People, Process, Technology: DevOps Dreamin’ Chicago- Key Points From My Session

Hi! Denise Carbone here, Director of Delivery at ImagineCRM. I’ve been lucky enough to speak at DevOps Dreamin’ for the past three years now. Every time, I walk away reminded of how much we can learn when we take a step back and focus on how we deliver, not just what we build.

This year, my session was focused on delivery best practices, built around one of the most timeless frameworks: People, Process, and Technology. If you couldn’t make it to Chicago for the event, here’s a recap of the key takeaways.

People: The Constant in a World of Change

At ImagineCRM, we often say that people are our constant. Tools change. Projects evolve. But it’s our team, their mindset, their roles, their skills, that keeps us grounded and focused, and it brings out the best in the technology we use!

Every project is different. That means we need the right people in the right roles, with clearly defined responsibilities. Using a RACI model helps remove the grey areas that often create confusion. Here’s how I see some of the key roles in our delivery work:

Solution Architect
This role is critical. They ensure our solutions are scalable and aligned with long-term goals. While the title can mean different things in different organisations, at its heart it’s about someone who can think strategically and technically. A strong Solution Architect validates designs, supports data modelling, and often bridges pre-sales and delivery conversations.

Business Analyst (BA)
BAs are essential because they ask the right questions. They explore the how and the why, focusing on the client’s point of view. Process should always come before technology. In many organisations, especially smaller ones, the BA role is combined with the admin role. I started my own Salesforce journey from this blend. Understanding both sides gives a unique perspective on how to solve problems.

Developer
Developers remain a vital part of complex projects. Today, they do far more than write code. They support integrations, work with APIs, and often contribute at an architectural level. They are crucial when building systems that connect across platforms.

QA (Quality Assurance)
At ImagineCRM, we are proud to invest in QA. This role is about more than just testing. It ensures what we build works as expected, and that everything is scalable and ready before User Acceptance Testing. QA gives us confidence and consistency before we hand anything over to the client.

At the core of all of this is the growth mindset. We are a scaling company and things change all the time. What makes the biggest difference is having a team that embraces growth, learning, and improvement. It’s the foundation of everything we do.

Process: Always Before Technology

This may sound unexpected at a tech conference, but the process must come first. Before we build anything, we need to understand what our clients are doing today, why they are doing it, and where they want to go next.

Clients don’t just want a copy of their current system. They want to understand what’s possible. Future state planning, gap analysis, and real business analysis are what move a project forward. It’s not just about tools, it’s about how work happens and how it can happen better.

I also highlighted some other points which are important to me as someone who started my career as a BA and now leads delivery:

Delivery methodology
Clients need to know what phases we follow, how we break down and plan for the work, and what to expect. Having a consistent framework builds trust and transparency. It’s our approach to implementing new solutions, at a high level, it’s Discovery, Design, Build, Evaluate (QA then UAT) and Deployment. 

Project management
We rely on our project managers to help with scope, timeline, budget, and resourcing. If we need to pivot or bring in new support, the PM leads that conversation. Their oversight ensures smooth delivery and supports the project team.

Workflow mapping
We need to understand how decisions are made. If a user goes left or right at a key step, what happens next? Mapping this out clearly helps us build the right solution.

Continuous improvement
This is a core principle of both project delivery and DevOps. After each phase, we reflect. What worked well? What needs to change? Retrospectives are not just a formality. They help us grow and deliver better in the next phase.

Technology: Choosing the Right Tools

DevOps is a methodology, not a single tool. There are countless platforms out there. What matters is choosing the right one for your needs.

We often use or see in practice are:

• Gearset for deployments and rollbacks
  

• Jira and Trello for task tracking
  

• Slack and Teams for communication
  

• Confluence for documentation
  

• AI for brainstorming frameworks or drafting ideas with clients
  
  

Remember, there’s no single answer for every project. Our goal is to match the tool to the task and make sure it supports your process and people - to bring out the best in everything we do and create the highest impact for you and your team.

What I love most about DevOps Dreamin’ is the chance to pause and reflect. Success doesn’t come from the latest tool. It comes from thoughtful design, strong teams, clear processes, and the willingness to keep learning. The right people, the right process, and the right technology, that’s the formula for delivering excellent work.

If you ever want to swap ideas or talk more about delivery excellence, I’d love to connect.