Adidas engineers describe shifting from a centralized Infrastructure-as-Code model to a decentralized one. Five teams autonomously deployed over 81 new infrastructure stacks in two months, using layer

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Adidas overhauled its data platform infrastructure delivery by shifting from a centralized IaC model to a decentralized one. A single platform team previously owned all IaC repositories and pipelines, but growing adoption caused backlogs and coordination overhead. The new model distributes infrastructure ownership to domain-aligned teams operating within predefined boundaries. A layered IaC structure separates reusable modules, deployable stacks, and production configurations. A custom CLI embeds governance into workflows, enforcing naming conventions and CI/CD integration without centralized review. Formalized roles distinguish framework owners, developers, and consumers. The result: five teams autonomously deployed over 81 new infrastructure stacks in two months, demonstrating that decentralizing IaC is as much a cultural shift as a technical one.

From Central Control to Team Autonomy: Rethinking Infrastructure Delivery