Why now is the time for industrialized software development

Recently, I received a letter from my car's manufacturer alerting me to a recall. They had discovered a defect caused by one of the parts they used and wanted to replace it.

It was easily fixed, and I might have forgotten all about it. But it’s precisely the banality of that recall that got me thinking about my field, which is software. Car manufacturers know exactly what they put into their cars and can notify every affected customer if they discover a problem.

This level of precision in manufacturing raises a key question for software: Why can it be challenging to trace and notify customers about issues within software components, regardless of their origin?

To understand the difference between software production and manufacturing, consider the lessons of the Industrial Revolution. In the late 1800s, factories with power tools and repeatable processes replaced the work of individual craftspeople. In the early 20th century, this revolution proceeded with the creation of the assembly line, the birth of industrial process engineering, and the systematic elimination of inefficiencies. Along with that came the ability to document and audit every step in the process.

Then, in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, a third revolution transformed businesses worldwide. Computers, particularly the code running on them, became one of the most significant factors affecting the production and distribution of goods. Software “ate the world,” to use Marc Andreessen's words.

Just compare the first Vorwerk mixer from 1961, which had a single control dial, with the equivalent model today, which has a Wi-Fi connection, allows you to download recipes from the Internet, and can coach you through making those recipes.

The fact is, the vast majority of product innovations today come from software. Software rules how all products, not just digital ones, get distributed and purchased. Code is now at least as important as capital, labor, land, and knowledge — the classic production factors. It’s no exaggeration to say that modern industry would simply stop without software.

The software paradox

Despite all the transformative changes that software has brought about in the last 50 years, the creation of software itself is still primarily done in pre-industrial ways by individual craftspeople working with a wide variety of tools.

Developers, like craftspeople, have varying skill levels. The software “production line” is a tangled web of dependencies, resulting in brittleness and inefficiency. And the tools? Imagine Lego bricks, each with a unique and incompatible stud configuration. That’s the chaotic landscape we’re working in, creating unbelievable stress, costs, and confusion.

This environment fuels delays. A single bottleneck, like a developer’s absence or a team’s slow testing, can halt an entire project. Consider a major German bank’s digital transformation from 2016 to 2019. Its legacy systems required extensive security testing cycles of 3-4 months for each update, while competitors released updates every few days. This disparity in development speed cost the bank significant market share in digital banking.

These delays compound existing inefficiencies. For instance, according to GitLab’s 2024 Global DevSecOps Report, 63% of developers report using six or more different tools, highlighting a widespread desire for toolchain consolidation.

The financial consequences of these inefficiencies are substantial. For example, a major car manufacturer shipped a new model before its software was completely ready. While early buyers received discounts, the company ultimately spent billions on a recall to upgrade the vehicles after the software was finalized.

It’s time to industrialize software production

Fortunately, the advent of artificial intelligence and DevSecOps (a combined approach to developing, securing, and operating software assets) is revolutionizing software production. This revolution won’t replace software developers, but it will systematize software creation and make it far more productive and efficient, just as the Industrial Revolution did with the creation of physical goods.

In the same way manufacturers have standardized the tools, techniques, and workflows they use to create products, we now need to use DevSecOps to standardize the tools, techniques, and workflows we use to develop software.

Many processes invented and optimized over a century of industry apply to modern, industrialized software development needs. Applying these principles will help us identify and remove inefficiencies, create streamlined processes, reduce dependencies, and boost developer productivity.

It will also give software creators greater end-to-end visibility into their product’s components, enhancing security for the entire software supply chain. Just as every manufacturer today has an audit trail for the parts that go into their product, tomorrow’s software developers can account for every component of their software products.

We can adapt lessons from predecessors' efforts to optimize industrial production to the new era of industrialized software development.

Learn how software logistics enables operations teams to efficiently support developers and accelerate delivery.

Evolution vs. revolution

While many business leaders talk about disruption, revolutions are challenging precisely because they are disruptive. Most companies prefer a more evolutionary approach, which gives employees time to adjust and lowers the risk of failure. However, evolution is slow.

Our most successful customers aren’t merely evolving; they are fundamentally reshaping their software development and reaping significant returns in record time.

Just as the Industrial Revolution transformed physical production, the 2020s will witness a seismic shift in software development. Companies that hesitate or resist this industrialization of software will face obsolescence within the decade. The stakes are high.

Begin preparing for the transition today. Automate ruthlessly, rationalize your processes, and organize software production with the precision of a modern assembly line. Embracing this software revolution is the only way to safeguard your enterprise's future.