Through the implementation of development and operation systems (DevOps), Barclays Bank has created Homely, a new app for consumers.
This app will provide a platform for clients to access information regarding home-based service providers, such as the nearest electrician, locksmith and garden services in their area.
This is according to Peter Rix, chief technology officer at Barclays Africa, who addressed delegates from the financial and IT sectors at an Industry Africa DevOps day conference on Wednesday. The agenda focused on the role of scaling DevOps in organisations within the banking and IT industry.
Homely, still at testing phase in SA, is the latest innovation which was introduced by the bank using DevOps.
"The app provides a supply and demand service as people log onto it to access information on an array of services they require. Once they have made use of the rendered services, they are able to rate the service provider based on their level of satisfaction," says Rix.
Six weeks after the introduction of the Apple Watch, the bank created the Absa app with specific Apple features built from DevOps. "We are now able to test new products in the live environment instead of testing programs on a system which has 10 million active clients on it", he notes.
DevOps ability
Rix says one of the main advantages of DevOps is its ability to automate programs into development, process and production at exponential speed levels without the use of human hands.
"Hardware, computers and other devices which previously took companies six months to produce, now take six hours to create. For instance, the reconciliation server can now be built in six minutes, thanks to automation through cloud computing capabilities," he adds.
DevOps will undoubtedly change the future of how businesses operate, says Rix.
"We need to see more software engineers, electric engineers and technologists incorporating DevOps into their capabilities. This will ensure we expand our software industry and do as they do in California in the US, India and other countries. If businesses don't adapt, they won't survive," he adds.
Coetzee Smit, team leader: Document Services at IT systems development at Capitec Bank, who was also one of the speakers, explained his interpretation of DevOps. "DevOps is a combination of being lean and delivering at velocity which supports the values upon which the company is operating".
Although Capitec is new to the use of the Agile methodology, he attributes the success of the financial institution to its innovative use of technology.
"Capitec only have three Agile teams that make up 20% of Capitec IT system development; however we are looking to apply the DevOps principles across the entire bank."
He added the financial institution now has over 700 branches established in SA and they add seven new branches to the list every month.
Cultural transformation
Continuing on the agenda of Agile software development, Josef Langerman, group head of Engineering Transformation at Standard Bank, said 45% of the SA IT industry is made up of outsourced DevOps. He shared a presentation of an Agile-based methodology which the company used to perform an Agile cultural transformation among employees.
"We implemented this approach at our organisation when we realised that we were struggling to move our Agile pilot projects to the next level. We rolled out this methodology to 1 200 staff members and our Organisational Health Index has improved by 12%.
He said more employees will undergo a similar transformation process in the near future.
In closing, Langerman added the digital revolution is fundamentally changing the way in which consumers and businesses interact. Due to this change, he continued, banks need to build Agile digital services from their own capabilities, which will provide efficient banking experience for customers.
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