This is a story of transformation of a traditional Bank IT Operations into a DevOps driven lifestyle from one of Banking projects a couple of years back, which has been one of the foundations for my DevOps enablement framework.
One of my clients, a pension savings bank in Jakarta, Indonesia, was digitising their complete banking system into a branchless digital banking mobile application that would be live 24/7 for their customers. They had multiple banking products which covered a wide range of customers from old pension holders to the mobile app savvy youngsters to salary holding employees.
The objective was to bring everyone under a unified digital platform so that a 24/7 online service could be offered. For instance, when I started this engagement, inter-bank transactions were not allowed on the weekends, which they wanted to change.
However multiple challenges & unidentified fault-lines were posing bottlenecks in their Digital transformation journey such as:
The Challenges:
Traditional bank IT - Ops and Dev sitting on different floors of buildings.
No real world experience of DevOps or Continuous Delivery.
Manual steps for system setup, every server was a work of art. No Version Control for system-level changes.
Despite using some of the latest tools and tech, it would take days to do even a minor update or hot-fix. This made the whole platform highly unstable.
To solve these, they needed to enable Agile and DevOps practices among multiple IT teams and silos that existed in their software development groups.
The goal was to demonstrate how cross functional teams can inculcate DevOps and agile practices to deliver business-critical software and based on the lessons learned, spread the culture across the IT group.
Initiatives Enabling Digital Transformation in Banking:
Agile DevOps: Uniting Teams, Accelerating Progress
Practices like daily stand-ups, quarterly retros, showcases to adapt to changing requirements and deliver value iteratively were introduced for the first time to the Bank IT Ops teams.
This was backed with a 360-degree feedback mechanism that encouraged teams to reflect on their performance and identify areas for growth, ensuring a culture of accountability and learning.
Mentoring and pairing with a complete fresh bunch of developers and sysadmins while implementing the solution. This hands-on approach not only accelerated the onboarding process but also enabled knowledge sharing and skill development. This also helped in seamless onboarding & off-boarding for internal teams.
Coordinating & collaborating with multiple business and ops teams spread across different Banking Domains.
By leveraging these Agile DevOps practices, the Bank was able to streamline communication, minimise delays, and ensure that everyone is aligned towards common goals, thereby accelerating the pace of digital transformation initiatives.
Community of Learning: Nurturing Talent, Driving Innovation
To enable DevOps for Digital Transformation it was important that we focus on the in-house capability building required for a sustainable application delivery lifecycle.
With that idea I began by identifying talents within the Bank who can contribute to the community. I remember being asked about many people we need to hire to do this ? My answer was pretty clear: How about we ask people inside and already interested in. Let's start in-house.
As we grew a DevOps Academy Programme was introduced for new hires who came fresh out of college. I conducted a daily DevOps workshop for them from the basics of DevOps concepts till the actual technical implementation in the Bank. They were also introduced as interns on various development teams to they would get hands-on.
This created a community of DevOps enabled engineers handling the complete delivery pipeline that supported 20+ Digital Banking Products. And this was done within a short period of 6-9 months.
Cross-Functional Teams: Breaking Down Silos, Fostering Collaboration
In traditional banking IT operations, silos between development and operations teams often hinder collaboration and slow down the delivery process. However, the adoption of DevOps principles promotes the formation of cross-functional teams where everyone is empowered to contribute across the entire software development lifecycle. This not only breaks down silos but also fosters a culture of shared responsibility and collaboration.
We introduced a cross-functional team environment, where individuals were encouraged to expand their skill sets and take ownership of tasks beyond their traditional roles. This not only enhanced agility and responsiveness but also created a sense of camaraderie and shared purpose among team members, driving collective success in digital transformation initiatives.
Train the Trainer Model: Empowering Change Agents, Driving Organisational Transformation
To enable widespread adoption of DevOps practices across the organisation, a "train the trainer" model was introduced.
A core group of DevOps enablers from the community created above worked as change agents, equipping their peers with the knowledge, skills, and tools needed to embrace DevOps principles and practices.
This way by empowering employees at all levels to champion DevOps within their respective teams, the Bank could drive cultural transformation and ensure sustainable long-term success in their digital transformation journey.
Summary:
In the dynamic landscape of banking, where customer satisfaction is key to staying relevant, Digital Transformation has become more than just a buzzword—it's a necessity. Banks are not only expected to offer seamless digital experiences but also to adapt swiftly to evolving customer needs and market trends.
These practices enabled transformation of a traditional Bank IT Operations into a DevOps driven lifestyle.
DevOps has emerged as a transformative force in the banking sector, revolutionising the way organisations approach digital transformation.
By embracing DevOps principles and practices, banks can navigate the complexities of digital transformation with agility, innovation, and resilience, ensuring they remain at the forefront of the evolving financial landscape.
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Thanks & Regards
Kamalika Majumder
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