Advancing MLOps from Ad hoc to Kaizen

Paper i proceeding, 2023

Companies across various domains increasingly adopt Machine Learning Operations (MLOps) as they recognise the significance of operationalising ML models. Despite growing interest from practitioners and ongoing research, MLOps adoption in practice is still in its initial stages. To explore the adoption of MLOps, we employ a multi-case study in seven companies. Based on empirical findings, we propose a maturity model outlining the typical stages companies undergo when adopting MLOps, ranging from Ad hoc to Kaizen. We identify five dimensions associated with each stage of the maturity model as part of our MLOps framework. We also map these seven companies to the identified stages in the maturity model. Our study serves as a roadmap for companies to assess their current state of MLOps, identify gaps and overcome obstacles to successfully adopting MLOps.