Declarative configuration (like docker compose) is basically "code local, push remote", and it has a lot of benefits, including improving efficiency because you have a clearer idea of exactly what is set up on the server, to make it easier to debug or make changes.

Contrast this with just sshing in and running a bunch of commands to install something. Then coming back months later and wondering "what files did I touch? what packagea did I install? Hmm dpkg log says I added X but then later I removed it, so was it important?" Etc.