The G2G3 DevOps Simulation is a three-round game that gives a complete immersive experience to the participants. It has software that’s controlled by the facilitator and used to see the performance and improvement in each round.
As a facilitator, I help on the retrospective at the end of each round, as the participants share about what they did and didn’t do well. At the planning stage for each round, the participants decide what they want to change and get to see the result.
Below is a list of what I focus on as a facilitator.
Looking at the Same Objective
Participants in the G2G3 DevOps Simulation learn that, regardless of role, their only objective is generating maximum revenue. This is the common goal. They can see this objective on the screen from the system. The participants begin to understand the goal on round two and by round three the objective becomes clear. This helps them to work in collaboration, working in a “squad” and helping each other to achieve that one common goal.
Collaboration and Sharing
The G2G3 DevOps Simulation gives the participants the chance to experience how collaboration and sharing helps in delivering stable products faster. Each team starts helping each other to ensure that their business makes the maximum revenue. They understand the need for delivering the outcome.
The simulation also shows the challenges of communication between “run the business” and “change the business.” They experience how the communication drops between the two and how to take care of it with better knowledge management.
Project-to-Product Approach
The participants learn how to work as a squad—one single team responsible for both development and operations. They learn how the value flows from the time change is requested, until it is deployed and then the deliverable is maintained.
Business is Most Important
The G2G3 DevOps Simulation shows the participants that business is the most important—and IT is business. Everyone in the value chain must work toward the same objective.
Automation
The simulation also gives the participants the experience of how automation helps in achieving the objectives faster and better. This is clearly shown in the performance report at the end of each round and the comparison can be seen between rounds with more automation in place.
DevOps: 3 Ways
The G2G3 DevOps Simulation explains the basics of DevOps, bringing all participants to the same page on various DevOps terminologies, the principles (Three Ways) and DevOps values.
Conclusion
The G2G3 DevOps Simulation is a good practice for anyone in any organization who is on the journey of DevOps or is planning to start the journey. The best can be achieved if members from the various departments of the organization participate, which is required to deliver any change.