practice is vital for organisations that seek to deliver value in a predictable and sustainable manner, as it directly influences the reliability and performance of their products and services. By effectively diagnosing problems, teams can reduce downtime, improve user satisfaction, and ensure a consistent workflow, which is particularly important in agile and DevOps environments. Furthermore, troubleshooting promotes a culture of continuous improvement, allowing teams to learn from failures and adapt their processes, thereby enhancing long-term resilience through the integration of knowledge and practices that prevent future issues. It also encourages collaboration among cross-functional teams, as diverse perspectives can lead to more effective solutions. Importantly, troubleshooting is not just a reactive strategy; it is a fundamental component of the development lifecycle that aligns with agile principles by fostering transparency and accountability. By prioritising troubleshooting, organisations can remain responsive to change, ultimately improving their capacity to innovate and consistently deliver value to customers, distinguishing high-performing teams in the fast-paced development landscape. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/windows/ Tue, 11 Feb 2025 10:17:24 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/windows/ Windows is the Microsoft operating system that serves as a foundational platform in organisational settings, enabling the installation, configuration, and troubleshooting of software applications and development tools. Its importance is underscored by its capacity to maintain productivity through consistent updates and security patches, which are vital for agile and DevOps methodologies. By standardising development environments, Windows reduces variability and complexity, thereby enhancing the predictability and sustainability of value delivery. This consistency promotes collaboration among cross-functional teams, as all members work within the same framework, which minimises integration challenges. Additionally, Windows supports automation in deployment and configuration processes, aligning with continuous delivery principles that facilitate rapid iterations and feedback loops. The operating system also integrates with essential tools and applications used in agile practices, such as Azure DevOps, empowering teams to optimise their workflows and respond effectively to evolving requirements and market dynamics. Ultimately, Windows provides a reliable foundation for software development and operational practices, contributing to the resilience and adaptability of organisations in an increasingly fast-paced digital environment. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/azure-devops/ Tue, 11 Feb 2025 10:16:54 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/azure-devops/ Azure DevOps is a comprehensive suite of tools developed by Microsoft that supports continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD), enhances collaboration, and streamlines agile project management. It encompasses various functionalities, including Azure Boards for work tracking, Azure Repos for source control, Azure Pipelines for automating builds and deployments, and Azure Test Plans for managing testing efforts. This platform is crucial for organisations seeking to deliver value in a predictable and sustainable manner, as it promotes a culture of collaboration and transparency among teams. By providing a unified environment for development and operations, Azure DevOps facilitates the adoption of best practices in agile methodologies and DevOps principles, ensuring efficient software delivery that is responsive to evolving business needs. Its systemic approach encourages continuous improvement and learning, enabling organisations to swiftly adapt to market demands while upholding high-quality standards. The integration of tools within Azure DevOps mitigates silos, enhances communication, and fosters a shared understanding of project objectives, ultimately leading to improved outcomes and a culture of innovation. This capability is vital for organisations aiming to achieve operational excellence and maintain a competitive advantage in a fast-changing landscape. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/business-agility/ Tue, 11 Feb 2025 10:16:54 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/business-agility/ Business Agility is the capacity of an organisation to swiftly adapt to market fluctuations, customer needs, and new opportunities while prioritising value delivery. Originating from the need for organisations to remain competitive in a fast-paced environment, this concept is vital as it enables teams to foster continuous innovation, streamline processes, and improve cross-functional collaboration. Business Agility extends beyond merely implementing Agile methodologies; it involves a comprehensive approach that incorporates principles from Lean, DevOps, and continuous improvement. This integrated perspective allows organisations to optimise workflows, shorten lead times, and boost customer satisfaction. By cultivating a culture that values flexibility, experimentation, and learning, organisations can quickly adjust their strategies based on feedback and data insights. The long-term advantages of embracing Business Agility include enhanced resilience, sustained competitive edge, and consistent delivery of high-quality products and services. By embedding agility into their core operations, organisations can proactively navigate change, drive innovation, and achieve strategic objectives, ultimately leading to greater value creation and organisational success. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/flow-efficiency/ Tue, 11 Feb 2025 10:16:54 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/flow-efficiency/ Flow efficiency is the optimisation of work throughput within a value stream, aimed at minimising waste and reducing bottlenecks. This concept is essential for organisations seeking to deliver value in a predictable and sustainable manner, as it significantly influences the speed at which teams can respond to customer demands and market fluctuations. By examining and enhancing flow efficiency, teams can pinpoint delays and implement targeted improvements that boost overall performance. This methodology is closely aligned with Lean principles, which emphasise the removal of non-value-adding activities. Unlike metrics such as cycle time or lead time that focus on specific durations, flow efficiency offers a comprehensive view of how effectively work progresses through the system, promoting collaboration across various teams and disciplines to ensure seamless operation throughout the value stream. By emphasising flow efficiency, organisations foster a culture of continuous improvement, empowering teams to innovate and experiment. This not only increases productivity but also enhances resilience, allowing teams to adapt to evolving circumstances while consistently delivering value. Ultimately, the focus on flow efficiency nurtures an environment conducive to sustainable practices, leading to long-term success and heightened customer satisfaction. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/install-and-configuration/ Tue, 11 Feb 2025 10:16:54 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/install-and-configuration/ Install and Configuration encompasses the critical processes necessary for setting up and optimising tools, software, and platforms that underpin agile, lean, and DevOps methodologies. Originating from the need to establish efficient operational frameworks, this concept is vital for ensuring that teams have the appropriate systems in place to enhance collaboration, communication, and the continuous delivery of value. By prioritising proper installation and configuration, organisations can significantly reduce disruptions and technical debt, enabling teams to focus on producing high-quality products. This proactive strategy not only facilitates predictable and sustainable value delivery but also supports the creation of well-configured environments that align with team workflows and methodologies. Furthermore, effective practices in installation and configuration lead to long-term systemic improvements, fostering adaptability to changing requirements and promoting continuous innovation. This approach transcends mere technical setup; it reflects a strategic mindset that aligns tools with organisational objectives, ultimately boosting overall performance and agility. The capacity to swiftly adjust systems in response to feedback and evolving needs is a defining characteristic of high-performing teams, enhancing both efficiency and effectiveness in product development. https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/one-engineering-system/ Tue, 11 Feb 2025 10:16:54 +0000 https://engineering-leadership.hinshelwood.com/tags/one-engineering-system/ The One Engineering System (1ES) is a strategic framework designed to unify engineering tools and practices across various teams, aiming to reduce friction, enhance collaboration, and ensure consistency at scale. Originating from the need to streamline workflows in software development, 1ES focuses on establishing a shared engineering backbone that allows teams to operate more efficiently by eliminating the chaos associated with disparate toolchains and ad hoc processes. This approach is crucial in agile and DevOps environments, as it promotes a common set of engineering standards that facilitate planning, coding, testing, deployment, and production support. By reducing cognitive overhead and simplifying integration, 1ES enables teams to deliver high-quality outcomes more reliably. Importantly, the framework emphasises that tools should adapt to the teams’ workflows rather than impose rigid structures, allowing for flexibility and coherence rather than uniformity. Successful implementation of 1ES necessitates investment in team enablement, including guidance, training, and support, to ensure effective adoption. When executed properly, 1ES fosters scalable engineering excellence, characterised by clear communication, consistent processes, and a resilient development lifecycle across the organisation.