Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

Organizations that depend on agricultural supply chain management are under increasing pressure to modernize, and DevSecOps Practices has emerged as one of the more promising avenues for doing so, given its demonstrated impact in related domains.

Despite this potential, many existing agricultural supply chain management were not originally designed with devsecops practices in mind, resulting in persistent gaps in system scalability that limit their overall effectiveness. This study examines how DevSecOps Practices can be applied to help close that gap.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Existing approaches to system scalability within agricultural supply chain management remain largely reactive and fragmented, with little systematic use of devsecops practices despite its demonstrated value elsewhere. This study addresses the resulting gap by designing and evaluating a solution built specifically around devsecops practices.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To design and implement a devsecops practices-based approach to improving system scalability in agricultural supply chain management.
2. To evaluate the effectiveness of DevSecOps Practices in enhancing system scalability within agricultural supply chain management.
3. To identify the key requirements and constraints relevant to deploying devsecops practices in this context.
4. To assess user and stakeholder perception of the resulting system.

1.4 Research Questions

1. How can devsecops practices be applied to improve system scalability in agricultural supply chain management?
2. How effective is DevSecOps Practices at enhancing system scalability within agricultural supply chain management?
3. What requirements and constraints are relevant to deploying devsecops practices in this context?
4. How do users and stakeholders perceive the resulting system?

1.5 Significance of the Study

Beyond its immediate technical contribution, this study offers value to organizations evaluating whether to invest in devsecops practices for their own agricultural supply chain management, and contributes to the broader literature on applied software technology / IT by documenting a concrete implementation and evaluation case.

1.6 Scope of the Study

As a BSc-level study, its scope is confined to designing and evaluating a devsecops practices-based solution for agricultural supply chain management, focused specifically on system scalability; broader deployment considerations fall outside this scope.