Accelerating flows across IT value streams

In the previous section, you learned that Agile and Lean aim to improve customer value and manage product flows differently. You also learned that the quickest and simplest way to blend Agile and Lean practices is by moving away from the batch Sprint model, to a continuous flow model by using Kanban Boards and Cards. However, we can also streamline and accelerate our value delivery processes through integration and automation strategies. Continuous integration (CI), continuous delivery (CD), DevOps, platforms, and software factories help us achieve these goals.

First, CI and CD capabilities help the IT development teams streamline, integrate, and automate their software development life cycle (SDLC) processes. That's not to say that the entire set of SDLC processes should be streamlined, integrated, and automated all at once. Rapid adoption may not be possible for a small IT shop or a small team within a larger organization that has...