DevOps for Project Management - Overview & Key Concepts

If you are starting your career as DevOps for project management, then this guide is beneficial for you. I have extracted everything about DevOps based on my experiences and kept it in front of you so that you can handle any project efficiently. Project Management in an IT field means handling a team of developers and operations simultaneously to get the desired result that a client needs. 

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What is DevOps Project Management?

Project Management in the IT field was always challenging; in the late 19th century, the waterfall model was quite popular because it worked on three core phases, i.e., planning, documentation, and monitoring. However, this model is ideal for a single project, as per my belief, but in modern times, a firm that has multiple projects has to opt for DevOps for project management. DevOps project manager is familiar with the agile framework that helps him/her to deliver the project effectively.

Now, to be more precise with this guide, let me describe the term DevOps. It is not new in the IT management field, as it is the blend of two terms, i.e., Developers and Operations. When we talk about DevOps for project management, it means to coordinate developers and the operational team to complete the development of software.

In DevOps project management, I followed certain DevOps principles that helped me to smoothen the process, and one such is the practice of agile management.  In agile management, each module is an independent project which requires every aspect of project management. 

Software development is not an easy job, as it’s a continuous integration and continuous delivery process that requires IT skills, coordination, and team leadership. These qualities are the pillars of DevOps project management, and the manager must have them along with the knowledge of DevOps principles.

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Why is DevOps Project Management important?

To understand DevOps project management's importance, you must go back in time when traditional project management was applicable. The major demerit in that practice was the lack of team coordination. The teams worked independently and didn’t share any information, which hampered the output. DevOps project management primarily focuses on team coordination and brings developers and operations teams to a single platform. This method gives flexibility to each team and increases work efficiency as they share every information that is needed for the success of a project.

 In addition, DevOps project management is very close to the agile methodology, where a project is divided into multiple chunks that give flexibility and enhance team coordination. DevOps for project management enhances faster delivery of software or applications and thus saves a lot of time.  

DevOps vs. Project Management

If you think both DevOps for project management and project management are the same because they deliver an output within a deadline. Then you need to rethink again, and for that, you must go much deeper into their work methodologies. DevOps project management is all about the DevOps principles, which direct about the integration and coordination of developers and the operations team. However, project management focuses mainly on the work output by simplifying the modules and assigning tasks to the respective teams.

Another big difference between these two is about methodologies. The DevOps for project management focuses on continuous integration and continuous delivery method. The project management works on the waterfall model to initiate, design, develop, and test the software. However, such a model is time-consuming and is ideal for a single project.

If you precisely look into the DevOps methodology, you will find that they use different tools to simplify the work. It gives the team more flexibility to perform the work. However, in traditional project management, rigidity is higher where there is no scope for any changes during the process. 

Best Practices for DevOps Project Management

Once you step up the DevOps project management stairs, you need to follow some practices to finish a project in no time. Practice is the key to success, so continuous practice on the core elements of DevOps will help you to manage your team effectively. Based on my experience, some of the best DevOps projects for practice that need to be followed are listed below.

1. Focus on Agile Methodology

Agile methodology gives you a base for DevOps project management. The sole purpose of agile methodology is to simplify the project by breaking it into multiple chunks. When I was working on a complex project, agile methodology helped me a lot. It enabled me to create a mini project within a project that enhanced my efficiency and also provided me with greater freedom of flexibility. 

2. Execute Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

In IT project management, design, development, and testing activities are carried out. As a DevOps project manager, you should focus on quality rather than the end result. So, for this approach, you should get the users’ feedback on the developed software so that you can apply the necessary changes wherever required. 

At one instance, when I was working on a web-based application based on Python, then I suggested my team to launch a beta version to get feedback from users. This approach helped me a lot as, based on the feedback, I made the necessary changes to the application and finally completed that project. So, in a nutshell, MVP is a principle that makes the project process simpler. 

Let us take another example: Suppose you developed software or an application after giving extreme effort but neglected MVP. So, at this point, there is a probability that the user’s needs might have changed or they need an advanced version.  At this stage, what will you do? Of course, you will regret your decision to neglect MVP. Whenever you work on software or an application, make sure to apply the MVP concept.

3. Stay Connected With Clients

Most of the time, I perform work with my team in isolation so that my team can focus more on the project. This approach failed because I had a communication gap with the client, and due to this, project transparency was at a high stake. So, during the development stage, I realized that every result must be shared with clients so that they know what’s going on. Most importantly, such regular feedback helped me to know the client’s feedback and enabled me to pour down his/her thoughts on the project effectively.

4. Stay Focused To Deliver Quality Work

I believe in quality over quantity, and this belief gives me an outstanding result as a DevOps project manager. When I was in the designation of DevOps project manager, I managed multiple teams, including design, development, and operation. The most interesting part was to act as a coordinator between a developer and the operational team. Both are equally important, and the duo effort of the team will only give quality work. Such coordination minimises the time and helps me to deliver the project within the deadline. 

5. Set Priority To The Latest Technology

Changes are dynamic, and it is a must to accept them in life. Being a geek, my first priority is to gain knowledge about the latest technology. It helps me understand how I can use this in my current project or future one. So, as a DevOps expert, I suggest you to stay updated with the latest software and technology. It will help you to utilize the latest trends in the project that will fulfill the client’s requirements. 

Also Read: How to Get a Job in IT?

Tools of DevOps Project Management

Being a former DevOps project manager, I faced several challenges while handling projects, such as accountability, managing teams, task distribution, and many more. During that phase, some essential tools helped me a lot to beat those challenges. If you want to be a successful DevOps for project management, you must be familiar with these tools which are provided below.

1. JIRA

As a project manager, my prime role was to assign tasks to team members and resolve their queries so that they could work. Manually, this process is complicated and time-consuming, so I choose JIRA. It is specially designed to manage tasks and can be customised as per the user’s needs. It helped me assign tasks and track them effectively. Most importantly, JIRA also supports Atlassian tools, which help in other cycles of the project, such as planning, operational, and others.

2. GitLab

GitLab is a tool that is useful for assigning and tracking tasks. Its inbuilt features, such as issue, epic, and setting milestones, make the project much easier. The best part of this tool is the data visualization feature that allows a manager to analyze the project’s progress effectively. 

3. Azure Boards

In every stage of software development, progress tracking is a must, and, Azure Boards is a tool that helped me a lot. It enabled me to create a dashboard where I tracked the progress of a project. In addition, this project management tool can be integrated with Azure DevOps. The integration allowed me to access additional tools that helped me manage the entire software development cycle effectively.

4. AWS DevOps  

AWS DevOps is ideal for DevOps for project management as it is a suite of tools that help in deploying codes, and monitoring progress in each cycle. In a nutshell, it’s an ideal tool to develop software and manage tasks in a single computer. It has the potential to build an ecosystem by integrating with other management tools to provide a comprehensive solace during project management.

Skills for a DevOps Project Manager

Skill is a must to get success in a career, and as per my experience, I can say that a project manager is not only a designation; it’s a responsibility. You must develop some skills for DevOps Project Management, like coordination between teams, management, technical skills, analytical, and more. Here, I have listed some potential skills that every DevOps project manager must have.

1. Leadership Quality

No one is born a leader; it’s a quality that comes with great work and gets polished with time. In DevOps project management, maintaining coordination between developers and the operational team is a must. If you have a strong leadership quality, then you can easily manage both teams at a time. When I was handling one of the DevOps projects as a manager, my prime focus was to handle a project. This could be possible with the support of a developer and operation team. However, I have good hands-on experience in deployment automation tools and knowledge of CI servers, and these helped me to automate the process effectively.

2. Be A Tech-Savvy

To be a leader, you must be a master in the respective domain so that you can guide your team members smoothly. When I was a DevOps project manager, I used some tools, like JIRA, Azure Boards, and more, as they helped me in handling DevOps projects. In addition, I have a good grip on deployment automation tools, servers, and control systems, as they are the subjects of my field, and knowing about them helped me resolve any issues related to them in no time.

3. Decision Making Ability 

As a DevOps project manager, you will face a lot of challenges, and quick decisions matter a lot. So, you must have the ability to make decisions so that you can make the right choice at the right time. 

Suppose you are handling a web application project based on Javascript, and at the edge of the completion of a project, a client made changes. The client said that the page is loading slower and needs to be faster, and the final project, along with corrections, should be submitted within a day. So, you will have to take this situation as a challenge and need to utilize your skills to figure out the possible factors of the slow landing page. In this situation, decision-making ability and technical skill will play important roles in finishing the task within a deadline.  

Conclusion

 It's time to conclude a guide to DevOps project management, and I hope that you understand this concept. If you want to make your career as a project manager in an IT field, then start with DevOps courses. The courses are trending nowadays as they help you understand the theory and can allow you to work on live projects as well. 

In addition, it adds strength to your CV and opens opportunities to get a high-salaried managerial job. DevOps Certification gives you the upper hand in developing new software with the skill of using advanced DevOps project management tools. So, if you want to do some challenging job where every minute matters, then first you should enroll in a professional DevOps Training program, and then doors in the IT sector will open for you.

FAQs

1. Can I use DevOps for project management?

In this digital era, you will find various project management tools that give results, but DevOps is an amazing one. It offers you full freedom to manage teams and work simultaneously. So, yes, you can use DevOps for project management related to the IT industry.

2. What is the role of DevOps in project management?

DevOps simplifies your work by designing, developing, and testing the software in a precise manner. The developer and operational team are handled by the DevOps project manager. In addition, a project manager assigns and monitors the tasks to a team using some advanced project management tools.

3. How to become a DevOps project manager?

To become a DevOps for project management, you must have a strong technical hand and must be good at scripting language and CI/CD tools. However, if you are a mere novice, then you can go for DevOps training sessions by enrolling in such a course.