The Platform is King: Unlocking Agile Business Transformation

In today’s fast-moving business landscape, the importance of software and the role of developers in keeping companies relevant cannot be overstated. The ever-evolving tech world demands adaptability, and businesses must constantly innovate to stay competitive. This dynamism has given rise to a new trend within organisations – the formation of platform teams. In this blog post, we will delve into the emergence of platform teams, their roles and responsibilities, and their alignment with a DevSecOps culture. We will also address the interests of different personas, including the Sales team, the C-suite executives, and the procurement team.

The Rise of Platform Teams

As businesses navigate the shifting sands of technology and market demands, they are increasingly recognising the need to empower their developers. While embracing new technologies is crucial, it’s not the sole determinant of success. Over the past five years, working for a security and infrastructure software vendor, I’ve witnessed a clear trend among successful adopters of technology: they focus on three key areas – People, Process, and Technology. Some things never change.

With the widespread adoption of “The Cloud” and Software as a Service (SaaS) products within organisations, the demand for new technologies is still insatiable. However, it’s evident that success in adopting these technologies hinges on more than just the technology itself. The technology aspect can often be straightforward, as organisations can leverage their vendors’ expertise to tackle this challenge. The real difference between a successful business that facilitates swift technology adoption and one that struggles lies in the attention given to the other two areas: re-evaluating processes and team structures.

If you are familiar with Conway’s Law, you will understand the wisdom in this approach. Conway’s Law, coined by computer programmer Melvin Conway in 1967, posits that the structure of an organisation will be reflected in the design of its systems. In other words, the way a company organises its teams and departments will influence the software and systems it develops.

The trend I’ve observed is the emergence of the Platform Team. This team plays a pivotal role in breaking down internal silos, centralising services, and ensuring security, compliance, and governance are maintained. It’s essential to distinguish the Platform Team from the traditional Operations Team – both developers and operations teams will be customers of the Platform Team.

ServiceNow, often associated with IT Service Management (ITSM), is a prime example of a company that recognised the significance of the Platform Team. ServiceNow is not merely an ITSM business; it is, at its core, a highly successful business workflow platform. Their journey from $1.6 billion in revenue in 2016 to nearly $8 billion in 2023 attests to the impact of a well-implemented platform team. The success of ServiceNow emphasises that the Platform Team is not an isolated phenomenon; it’s a crucial factor for growth in today’s tech-centric business landscape.

The Platform Team vs. the Operations Team

To appreciate the role of the Platform Team, it’s essential to understand how it differs from the traditional Operations Team. While both teams serve critical functions, their responsibilities and goals diverge.

Platform Team Responsibilities:

Centralisation of Services: The Platform Team’s primary role is to centralise services across the organisation. They act as a hub for different teams, providing a unified and standardised environment for development and operations.
Breaking Down Silos: Platform Teams work towards breaking down internal silos. They foster collaboration and communication between development and operations, reducing the barriers that hinder efficiency and innovation.
Security and Compliance: Platform Teams are responsible for facilitating security and compliance tooling across the organisation. They establish and enforce best practices to safeguard data and maintain regulatory compliance.
Governance: Platform Teams can create and implement governance policies to maintain consistency in processes and technologies used throughout the organisation.

Operations Team Responsibilities:

Day-to-Day Operations: Traditional Operations Teams are responsible for the day-to-day management and maintenance of IT infrastructure, systems, and services.
Incident Management: They handle incidents and disruptions, ensuring that systems are restored quickly and efficiently.
Monitoring and Performance: Operations Teams monitor system performance and address issues related to uptime, availability, and scalability.
Infrastructure Management: They manage physical and virtual infrastructure, including servers, storage, and networking.

In essence, the Operations Team is primarily focused on keeping the lights on and ensuring that IT services run smoothly. In contrast, the Platform Team is dedicated to creating an environment that promotes collaboration, security, compliance, and governance.

Platform Teams in DevSecOps

The emergence of platform teams aligns well with the DevSecOps culture. DevSecOps emphasises the integration of security practices into the DevOps process, shifting security to the left in the software development lifecycle. Platform Teams play a pivotal role in facilitating this shift left mindset with the security team.

Key contributions of Platform Teams to DevSecOps:

Security Integration: Platform Teams ensure that security is an integral part of the development process from the very beginning. This proactive approach helps identify and address security issues early in the development lifecycle.
Collaboration: Platform Teams foster collaboration between development, operations, and security teams. This close cooperation ensures that security requirements are understood and met without impeding the development process.
Automation: Platform Teams implement automation and tooling that enforces security practices, such as code scanning, vulnerability assessments, and identity and access management.
Compliance: Platform Teams establish and maintain compliance standards, ensuring that the software and infrastructure meet regulatory requirements.

Incorporating Platform Teams into a DevSecOps framework enhances the organisation’s ability to deliver secure and compliant software rapidly. This approach minimises security vulnerabilities, reduces the risk of data breaches, and improves overall product quality.

The Platform Team’s Benefits for Different Personas

The Sales Team

For the Sales team tasked with selling into a business, the existence of a Platform Team presents a significant opportunity as they’ve broken down the internal silos and can potentially access their associated budgets, more funding. Platform Teams can also streamline and accelerate the development and deployment of new products and features. This gets the customer into adoption sooner. This, in turn, opens up more opportunities for the Sales team to pitch the next use case to their customers. Having a well-functioning Platform Team can be a key differentiator in a competitive marketplace, allowing the Sales team to offer solutions that are not only cutting-edge but also efficient and secure.

The C-Suite Executives

C-suite executives often grapple with the challenges of poor communication channels and unproductive silos within their organisations. These issues can hinder decision-making and stifle innovation. Implementing a Platform Team model can help break down these silos and create a more efficient, collaborative, and agile organisation. With better communication and alignment between teams, the C-suite can make more informed decisions and drive the company towards its strategic goals.

The Procurement Team

The procurement team plays a vital role in managing the organisation’s finances and resources. By adopting a Platform Team model, organisations can see clear financial benefits alongside productivity gains. These teams can track the shift from capital expenses (CapEx) to operational expenses (OpEx) and identify cost-saving opportunities. Additionally, the procurement team can assess the value derived from investments in platform technologies and optimise procurement strategies accordingly.

Conclusion

The evolution of the Platform Team is a testament to the ever-changing landscape of the business world. Companies are recognising that success isn’t solely determined by technology adoption; it hinges on the trifecta of People, Process, and Technology. The Platform Team, with its role in centralising services, breaking down silos, ensuring security and compliance, and promoting governance, is emerging as a key driver of success in today’s fast-moving markets.

As businesses continue to adapt and innovate, the Platform Team model offers a path to enhanced collaboration, security, and efficiency. It aligns well with DevSecOps principles, facilitating a shift left mindset with the security team.

In this dynamic business landscape, remember that “The Platform is King.” It’s not just about the technology; it’s about the platform that enables your teams to thrive and your organisation to succeed.

Conway’s Law, named after computer programmer Melvin Conway, states that the organisational structure of a company is mirrored in the design of its systems. In other words, the way a company organises its teams and departments will influence the software and systems it develops.

Embrace the power of the Platform Team, and watch your organisation thrive in the age of rapid technological transformation.

Happy Re-orging! Graz