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The Alarming State of Software Engineering

A New Report on Software Delivery

In a study conducted by Harness, the AI DevOps Platform™ Company, the current state of software engineering has been presented with startling revelations. The report, titled "The State of Software Engineering Excellence 2025," examines insights from over 650 engineering leaders, uncovering glaring disconnects between the aspirations of engineering excellence and the current operational realities faced by software teams.

As organizations endeavor to improve their DevOps practices, findings reveal that many companies are struggling to meet the basic requirements for a solid developer experience, leading to significant productivity loss and hindered innovation.

Key Findings

The study details several inefficiencies within software development processes:

• - Tutorial Delays: Approximately 67% of software teams take longer than 15 minutes to build and test their development environments.
• - Manual Deployments: A staggering 64% still rely on manual steps for infrastructure code deployments, undermining efficiency.
• - Lengthy Code Reviews: Majority of engineering leaders, about 61%, report that code reviews exceed 24 hours on average.
• - Quality Assurance Issues: 55% of pipelines are reportedly lacking essential quality gates.
• - Incident Management Gaps: 52% of teams do not have the tools required for effective incident management, highlighting a critical vulnerability.

Half of the application deployments depend on manual processes, suggesting a propensity for human error.

Developer Experience Crisis

The crisis in developer experience is striking, with nearly one-third (29%) of teams lacking a software catalog altogether. Even among those with a catalog, only 21% have systems that automatically update with changes, causing many developers to inefficiently search for essential information about their systems.

Moreover, a significant skills gap exists; with only 19% of leaders noting a structured curriculum for upskilling engineers. This reveals a precarious situation as technology evolves rapidly.

Planning processes are equally strained, with one in four leaders indicating that over 70% of requirements lack clearly defined acceptance criteria. Furthermore, over half have faced average scope creep exceeding 20% in recent sprints.

Security Dilemmas

The security landscape, according to the report, presents unprecedented challenges. Nearly 10% of organizations permit critical bugs to be deployed in production, while 38% acknowledge that many build pipelines lack necessary security scan gates. Notably, about 45% of respondents report that it takes a minimum of seven days to resolve high-severity security issues.

While more than half (56%) of developers receive training on security practices, approximately 23% receive no training, indicating a significant risk in today’s technology landscape.

The Financial Implications

The financial toll of these inefficiencies is staggering, with companies losing millions annually due to subpar onboarding processes and unaddressed manual deployment tasks. The report underscores the need for organizations to pursue a holistic solution—embracing a platform-centric strategy that integrates developer experience, security, and operational efficiency.

A Path Forward

Organizations can mitigate these risks and inefficiencies by adopting a comprehensive software delivery platform. Components such as automated pipeline creation, intelligent testing, and integrated security measures are vital for reducing friction, risk, and transforming deficiencies into competitive advantages.

Findings from this report underscore the urgency for organizations to reassess their engineering approaches. The full report provides insights and recommendations for moving forward effectively in an increasingly digital business landscape. Companies looking to improve their practices can take the assessment to gauge their standing and identify specific areas for enhancement.

About Harness

Harness is an innovative AI-driven DevOps platform that simplifies and secures the software release process for engineering teams. The company enables organizations including major players like United Airlines and Citibank to enhance their deployment efficiency significantly while reducing operational costs. Harness’s mission is to empower developers to focus on innovation rather than routine, allowing them to reclaim work-life balance.

To learn more about the findings and reimagine your organization’s engineering efficiency, visit Harness’s website.