Businesses have been tasked with remaining agile and efficient in the years following the Great Recession, while the complexity of technologies and market landscapes have complicated matters significantly in many industries. Although organizations have been finding ways to ensure continuity and long-term performance improvements, more challenges are still right around the corner with respect to the financial situation, talent gap and other forthcoming predictions.
With all of this in mind, decision-makers have also had to ensure that they are capitalizing on the massive increases in data volumes taking place around the globe, rather than being squashed by the weight with which the information comes. Luckily, certain types of process automation tools have been released and refined in the past few years which can quickly improve the ebb and flow of IT management and oversight for any type of business.
Workflow automation has been found to significantly increase the efficiency of IT management, while simultaneously improving engagement of staff members therein due to the lessening of arduous, undesirable and repetitive responsibilities. This type of move will also help to ensure that IT employees are freed up to tackle more strategic matters, rather than focusing most of their time on configuration, maintenance, data entry and other mundane tasks.
Tips to optimize through automation
TechTarget's senior technology editor Stephen Bigelow recently explained some of the ways in which automation can be used to reduce errors that would otherwise be caused by staff members, notably within the most repetitive processes. The author worked under the assertion that human intervention can simply not outperform automation when it comes to workflow, but did state that managerial oversight will still be critical over time.
According to Bigelow, workflow automation in the data center can be especially advantageous, as organizations can streamline many of the core processes and responsibilities that will often take up a significant amount of time in a given day. He cited system performance checks, virtual machine provisioning and certain application-related tasks as being some aspects that might be well-suited to automation, especially with respect to service delivery and resource management.
After describing some of the key differences between automation and scripting, Bigelow went into the discussion regarding the need for oversight of the automation tools, affirming that they cannot be simply implemented and forgotten forever. Yes, these tools will reduce the amount of time employees need to take on the tasks they target, but failure to oversee the investment throughout its lifecycle can lead to significant problems over time.
Finally, the author noted that the tools chosen should be among the easiest and most straightforward to implement, manage and refine for optimal outcomes.
Further considerations
Half of the battle in automation deployments takes place before the purchasing decision has been made. Now, one of the most important aspects of initial strategy building is to get IT involvement in the boardroom, as buy-in from these employees will be critical to making the right choices.
Many companies make the mistake of trying to identify the areas of IT that are in need of support from tools such as workflow automation software without actually speaking to those who are on the ground level of the department. These individuals will have the most accurate and helpful perspectives on matters, and should be recognized as such.
A strong experience with automation software is not necessarily the most difficult pursuit in today's business, but it is one that must be the product of significant planning, collaboration and discussion. By getting as many employees and leaders involved in the early stages of the strategy as possible, outcomes will often be preferable.
