For the business intelligence professional, DevOps can be a confusing topic because it intersects with many disciplines and philosophies. I’m hopeful that a bit of reflection on my own experience over the years provides some valuable insight. I have seen DevOps and version control implemented on dozens and perhaps hundreds of projects, with different degrees of sophistication and control.
If you work in a software development environment where DevOps is practiced as part of your team’s development culture, you know that DevOps truly is a holistic methodology, including practices can be very extensive and regimented. Software development tends to be a linear process, whereas data and BI projects are more iterative in nature. Frankly, DevOps purists can be down-right militant about enforcing all the rules, which many BI specialists tend to skirt, in an effort to move quickly.
If you are a business intelligence analyst or developer and suddenly find yourself working on a team where DevOps is practiced, you will likely find the process to be more strict and less flexible than typical ad hoc BI development. The key is to strike the right balance for your organization’s needs.
There is certainly a flavor of DevOps that seem to be over-engineered and counter-productive. DevOps practices exist because they address critical needs in a software development environment, but you should find the right balance for your organization’s project needs. Be mindful that the very purpose for business intelligence is to deliver insights and reporting insights directly to business users, which entails quick iterations through the entire process – from requirement refinement to report delivery, with several steps in-between.
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