Most SRE teams were designed to ensure uptime, not to evolve products. They monitor systems but often lack the context to influence architecture or design. This segment examines why proximity — being part of the product team — is what transforms reliability into progress. When engineers operate as embedded partners, they surface deeper insights, close the gap between observation and action, and help the team own the outcome end to end.

Johnny Halife from SOUTHWORKS introduced Cloud Scouts, a new service designed to bridge the gap between SRE teams and product development teams. He explained how traditional SRE practices, while valuable for maintaining uptime and monitoring applications, often operate in silos, leading to "ticket battles" and a lack of context when issues arise. This SOUTHWORKS service addresses the evolving need for engineers who understand both the application and the platform, and can work directly with development teams to identify the root cause of problems, not just surface-level errors.

Cloud Scouts are senior software engineers who are embedded within customer teams, possessing domain expertise and the ability to quickly prototype solutions. They actively engage with software engineers, platform engineers, and architects to foster better communication and collaboration. These scouts also use AI-powered "companions" to analyze telemetry data, identify patterns, and propose fixes, while always maintaining human oversight to ensure accuracy and alignment with business goals. It is intended to provide hands-on support, rather than a consulting position.

The goal of Cloud Scouts is not to replace existing SRE or development teams, but to enhance their effectiveness by facilitating knowledge sharing, promoting end-to-end ownership, and accelerating the adoption of new technologies, such as AI. The engagement begins with a three-month assessment to evaluate the current state and establish a baseline, to achieve measurable improvements in areas such as alert fatigue, time to resolution, and overall system reliability. SOUTHWORKS emphasizes transparency and a collaborative approach, empowering customers to mature their practices and become more self-sufficient over time.

Presented by Johnny Halife, Chief Technology Officer, SOUTHWORKS. Recorded live at KubeCon North America in Atlanta, Georgia, on November 11th, 2025. Watch the entire presentation at https://techfieldday.com/appearance/southworks-presents-at-tech-field-day-at-kubecon-north-america-2025/ or visit https://techfieldday.com/event/kubecon25/ or https://southworks.com/ for more information.