A.1.2.7 Align Work-in-Progress (WIP) Limits Across Teams
Along with developing new products and services, organizations typically have operational support and maintenance functions incorporated into their production environments. These operational or “Ops” functions were historically carried out by specialized teams or resources that worked differently from development teams. They also used different IT software tools and frameworks for managing operational activities. However, many organizations today have opted to combine development and operations functions into DevOps, integrating development and operational support activities.
Operational work typically involves recurring or repetitive tasks, such as maintaining or supporting established products or services. This also applies to business operations like new employee hiring, financial reporting, payroll processing, as well as IT operations, such as customer support, call centers, systems monitoring, infrastructure management, and routine procedures. Operational work can be predictable, with set rules and procedures in place to address specific situations. On the other hand, project or development work produces a unique product or service and has a definitive beginning and end. By nature, project work is less predictable, as it consists of unique activities or tasks specific to the project. Examples include creating a new software application or developing new functionality for an existing application.
Organizations can apply Kanban principles and artifacts to DevOps processes to streamline workflows, improve collaboration, and increase efficiency. Using Kanban for DevOps involves defining and visualizing the workflows of development and operational processes, limiting work in progress, prioritizing requirements, monitoring progress, and making continuous improvements.
Figure A.6 illustrates the use of a common product backlog, Kanban Backlog, and boards when applying Kanban to DevOps:
Figure A.6: Applying Kanban for DevOps (Source: Vabro)
Figure A.6 above shows a Vabro interface for the "Prioritized Product Backlog," featuring various user stories, such as "Vabro mob design" and "Vabro dev." Each user story is assigned to different teams and boards, marked with priority stars and status indicators. The interface allows for effective organization and filtering of user stories, with options to create new ones or manage upcoming releases.