If you want your business to succeed, using a CICD tool is a great assistant towards that goal. It helps automation as well as simply making life easier such as continuously integrating code and continuously deploying code. It makes catching errors easier while enhancing communication and code integration between co-workers too.
Continuous integration (CI) has its own benefits independent of continuous deployment (CD). There are many benefits to both but CI will be the focus. With CI, it’s easier to make the best product that you’re trying to create, this is because making small changes is easier and it’s also easy to do that frequently with minimal errors being made.
Smaller Changes and Fewer Risks
One of the best benefits of continuously integrating code is that you are able to integrate smaller sections of code at once. Due to the size of the section being smaller, it will allow for fewer mishaps to occur which otherwise could go unnoticed until an inconvenient time. And because you’d be using a CI/CD tool, the code would also be tested immediately for errors.
Easier Communication
Communication itself won’t be any easier but continuous code integration makes it easier for code from different team members to synergize and work together. This sidesteps the issue of a lack of communication where the code is lumped altogether but doesn’t fit correctly leading to many bugs.
Because the code is added bit by bit into one system by all team members, it allows the system to keep chugging along. If there are any issues then it will go noticed and once that happens, the issues will also be easier to handle since there won’t be an overwhelming amount at once.
Heightened Efficiency
Due to that, the efficiency of the overall project will increase. Rather than needing to focus exclusively on errors which takes time away from improving or just furthering the task at hand, you’ll be able to do that. Which in the end should save time and money. And regardless of either of those two, the general quality should also improve since that can be focused on more heavily while errors get caught frequently.
Consistency
Having continuous code integration allows for more consistency during the build process. Since there are many moving parts within the system it can be easy to forget a step or have one of your teammates forget to do something vital. The more consistent everything and everyone is, the easier and faster the process will be, as well as also being of higher quality.
Faster MTTR
MTTR stands for “Mean Time To Resolution” which is a fun way to say that it’s a measure of how quickly you are to fix errors. The faster you are to fix errors the faster or shorter MTTR is. CI reduces MTTR because there are smaller code changes, which means that there are fewer errors and if there are errors they are easier to deal with.
A faster MTTR is assurance that you understand what you are doing, or at the very least, you are able to fix your issues in a fast and effective manner. Using a monitor tool will also help with this as it may be easier to predict when problems may occur or what problems they may be.
Faster Releases
Thanks to continuous code integration, smaller and more frequent code changes are possible. Because of that, errors will be easier to detect and then fix. This all means that release rates will be higher. That will overall improve the system as well as increase customer satisfaction.
More User Involvement
Due to a higher release rate in addition to there being less focus on fixing errors, there can be more user involvement. This would include listening to suggestions and following through with them if they suit you. Since the product should adhere to what your target audience wants it’s best to listen to them as long as it’s actually in the right direction.
Adding code is easier with CI as previously mentioned which means it’s easier to release a version of the product that is most suitable to the consumer. This will increase satisfaction which will increase the likelihood of the consumer coming back or even sharing the product with others and in turn, they can also offer advice, and so on and so forth.
Improved Customer Satisfaction
Similar to what was said in the section above, customer satisfaction is important. Customer satisfaction can increase sales and popularity of your company, which will further increase the success, which is definitely something that you want. And this can happen by properly utilizing CI.
With the proper utilization of CI, you’ll be able to release updates and bugfixes frequently, relative to the size of the changes, which will make the customer happier. Success is led by popularity and you also want to be the best compared to your competitors. If you are the best, you will have consistent customers as well as a steady increase in customers.
CI has a lot to do with building a product as well as maintaining it but it can also play a pivotal role in a company’s success when it comes to customers and even investors. Being able to listen to your customers and then act on their advice is a great way to stay afloat amidst the sea of competition.
CI Benefits
The most important benefits on this list include smaller code changes and additions which leads to fewer mistakes and errors. Easier communication that will allow for the most consistency which again, will lead to fewer errors. And improved customer satisfaction. All of this will increase the success of your company as well as the program as a whole.
There are many benefits to CI, more than there are listed here. Ultimately it comes down to improving code integration; if you can imagine that, communication; both with co-workers and with customers, and general building and maintenance of a program. With the proper utilization of CI, your business can bloom.