Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical role technology plays in health service delivery; the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) was significantly challenged to provide real-time system capabilities for tracking infections rates, vaccines, and data exchanges with partners. VDH made IT modernization a top priority to ensure its readiness to respond to future health crises.
VDH embarked on a transformative journey, partnering with Oteemo to implement a comprehensive multi-dimensional change effort that spanned People, Process, and Technology. By harnessing innovative technologies, Agile methods, and a multi-dimensional business transformation plan to synchronize efforts, VDH took a generational leap forward with its IT capabilities and new cultural approach to system development and service delivery.
VDH engaged Oteemo to accomplish several critical goals around CI/CD pipeline development and strategic organizational readiness, pursuing a phased approach that fast-tracked a Proof of Value (PoV) with select teams before scaling the new capabilities across the portfolio.
Reduce Time to Market (TTM)
Reduce the time taken to deliver new IT solutions and services.
Reduce Costs
Optimize resource utilization, minimize manual intervention, and eliminate inefficiencies.
Increase Velocity
Faster time-to-value, enabling more rapid innovation and adaptation to changing requirements.
Metrics / KPIs
Actionable insights into its development processes’ efficiency and effectiveness.
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Phase 1: Assessment & Blueprint (Q1 2022)
Oteemo initiated engagement with a thorough DSO assessment and blueprinting exercise. This critical phase, including strategic planning sessions, provided VDH with valuable insights into its current state and goals to guide VDH’s digital and organizational transformation. Oteemo outlined a roadmap for transformation with priority outcomes, including implementation of a scalable operating model, upskilling with Agile training, and expert coaching to prepare teams for migration to GitLab and new CI/CD pipeline tooling with an enhanced security posture.
Multi-dimensional Transformation Roadmap
People
- Joint strategic planning among all IT domain leaders
- Defined transformation goals and outcomes
Process
- Operating model to achieve future state
Technology
- Introduced GitLab platform and tooling recommendations to drive modern CI/CD pipelines and DevSecOps practices
Phase 2: Pilot Phase & Enablement (Q3 2022)
Building upon the assessment findings, Oteemo facilitated Agile 101 training sessions for VDH’s Proof of Value (PoV) product teams. These immersive and experiential enablement sessions covered Agile fundamentals, product management, and fostered a DevSecOps culture shift toward cross-functional collaboration. Simultaneously, Oteemo engineers introduced a standardized approach for pipeline development, setting up the GitLab platform for the organization along with new processes and patterns for software deployment. While building the new CI pipelines, Oteemo experts coached PoV product teams and engineers on core GitLab functionality and infrastructure, template and runbook utilization, and pipeline management.
Key Accomplishments Driving Change
People/Process
- SME-led working sessions and co-development pipeline work in GitLab
- Immersive training and real-time mentoring for pilot product teams
- Initiate cross-functional processes and product team model for collaboration
Technology
- Introduced GitLab platform and all new pipelines, code templates and centralized configuration practices for pipeline management
- Standardized all software and application processes for development and release
- Introduced automated tests and security scanning for all code development, shifting testing left early in the SDLC
Phase 3: Implementation at Scale (Q3 2023)
Oteemo developed a business transformation plan to orchestrate and synchronize the rollout of multiple initiatives: new operating processes to support the DevSecOps model, onboarding process for 75+ applications
to automated GitLab pipelines, and an immersive training experience to integrate Agile into newly forming cross-functional teams. Oteemo also worked with the VDH leadership team to put in place governance structures and processes for managing portfolio-level priorities and synchronizing previously siloed components to develop enterprise solutions.
Key Accomplishments Driving Change
People
- Shift from “doing” Agile to being Agile at scale
- Agile Coaching provided at scale
- Immersive training and real-time mentoring for product teams onboarding to GitLab and Agile, supplemented with cross-training functional groups on new capabilities
Process
- Initiated Agile Portfolio-level Governance structure and processes for Leadership decision-making and coordinated initiative implementation to reduce risk/inefficiencies
- Refined cross-functional product team OpModel
- Introduced select teams to metrics for gauging capacity and code quality
- Cross-functional development of portfolio Release Management process for modern SDLC practices
Technology
- Introduced Terraform to support automated self-service instantiation and ease pipeline and repository configuration management
- Finalized standard templates, runbooks and resources/guides for engineers and product teams
- Configured pipelines and codebase for integration with ServiceNow
- Provide platform for 75+ applications to leverage and onboarded 8 new services in 4 months
Impact and Results
Throughout the engagement, VDH witnessed significant progress on their DevSecOps modernization journey. Critical milestones were achieved, ranging from operationalizing CI/CD pipelines to migration of legacy systems to GitLab, initiation of a scalable operating model for product teams, incorporation of new tooling for self-service engineering, and initial adoption of Agile by migrating teams. The transformation has empowered VDH to replicate this model to respond swiftly to evolving public health needs as evidenced by teams delivering software in mere weeks, not quarterly cycles.
Conclusion
The collaboration between VDH and Oteemo serves as a testament to the power of strategic partnerships in driving organizational change and innovation. By embracing DevSecOps principles and leveraging cutting-edge technologies, VDH is poised to deliver greater value to the community and advance its mission of promoting public health. As organizations continue to navigate unprecedented challenges, the VDH-Oteemo partnership stands as a beacon of success in harnessing technology for the greater good.
