2 min Devops

Four stages to observability: up to 2.6 times more return on investment

Four stages to observability: up to 2.6 times more return on investment

Organizations with the most advanced observability solutions are achieving up to 2.6 times greater return on their investments. This optimal performance is reached through a four-phase implementation process.

The benefits of enhanced observability manifest in multiple ways: companies solve problems faster, increase developer productivity, manage costs more efficiently, and improve customer satisfaction. These findings come from The State of Observability 2024 study commissioned by Splunk. 1,850 ITOps professionals and developers participated in the survey.

Increased developer productivity

The study identifies four distinct phases organizations must progress through to achieve advanced observability: fundamental visibility, guided insights, proactive response, and integrated workflows. Currently, 45 percent of organizations remain in the initial phase.

Only 11 percent have reached the final “leading” phase. These organizations experience significant time savings, with 68 percent detecting application issues within minutes or seconds—2.8 times faster than organizations in the first phase. Furthermore, their developers gain 38 percent more time for innovation due to reduced problem-solving and incident assessment times.

Key components of observability

The study reveals several components that make observability a success once implemented. First, the study recognizes that OpenTelemetry is beginning to become the standard for effective observability. The main benefits organizations perceive from this are lower costs (57%), no vendor lock-in (72%), and better control over corporate data (65%).

A second component is the use of AI and ML that has become a necessity for observability. With AI and ML’s ability to analyze and process large amounts of data to detect anomalies, recommend actions and automate tasks, teams get the insights they need faster.

Also read: New AI assistants from Splunk make organizations more resilient