IT collaboration, DevOps a key to business success, says Robert Half

According to the report from recruitment firm Robert Half, the implementation of Development Operations (DevOps) is at the heart of the optimisation of collaboration between those in IT departments.

And the recruiter says Australian companies need to build, test, and roll out new or updated solutions to customers faster than ever before.

“With IT being a very large functional area with many specialisations, the key to successfully leverage technology across the business depends highly on the level of effective collaboration that exists within the IT department,” the firm says.

Independent research commissioned by Robert Half has revealed that Australian chief information officers rate the collaboration of IT professionals within their department an average score of 7 out of 10 – indicating what the recruitment firm says is a need for more enhanced departmental collaboration in certain companies.According to Robert Half, the ambition to optimise IT collaboration is leading many businesses to implement DevOps – a software development and delivery process that, it says, brings increased efficiency and collaboration within IT teams.

Andrew Morris, director of Robert Half Australia, says the research revealed, however, that almost one in three (31%) Australian CIOs still don’t have a DevOps approach in place in their IT departments, which may hinder their ability to keep up with 63% of CIOs who are already building solid foundations for further innovation by successfully implemented DevOps.

“The increasing complexity of technology means IT departments are juggling many different functions and specialist skills, creating potential challenges when it comes to delivering products and services to customers in the most cost-effective and timely way,” Morris says.

“Because of this, DevOps was created to promote a culture of collaboration by breaking down barriers within traditionally siloed IT departments and introducing an infrastructure that allows for integration between product management, software development, and operations with the recognising the big IT picture and maximising’s its potential for the wider business.”

According to the survey, one of the biggest DevOps challenges companies face is sourcing IT professionals with the right skillsets as stated by 41% of the Australian CIOs, “a further indication of the impact the IT skills shortage is having on the industry”.

Other challenges relating to DevOps implementation highlighted by the survey include lack of DevOps strategy (38%), lack of central governance (36%), changing company culture/traditional hierarchical structures (36%) and enhancing collaboration within the IT team (27%).

“With digital evolution outpacing the supply of new IT skills, most of the challenges experienced by companies in relation to DevOps directly relate to a lack of talent in the area and overcoming these challenges will be pivotal to leverage its success,” Morris observes.

“While this puts job-seekers with DevOps experience and skills in a favourable position, companies must take proactive measures to attract as well as retain the best candidates, including hiring a mix of temporary and permanent professionals, offering competitive remuneration or putting solid career development plans in place before they start.”