This slide deck explains a simple approach to conduct value stream mapping for DevOps value streams. Easy to use templates are provided. An example is included, which shows the dramatic effect that using containers and Kubernetes had on the value stream for a business application.

1. Value Stream Mapping
For
DevOps
How to identify and resolve bottlenecks in, and solutions for,
DevOps value streams.
Value Stream Mapping Copyright © 2021 by Marc Hornbeek All rights reserved.

2. Value stream mapping identifies high priority
bottlenecks and weak points in the value
stream, to guide the implementation of
improvements to people, process (E.g.,
workflows) and technology (E.g., tool chains)
2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Value_stream_mapping
https://devops.com/lean-value-stream-mapping-for-devops/
http://itrevolution.com/starting-devops-value-stream/
https://webinars.devops.com/4-steps-how-to-value-stream-
map-your-software-pipelines
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7G1pYeCOYU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzl7Y7N8S6k
Value stream mapping is a lean-management method for analyzing the current state
and designing a future state for the series of events that take a product or service
from its beginning through to the customer. It can be applied to nearly any value
chain.

3. 3
• Capture a DevOps value stream, inclusive of people, process, and
technology factors, relative to a specific value that is the target for
improvement. Example values are lead time, release frequency, time
to restore service, failure rate, and security protection.
• Identify timings and quality factors for each stage in the value stream,
and end-to-end.
• Identify bottlenecks, gaps and opportunities to improve.
• Prioritize areas for improvement.
• Identify suggestions for improvement.
Value Stream Goals and Steps

4. • Enterprises have many applications with distinct value streams.
• It is recommended to start by selecting a value stream that has the
following attributes to yield high value results.
• An application that has high value to the business.
• A value stream with a senior leader that has authority to sponsor the
value stream mapping activity.
• The value that is to be improved is clear, and stakeholders agree it is an
important value.
• All stakeholders (Product owner, Dev, QA, Ops, Infra, Sec, Release, etc.)
are open to participating in value stream mapping.
Select a Value Stream for Analysis

5. Current State Value Stream Template
Input
(E.g.,
Backlog)
Factors
(People,
process,
and Tech)
Design
Tools and Infrastructure:
Factors
(People,
process,
and Tech)
St
End-to-End Time
St
Wt
Implement
Factors
(People,
process,
and Tech)
Test
Factors
(People,
process,
and Tech)
St St
Wt
% R
Wt
% R
Integrate
Factors
(People,
process,
and Tech)
Package
Factors
(People,
process,
and Tech)
St St
Wt
% R
Acceptance
Factors
(People,
process,
and Tech)
Deploy
Prep
Factors
(People,
process,
and Tech)
St St
Wt
% R
Wt
% R
Wt
% R
Deploy
Factors
(People,
process,
and Tech)
Validate
Factors
(People,
process,
and Tech)
St St
Wt
% R
Operations
Factors
(People,
process,
and Tech)
St
Wt
% R
Wt
% R
Wt
Wait time
St
Stage time
% R
% R % Rejected
Copyright © 2021 by Marc Hornbeek All rights reserved.
Value Stream Mapping

6. Value Stream Results Record
6
Stage Inputs and Outputs
Wait Time
to start
(Typical)
Time in
stage
(Typical) % Reject People, Process and Tech
Observations, &
Recommendations
Backlog Planning
Design
Implement
(Code)
Dev Package and
Test
Integrate
Acceptance
Prepare to
Deploy
Deploy to
Production
Validate in
Production
End-to-End
Value Stream Mapping Copyright © 2021 by Marc Hornbeek All rights reserved.

7. • The enterprise has many applications with distinct value streams.
• The value stream selected that has the following attributes:
✓ The application is one of the most important ones for the business.
✓ A senior leader with authority over the value stream is sponsoring the
value stream mapping activity.
✓ Stakeholders agree that the most important value to improve is “lead
time between code pull request of new feature to integration, until
validation of new service release candidate in production”.
✓ All stakeholders (Product owner, Dev, QA, Ops, Infra, Sec, Release, etc.)
are open to participating in the value stream mapping.
Example Value Stream
Enterprise Business Application

8. Value Stream EXAMPLE
Input
(E.g.,
Backlog)
Select
feature
from
backlog
Design
Tools and Infrastructure: DevOps platform, build, test and deploy tools and scripts, monitoring tools, cloud infrastructure
Feature
design
and
review
2 hr
13 D 5 hr
3 hr
4 hr
Implement
Create ad
compile
code
changes In
feature
branch,
peer
review,
static
analysis
Dev Test
Create
and run
unit and
functional
tests in
feature
branch
12 hr 4 hr
8 hr
20% R
1 hr
10% R
Integrate
Pull
request,
build and
run scans
and unit
and
integrate
tests with
trunk
branch
Package
Package
candidate
release
artifacts in
artifact
repo
4 hr 4 hr
0
5% R
System
Acceptance
Select and
deploy
service
candidate
and run
system
and ATPs
in staging.
Deploy
Prep
Prepare
and test
deploy
scripts in
staging
2 D 1 D
8 hr
5% R
24 hr
20% R
8hr
20% R
Deploy
Gradually
deploy
release of
service to
prod
Validate
Gradual
test of
service
release in
prod
4 h 7D
1 h
10% R
Operations
Prod
operation
s
0
0% R
1D h
5% R
Wt
Wait time
St
Stage time
0% R
% R % Rejected
Copyright © 2021 by Marc Hornbeek All rights reserved.
Value Stream Mapping

9. Stage Inputs / Outputs
Wait Time
to start
(Typical) hours
Time in
stage
(Typical) hours % Reject People, Process and Tech Observations, & Recommendations
Time
savings
hours
Backlog Planning Backlog / feature priority 0 2 0 Backlog review
Design
Feature selection / design
spec
4 3 10% Design and review
Implement (Code) Feature design / code 1 12 20% Code and peer review
Dev Test Code / Dev tested feature 8 4 20% Dev test scripts and test Could save 2 hours with test containers 2
Integrate Pull request / integration build 8 4 5%
Pull, build with trunk,
integration tests with trunk
Could save 2 hours wait time + 2 hours test
time by replacing slow, error prone,
platform specific, scripts with containers
4
Package
Feature build tested with trunk
/ Feature candiate in artifact
repo
0 4 20%
Prepare Feature candidate
package for release, register
/sign in artifact repo
Could save 3 hours by replacing slow, error
prone, platform specific scripts with
containers
3
System Acceptance
Feature candidates / System
Release Candidate tested
24 48 5%
Deploy release candidate to
staging, run system
acceptance tests
Could save 30 hours using containers and
kubernetes to manage deployments to
staging and system test re-configs
30
Prepare to Deploy
System Release Candidate
tested / Ready to deploy
8 24 5%
Prepare and test deployment
scripts in staging
Could save 16 hours by using Kubernetes
for deployment prep.
16
Deploy to
Production
Release Candidate ready to
deploy / Deployed for
Validation
24 4 10%
Deploy release candidate to
prod for validation
Could save 20 hours by using Kubernetes
with deployment automaion
20
Validate in
Production
Release Candidate Deployed to
Prod for validation / Fully
deployed release to Prod
1 168 0
Gradual validation and
deloyment to all prod
regions
Could save 72 hours using Kuberetes to
replace deployment scripts
72
Start of Integration
start until end of
validation
317 65 252 145
46%
Value Stream Results Record EXAMPLE
Copyright © 2021 by Marc Hornbeek All rights reserved.
Value Stream Mapping

10. Based on the value stream analysis, the “lead time between code pull request
of new feature to integration, until validation of new service release
candidate in production” for this important business application can be
reduced 145 hours (46%) from 317 hours to 172 hours by replacing slow,
error-prone, platform specific deployment scripts with containers and
automated container orchestration using Kubernetes.
Example Value Stream
Enterprise Business Application
RESULT

11. Marc Hornbeek
a.k.a. DevOps_the_Gray esq.
CEO and Principal Consultant
Engineering DevOps Consulting
Author – Engineering DevOps
mhornbeek@engineeringdevops.com
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