Source: betanews.com — reporting on a survey conducted by KMS Technology. Original statistics and quotes are attributed to that study.
Most DevOps Transitions Succeed — But Only With Preparation
A survey of more than 200 IT professionals, conducted by development and testing services firm KMS Technology, found that the majority of organizations achieve their DevOps goals — but success is strongly correlated with deliberate upfront planning and an honest assessment of internal capabilities.
Before their transitions began, 43 percent of respondents described having a “very positive” impression of DevOps. Once transitions were completed, that figure rose to 51 percent, and 79 percent reported achieving their desired goals. Those are encouraging numbers, but they come with important caveats about what it takes to get there.
The Most Common Barriers to DevOps Adoption
Despite the broadly positive outcomes, respondents identified several significant challenges during their transitions:
- Limited in-house DevOps skills and knowledge — cited by 28 percent as the top challenge. Teams may be proficient in traditional ops or dev roles but lack hands-on experience with CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure-as-code, or modern monitoring practices.
- Lack of executive support — flagged by 23 percent. Without management buy-in, DevOps initiatives struggle to secure budget, headcount, and the organisational authority needed to change entrenched workflows.
- Inability to agree on or articulate transition goals — reported by 18 percent. Vague objectives make it impossible to measure progress or declare success.
- Insufficient budget — noted by 17 percent. Tooling, training, and consultancy all carry real costs that are frequently underestimated at the planning stage.
How Teams Overcame the Challenges
The survey data shows a high recovery rate: 94 percent of respondents were ultimately able to overcome the obstacles they faced. The most common strategy was to bring in outside expertise — 78 percent sought guidance from external service providers. The most frequently requested areas of external support were:
- Strategy, planning, and budget — 51 percent
- Tool selection and training — 50 percent
This suggests that many organisations treat external partners not as a sign of failure, but as a pragmatic acceleration mechanism — particularly in the early phases where foundational decisions have the highest long-term impact.
What Practitioners Recommend to Peers
When asked what advice they would give to colleagues considering a DevOps transition, respondents produced a consistent set of recommendations that align closely with the challenges they personally experienced:
- Clearly articulate and document goals and plans — recommended by 48 percent. Define what “done” looks like before a single pipeline is built.
- Secure management support early — cited by 45 percent. Executive sponsorship provides cover when processes are disrupted and resources are contested.
- Prepare for substantial training and product-adoption support — noted by 44 percent. Tool adoption is rarely self-sufficient; budget for structured onboarding.
- Partner with an external provider where in-house expertise is lacking — advised by 43 percent. Targeted consultancy can compress the learning curve without creating permanent dependency.
Key Takeaway: DevOps Is a Process, Not a Product
Josh Lieberman, president of KMS Technology, summarised the findings directly: “DevOps offers an opportunity for IT organizations to improve communication and collaboration with lines of business, and the ability to automate various software development processes. But a smooth transition depends on the support of senior management, the experience of in-house staff, working with the right external partner as needed, thoughtful tool selection and sufficient training. DevOps deployments also should not be rushed or underfunded.”
The survey results reinforce a principle that experienced practitioners already know: DevOps is fundamentally a cultural and organisational change that happens to involve tooling — not the other way around. Teams that treat it primarily as a toolchain problem tend to underinvest in the human dimensions (skills, alignment, and leadership support) that the data shows are the real determinants of success.
The practical implication for engineering managers and DevOps leads planning a transition: spend time upfront on a written plan that defines measurable goals, maps current skill gaps, identifies budget requirements, and names an executive sponsor. The survey evidence suggests that this preparation work, however unglamorous, is the single strongest predictor of a successful outcome.