Today’s technology landscape is constantly evolving. Companies are constantly looking to adapt their software development and operations processes to stay ahead. DevOps emerged as a transformative approach that connects development and operations to deliver software faster and more reliably. However, adopting DevOps is more than just a technical feat. It also involves changing the structure and dynamics of teams to maximise efficiency, collaboration, and innovation. This is where team topologies play a critical role.
Understanding Team Topologies: A New Perspective
Team topologies refer to the strategic structuring and interaction of teams within an organisation. They shape how teams communicate, collaborate, and create value. Unlike traditional hierarchies or static team structures, team topologies promote flexibility, adaptability, and continuous information flow. The core idea is to design teams that are not only technically savvy, but also able to collaborate seamlessly.
Organisations that use effective team topologies create fertile ground for success. This goes beyond code and deployment pipelines; it’s about people, processes, and culture. By rethinking team structures, companies can achieve optimal alignment between business goals and technology implementation.
Four Fundamental Team Topologies
In their influential work, Matthew Skelton and Manuel Pais identified four key team topologies that support DevOps and modern software delivery.
- Stream-focused teams: These teams focus on delivering value that meets specific business opportunities or customer needs. Their scope includes end-to-end ownership of a product or feature, from development to deployment. Stream-focused teams minimise dependencies and facilitate faster feedback loops.
- Support teams: These teams help other teams adopt new technologies, processes, or skills. They act as internal consultants, providing expertise and support without directly owning the product. This helps organisations share best practices and build the confidence of stream-focused teams.
- Complex subsystem teams: Sometimes a system requires deep domain expertise, such as machine learning models or complex algorithms. Complex subsystem teams handle these specialised parts of the system, allowing other teams to focus on broader goals without getting bogged down in complexity.
- Platform Teams: These teams build and maintain the core services and infrastructure that other teams rely on. Their mission is to simplify the work of teams working on a flow-based approach by providing reliable and reusable tools, ensuring that developers can focus on building products rather than inventing new infrastructure.
More in our article: https://instandart.com/blog/bespoke-software-development/team-topologies-devops-beyond-technical-excellence/
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