One of the seven wastes in any organization is the waste from transportation.  Transportation can lead to loss of energy, efficiency, and even loss of material. Transportation does not alter or add value to the product directly. However, it does add to the cost of manufacturing. Similarly, in software development, hand-offs can be just as hindering. During the hand-off from one team to another, there could be loss of energy, efficiency, and information.  One of the best ways to eliminate hand-offs in a software development team is to ensure the team is cross-functional.  A cross ..read more

GitHub Copilot is a powerful AI tool that works alongside developers to streamline repetitive tasks and reduce cognitive load so that developers can focus on critical in-depth coding challenges.  A recent survey of developers who used Copilot shows how impactful it can be for developers and their organizations. Ninety-four percent of developers surveyed reported writing better code and 90% reported being more fulfilled as a result of using Copilot. But, despite its clear benefits, many organizations struggle to ensure the full adoption of Copilot across their development teams. While this ..read more

Our newest conference, AI Con USA, is quickly approaching on June 2-7 in Las Vegas – and we couldn’t be more excited! As artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) become integral parts of our industry, it’s critical to cut through the noise and understand the true advantages and pitfalls of this transformational technology. If you’ve attended our STAREAST, STARWEST, and Agile + DevOps conferences, AI Con USA’s structure will feel familiar. But our hyper-focus on the topic of AI is something totally new. Whether you’re a software leader, developer, or tester, this is a can’t-miss c ..read more

Imagine this: you’re building a house, and every time you pick up a hammer, a super-smart assistant appears and hands you the exact nail you need next. Now, let’s say this assistant always knows the best way to frame a wall, run electrical, or lay down a tile. Think of how much faster and better you’d build that house! That’s kind of what GitHub Copilot is like for anyone writing computer software. GitHub is the world’s largest cloud platform for software development. More than 100 million developers use GitHub to work on projects together, track changes, and manage all the messy details of so ..read more

Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to expand its influence as advances in machine learning and generative AI seem to appear every week. In the world of software development, AI-assisted development and testing are no longer futuristic concepts; they are rapidly reshaping how we create software.  At Coveros, our experts work with software leaders, developers, and testers every day. The question at the top of everyone’s mind, no matter their role, is what role will AI play in my job moving forward?  The short answer is, when used correctly AI can provide many benefits for software ..read more

2023 was a year of relentless evolution in the cybersecurity landscape. As the attack surface expanded with emerging technologies and interconnected systems, so did the sophistication and frequency of cyber threats.  Let’s take a look at a few critical security happenings from last year, including notable data breaches, valuable report findings, and key themes.  No review of 2023 would be complete without mentioning the explosion of AI into the public eye, like ChatGPT and Copilot. Beyond the hype of AI lies immense value and impact, but skilled AI professionals are essential. Read o ..read more

In the modern software landscape, security can’t be an afterthought. Unfortunately, it often still is.  A growing number of organizations we help at Coveros are looking to weave security into the entire development process to prevent vulnerabilities and potential disasters, but aren’t sure which tools and strategies to use. This is where GitHub Advanced Security (GHAS) can be a game-changer. GHAS offers a robust suite of tools to fortify your code against vulnerabilities and data leaks.  Teams who have used GHAS have seen significant security improvements, including the ability to fi ..read more

The security of your software supply chain is vital to ensuring application security. But far too many organizations do not have a comprehensive understanding of where critical components of their software delivery come from – or misunderstand it completely. For nine straight years, Sonatype’s State of Software Supply Chain Security Report has analyzed the challenges associated with protecting your software supply chain from attack and has provided advice and guidance on improving it. Their latest report revealed some crucial findings about organizations’ understanding of their supply chains ..read more

“Any organization that designs a system will inevitably produce a design whose structure is a copy of the organization’s communication structure.” – Melvin Conway Conway’s Law is a principle in software engineering and organizational theory that suggests that the structure of a software system is inherently tied to the communication structures of the organization that develops it. The law is named after Melvin Conway, who introduced the idea in 1967.  Conway’s Law implies that the way a team or organization is structured and communicates will influence the design and architecture of the s ..read more

When I ask clients, colleagues, and fellow software leaders about the biggest challenges they’re facing, a few trends stand out: Organizations are looking to enhance collaboration among individual team members and between teams. Leaders are looking to streamline workflows to enhance efficiency. Teams are still figuring out how to make security a priority in their workflow. More recently, leaders are trying to understand the role of AI in their code development and testing. In many of my conversations, I’ve also found that organizations are looking for a single platform of integrated tools to ..read more