Adaptation models for devops project management: Application in the defense industry

In recent years, rapid and groundbreaking advancements in software, hardware, and technology have brought significant changes to software development processes, methods, and techniques. Among these changes, meeting organizational and business requirements, as well as accelerating software development, operations, and continuous improvement processes, have gained prominence. In this context, the DevOps (Development and Operations) Project Management Model, which integrates software development and operational processes, has emerged as a key approach. DevOps is a software development methodology aimed at enhancing collaboration between software development processes and IT operations, reducing software delivery times through process automation. Based on a culture of continuous integration (CI), continuous delivery (CD), and automation, DevOps plays a critical role in addressing the needs of modern software projects, such as speed, efficiency, and quality. However, DevOps introduces unique challenges due to its different approach to standard software processes and corporate IT operations. These challenges can be categorized into areas such as software development processes, requirements management, team management, risk management, quality management, and automation. The primary goal of this research is to develop adaptation models and propose implementation strategies for the DevOps Project Management Model tailored to a high-technology organization within the defense industry. The study follows a qualitative research approach, employing Action Research and document analysis methods across two phases. In the first phase, data were collected and analyzed through semi-structured interviews with software development experts. The interviews addressed topics such as requirements management, team management, risk management, quality management, and the use of artificial intelligence within the scope of DevOps. Opinions on encountered challenges, methods, techniques, and tools were also gathered. The research data were examined using deductive and inductive thematic analysis methods. Initially, deductive coding was applied based on the research questions and theoretical framework, and codebooks were created. Subsequently, new themes and patterns were explored using inductive thematic analysis. During the data analysis process, the deductive approach established the theoretical foundation of the research, while the inductive approach facilitated the discovery of new findings from the collected data. In the second phase of the research, DevOps adaptation models were developed using UML diagrams based on the findings from the first phase. These adaptation models were evaluated using scenario analysis to ensure alignment with the main themes (codebooks), users' functional and non-functional requirements, and UML standards. Ultimately, it is expected that the outcomes of this study would provide significant contributions not only to the organization where the research was conducted but also to the fields of software engineering and project management, both in practice and research. Keywords: DevOps, Project Management, Adaptation, Adaptation Models.