November 24, 2025

A Smarter Way to Build and Release

Our DevOps workflow that keeps teams aligned and releases predictable.

By Jae S. Jung

At WAM DevTech, our mission is to modernize the invisible backbone of our clients' operations — quietly, reliably, and without disruption. One of the core reasons we're able to deliver consistent results across industries is our DevOps workflow: a structured system that brings clarity, traceability, and predictability to the entire software lifecycle.

Over the years, we've used this workflow across automotive dealership systems, marketing platforms, travel agency technology, and government environments. No matter the industry, the challenges tend to be the same: unclear requirements, unpredictable releases, inconsistent QA, and code moving too quickly through environments.

Our DevOps workflow solves those problems through disciplined process, well-defined environments, and a branching strategy based on Gitflow, Jira, and clean checkpoints. This combination delivers smoother development cycles, reliable QA, and stable production releases.

Where the Gitflow Idea Came From

Our approach to branching is based on the original Gitflow model introduced by Vincent Driessen at nvie.com:
https://nvie.com/posts/a-successful-git-branching-model/

This model immediately stood out because it brought a level of structure and predictability that most teams lack. Over time, we've adapted Gitflow into a practical, real-world workflow that supports multiple environments, integrates seamlessly with Jira, and scales across teams.

A Workflow Designed for Real-World Development

Most development issues stem from one root cause: lack of structure. Without a shared lifecycle, features spill over into QA prematurely, releases become chaotic, and quality becomes inconsistent.

We've solved this by creating a workflow that moves every feature, enhancement, and bug through a disciplined, repeatable process:

  • 01
    Planning

    The goal of planning is clarity before code.

    Every item passes through a defined sequence in Jira:

    • Open
    • Concept Phase
    • In Review
    • Ready to Code

    Nothing moves forward without shared understanding. Jira becomes the single source of truth, capturing requirements, estimates, dependencies, and acceptance criteria.

    This eliminates ambiguity and prevents costly rework.

  • 02
    Development

    This is where Gitflow becomes essential. Our branching structure includes:

    • develop — the main working branch
    • feature branches — created from develop, named by Jira ID
    • non-prod/dev — for integrating features and unit testing
    • non-prod/qa — for formal QA validation
    • release branch — created from develop for staging
    • master — used only for production

    Tasks move through clear development statuses:

    • Dev In Progress
    • QA Ready
    • QA (In Progress)
    • QA Approved
    • On Hold
    • Reopened

    This structured process prevents chaotic merges and ensures no work jumps ahead without proper validation.

  • 03
    Release Management

    When work passes QA, it becomes a Release Candidate.
    The release branch is deployed to Stage, a mirror of Production, where final regression testing occurs.

    Only after Stage validation does the release merge into master for Production deployment.

    This guarantees stable, predictable releases.

The Tools and Environments That Make It Work

Jira — The Backbone of Planning and Coordination

Jira organizes the entire development lifecycle. Every feature, enhancement, and bug begins as a Jira ticket and moves through a structured workflow.

This ensures:

  • Requirements are captured and agreed upon
  • All code is tied to a business outcome
  • Dependencies and blockers are visible
  • Teams share a unified view of progress

Jira is what turns concepts into traceable, accountable work — eliminating the ambiguity that often disrupts teams.

Gitflow — The Structure Behind Clean, Predictable Development

Gitflow brings discipline to the codebase. It provides isolation for feature work, safe merge paths, and clear release boundaries.

Gitflow ensures:

  • Predictable movement of code through environments
  • Organized branches free from accidental changes
  • Separation between in-progress work and stable release work
  • A consistent flow through Dev → QA → Stage → Prod
  • Full traceability of every commit and merge

Gitflow is not just version control — it's the blueprint that protects the integrity of your code.

Environment Layers — Guardrails for Quality and Stability

We use four dedicated environments, each with a specific purpose:

  • Dev mdash; unit testing and development
  • QA mdash; structured QA validation
  • Stage mdash; regression testing in a production-like environment
  • Production mdash; stable live environment

These environments create controlled, intentional gates that prevent code from moving too quickly or bypassing validation. It also allows teams to surface issues at the correct stage instead of discovering problems in production.

Environment separation is what turns guesswork into a stable, repeatable release process

Automation Pipelines — Enhancing Traceability and Reliability

Across various projects, we've implemented automation using AWS CodePipeline, Azure Pipelines, and Jenkins.

Automation isn't required for this workflow to function, but it significantly enhances it through:

  • Clear traceability of when deployments occurred
  • Automated logs and notifications
  • Faster and more reliable testing cycles
  • Reduced manual effort and lower risk of human error
  • A consistent deployment history for auditing and future troubleshooting

Automation strengthens the system, but the structure — Jira, Gitflow, and the environment layers — is what makes the workflow reliable.

Industry-Agnostic, Team-Friendly, and Proven

This DevOps workflow has been used successfully across:

  • Automotive systems
  • Marketing and lead-generation platforms
  • Travel and booking technologies
  • Government and regulatory systems

Different teams adopt it quickly because it's flexible and methodology-agnostic — it works with Agile, Scrum, Kanban, or hybrid approaches.

Recently, Shorts Travel Management invited me to present this workflow to their development team. We are now implementing it across their DevOps organization — a meaningful validation that this workflow works not just for WAM DevTech, but for any team seeking clarity, predictability, and control.

It's the triangle offense of DevOps: a system built on structure, movement, and alignment that works regardless of industry, team size, or tooling.

Why This Workflow Increases Efficiency

  • 1
    Gitflow prevents chaotic merges

    Feature isolation and safe branching paths preserve codebase integrity.

  • 2
    Jira drives clarity and accountability

    Work is defined, documented, and traceable from start to finish.

  • 3
    Env layers reduce risk early

    Bugs surface where they should — in Dev or QA, not in Production.

  • 4
    Regression happens before deployment

    Stage ensures stability long before code reaches users.

  • 5
    Methodology-agnostic

    Works seamlessly with Agile, Scrum, or Kanban.

  • 6
    Teams align naturally

    Everyone follows the same path — no exceptions, no confusion.

Quiet, Reliable Delivery

This workflow has helped us:

  • Reduce production issues
  • Speed up development cycles
  • Strengthen Dev–QA collaboration
  • Maintain long-term stability
  • Deliver predictable releases
  • Support complex, multi-team environments

It is one of the quiet strengths behind WAM DevTech — a disciplined, proven approach that keeps teams aligned, reduces risk, and ensures stable, consistent delivery.

We modernize the invisible backbone of your business.

Quiet execution. Predictable outcomes. Reliable releases.

Jae S. Jung
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