Retailers turn to DevOps for CX improvements, Claranet

There is significant appetite for embracing a DevOps approach to services in the retail sector, according to research by Claranet. Despite this, there are still hurdles to overcome, with a greater emphasis on cloud usage and automation needed.

The research analyses the survey results of 750 IT professionals from across Europe. It found that 36% of retailers have already made the transition to a DevOps approach, with a further 43% expected to switch over the next two years.

John Hayes-Warren, Head of Vertical Sectors at Claranet, says: “As consumers have become increasingly intolerant to poorly performing e-commerce sites and mobile apps, seizing and maintaining competitive advantage in the sector requires retailers to be ambitious, adaptable, and open to fresh approaches. It is therefore encouraging that retailers are becoming more aware of the benefits that taking an application-centric focus can bring, in terms of greater business agility and increased operational efficiency.”

74% of respondents who said their business has migrated to a DevOps approach reported challenges of some kind. Most commonly, they found that operations teams themselves were limiting the potential of DevOps (in 30% of cases), and others found that a lack of clear business objectives within the management structure made it harder to define a strategy that would deliver against corporate goals (30% of cases).

“DevOps can’t simply be implemented overnight – it requires a period of iterative change in which both the technology and the people at an organisation need to be made ready for it. Increased automation is essential to achieving the agility that characterises a successful DevOps approach, so businesses need to take steps to implement new measures to facilitate this,” says Hayes-Warren.