DevOps vs Agile: Explaining the Difference

Agile and DevOps stand alone among approaches to software creation. They share one aim — giving maximum speed and efficiency to your work. Distinguishing between Agile vs. DevOps is not an easy task since they seem similar. In this article, we’ll shed some light on the differences between these approaches. We’ll highlight the pros and cons of each and give some tips on choosing between them.

What Is DevOps?

DevOps is a concept that simplifies the interaction between the development and operation. This widely used approach significantly accelerates software creation. Experts estimate the global DevOps market will reach $25.5 billion in 2028.

Previously, programmers didn’t prioritize the client’s ease of use of the product. System administrators also didn’t take into account its characteristics and subtleties. This led to frequent misunderstandings and difficulties when the time came for deployment. However, DevOps ushered in a new era of collaboration between software developers and users. It became a bridge that connects the two sides of the development.

This approach has various principles that pave the way for its implementation. Let’s delve into the top three:

1. Culture. IT specialists working on one project form a single functional team. They handle all processes from backend development to final testing. Experts are accountable for the final product’s quality by actively interacting with each other.
2. Automation. Process automation is a priority. This is especially important to decrease the risk of human errors. Thus, it’s possible to facilitate workflow and free up time for IT professionals to code and brainstorm unique ideas.
3. Measurement. Teams communicate directly with clients and end users. They monitor and measure the software’s performance and use this data to improve it further.

These principles serve as a cornerstone of DevOps practices.

We are confident that we have what it takes to help you get your platform from the idea throughout design and development phases, all the way to successful deployment in a production environment!

Advantages of the approach

The approach is famous for its advantages that complement the company’s workflow. Let’s take a look at the most important ones:

• Accelerating software creation. Constant integration and delivery help teams develop, test, and produce software with optimal resource allocation.
• Culture of communication. The cultivation of communication standards facilitates effective DevOps team interaction. Software quality can be spruced up, and mistake rates can be lowered thanks to the right policy.
• Effectiveness of DevOps lifecycle. Software development lifecycle in DevOps is about concentrating on more significant work. You spend less time and effort on repetitive tasks.
• Fast product delivery. Companies can bring a product to market in short terms. They can release new features and updates regularly to gain a competitive advantage.

Moreover, software engineering becomes flexible thanks to these practices. Containerization and microservices make adjusting to changing business needs easier.

Disadvantages of the approach

Nevertheless, DevOps isn’t just about advantages. Now it’s time to look through its cons:

• DevOps deployment might make an organization’s IT infrastructure more complex. Many technologies integrated might result in a complicated environment. It may be challenging to maintain and debug.
• The industry has not yet standardized on DevOps. Businesses adopting this method must develop their own workflows, which takes time and resources.
• If you don’t configure the practice accurately, the implementation can cost you a lot. The method demands a significant investment in automation and infrastructure. No proper configuration results in higher implementation costs.

Furthermore, the market experiences a gap between the demand for skilled professionals and their existence. Therefore, finding a team that shares one philosophy might be daunting.

What Is Agile?

Agile is a project management methodology concentrating on flexible processes and fast iterations. According to this approach, the agile team works on projects in stages. They implement short cycles called iterations or sprints.

Here, the highest priority is to meet the customer’s needs by early and regular software delivery. To achieve this, developers and business representatives must collaborate and work transparently daily throughout the project.

Agile project management provides developers with guidelines that foster problem-solving and increase adaptability. The survey states that for 69% of responders, agile practices facilitate improved cooperation. For 54%, it enhances alignment with actual business needs.

Advantages of Agile

There are various positive sides to this approach. All of them make it an appealing choice for many software development teams:

• Agile responsiveness. Companies are more responsive to changing consumer preferences and market conditions.
• Productivity. Teams can divide the process into iterations and cooperate to produce high-quality results. Moreover, experts state that agile teams are 25% more productive than others.
• Human-centric. The core of agile is people. Companies value human contact over formal processes. Therefore, they encourage people to act based on their shared beliefs and experiences.
• Expense control. After each phase, the team analyses the budget for future decisions. They then decide whether to continue, pause, or cancel the task or the project.

Project management and development teams see agile software development as a sought-after practice. It helps produce software promptly, adapt to ever-changing requirements, and collect insightful user feedback.

Disadvantages of Agile

However, as DevOps, this method has its downsides. Let’s touch on the negative sides:

• It’s a short-term approach. It might complicate the product scaling in the long run.
• Because agile methodology is flexible, it can be difficult to precisely estimate project results and deadlines, especially when planning for the long term.
• Its flexibility may result in more work. Project goals expand beyond the initial vision, potentially increasing development time and resources.

Moreover, because tasks are often completed just in time (JIT), documentation tends to be less thorough. Therefore, misunderstandings and difficulties are hard to avoid in the long run.

What Is the Difference Between DevOps vs Agile

Devops vs agile often confuse users because they seem similar. However, they differ in various domains. Let’s compare them and figure out these distinctions.

In a nutshell, if we summarize the essence of these concepts, then DevOps is about the close collaboration of developers who code and bring the product to life. Conversely, agile focuses primarily not on the development but on the process itself — it seeks to improve it.

Tips and Reminders for Choosing DevOps vs Agile

If you decide on Devops vs agile, it’s worth analyzing your needs in these areas and choosing what suits you best:

• Composition and team responsibilities. Agile encourages collaboration but with clear roles and responsibilities. DevOps promotes a more integrated approach. Here, an engineer is responsible for infrastructure, coordination, and the software development life cycle.
• Sectors and applications. Agile is often applied in project management, marketing, IT industry, software engineering, UX, and design. When software deployment and maintenance depend on constant cooperation between development and IT teams, experts turn to DevOps.
• Project life cycle. In agile, project completion typically occurs after deployment. It emphasizes providing end customers with a functional product. DevOps, conversely, consists of constant post-project operations. Keeping the program’s operability is a key focus.
• Training and skill sets. Agile team comprises experts with various job skills to develop, test, and deploy the product. In DevOps, specialists must have a broader skill set. The approach requires them to address infrastructure, development, and task coordination.

Keep in mind that Devops vs agile may be mixed following the specific needs of the development procedure and do not conflict with one another. These practices can coexist within the same project, so there is no need to separate them.

Wrapping Up

The decision between Devops vs agile depends on your project or company’s requirements. Agile concentrates on flexible development and fast response to changes. DevOps, more of a cultural shift, thrives on fostering cooperation between engineers and IT teams. Of course, picking one thing isn’t necessary. You can use both approaches. Then, you can aim for better quality, faster releases, and satisfied clients.

If you need a reliable partner to develop a new project, collaboration with the Global Cloud Team can be your ticket to a productive launch. Our team chooses management methodology according to the project needs to ensure effective resource allocation. Together with us, you can save up to 40% on research and development costs. Contact us today and explore the services Global Cloud Team can offer.

Author

Alex Johnson

Total Articles: 120