One software trend that has risen to prominence in the IT industry is the shift-left strategy. In a nutshell, shift-left refers to the practice of implementing testing from the early stages of the DevOps cycle (i.e., the ‘left’ side if you imagine chart progression from left to right). This approach does come with certain advantages; however, there is a potential human cost to this labor-intensive strategy that may end up compromising the security and compliance of the software.
A recent survey of 600 C-level tech executives carried out by CloudBees showed that the majority (80%) favored the shift-left strategy in their software development process and considered it important for their companies. However, the burden for this early testing falls upon the developers, and over half of the surveyed executives reported that their development teams felt strained and overworked. Possibly as a result of this developer burnout, only 88% said they felt that their software supply chain was secure, down from 95% last year.
Balancing Priorities in Software Development
By initiating testing in the earlier stages of the software development life cycle, shift-left can make the development process more efficient by catching defects early on, rather than later in the production stages when they would be more time-consuming and expensive to fix.
The catch is that implementing shift-left with an existing team gives the developers more work to do. If the workload is not properly managed with adjustments to the timeline, or by upscaling the team, the pressure can lead to developers reconsidering their current job situation–especially during the IT industry’s ongoing talent shortage.
Security Compliance and Shift-Left
Security compliance is another pain point for the shift-left strategy. Recent cybersecurity guidelines from the NSA and CISA specifically cover the development process and the software supply chain. Under the shift-left paradigm, this places even more responsibility for security on the developers, as they must take compliance into account during testing.
Most CEOs surveyed still prioritize security over speed, but to strike a balance, the human element of the development process must be taken care of. Developers need to be rested and to feel valued in order to effectively perform their tasks and produce secure, high-quality software.
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Co Founder & Co CEO AccelOne / Founder & President Axigma Training Company
With more than 30 years’ experience in the IT industry, Mario is a seasoned professional with proven capabilities and a strong understanding of local market. He has held various executive positions, both locally and regional, and as such has gained extensive knowledge in sales, operations, business controls, strategy, business transformation and leadership. He counts with deeply experience in start-ups and is a devote entrepreneur passionate about innovation, transformation and technology. This experience, combined with his deep industry knowledge, positions him perfectly to deliver his digital transformation ambitions in America, thereby empowering governments, organizations and individuals to achieve more.
Mario is renowned for building a strong education company in Argentina, (Axigma) an SAP Education Partner and Salesforce Trailhead Academy Authorized Training Provider. He is oriented on high-performing teams that consistently deliver on their financial targets, while also bringing innovative digital solutions to his partners and customers. He is recognized for strength in developing people and creating an environment where everyone can do their best work.
Mario loves fencing. He was several times Argentina National Champion, South America National Team Champion, He participated in many International events, Fencing World Cups, and was member of the National Team for +12years.
