Platform engineering within Wehkamp
At Wehkamp, we always look for innovation and ways to improve our tech hub, and in the last couple of months, we (Kees Bakker, Zhiming Zhao, and me) have done some in-depth research into platform engineering. Two weeks ago, we had the opportunity to present our research at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (RUG) in The 15th Workshop on Service-oriented Enterprise Architecture for Enterprise Engineering. It’s been an exciting journey, and in about a month, our findings will be published in the workshop proceedings of EDOC 2023. Over the past six months, we’ve been dedicated to this research, and we would like to share our insights.
Four years ago, I began my journey with Wehkamp as a student and part-time developer while still pursuing my bachelor’s and master’s degrees. During my master’s program, I was searching for a compelling topic to conduct research on. One day, the topic of Platform Engineering came up in a conversation. We were curious about whether Wehkamp could leverage this concept, and I was instantly intrigued. However, delving into this very new field, it became clear that we needed to establish a common understanding of what platform engineering truly entails before we could integrate it into the Wehkamp Tech hub.
As a software engineer, it can sometimes be overwhelming: the number of tools, systems, and processes that are used within an organization. With the DevOps culture, you, as a software engineer, have to be able to understand the entire application lifecycle from coding until deploying an application into production with the necessary configurations. However, with platform engineering, you want to remove this complexity from the developers into a platform.
Our research has made three significant contributions to the field of platform engineering:
- Platform Engineering Reference Model: We’ve developed a comprehensive reference model that serves as a framework for understanding the core principles and best practices of platform engineering.
- Conceptual Design for Implementation: We’ve created a conceptual design guided by the Platform Engineering Reference Model to provide an example and roadmap on how the reference model can be utilized to create a platform engineering design tailored to a specific organization.
- Technical Implementation Framework: We’ve built an engineering platform prototype with the use of Otomi and Backstage. Together with conducted experiments, we were able to showcase the added value of platform engineering, and it gives organizations an understanding of how it can be tackled in practice.
Platform Engineering Reference Model (PE-RM)
Our initial step involved the development of a reference model for the platform engineering methodology. To construct this framework, we leveraged the Reference Model for Open Distributed Processing, systematically aligning platform engineering with five distinct viewpoints:
- Enterprise viewpoint: Within this perspective, we delve into the various lifecycles and stakeholders introduced through platform engineering.
- Information viewpoint: This viewpoint examines the information and action objects key to the lifecycles, supporting the effective implementation of platform engineering.
- Computational viewpoint: Focused on platform engineering operations, this viewpoint emphasizes the utilization of golden paths and their critical role in seamlessly integrating platform engineering.
- Engineering viewpoint: Offering a more technical perspective, the engineering viewpoint introduces a platform divided into five distinct planes, collectively constituting the engineering platform.
- Technology viewpoint: The success of platform engineering and its technical implementation is based on the specific technical setup of each organization. Here, we provide guidelines and standards to facilitate the implementation of the engineering viewpoint.
For an in-depth explanation, we would like to refer you to the thesis.
Platform engineering within Wehkamp
Next, we applied the platform engineering reference model to Wehkamp. Through this modeling process, we identified areas for improvement, gaining a more comprehensive understanding of the technical landscape. For instance, leveraging the engineering viewpoint enabled us to compose an architecture of tools embedded within our tech stack.
Platform Prototype
To demonstrate the technical implementation of this platform, we’ve developed a compact prototype using Otomi and Backstage. Our primary emphasis during this process was to establish a seamless integration among various components. The prototype serves as a concrete illustration, showcasing the platform’s potential to enhance value for both organizations and developers.
In the course of our technical implementation, we undertook experiments not only to assess the onboarding time of applications and developers but also to evaluate the usability of the platform. The results induced a clear and significant reduction in onboarding time. Additionally, the adoption of golden paths emerged as a particularly well-received feature, streamlining the configuration of deployments. This positive outcome serves as a real-world demonstration of the practical advantages of the implementation of platform engineering.
These contributions have illustrated the potential and value that platform engineering can bring to an organization. For example, the experiments have showcased that with the implementation of a platform, we can reduce the application and developer onboarding time drastically. At Wehkamp, this work has offered us valuable insights into how we can leverage this exciting field to enhance our operations.
We are elated with the results of our research and are eagerly looking forward to the forthcoming publication. However, our journey doesn’t end here. The true excitement lies in the integration of our findings into Wehkamp’s technical landscape.
We firmly believe that embracing platform engineering will empower Wehkamp to accelerate its operations, streamline processes, and remain at the forefront of innovation. The possibilities are boundless, and we’re committed to exploring every avenue to ensure our organization’s success in the ever-evolving tech landscape.
If you’re interested in learning more about our research, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. You can also take a deeper dive into our work by checking out our thesis.
Here are the slides we’ve used at EDOC:
Stay tuned for the upcoming publication in a few months!
I work as a Software Engineer at Wehkamp.nl, one of the biggest e-commerce companies of the Netherlands. This article is part of our Tech Blog, check it out & subscribe. Looking for a great job? Check our job offers or drop me a line on LinkedIn.
