App development today may call for flexible roles

Handoffs between clearly defined development and ops teams may be slowing down app creation.

There may be a sense of pressure in IT to ensure that every step in the creation of apps is planned out in exact detail, with each project moving down an assembly line from creation to testing and on to deployment. However, loosening these constraints and working with new departmental structures and processes may be a ticket to improved efficiency and a step toward better apps.

Developing flexible department structures

Working with a system that opens up the development process, such as DevOps, can speed up the deployment cycle. This is important today, because getting software stuck in testing and subsequently sent back to square one may prove costly. A failure to distribute the application on time might slow the whole business down. Instead of keeping developers and operations personnel in the dark with regard to one another, mingling their roles and fielding a combined DevOps section may help smooth the road from initial conception to effective use.

To enable this exchange of ideas, businesses should be ready to offer their development and operations personnel easy access to the projects they are working on. This is where current Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) solutions can help immensely. Default user access profiles may not encompass all the responsibilities given to an employee in the DevOps age, but the most flexible PaaS architectures are capable of assigning customized roles. These add another benefit as well - they only grant capabilities that are relevant, ensuring there are no users with too much visibility.

Threading the needle between security and permission is a common refrain in today's IT departments - as Tech Page One recently indicated, internal data theft undertaken by employees is distressingly common, a threat to place alongside external attacks. Having a PaaS solution with helpful governance features built in is a step in the right direction for companies.

Developing applications quickly and following the demands of the project rather than any dogmatic set of rules may put software in the hands of end-users promptly, setting the business apart from any peers that have failed to adapt their processes.

Apps are now a must-have

The app has become a key unit of technology, meaning that the processes involved with development are now more important than ever before. Failure to deploy an application on time may limit employee effectiveness. Conversely, creating a Web app that supports mobile technology and integrates a wealth of business data may change operations for the better, improving a company's outlook in a hurry. With so much on the line, it's no wonder that rapid application development tactics have become a topic of intense discussion among business and IT leaders.