Every Company Is Now an IT Company
In today’s digital-first world, the distinction between traditional industries and technology companies has all but disappeared. Whether an organisation builds consumer goods, provides financial services, or manages logistics, it invariably relies on software to deliver, differentiate, and sustain its offerings.
Therefore, in this reality, keeping the lights on is no longer sufficient, we need DevOps for IT operations!
In other words, merely maintaining systems and infrastructure does not equate to delivering value—especially not at the speed or scale the market now demands.
The Transformation Journey: Still a Work in Progress
Many organisations understand the importance of digital transformation and have already started taking action. For example, they are adopting agile ways of working, moving systems to the cloud, and investing in automation. However, even with these efforts, the expected results often don’t materialise. One major reason is that IT operations (ITOps) teams are often treated as an afterthought in these initiatives.
This happens partly because many ITOps teams don’t see themselves as active builders of the business. Instead, they view their role as just supporting it. In reality, they are managing a product: the internal software that connects different vendor systems and automates key business tasks. This software plays a vital role in the organisation’s value chain.
DevOps: The Engine Behind Value Delivery
This is exactly where DevOps makes a difference. It provides straightforward principles and hands-on practices that help ITOps teams deliver internal tools with the same speed, consistency, and flexibility expected from software built for customers.
In simple terms, DevOps is both a cultural shift and a technical approach. It helps organisations deliver software faster, with better quality, and in closer alignment with business goals.
For IT operations (ITOps) teams—who have often been seen mainly as support—DevOps offers a new perspective. It redefines their role, showing that they are key drivers of business value. Instead of just managing infrastructure behind the scenes, ITOps teams become essential contributors in the full journey—from the first idea to the final product or service, even when that service is meant for internal users.
ITOps as Software Builders: Embracing the Role
ITOps delivers software—whether through automation scripts, config code, or integration pipelines. To increase their impact, they must deliver better software, faster. But “better” means more than technical quality—it means software that drives real business outcomes. This calls for a shift in mindset: from output to outcome, from technical success to measurable impact.
DevOps practices like continuous integration, infrastructure as code, automated testing, and continuous delivery support this shift. They enable teams to move faster, adapt to change, and deliver value more quickly. Shorter release cycles mean better alignment with business needs, faster time-to-value, and improved resilience.
Faster feedback and greater reliability also foster innovation and build trust. Ultimately, DevOps is more than a delivery method—it’s a strategic enabler that elevates ITOps as key contributors to business success.
Shipping Better Software, Faster: A Strategic Imperative
For ITOps leaders, it’s time to rethink how you see your teams. They are not just looking after systems and infrastructure—they are building software. This software may not look like a typical app, but it plays a critical role. It includes integration scripts, configuration files, infrastructure-as-code, YAML templates, and automation pipelines. These tools bring together different technologies into one reliable platform, designed to meet your organisation’s specific needs and workflows.
What’s often missed is that this internal software is how ITOps creates value. Understanding this is the first step. The next is to improve how it’s built—by learning from decades of experience in software engineering, using DevOps for ITOps. That means using version control, automated testing, continuous integration, code reviews, and repeatable release processes. These aren’t just nice extras—they’re vital for improving quality, reducing errors, and speeding up delivery.
This is where DevOps comes in. It gives your teams the tools, practices, and mindset to treat internal software like a real product. With this approach, ITOps can move from a reactive support role to a proactive force driving real business agility.
Conclusion: From Cost Centre to Value Driver
As every company becomes a digital business, the message is clear: operations can no longer be treated as a back-office function. ITOps teams must start thinking of themselves as software teams—building internal products that connect systems, automate tasks, and deliver essential business capabilities.
This shift means moving beyond one-off scripts and reactive support. It requires a more structured, repeatable, and scalable way of working.
To succeed, ITOps must professionalise their practices—just as software engineering has done. This includes adopting version control, automated testing, CI/CD pipelines, and strong documentation. These aren’t burdens—they’re the building blocks for long-term speed and reliability.
As teams evolve into toolmakers, they can develop reusable automation libraries and integration patterns. These assets become force multipliers, helping you scale capabilities and respond faster to changing business needs.
That’s where SynEdgy comes in. We’re more than technical trainers—we’re partners in transformation. We coach your teams to apply DevOps principles in real-world settings, shift culture, improve delivery, and boost impact. With the right mindset, tools, and support, your ITOps teams can become a key driver of business success in the digital age, and apply DevOps for ITOps.