DevOps Game

The DevOps Game is a serious game that immerses participants in scenarios of collaboration between development and operations. Inspired by the NUMMI experience, this game helps teams overcome the challenges of continuous integration and delivery. Participants learn to improve their communication and optimise their processes while having fun in a playful setting.

Walkthrough

1. 1

   Introduction and Objectives

   10 min

   The facilitator presents the context of the game, briefly explaining the NUMMI experience and its connection to DevOps. They clarify that the aim is to simulate real-life collaboration situations between development and operations teams. Participants are invited to familiarise themselves with the game's objectives: to improve communication, collaboration, and efficiency.

   Tip — Use anecdotes from the NUMMI experience to illustrate the importance of collaboration.

2. 2

   Team Formation

   10 min

   Divide participants into two groups: developers and operators. Each group receives a role sheet describing their responsibilities and specific objectives. The facilitator explains that each team must work together to deliver a quality product while overcoming communication and process obstacles.

   Tip — Ensure that each participant fully understands their role and objectives to promote complete immersion.

3. 3

   Scenario Simulation

   20 min

   Teams face several scenarios simulating common challenges in DevOps, such as critical bugs or tight deadlines. Each team must propose solutions within a limited time, effectively communicating with the other group. The facilitator observes and notes interactions, intervening if necessary to guide discussions.

   Tip — Encourage teams to document their processes and share their ideas to enrich the experience.

4. 4

   Solution Evaluation

   15 min

   Each team presents its solutions to the encountered scenarios, explaining their approach and expected outcomes. The facilitator leads a feedback session where teams evaluate each other on the relevance of the proposed solutions and the quality of communication.

   Tip — Promote constructive feedback by asking open-ended questions and valuing each team's efforts.

5. 5

   Summary and Learnings

   10 min

   The facilitator summarises the key points of the workshop, highlighting observed best practices and areas for improvement. They connect the learnings from the game to the NUMMI experience, emphasising the importance of a culture of continuous collaboration and communication.

   Tip — Use concrete examples from the scenarios to illustrate the learnings and reinforce their impact.

Variants

• Add a mediator role to help resolve conflicts between teams.
• Integrate unexpected events into the scenarios to test teams' responsiveness.
• Use digital tools to simulate a remote working environment.