CI Pipeline Optimization
A slow continuous integration pipeline can destroy your momentum. The average CI build takes over 20 minutes to run, which doesn't seem like much. However, when your team is waiting for a CI run to finish multiple times a day, it'll drag down their productivity with constant context switching and slow feedback loops. They'll also have to return to failing builds long after they've moved on to other tasks. Besides wasted time and focus, it also means you're likely burning money since most CI services charge by the minute.
I optimize CI pipelines for Rails teams so you can ship faster with confidence. Most teams see 30-50% faster builds, fewer flaky failures, and a workflow that actually helps instead of getting in the way.
Who needs CI pipeline optimization?
CI optimization is a good fit for you if:
- Your builds take so long that developers lose focus waiting for results
- Flaky tests cause random failures that everyone just re-runs
- You're paying for CI minutes that feel wasted on slow, inefficient pipelines
- Your test suite has grown but your CI configuration hasn't kept up
- Deployments are slower than they should be because of pipeline bottlenecks
What's included with CI pipeline optimization
Kickoff call
We discuss your current CI setup, pain points, and what's slowing you down the most.
Audit
I dig into your pipeline configuration, test suite, and build logs to identify bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and quick wins.
Implementation
I help you and your team make the changes you need to get a faster pipeline, plus documentation on what changed and how to maintain it going forward.
What you'll get
- Faster builds, with most teams seeing a 30 to 50% improvement
- Fewer flaky tests disrupting your workflow
- Better parallelization and caching to reduce wasted CI minutes
- A pipeline configuration your team can understand and maintain
- Documentation so you don't lose the gains over time
Pricing
Final pricing depends on your pipeline complexity and the scope of optimizations needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What CI services do you work with?
I'm most experienced with GitHub Actions and CircleCI, but the principles apply across services. If you're using something else, we can discuss during the initial call.
How long does this take?
Typically 1-2 weeks for the audit and initial optimizations. Some improvements are quick wins, while others take more time depending on your test suite and pipeline complexity.
Will this require changes to our test suite?
It depends. If slow or flaky tests are the bottleneck, fixing them is part of the work. I'll address the root cause and won't just hide the problem.
What if our tests are the real problem, not the CI config?
Then a Testing Audit might be a better starting point. We can figure out the right approach during the kickoff call.
Ready to stop waiting on slow builds?
Book a free consultation so we can talk through your current CI setup and identify what's slowing you down.
Request a Free Consultation