How we partnered with EBSCO to improve engineering productivity and reduce costs using N & DS AI/Run™
Powering the Software Development Lifecycle with Generative AI
AT A GLANCE
CLIENT
EBSCO Information Services
SERVICES
Artificial Intelligence
N & DS AI/Run™
INDUSTRY
Business Information & Publishing
N & DS and EBSCO, a global information services company, collaborated to bring GenAI into software development. By adopting a structured, data-driven approach, EBSCO successfully piloted and then scaled Artificial Intelligence (AI) Developer Experience (DevEx) tooling across the organization and delivered measurable business value.
AI TRANSFORMATION
Leveraging GenAI for Increased Productivity, Continuous Improvement
EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO) is a global leader in providing research databases, eBooks, subscription services and digital resources to libraries, corporations, government agencies, healthcare institutions and academic organizations.
Over the past 40 years, EBSCO has established itself as a trusted partner for delivering high-quality information and technology solutions that support learning, research and professional development.
In partnership with N & DS, EBSCO embarked on a transformative journey to enhance its software development processes with AI-enabled optimizations. EBSCO launched its Generative AI (GenAI) Adoption Program in November 2023. The primary objective was clear: to understand the impact of GenAI technology on software development, ultimately leading to increased productivity and reduced operational costs.
To maximize the impact of AI within EBSCO’s software development ecosystem, N & DS and EBSCO adopted a phased and strategic approach to implementation. The initiative began with a pilot program then quickly evolved, integrating AI in three waves, ultimately including more than 90 software development teams as participants.
N & DS played a critical role by providing AI guidance, helping to establish governance frameworks and building an AI adoption dashboard to measure real-time performance metrics. Through each phase of the rollout, N & DS and EBSCO maintained a strong emphasis on measurable outcomes, using the dashboard to track metrics such as velocity, cycle time, code review lead time, AI impact and productivity gains. In addition to measurable productivity gains, EBSCO also established a robust foundation for future continuous improvement in the use of AI development tooling.
GitHub CoPilot has proven instrumental in EBSCO’s AI transformation thanks to its ability to upgrade developer experience. Trained on vast code repositories and natural language, GitHub Copilot also has an agentic mode, significantly extending developer capabilities.
Scaling the Program: From Pilot to Full Rollout
The Pilot
Wave 1
Wave 2
Wave 3
This structured and thoughtful approach to scaling the AI adoption program not only amplified productivity but also reinforced EBSCO’s reputation as a forward-thinking organization that effectively integrates cutting-edge technologies into its core business processes.
Innovating with the AI/Run™ Framework
At the heart of EBSCO’s AI DevEx strategy lies the N & DS AI/Run™ framework, a comprehensive approach meticulously crafted to maximize business value and ROI through effective adoption of AI-enabled development tooling. This framework served as the cornerstone of EBSCO’s transformation, guiding the company through integrating AI tooling into its software development processes. The strategy was built on a multi-faceted foundation, combining governance, education, integration, change management and continuous improvement into a unified model that drove significant outcomes.
A critical aspect of the framework was the establishment of governance and performance tracking mechanisms, which provided clear and measurable metrics to evaluate AI's impact on productivity and efficiency:
The governance model facilitated informed decision-making and ensured alignment with organizational objectives. A key aspect of the governance was establishing an official written policy for Safe Usage of AI in Development and requiring a learning management system task, in which all technology department employees were asked to read and accept the policy.
Performance tracking used the metrics from the GenAI Adoption Program to focus on KPIs such as velocity, code acceptance rates and developer engagement. By regularly reviewing these with the entire team in “Community of Practice” sessions, as well as establishing a small number of specific KPIs as strategic goals to track and achieve, EBSCO was able to maintain a sharp focus on delivering measurable results.
Additionally, EBSCO formed an active leadership committee to develop and sustain the effort. The AI champions meet monthly as a steering/advisory committee. And the entire development community is invited to participate in monthly Community of Practice sessions, where use cases and examples are showcased. These programs contribute to an approach of technical peer-to-peer evangelism, important to a thriving, self-sustaining community.
A company SharePoint website is maintained with additional training materials and use cases. Regular office hours are held for the entire development community, and teams designated a representative to attend these in the initial stages of the rollout and bring information back to the teams.
All these programs were designed to enhance AI literacy among employees, equipping them with the skills needed to effectively utilize AI tools in their day-to-day tasks, and establishing the practice for the long term.
Furthermore, a common channel and a catalog of example use cases have fostered a collaborative development environment where teams share insights effectively, leading to improved communication and team dynamics. A learning library contains 50 sample prompts and use cases across coding, requirements gathering, system design and testing.
A relentless focus on continuous improvement underscored every phase of the AI/Run framework. EBSCO leveraged data-driven insights to constantly refine its processes, boost productivity and support sustainable growth. The integration of real-time data analytics enabled the company to monitor progress, identify improvement opportunities and make agile adjustments to maximize the benefits of AI technologies.
RESULTS
5-10%
Increase in velocity
50
minutes
Saved daily
10%
New code contributed by AI
Delivering Tangible Business Value
The AI DevEx initiative proved to be a game-changer for EBSCO, translating AI-driven efficiency gains into measurable business value and solidifying the company’s position as a leader in technological innovation. By strategically integrating GenAI tools into its software development processes, EBSCO not only enhanced software developer efficiency but also achieved gains in code quality processes and increased collaboration in the development community.
One of the most remarkable outcomes of the program was the significant boost in software development productivity:
EBSCO's development teams experienced a 5-10%
increase in velocity, which means they can deliver
more features and enhancements with each
development iteration.
Software developers in the program cited an
average time savings per day of 50 minutes (10.4%
of an 8-hour day) when using AI DevEx tooling.
AI tooling contributes approximately 10% of the
overall new code each month.
These improvements all translate into faster project timelines, enhanced product offerings and a more agile response to market demands. The increased velocity enabled EBSCO product development teams to continuously innovate and provide value to the company’s clients and stakeholders.
The integration of AI also led to notable improvements in code quality and collaboration. With the enhanced automation and AI-driven insights, the average number of accepted pull requests per month doubled, indicating a higher standard of initial code submissions and a more efficient review process. This improvement contributes to better software maintainability, ensuring that EBSCO’s products remain robust, reliable and scalable.
- HEAR FROM OUR CUSTOMER
“By embracing AI DevEx tooling, EBSCO is accelerating innovation across our software development lifecycle (SDLC) and empowering teams to deliver better, faster solutions. With N & DS’s collaborative expertise, we’re not just adopting AI — we’re transforming the developer experience and redefining how we build software together.”
Michael Gunning
Senior Vice
President, Development, EBSCO Information
Services
Roadmapping an AI Future
These achievements underscore EBSCO’s strategic vision and its commitment to embracing technology as a catalyst for business growth. By effectively leveraging AI technologies in DevEx tooling, EBSCO has demonstrated how innovation and strategic investment can drive both financial success and operational excellence. The AI DevEx Program was not merely an initiative to adopt new tools but a transformative journey that reinforced EBSCO’s position as a pioneer in digital transformation, continuously delivering exceptional value to its stakeholders and end-users.
EBSCO’s story offers valuable insights for other organizations looking to embark on their own AI adoption journey — highlighting the importance of structured planning and rollout, a focus on key metrics for adoption and continuous improvement, stakeholder engagement, and the strategic use of technology to unlock new opportunities.
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