In order to do what I love, I need process automation to make life easier for myself and my team. Not only does that give us more time to focus on our core jobs, but it also allows for smarter choices, like how we allocate time and resources to particular activities. We’ll also save time by having a clearer picture of what’s happening, whether it’s our sales, financials, or operations. That’s why you should start thinking about streamlining your company — first, to have clear visibility into what needs fixing and then decide which ones are worth doing.

When I was starting out with Amazon Web Services (AWS), there were some major workflow systems I needed to figure out, like PIVX, ServiceNow, etc. They all had their own quirks, so I started reading into those and picked one that specifically addressed things like service discovery and continuous integration. The tool I chose ended up being called Ansible by Pipenv.

Ansible is built around the concept of automating basic tasks with scripting and Python. If someone asks me to create a new script, I can start coding. On the other hand, if someone asks to update something already done, I have to send them a link and ask permission to run the code instead. With this system running inside my local environment, I can set up alerts if certain actions aren’t taking place or even run tests on my local device. After I’ve finished these steps, I can push the final version into Git and commit to GitHub as well.

After having experience with PIVX, a few years later, I found Paranael and Pipenv. Then I came across Stitch. It made much simpler processes, by combining scripts and tools from both worlds together. Since it leverages Docker containers, we now don’t need to deploy everything locally, as they’re available via npm and Docker images. There’s no doubt it makes things easier for everyone involved, and it helps streamline the entire development process.

However, I would be lying if I said I didn’t find the latter two useful, especially when it comes to specific applications, like the Github repository at https://github.com/stitch.io. Personally, I use GIT branching, so while setting up branch permissions on Github is important, I use pipenv for different projects that require access to specific repositories and services. A developer needs to know what files are available for public use (as per PyPI guidelines) and where they go. Now, to put it directly, it feels way less complicated than PIVX ever is.

Another great thing I realized doing it is making sure I add Docker containers to my repo so I don’t forget them often. Otherwise, depending on where I’m working or what project I’m building, I might get a memory error every time I check git status on my computer. No worries though! This is just another piece of software for developers! Even though most people might think otherwise, I personally think it's worth learning if you haven't before. All of this means more time to focus on getting stuff done and making better choices so we can reap the benefits in the end. In fact, it might take some time to adjust your mindset towards streamlining, but with practice, you'll notice a drastic difference. In short: it’s a very good idea to start early on, if you want to reap its full potential.

If you’re looking to try it yourself, reach out to Pipenv support for further assistance.

Originally published at www.pipenv.com

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Originally written by Aditi Kumar

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