Cloud Platforms and cloud-native development have become very prevalent. However, the benefits of cloud-native platforms are realized only when DevOps automation is implemented along with it. The two key processes in DevOps are Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Deployment (CD). Most organizations have successfully automated CI over the last decade.  

Continuous deployment helps in delivering software faster with high quality and low risk and improves productivity and efficiency.  However, the automation for CD is a lot less, as per many surveys, due to underlying complexity. Deep knowledge of cloud-native platforms,  architectures, operations, release management, verification, and observability is required for the successful adoption of CD. Multitudes of tools across disciplines, such as CI, CD, security, testing, and observability, have to be orchestrated to make such automation happen. This paper explores the key aspects organizations should consider while adopting continuous deployment and offers guidance to improve the adoption maturity.