Bridging the Divide: Using Gated Processes to Evolve from ITIL to DevOps/CICD in Regulated Environments

At Wires Uncrossed Engineering, our purpose is to lift the standard of software delivery, untangling the complexities and systematically boosting productivity, reliability, and satisfaction. We understand the challenges you face in balancing agility with stringent control and compliance.

The Power of Gated Processes for Gradual Evolution

The transition doesn't need to be a revolution. Gated processes offer a structured and incremental pathway to adopting DevOps/CI/CD while leveraging your existing, trusted frameworks. Think of them as a familiar bridge connecting your current ITIL change management practices with the dynamic world of modern software delivery.

Here's how gated processes can act as that crucial bridge:

• Mapping Existing Processes: By visualizing your current ITIL change management workflow through the lens of a gated process, you can clearly identify where and how CI/CD practices can be strategically introduced. This provides a tangible baseline for improvement.

  
  

• Incremental Adoption: The phase-by-phase nature of gated processes allows for a gradual integration of CI/CD elements at specific stages. This reduces the risk and resistance associated with a sudden, wholesale shift. Progress can be reviewed and adjustments made at each gate.

  
  

• Risk Mitigation and Control: Gated processes inherently include decision points ("gates") where progress, risks, and potential are assessed before moving forward. This aligns with the ITIL mindset, allowing stakeholders to maintain oversight as CI/CD practices are adopted.

  
  

• Structured Implementation: Gated processes offer a familiar structure for planning, executing, and reviewing the adoption of potentially rapid and iterative CI/CD practices within a traditionally process-oriented environment.

  
  

• Establishing Hybrid Models: The transition often involves blending ITIL and DevOps/CI/CD practices. Gated processes can define the boundaries and interactions between these methodologies, for example, using ITIL for overall service management and CI/CD for software improvements within defined stages.

  
  

• Quality Control Checkpoints: Gates serve as crucial quality control checkpoints. When transitioning to CI/CD, these gates ensure that automated testing, monitoring, and other quality-focused practices are effectively implemented before advancing.

  
  

• Defining Acceptance Criteria: Effective gates have clear and visible acceptance criteria. When integrating CI/CD, these criteria ensure that new pipelines and automation practices meet required standards for reliability, security, and compliance, aligning with ITIL's emphasis on stability.

  
  

The Wires Uncrossed Hierarchy of Needs: A Guiding Framework

To further streamline this transition, Wires Uncrossed leverages our proprietary Hierarchy of Engineering Needs (HoEN) model. This model helps organizations understand and prioritize the fundamental engineering capabilities required for successful software delivery.

Establishing "Managed Work", a key level in the HoEN framework, can be effectively facilitated by gated processes. Managed Work bridges existing change management processes and more advanced engineering practices by making work repeatable and providing controls to verify quality and efficiency. This includes validating technical controls, ensuring accurate documentation, and automating quality and compliance checks within the deployment process.

Integrating Security and Compliance from the Start

A key concern in regulated industries is maintaining security and compliance during this transition. Gated processes inherently allow for the integration of security controls and compliance checks at each stage. By "shifting left" and integrating security into the daily work of development and operations, and by automating security testing within the deployment pipeline, organizations can build security in from the beginning. Furthermore, the reliability demonstrated through a well-designed and built deployment pipeline, often implemented within a gated process, can support the reclassification of lower-risk changes as "Standard" within ITIL, reducing the need for manual change approvals. The telemetry and records generated by automated pipelines within a gated process can also provide the necessary documentation and proof for auditors and compliance officers.

Wires Uncrossed: Your Partner in Modernizing Software Delivery

At Wires Uncrossed, our team of experienced consultants and engineers boasts a distinguished pedigree, gained through hands-on experience at prominent tech companies. We've encountered similar challenges and offer invaluable insights and solutions, combining the latest research with our lived experience and pragmatic enablement. Our specialty lies in enhancing software engineering methodologies and practices.

Our Productivity Foundations service, a four-step methodical approach, is designed to evaluate your engineering delivery system using the HoEN model, identifying and focusing on your organization's critical levers across people, processes, and technology. We also offer capability uplift, targeted coaching, and technical strategy advisory services to guide you through this evolution. Our goal is to help you systematically boost productivity, reliability, and satisfaction for both your customers and teams.

Ready to Untangle the Wires?

Embrace the future of software delivery without compromising the control and compliance your industry demands. Contact Wires Uncrossed Engineering today for a discovery chat to explore how gated processes and our expertise can help your organization make a practical and successful transition from traditional ITIL change management to DevOps/CI/CD. Let us help you systematically boost your software delivery capabilities and drive technological prosperity.