Unlock Faster, More Efficient Development Teams

Software development delays frustrate tech leaders, stall progress, and drain team morale. Looming deadlines, rising security concerns, and misaligned goals often slow momentum. These challenges were front and center at a recent Purdue Innovates Lunch & Learn, where Calvin Hendryx-Parker, CTO of Six Feet Up and AWS Hero, shared practical strategies for optimizing the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC).

The central theme of the sessions was: How can teams improve velocity while maintaining quality?‍

Identifying the Barriers

The conversation began with a candid look at common challenges faced by development teams. A live poll revealed shared struggles:‍

• ‍Unclear priorities that lead to inefficiencies and wasted effort.‍
• Manual processes that slow down releases.‍
• Burnout and communication gaps that hinder collaboration and productivity.

These issues resonated across industries and team sizes. Whether managing one developer or multiple teams, leaders shared a desire to to improve efficiency without overloading their teams.

A Roadmap for Improvement

Rather than relying on more tools or stricter timelines, Calvin emphasized the importance of adopting better practices. At the core of the session was the BEST™ Framework, a methodology developed by Six Feet Up to help organizations evaluate their SDLC maturity and pinpoint where improvements will deliver the highest impact.‍

The framework guides teams through four stages:

1. ‍Build: Create a strong foundation with clear goals, a streamlined onboarding process, and consistent coding standards. A well-defined starting point eliminates much of the friction teams face early in projects.‍
2. Execute: Optimize day-to-day practices like source control, security checks, and code reviews. “This is where many teams see their biggest wins,” Calvin noted, pointing out how small process changes can lead to significant efficiency gains.‍
3. Streamline: Leverage automation to reduce repetitive tasks. Tools for testing, continuous integration, and deployment ensure that teams can focus on high-value work rather than being bogged down by routine operations.‍
4. Transform: Foster innovation and resiliency by investing in team culture. Techniques like cross-team knowledge sharing and structured training help organizations remain adaptable in a fast-moving industry.

Turning Challenges into Opportunities

The session highlighted how teams have successfully addressed SDLC challenges. For instance:

• ‍Reducing onboarding time: One example showed how better documentation and a standardized development environment cut new developer onboarding from weeks to a single day.‍
• Breaking silos: Improved communication between isolated teams led to more consistent delivery and stronger team cohesion.

Calvin also stressed the importance of identifying and leveraging existing strengths. Many teams, even those struggling in some areas, possess pockets of excellence. By fostering collaboration across groups, organizations can solve problems without additional hires or new technologies.

Building a Culture of Continuous Improvement

Improving SDLC isn’t just about fixing issues — it’s about creating a culture that values growth, collaboration, and continuous learning. The BEST™ Framework provides leaders a roadmap to empower their teams and set them up for long-term success.

Whether your team is grappling with slowdowns, security gaps, or a lack of clear goals, the BEST™ Framework provides a proven path forward. Schedule a demo to see how BEST™ can help accelerate your SDLC.

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