In recent years, the term MLOps has become a buzzword in the world of AI, often discussed in the context of tools and technology. However, while much attention is given to the technical aspects of MLOps, what's often overlooked is the importance of the operations. There is often a lack of discussion around the operations needed for machine learning (ML) in production and monitoring specifically. Things like accountability for AI performance, timely alerts for relevant stakeholders, and the establishment of necessary processes to resolve issues are often disregarded for discussions about specific tools and tech stacks.
ML teams have traditionally been research-oriented, focusing heavily on training models to achieve high testing scores. However, once the model is ready to be deployed in real business processes and applications, the culture around establishing production-oriented operations is lacking. As a consequence, there is a lack of clarity regarding who is responsible for the models' outcomes and performance. Without the right operations in place, even the most advanced tools and technology won't be enough to ensure healthy governance for your AI-driven processes.