The Database Blind Spot: Why Your DevOps Strategy Might Be Incomplete

DevOps has transformed how software gets built and deployed. Companies have spent years perfecting their code pipelines, automating infrastructure, and securing their applications. But there's one critical piece that's been left behind: the database.

We've just released a comprehensive infographic that breaks down the current state of database DevOps based on our 2025 research. Download the full infographic here to see the complete picture of how organizations are handling (or struggling with) database change management. The visual data tells a compelling story about where teams are today and what success looks like when they close the database blind spot.

What the Data Reveals

The infographic highlights some striking challenges facing modern development teams:

‍

56%That last statistic is a warning siren, not a footnote. In 2025, more than half of development teams are still manually reviewing database changes, even as the rest of their delivery pipeline is fully automated. It's like running a fully automated factory, then stopping the line so a person can inspect every tenth item by hand. It's a slow, costly process and it's almost certain to miss something important. The result is predictable: developers incur wait time, humans make judgment calls under pressure, and the system becomes slower and less reliable.

The AI/ML pattern the data reveals is even more telling. Early-stage DevOps teams are far more likely to call out data pipelines and AI/ML workloads as their top database challenge, while mature teams report this problem far less often. That gap is a symptom of governance, not hype. As organizations rush into AI, they layer on more data stores, streaming pipelines, and feature tables without hardening how changes flow through those systems. Teams that lack disciplined database change management feel the pain first and hardest, because every new AI workload amplifies the chaos in an already fragile, manual review process.

The Path to Success

The good news is the upside is real. The infographic shows that when teams get database DevOps right, the wins are tangible: improved visibility (54%), reduced manual workload (53%), and faster deployment cycles (48%). Those aren't vanity metrics. They show up as more productive developers, fewer late-night incidents, and a stronger security posture.

The root problem is that databases have long been the exception to every DevOps rule. Code goes through version control and automated testing. Infrastructure is deployed through automated pipelines. But databases have often been changed through manual scripts and ad-hoc processes, creating the exact kind of friction that DevOps was designed to eliminate.

Why This Matters Now

The skills gap identified in the research (43% of organizations lack sufficient training) represents both a challenge and an opportunity for teams looking to modernize their database operations. Organizations need people who can bridge the divide between traditional database administration and modern DevOps practices.

The database blind spot is real, and it's holding back software delivery at organizations of all sizes. But teams that successfully implement database governance see meaningful improvements in productivity, security, and deployment velocity. As DevOps continues to evolve, addressing database change management has become critical to maintaining competitive advantage.

Explore the Full Picture

Ready to dive deeper into the data? Here are your next steps:

• Download the infographic for a visual breakdown of the key findings and industry benchmarks
• Read the complete State of Database DevOps Report 2025 for detailed analysis, methodology, and recommendations
• Request a demo to see how Liquibase Secure can help close the database blind spot in your organization

‍