Build Pipeline

Our build process efficiently tests and packages code for reliable releases.

What is a build pipeline and why does it matter?

A build pipeline is the automated system that compiles code, runs tests, and packages software for deployment. It's the engine that powers continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) in modern software development.

For engineering teams, an effective build pipeline serves as:

• A quality gate that prevents defects from reaching production
• An accelerator that provides fast feedback to developers
• A reliability mechanism that ensures consistent builds and deployments

When working optimally, developers barely notice it - code moves seamlessly from commit to deployment. But when problematic, it becomes a major source of frustration, delays, and even burnout.

How does build pipeline efficiency impact developer experience?

The build pipeline is often an overlooked but critical component of developer experience. Here's how it impacts developers' daily work:

Feedback Speed

Quick build pipelines allow developers to validate their work rapidly, maintaining flow and momentum. As one team reported:

"We were struggling with client side builds... it's like over two hours and this is something that we definitely need to improve."

Director of Software Engineering at Mobile Games Developer and Publisher

When builds take hours instead of minutes, the feedback loop is broken, leading to context switching and decreased productivity.

Reliability

Unpredictable or "flaky" build pipelines erode trust in the system and create unnecessary stress:

"If I kept hearing from a dozen or more people each month that my inconsistently performing pipeline was causing them problems, I would definitely start investigating the root causes."

Senior Staff Software Engineer at IT Services Company

Developer Time and Focus

Slow or inefficient build processes waste valuable developer time and disrupt focus:

"When we discovered issues with our pipelines and tests, we prioritized fixing these problems so that developers weren't wasting time waiting for builds to complete"

Director of Engineering at Networking and Communications Company

How can you measure build pipeline effectiveness?

Measuring your build pipeline helps identify bottlenecks and opportunities for improvement:

Quantitative Metrics

• Build Time: The duration from commit to completed build
• Queue Time: How long builds wait before starting
• Success Rate: Percentage of builds that succeed on first attempt
• Flakiness: Frequency of intermittent failures

One engineering leader shared their approach to metrics:

"For our CI/CD system, we chose to use queue time as a proxy metric. We track the number of builds in the queue to measure velocity and latency."

Deputy Head of Development at Financial Trading Software Provider

Developer Feedback

The Network Perspective DevEx Survey provides a direct measure of how developers perceive the build pipeline through the question:

"Our build process efficiently tests and packages code for reliable releases."

This single question can quickly identify whether your build pipeline is helping or hurting your team's productivity.

What are common build pipeline problems and their solutions?

Long Build Times

Problem:

Builds that take too long interrupt developer flow and slow delivery.

Solution:

• Implement parallel test execution
• Use build caching for unchanged components
• Break monoliths into smaller, independently buildable components

One organization achieved remarkable results:

"We've achieved a dramatic speed improvement, reducing our build time from an hour and a half to just 15 minutes. We're now approaching 10-minute builds, with further optimization opportunities still ahead."

Engineering Manager at Digital Credit Solutions Provider

Unreliable Builds

Problem:

Intermittently failing builds ("flakiness") that undermine confidence.

Solution:

• Systematically identify and fix flaky tests
• Implement consistent, isolated build environments
• Monitor build stability metrics

A cautionary tale from one organization:

"In 2022, we experienced a significant backlog in our build queue. This situation made me realize how crucial it is to maintain a stable and reliable CI/CD pipeline. The developers and tech leaders were extremely frustrated, expressing their dissatisfaction through strongly worded emails."

Deputy Head of Development at Financial Trading Software Provider

Resource Constraints

Problem:

Insufficient infrastructure leading to queues and delays.

Solution:

• Adopt serverless or autoscaling build systems that automatically provision resources on demand and scale down when not needed
• Alternatively:
• Scale build infrastructure based on team size and usage patterns
• Implement queue monitoring and alerts
• Optimize resource utilization with better scheduling

Complex Configuration

Problem:

Build configurations that are difficult to understand or modify.

Solution:

• Standardize build definitions across projects
• Document build processes clearly
• Consider using internal developer portals to abstract complexity

One engineering leader shared the value of standardization versus custom solutions:

"When transitioning to standardized solutions, you might lose some customization. However, you gain access to vendor solutions with extensive documentation. Developers can easily find resources and learn on their own, rather than having to study our custom, in-house documentation for a completely unique system."

Director of Engineering at Software Development Company

How can you improve your build pipeline?

Improving your build pipeline requires both technical changes and organizational commitment:

Technical Improvements

1. Identify bottlenecks through metrics and developer feedback
2. Implement incremental builds that only rebuild what changed
3. Parallelize test execution to reduce overall build time
4. Invest in stable test automation to reduce flakiness
5. Implement caching for dependencies and build artifacts

Organizational Approaches

1. Dedicate resources to build pipeline maintenance and improvement
2. Regularly survey developers about build pipeline pain points
3. Track key metrics and set improvement targets
4. Build vs. buy decisions - consider whether to build custom tools or use industry standards

An impressive example of organizational commitment:

"We have a CI/CD pipeline that handles our end-to-end tests, unit tests, performance tests, security checks, and deployments. In 2024, we processed around 1 million builds, which is quite impressive. What's even more remarkable is that our dedicated team managing this entire CI/CD pipeline consists of only two and a half people."

Deputy Head of Development at Financial Trading Software Provider

What tools and approaches are recommended for build pipelines?

While the Network Perspective DevEx Survey helps identify problems with your build pipeline, implementing solutions often requires specific tools:

Popular CI/CD Tools

• GitHub Actions: Tightly integrated with GitHub repositories
• GitLab CI/CD: Comprehensive DevOps platform
• Jenkins: Highly customizable open-source automation server
• CircleCI/Travis CI: Cloud-based CI services
• Azure DevOps/AWS CodeBuild: Cloud provider CI/CD services

Modern Approaches

• Containerization: Docker for consistent build environments
• Infrastructure as Code: Define build infrastructure using tools like Terraform
• Build Caching: Tools like Bazel or Gradle build cache
• Docker Layer Caching: Optimizing Docker builds by caching individual layers, allowing unchanged layers to be reused across builds.
• Internal Developer Portals: Platforms like Backstage to streamline developer workflows

One organization described their platform approach:

"That's why many organizations are now turning to internal developer portals and platform engineering. Tools like Backstage are emerging to address this problem. Our organization is even partnering with Spotify so we can implement Backstage for other customers."

Global Head of DevOps at Software Development Company

What ROI can you expect from build pipeline improvements?

Investing in your build pipeline can deliver substantial returns:

Quantifiable Benefits

• Developer Time Savings: Faster builds mean less waiting and more coding
• Accelerated Delivery: Reduced time from commit to production
• Improved Quality: More reliable testing leads to fewer production issues
• Reduced Context Switching: Developers can stay in flow longer

Some organizations have seen dramatic improvements:

"We've invested significant effort over the years to optimize our build processes, particularly for mobile projects which present the greatest challenges. Each build runs tens of thousands of tests - both unit tests and UI automation tests — representing an enormous amount of verification happening with every change. Since all this testing takes considerable time, we've dedicated substantial resources to optimization with one primary goal: minimizing how long developers have to wait."

Dev Exp manager at Technology Company

How do you know if your build pipeline needs attention?

The simplest way to identify if your build pipeline needs improvement is to use the Network Perspective DevEx Survey, which includes the question:

"Our build process efficiently tests and packages code for reliable releases."

Low scores on this question are a clear indicator that your build pipeline is causing friction and requires attention and developer comments will point to specific issues with the build pipeline.

Other warning signs include:

1. Developers regularly complain about build times or reliability
2. Teams develop workarounds to avoid using the standard build process
3. Release frequency is constrained by build pipeline limitations
4. Builds frequently fail for reasons unrelated to code quality

Conclusion

An efficient build pipeline is a cornerstone of developer productivity and software quality. By measuring developer satisfaction with your build pipeline through the Network Perspective DevEx Survey, you can identify pain points and prioritize improvements that will have the greatest impact on your team's effectiveness.

Remember that the ideal build pipeline is one that developers barely notice - it simply works reliably and quickly, allowing them to focus on creating value rather than waiting for builds or debugging pipeline issues.