AUTOMATION & CICD
Regardless of the automation platform, the first step in any pipeline is ensuring the application is deployed or staged in an automated fashion from a standardized build sourced from a code repository. After that first step is taken, code quality checkpoints and automated testing can be layered into the pipeline, ensuring quality is built in and maintained as features are added to the application.
If the environment supports it, the use of Ansible playbooks or CloudFormation templates to build out the infrastructure required for the application is a non-mandatory step of the CICD evolution which will allow you to ensure your Infrastructure is built as code and your infrastructure needs are clearly documented.
The implementation of Blue/Green deployments or staged delivery of compiled assets meant for production via a hands-free process ensures compliance with any approval requirements for audit. Composing a CICD process with checkpoints for manual approval processes meet most approval committee requirements.