Slow testing, unclear requirements, and data provisioning bottlenecks have consistently undermined both software quality and team productivity. In fact, 34% of enterprises report that frequent changes in requirements, manual testing, and insufficient time for quality assurance are among the most significant obstacles to timely delivery [1]. To effectively diagnose and address productivity and quality challenges, enterprises must understand how their DevOps lifecycle has split into 'inner' and 'outer' loops.
This infographic introduces the concept of inner and outer loops, highlighting the ongoing innovations within the inner loop, the risks associated with neglecting the outer loop, and the benefits of realigning your inner and outer loops.
Enterprises have heavily invested in enhancing inner loop productivity, often to the detriment of the outer loop. However, a well-functioning outer loop is just as crucial for producing and delivering high-quality software. When the outer loop becomes neglected, it introduces significant risks to the overall software delivery process.
There are no quick fixes for the imbalance between the inner and outer loops in software delivery. However, a well-functioning outer loop facilitates rapid software delivery by providing clear requirements, accurate test data, a reliable testing environment, and continuous feedback to ensure that software meets its requirements. Aligning the inner and outer loops can thus result in faster time to market, higher quality releases, improved cross-team collaboration, and better talent retention.
Curiosity are on a mission to re-align enterprise software delivery’s inner and outer loops. Book a meeting to learn how our platform prioritises outer loop productivity and quality, while fostering collaboration across your entire software delivery ecosystem.
References:
[1] Katalon, The State of Software Quality Report 2024. Retrieved from: https://www.katalon.com/state-quality-2024