DEVELOPING DEVOPS

KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS

FOR THE DIGITAL AGE
By: Mike Orzen
Suzanne Galletly
CONTENTS

1. Introduction
2. Importance of DevOps in the Digital Age
3. DevOps as Part of the Digital Skillset
4. EXIN DevOps Certification Program
5. Summary
6. About the Authors
7. About EXIN
1. Introduction

Whether you are shopping, listening to music, traveling or communicating, the

chances are you have made use of digital services in one form or another. Digital
services are crucial to the success of any modern business, even if the core
product is a physical one. Often this leads to significant disruption of the status
quo, with traditional business models becoming obsolete and established names
disappearing, unable to adapt and move with the times. The pace of change is
such that we can say with certainty that the next disruption is just around the
corner – we just don’t know what it is yet.

Digital transformation offers massive business opportunities to organizations, not

just to increase efficiency via the digital optimization of business processes, but Moving with the digital times has become a matter of survival for most
for truly transforming the way they conduct companies, both large and small and across every industry sector.
business and interact with their customers.
Being able to respond and adapt to this pace of change is essential and this has
led to new ways of working. It was against this
background that Agile started to develop, and over the last years agile
approaches have become business as usual. DevOps is very strongly linked to
Agile, as DevOps help organizations develop the agility, speed, and
“New digital business models are the responsiveness they require in a competitive business environment. DevOps
principal reason why just over half of the enables organizations to decrease time to market for new releases, software, or
names of companies on the Fortune 500 services by encouraging a collaborative approach from development and
operations teams, and by increasing productivity through automation. DevOps
have disappeared since the year 2000.”*
focuses on providing customer value by creating iteratively and
PIERRE NANTERM, THE CEO OF ACCENTURE, delivering continuously which means it will stay relevant for many years to come.
TO THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM

*Souce: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/digital-disruption-has-only-just-begun/
1. Introduction

The purpose of this paper is to set out EXIN’s vision on

the development of DevOps related skills and knowledge
in the digital age for interested parties: corporate
organizations, training organizations, and business and IT professionals.
This paper considers the importance of DevOps, the skillset professionals
need in order to embrace the future, and how to develop knowledge and skills
related specifically to DevOps to ensure their relevance. It serves as an
introduction to EXIN’s DevOps certification program.
2. Importance of DevOps in the Digital Age

The need for rapid, complete, and accurate delivery of products and services
has never been greater. Customers and business partners have come to
expect consistent high performance as a prerequisite for doing business.
In our global economy, access to information, competition, and the pace
of change has drastically altered the playing field. We have moved from an
efficiency model where the focus was on stability and cost control, to a
value-creation model where the focus is on effectiveness and added value.

For customers and end users, effectiveness means quality, speed, value,
and flexibility. Today’s end users have zero tolerance for outages or apps
that are counterintuitive. Time to market for new products, services, and
upgrades translates into new customers and more profits. In fact, if your IT
capability can’t deliver fully operational value-adding functionality at the speed
of customer demand, your future is at risk. DevOps provides the mindset, skill
set, and tools needed to create a working environment which supports the
people, processes, and technology to make this happen.
2. Importance of DevOps in the Digital Age

DevOps is built on a framework of core concepts originating from lean

manufacturing, first applied to software development (Agile), then expanded
to IT operations (Lean IT). This then evolved into a unified approach to create
a coordinated flow between IT development and IT operations. But that was
just the beginning. DevOps is extending its focus to coordinate and collaborate
beyond the boundaries of IT. Winning in the marketplace requires creating a
seamless flow from concept to launch, from order to delivery, and from start to
finish for all customer experiences.
DevOps Cycle
The integration of Development and Operations brings a fresh perspective to
software development. The number of DevOps tools available can be
simultaneously inspiring as well as daunting. It is not surprising that many IT D

ep
n
professionals dive into the technical side of DevOps (automated CI/CD,

Pla

loy
infrastructure as code, containerization, monitoring tools, tool chains, etc.)
– that’s where all the action is! Yet, the challenge and the real payoff of
DevOps results from building the social work environment required to profit
Dev Ops
from the technology.

te
Build

ra
e
Op
2. Importance of DevOps in the Digital Age

It is essential to view DevOps as having two key elements: social and

technical.

If we think of a building as supported by two pillars, one social and the other
technical, it makes sense that both pillars are vital to create a stable structure.
The same is true for DevOps. In fact, all DevOps practitioners discover that the
social side of creating a working environment and culture where DevOps excels
is by far more complicated and challenging than building and mastering their
DevOps tool stack.
DevOps
Pillars
The social side of the DevOps build is simple to learn and discuss, and decep-
tively difficult to get right. That is because the social side addresses people and
teams and contains all the emotions, hopes, fears, drama, and quirks that make
DevOps
us human. It’s messy work - and without a consistent and embedded approach
to skills development, many IT professionals will find themselves lacking the
skills necessary to navigate these waters.
 3. DevOps as Part of the Digital Skillset

New demands are constantly being made on professionals in terms of which

skills and competences they need to master in order to survive and thrive.
Technical skills are no longer sufficient in isolation; the professional of today
needs to have a much broader range of competences in order to add value.
Deloitte’s model, entitled ‘Skills necessary for digital transformation’, can be
a useful reference point when considering the areas of knowledge and skills
required to support businesses in the digital age.

A number of the skills mentioned have a strong relationship with DevOps. For
UX DESIGN | AGILE STRUCTURE |
example, ‘Agile structure’ is mentioned as a separate required skill, due to how
ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT |
important responsiveness to change is in order for digital transformation efforts
to succeed. DevOps is relevant here, as DevOps practices can help organizations
Necessary COLLABORATIVE PROCESSES |
to structure their activities in an agile way. Many of the other skills mentioned in Skills BUSINESS ACUMEN |
Deloitte’s model also have a strong link with DevOps. The focus within DevOps TECHNOLOGICAL SAVVINESS
on collaboration, where development and operations teams work closely
together on product development, is aligned with ‘Collaborative processes’,
and DevOps skills contribute to ‘Technological savviness’ since many of its
practices (e.g. continuous delivery) require knowledge of technologies. DevOps
also supports the development of an ‘Entrepreneurial spirit’ as it significantly
speeds up the development of products, which in turns supports the business
in adapting to the market by introducing innovative products and services in a
timely way.
4. EXIN DevOps Certification Program

As observed by Gartner, people are the key to

organizational change and successful DevOps. The
EXIN DevOps certification program supports
professionals in developing the required DevOps
knowledge and skills, so they can make the difference
The program covers both the social and the
within organizations.
technical aspects, so that professionals are
equipped with the right knowledge and skills to
“Organizational learning and change
are key to allowing DevOps to flourish. work in a DevOps driven environment and
In other words, people-related factors ultimately guide the organization in creating the
tend to be the greatest challenges –
not technology.”* right culture. The program is focused on

GEORGE SPAFFORD providing customer value by creating iteratively

SENIOR DIRECTOR ANALYST, GARTNER
and delivering continuously.

*Souce: https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/the-secret-to-devops-success/
4. EXIN DevOps Certification Program

The EXIN DevOps certification program is depicted on the right hand side of the
page. The certifications are based on publicly available and globally recognized
literature, and they target a broad audience in both business and IT.

The EXIN DevOps Foundation certificate provides professionals from all

backgrounds with an introduction to the main DevOps principles, core concepts,
and practices. The DevOps Professional certificate is more technical. It covers
the Three Ways in DevOps as well as security and compliance during change. It
is based on the popular DevOps Handbook. The DevOps Master is role-based and
helps to prepare professionals to take a guiding role in a DevOps team or in the
broader organization. The DevOps Master certificate includes practical assign-
ments (or ‘The Phoenix Project’ simulation) to focus on applying knowledge in
practice, as required for the role, as opposed to just testing theoretical knowledge
through multiple choice questions. Pre-existing knowledge is recognized, so that
professionals can enter the certification program at the level which is appropriate
to their experience, without the need to start at the beginning.
The program has no recertification requirements - all of the certificates have a
lifetime validity.

The EXIN DevOps certification program has been developed in close partnership
with both subject matter experts and industry organizations, to ensure that the
content is relevant and aligned with the market need. It is regularly updated to
ensure new insights and market developments are incorporated into the program.
4. EXIN DevOps Certification Program

Mike Orzen, a recognized global thought leader in the domain of Lean and DevOps, provides his insights on the
development of DevOps skills for the digital age.

“DevOps is increasingly important in today’s digital age,

where consumer demands are higher than ever before,
and developing a high level of agility is crucial to survival.
Professionals need to develop DevOps knowledge and
skills so they can seamlessly coordinate with all parts of
the value stream to release customer-focused products
quickly and with few errors. EXIN’s certification
program provides a strong basis for developing the
required knowledge and skills and covers certification on
all levels so that professionals enter at the level best
suited to their experience.”

MIKE ORZEN, LEAN & DEVOPS THOUGHT

LEADER
4. EXIN DevOps Certification Program

As with all EXIN’s certification programs, the EXIN DevOps program is closely aligned to the
e-Competency Framework (e-CF), an independent framework for IT-related competences which
has been developed by the European Union. Each certification within the program has been mapped
to this framework so there is full transparency into which competences are covered and at which level,
based on an internationally accepted standard. Framing the DevOps related competencies in the context
of the e-CF enables comparison of individual growth, against competencies needed in a team or in
the whole organization.

The result is that successful candidates receive an internationally recognized certificate provided by an
independent exam institute, which allows them to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in the area of
DevOps to the outside world and establish themselves as valuable assets in the market.
4. EXIN DevOps Certification Program

The EXIN DevOps certification program is:

• The only DevOps program with certifications at all levels including Master;
• Covers both the social and technical aspects of DevOps;
• Based on publicly available and globally recognized literature;
• Practical to ensure what is learnt has maximum value in the workplace for better
ROI;
• Aligned to an international competency framework (e-CF);
• A multi-layer program which recognizes pre-existing knowledge;
• Available in multiple languages to support local markets;
• Available through multiple channels so you can take your exam anytime, anywhere;
• A globally recognized, independent certification program with no lock-in.

EXIN’s DevOps certification program

is available in eight languages.
Thousands of professionals have already
been certified in the program in over
thirty countries.
5. Summary

DevOps practices are more relevant now than ever before as organizations seek to develop the
agility, speed, and responsiveness they require in a highly competitive business environment.

DevOps enables organizations to decrease time to market for new releases, software, or services by
encouraging a collaborative approach from development and operations teams, and by increasing
productivity through automation. As such, the development of knowledge and skills related to
DevOps is a critical part of the digital skillset needed by professionals.

EXIN’s DevOps certification program has been created with this in mind and helps professionals
develop the skills – both social and technical – which they need to apply DevOps within
organizations. In addition, they can achieve an independent, internationally recognized certificate to
prove their worth, making them valuable assets in a highly competitive market.
6. About the Authors

Michael Orzen Suzanne Galletly

Michael delivers a unique blend of Lean, Agile & DevOps to IT and Service As Portfolio Director at EXIN, Suzanne is end responsible for the
Operations. Considered a pioneer of Lean and technology, Michael is development and positioning of EXIN’s certification portfolio, in line with
coauthor of the award-winning book “Lean IT: Enabling and Sustaining Your market needs and industry trends. Next to her role within EXIN, in 2017
Lean Enterprise” and the follow up “The Lean IT Field Guide”. He is often Suzanne was appointed Chief Examiner for VeriSM™ by the newly
referred to as “The Father of Lean IT” and recognized internationally as a established International Foundation for Digital Competences (IFDC). In this
thought leader in Lean, enterprise transformation, Lean IT and DevOps. role Suzanne is responsible for ensuring there is alignment between the
He is a blogger for DevOps.com and has extensive experience in training VeriSM™ approach and the VeriSM™ professional certification scheme.
and coaching DevOps at all levels in the IT organization. He is also a certified
facilitator for The Phoenix Project Simulation game. Suzanne is certified in several progressive areas such as Agile Scrum, SIAM
and VeriSM™, as well as in more traditional areas such as ITIL Expert, ISO
20000 Consultant, PRINCE2 Practitioner and MoP Practitioner.

Suzanne Galletly profile image: © VC Utrecht / Mediamakers Joris Louwes

7. About EXIN

Since 1984 EXIN has been a leading independent exam and

certification institute, having certified millions of professionals
in the digital domain. EXIN has over 1000 accredited partners in
more than 165 countries worldwide. EXIN’s flexible and innovative
services enable candidates to take exams anywhere around the
globe in many languages.

EXIN enables digital transformation by assessing and validating

competences. EXIN offers a broad range of relevant and much
demanded certifications, e.g. in the field of Service Management
such as VeriSM™ and ITSM, Agile Scrum, DevOps, SIAM™,
Information Security Management, Data Protection (based on
GDPR), Cybersecurity, Data Center Management and Cloud
Computing. EXIN also provides e-CF® NEXT, an advanced Skills
Gap Analysis solution for organizations.

EXIN® is a registered trademark of EXIN Holding BV.