Building Top-Down Support for DevOps

Abstract

We all hear the glib and oft-repeated saw that any major change, especially in larger businesses, needs 'Executive Support' to succeed. And so it is with DevOps, too. You can drive a lot of positive change at the pointy end of dev and ops, but at some point you will need to bring along the Pointy-Haired Boss. So how can DevOps practitioners get this elusive Executive Support? This talk will explain the major barriers to change for executives and managers, especially in siloed, dispersed, and risk-averse larger businesses; and what they need to hear, learn, and know to support the DevOps transformation. In this talk you will learn:

• what can drive managers and executives to want this change
• the priorities they have, and what they realistically can do
• how to mitigate their concerns about security/compliance/audit risks
• working with (and/or around) ITIL and other process barrier
• how to help execs build a business case that makes them look great

With independent data, case studies, and more, backed by years of experience advising IT managers and executives through both inertia and change, this talk is a must if you want to grow DevOps in your organization, especially if you work in a larger business.