2 Best Practices for Software Development with Mattermost Common Best Practices When it comes down to it, a lot of best practices are centered around the same principles. Teams need to agree on how work will happen, document that process, use it, and improve on it. That means you need to: Communicate clearly and constructively Have a single source of truth Follow the agreed on process without barriers Easily update and share resources All of these best practices are based on open communication, visibility, and teamwork. Mak - ing tools, documentation, and processes publicly available to everyone on the team removes barriers to creativity and fosters alignment. By eliminating hurdles like context switching, siloed information, and poorly-defined processes, a team can more easily get through the day-to-day work and make room for transformation and innovation. Your goals as a team may include following specific practices like DevOps, GitOps or Ag - ile, or emphasize automation, transparency, and repeatability. To achieve those goals, you’ll need systems that support changes to both technical practices and team culture. We recommend starting simple, especially if you have a small team, focusing on getting the process right before adding exciting new software into the mix, and following a similar process to our Seven Steps to ChatOps Guide . Look for common tasks where a 5% improve - ment would have exponential benefit over time, such as tasks that are easy to automate, and meetings that can be asynchronous. When you understand what your team needs, then spend the time matching those requirements to software and learning how to use it. For some inspiration, check out this blog post on how we use the Mattermost platform to support best practices at our company.