The current situation
In 2020/2021, a Dutch government institution faced several challenges before partnering with Devoteam. They had only one application that could predict risk scores and determine if they qualified for inspection. The purpose of this application was to increase inspection efficiency, given that the inspection process was time-consuming and there were few inspectors available.
However, the government institution encountered technical challenges regarding the scalability and stability of the application. Although the application was running in a production environment, it could not scale properly and frequently crashed during peak loads. The desire to transition to Red Hat’s OpenShift platform added further complexity, as the application first needed to be containerised. This led to conflicts between the innovation department and the IT department over the necessary adjustments and implementations.
The challenges
Dependency on the IT Department
One of the aspects the innovation department struggled with was its dependency on the IT department. The innovation department works closely with the IT department to roll out new data science products.
This collaboration, although valuable, sometimes slowed down the innovation process. This was mainly due to a difference in expertise and decision-making. Different interests created challenges that hindered the progress of developments and implementations.
Desire for a more efficient rollout of data science products
The innovation department had a strong need for a faster and more effective way to roll out their data science products. This desire stemmed from their ambition to operate quickly and agile in an ever-changing market. The existing IT infrastructure is focused on ‘regular’ software products and not on the specific data science products, resulting in a lack of the desired flexibility and speed.
Communication between departments
The organisation also encountered some communication problems between the innovation department, Analysis, and IT. Although collaboration between these departments was crucial, misunderstandings sometimes arose because the innovation department and IT did not speak the same language. As a result, conflicting interests in terms of objectives led to a delayed process.
Standardised approach
Additionally, the innovation department noted that there was no uniform approach to application development and deployment, which limited the ability to respond quickly to changes. The need for a standardised approach became increasingly clear to enhance operational agility and strengthen the level of control within the organisation.
The solutions
Component framework
The first and most significant solution was the development of a ‘component framework’ that ran on an OpenShift cluster. This framework consisted of various parts, each with its own responsibility. One of the components was the ‘pipeline component’ for data retrieval, allowing each part to be developed independently without interfering with one another.
To streamline the development and deployment process, the entire component framework was deployed using GitLab’s CI/CD pipeline. This enabled a standardised and automated approach, ensuring that new versions of components could be efficiently tested, integrated, and released into production.
Additionally, a standardised approach was established to streamline development and deployment, giving each component its own place for different stakeholders, such as data scientists, analysts, and the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). Data scientists and analysts could add and integrate their functionality, while the CISO was responsible for implementing strict security measures within the framework. A separate management layer was implemented for efficiently managing and deploying new versions of packages, further enhancing operational efficiency and minimising potential errors.
The fundament
An important aspect of this solution was the implementation of a ‘skeleton,’ which served as the foundational structure for all other components within the framework. The skeleton ensured that essential elements, such as security configurations and resource allocations, were pre-configured. This allowed the innovation department and Analysis to focus on developing their code without worrying about potential technical issues. This standardised approach not only improved IT management but also fostered better collaboration across the organisation.
Benefits and results
The implementation of the above solutions has brought significant benefits to the Dutch government institution.
Higher level of autonomy and more efficient application deployment
Previously, the innovation department and the Analysis department were dependent on the IT department to roll out their applications, which resulted in a time-consuming process of months. With the implementation of the new framework and infrastructure, the innovation department can now independently deploy their data science products up to and including production. Applications can now be put into production within a day, compared to the previous process that took months.
The process has been significantly shortened, leading to increased autonomy and efficiency within the innovation department. This also accelerates the process of innovation and value creation for inspectors, making the organisation more flexible and responsive. The organisation is now better positioned to face future challenges.
Standardisation and enhanced security features
Thanks to the new framework, the IT department can now roll out standard products with a clear understanding of the requirements and resources needed. This makes the process less labour-intensive and improves the quality and consistency of the deployed products.
Moreover, the standardised approach simplified application management and enhanced security. By centrally managing upgrades and modifications within the framework’s skeleton, risks can be reduced and compliance with new policies can be ensured.
Improved collaboration of different disciplines
The innovation department, previously dependent on IT for deployment, now has the autonomy to deploy its own products and is no longer constrained by the long wait times of the past. The project has resulted in improved collaboration between the innovation department and Analysis on one hand, and the IT department on the other. The standardised approach and infrastructure have enhanced communication and coordination between the departments, enabling them to work together more effectively towards achieving common goals.
Conclusion
This success story illustrates the success of the collaboration with Devoteam in addressing challenges and achieving tangible improvements. Through innovative solutions and close collaboration, both parties have established a solid foundation for future success and growth.
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