Largest Networking Hardware Provider Achieves 42% Development Velocity by Modernizing Salesforce Platform
Summary:
As one of the largest US networking hardware providers, the company needed to enhance operational speed, agility, and customer focus. To stay competitive and meet market demands, they aimed to streamline processes, adopt flexible practices, and prioritize customer satisfaction.
Challenges:
Technical Debt and Modernization:
Outdated systems due to insufficient time and resources for technical debt and modernization hindered performance and innovation.
Performance and Stability:
Suboptimal code, inadequate infrastructure, and inefficient processes caused performance and scalability issues, impacting productivity and customer satisfaction.
Governance and Accountability:
Lack of a dedicated monitoring team and robust governance framework led to lapses in oversight, consistency, compliance, and resource management.
Absence of DevOps:
The absence of DevOps impeded automated deployment, efficient resource provisioning, and cloud management, resulting in slower releases and system reliability challenges.
Objectives:
- Primary Goal: Modernize the Salesforce platform for better agility and scalability at a lower cost.
- Secondary Goal: Ensure accountability by monitoring and advising Salesforce best practices across the organization.
Suggested Solution:
We helped the client achieve significant improvements through a multi-faceted solution. A pilot project was initiated to showcase scalable agile and foundational enhancements, resulting in quick wins with faster feature delivery. We also partnered with App Dev teams and built CI/CD pipelines using Copado and standardized automation tools, supported by a comprehensive DevOps strategy and roadmap.
To ensure high code quality, we integrated SonarQube for static code analysis during promotions and aligned operations on a governance model. Workshops were conducted for DevOps leads to drive best practices in code refactoring, unit testing and code reviews during onboarding.
Additionally, we developed custom codes within Salesforce while utilizing native Salesforce and third-party capabilities. This holistic approach provided the client with a robust, scalable and efficient system enhancing their overall performance and innovation capacity.
Outcome:
- Achieved Performance Improvements- Achieved a 42% increase in velocity, a 36% increase in performance, and a sixfold acceleration in release speed within a year. These improvements led to faster delivery and more efficient development cycles.
- Embedded Continuous Learning- Embedded a culture of continuous learning and established robust governance and community practices. This approach fosters ongoing skill development and ensures effective process management.
- Ensured Accountability- Ensured end-to-end accountability and clearly defined responsibilities. This clarity improves team alignment and accountability, leading to more efficient project execution.
- Implemented Automation and DevOps- Implemented automation and DevOps, significantly reducing overall product costs. This strategy optimized processes and reduced manual effort, contributing to substantial cost savings.
- Developed Cross-Functional Teams- Developed self-sufficient cross-functional teams skilled in Agile and DevOps best practices. This capability enhances team versatility and adaptability, improving overall project outcomes.
- Managed CI/CD Pipelines- Managed fully operational CI/CD pipelines. This ensures streamlined development and deployment processes, leading to more reliable and frequent releases.
