In today’s complex hybrid and multicloud environments, the demands on software teams are growing — and so is the pressure to deliver faster, more securely, and with greater consistency. Platform engineering is rapidly emerging as the strategic answer to these challenges. By creating Internal Developer Platforms (IDPs) that offer self-service capabilities, automation, and integrated governance, organizations can simplify workflows, improve developer productivity, and accelerate delivery of business-critical software.
As enterprises move beyond traditional DevOps models, they often struggle with fragmented toolchains, inconsistent security practices, and overwhelming operational overhead. DevOps helped bridge development and operations, introducing CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure as code. However, as teams scaled, so did complexity. Developers became burdened with managing not just code but infrastructure, observability, and compliance — leading to inconsistent practices and slower delivery cycles.
Platform engineering changes this dynamic by productizing infrastructure. It treats developer platforms as purpose-built systems that provide repeatable, secure, and scalable workflows. Instead of each team reinventing the wheel, platforms offer “golden paths” — predefined workflows that eliminate guesswork and allow developers to focus on building, not managing.
A great analogy: DevOps is like cooking every meal from scratch, while platform engineering offers a professional kitchen with a set menu. Developers “order” the resources or workflows they need via intuitive interfaces or APIs, and the platform takes care of provisioning, securing, and managing everything behind the scenes.
To succeed with platform engineering, organizations must focus on three foundational principles:
- Self-Service Enablement:
IDPs empower developers and other users to provision resources, deploy services, or request infrastructure without waiting on operations teams. This autonomy boosts efficiency and minimizes bottlenecks while standardizing tasks across teams. - Automation Guards:
Guardrails built into the platform ensure security, compliance, and operational best practices are applied consistently. These include policy enforcement, access controls, and resource quotas — all working automatically in the background. - Observability by Design:
Built-in monitoring, logging, and tracing give teams visibility across the stack. By surfacing real-time metrics and diagnostics, platforms help quickly identify issues, optimize performance, and drive faster resolutions.
But strategy matters as much as tools. CDW recommends four key strategies to maximize platform engineering outcomes:
- Automation First: From infrastructure provisioning to CI/CD workflows, automation reduces human error and speeds up iteration cycles. Infrastructure as code (IaC) and automated approvals are key to scaling repeatable success.
- Full-Stack Observability: Visibility across services, infrastructure, and applications turns reactive teams into proactive ones. With tools like distributed tracing and real-time alerts, issues can be identified and resolved before they impact users.
- Standardized Guardrails: Predefined templates, APIs, and policies ensure every deployment aligns with governance requirements. This allows for speed without sacrificing compliance or security.
- Change Management: True transformation requires cultural alignment. Success depends on communicating platform value, running pilot programs, and helping teams adopt new workflows gradually — building confidence and reducing resistance.
Adopting platform engineering isn’t just a technical shift; it’s a change in how your organization delivers value. When done right, it reduces operational overhead, strengthens governance, and speeds up delivery — all while creating better experiences for developers and end users alike.
CDW brings deep experience in helping organizations modernize their software delivery through platform engineering. From consulting and platform design to implementation and training, CDW helps enterprises roll out developer platforms that are aligned with business outcomes and built for long-term scalability.
Looking to improve productivity, reduce friction, and accelerate innovation? Platform engineering with CDW can make it happen.