The new DevOps performance clusters

In 2022, the Accelerate State of DevOps Report introduced changes to the traditional clustering of software delivery performance, reducing the number of clusters from four to three, with the elite performance group being absorbed into a redefined high-performance category. This shift is attributed to a demographic change in survey respondents, with fewer having over a decade of experience, which suggests that experience may be a key driver of performance. The report also introduced new Software Delivery and Operational (SDO) performance clusters that incorporate operational metrics like reliability, allowing organizations to assess both software delivery and operational performance comprehensively. These clusters provide a nuanced view of performance, enabling organizations to strategically balance innovation and reliability across different team contexts. The changes highlight the importance of experienced developers in achieving high performance and suggest that organizations should integrate these insights with local measurement strategies to drive continuous improvement in their software delivery processes.