IT Operations Automation- A Trend To Leverage Digital Transformation

Automation is a buzz everywhere and its benefits empower businesses digitally. Automation helps organizations save time by automating mundane tasks and boosts efficiency.  Modern IT operations are expected to reduce costs while providing significant benefits like saving time, reducing error, and reusability of resources. There are a lot more tasks to handle using IT operations and automation is a boon to accomplish those tasks with ease. IT operations automation helps businesses manage complex business processes efficiently and to do more with less.

Businesses that know the impact of IT on their daily business operations and recognize the associated complexity would go for IT operation automation for sure!

This blog shares the effective ways to automate IT operations and get you to know why it is crucial to do so. So let’s start by reviewing IT operations automation with a few examples and the pros and challenges involved.

What is IT Operation Automation?

IT Operations are an essential part of any modern IT organization and can be used to accelerate the deployment of new products and services, manage system performance, reduce downtime, and improve security. IT operations are the business backbone and automating IT operations aids business excellence by improving the efficiency and reliability of business operations. IT operations automation is a set of processes and technologies that enable organizations to automate the management and operation of IT systems.

IT operations automation can improve productivity and reduce costs by automating mundane tasks and freeing up human resources. It also allows organizations to monitor their systems more effectively, respond faster to issues, and increase the reliability of their IT infrastructure. In a nutshell, IT operations automation is the use of technology to automate the processes involved in IT operations.

IT operations automation is an invaluable tool for organizations looking to improve efficiency and reduce costs. IT operations workflow can help streamline operations, reduce costs, reduce errors, and ensure processes are completed correctly and on time. The right IT operations automation tool can also help with scalability, allowing organizations to quickly respond to changes in the market.

Few Use Cases of Automation in IT:

The importance of IT operations automation cannot be understated. Automation has become a crucial part of the IT industry, and its importance is growing as technology advances. Automation can be used to streamline and improve many IT processes, from managing networks and servers to automating backups and system maintenance. Here are some of the IT automation  use cases that contribute to improving operations:

1. Server Provisioning: IT operations automation facilitates effective and easy provisioning which involves the process of setting up new servers, configuring them with the necessary software and applications, and making them available for use.  IT teams can create automated scripts to ensure that servers and other hardware remain in the correct configurations. This can significantly reduce the amount of time spent on manual configuration tasks, freeing up resources for more important tasks. This process can be time-consuming and error-prone if done manually, but automation changes the tale!
2. Software Deployment: Deploying new software updates or patches across multiple systems is always a headache for the IT department. Automation makes it easy for IT teams to be faster and more efficient. Automation ensures that all software is running on the most recent versions. This can help to prevent security vulnerabilities and reduce the risk of data breaches. Automation can also help to ensure that users are running the latest versions of the software, which can improve user experience. 
3. Monitoring and Alerting: IT automation operations teams need to monitor their systems and applications for issues or anomalies that could affect performance or availability. IT automation tools never miss sending alerts to IT staff when issues arise.
4. Backup and Recovery: Data backup is a critical activity for ensuring business continuity and protecting against data loss. Automated backup tools are used to schedule and manage data backup processes, making it easier for IT departments to recover data in case of a disaster. IT operations automation tools ensure that hardware remains in compliance with regulatory requirements. 
5. Security management: IT operations automation tools are responsible for ensuring the security of their systems and applications. Automation tools can be used to monitor security events and anomalies and automate incident response processes.

Why is it Important to Automate IT Operations?

Automating IT operations is increasingly becoming a necessity in the modern business world. This is because operation automation tools eliminate the need for manual IT tasks, allowing businesses to optimize their workflow and increase the efficiency of their operations. 

IT operations tend to be more complex involving much manual labor increasing the operational costs. This also creates potential inefficiency with business operations increasing their cost and time involved to be streamlined. IT teams are already overloaded with routine and support tasks hindering their focus on more strategic tasks. Security issues continue to prevail with IT operations and most cybersecurity crimes happen due to human negligence. When IT infrastructure is not up-to-date, business stability issues occur and hamper business visibility.

Automating IT operations is therefore critical for businesses that want to remain competitive in the modern business world. The importance of automation in IT operations is steep. Organizations are resilient staying ahead of the competitive edge and therefore building strategies to evolve as an automation-first business model is integral. Here are a few data reports to depict the key issues with automation operations that hinder business growth.

• Around half of the customer population is found frustrated with the time taken by IT departments to deliver digital projects.
• The old-school tools and framework create a huge impact on IT operations as 69% of their time is spent on support tasks.
• Data silos are huge concerns for IT departments as more than 89% of IT leaders report them hindering organizational digital growth.
• Around 85% of IT teams found challenges while integrating a new application into their enterprise.

Complex IT is getting more complex here. As business success integrally depends on IT services, IT operations automation ideas fuel long-term business strategies. The upcoming technological advancements not only facilitate automated IT operations to do more with resources available but also be challenging to get used to new business frameworks and integrations. Here are a few data predictions to endorse the future of business as envisaged only by effective IT operation. 

• Around 70% of business processes will make use of information technology. 
• By 2025, hyper-automation will be the hype and around 20% of outcomes will be in the fully automated value chain and the end user will be the first person to touch it.
• By 2024, organizations with IT teams that understand the needs of customers will outperform other organizations’ customer experience metrics by 20%.

The shift towards the digital environment is at the top of the list to evolve as a modern business model in this digital age. This digital shift requires the IT team to confer the required knowledge on the operation automation tools/services and composable infrastructure to equip themselves to build a business platform that quickly adapts to evolving business and customer needs.

Automation IT with Modern Operation Models: DevOps, AIOps, NoOps

When your business outcomes rely on IT operations, it is good to equip your IT with the latest advancements. Though every IT operation model has its own advantages and disadvantages, choosing the best model for your organization will depend on your business’s specific needs and goals. However, these models focus on automation and efficiency, enabling organizations to deliver better IT services with fewer resources. Here are three operation models that organizations can adopt to improve their efficiency and effectiveness.:

DevOps:

DevOps is a model that emphasizes collaboration and communication between development teams and IT operations teams. It involves the use of automation tools and practices to streamline the software development and deployment process, enabling organizations to release new software updates more quickly and reliably. DevOps also emphasizes continuous monitoring and feedback, enabling teams to rapidly identify and fix issues as they arise.

AIOps:

AIOps, or Artificial Intelligence for IT Operations, is a model that leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to automate and improve IT operations processes. AIOps tools can automatically identify patterns and anomalies in large volumes of data, enabling IT teams to proactively identify and resolve issues before they become major problems. AIOps can also be used to automate routine tasks, such as incident response and resource allocation, freeing up IT staff to focus on more strategic activities.

NoOps:

NoOps is a relatively new model that suggests the elimination of the need for a dedicated operations team altogether. Instead, it proposes that development teams should be responsible for operating and maintaining their own applications and infrastructure, using automation tools to handle routine tasks. NoOps is based on the idea that modern cloud-based infrastructure and automation tools have made it possible for developers to operate their own applications without the need for specialized operations teams.

The Benefits of IT Operations Automation

IT operations automation is becoming increasingly important for organizations of all sizes and across all industries. IT operations automation can provide significant benefits for organizations, including improved efficiency, reliability, scalability, and security. By automating routine tasks and processes, organizations can free up time and resources for strategic activities, and respond more quickly to changing business needs and market conditions. As such, IT operations automation is becoming increasingly important for organizations that want to stay competitive and responsive in a rapidly changing business environment. Here are a few reasons why:

1. Increased efficiency:

IT operations automation can help organizations to streamline their operations and improve their efficiency by automating routine tasks and reducing the need for manual intervention. This can free up time and resources for IT staff to focus on more strategic activities, such as business innovation and digital transformation. Automation can significantly reduce the amount of time and energy required to manage IT systems, allowing businesses to save money and resources. Automation can also reduce the chances of human error, ensuring that processes run more smoothly and efficiently.

2. Improved reliability:

IT operations automation improves the reliability of IT systems and applications by reducing the risk of human error. Automated systems can perform tasks consistently and accurately, reducing the likelihood of mistakes that can lead to downtime or other issues. This way, IT operations workflows can help reduce costs. Automation can help eliminate the need for manual labour, reducing the need to hire and train new staff.  IT automation tools can also help reduce costs associated with system downtime, as automated systems can perform tasks more quickly and reliably than manual processes.

3. Faster time to market:

IT operations workflow reduces the amount of time and money needed to complete tasks. Automating mundane or repetitive tasks frees up valuable resources that can be used to focus on more important tasks. Automation can also help reduce the number of errors that occur during manual processes, reducing the amount of time needed to fix any issues. 

By automating processes, there is less reliance on manual tasks, meaning that errors are less likely to occur. Automation can also help ensure that processes are completed correctly and on time. IT operations automation can speed up the software development process, enabling organizations to release new software updates more quickly and reliably. This can help organizations to stay competitive in a fast-changing market, and to respond more quickly to customer needs and feedback.

4. Better scalability:

Automated systems can be more easily scaled up or down to meet changing business needs. This allows organizations to respond quickly to changes in demand or workload, without having to invest in additional resources or infrastructure. IT operations(OPS) automation can help streamline processes so that operations can be scaled up or down as required. This can help organizations respond quickly to changes in market conditions, allowing them to stay competitive. 

5. Improved security:

IT operations automation can improve security by automating routine security tasks and enabling faster incident response. Automated security systems can also detect and respond to threats more quickly than manual processes, reducing the risk of data breaches or other security incidents. Automation can reduce the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive systems and data and can help protect businesses from malicious attacks. Automation can also help detect and mitigate security threats before they become a major problem.

IT automation makes better orchestration in businesses of all sizes. Automation can improve efficiency, reduce costs, and increase security, all of which can help businesses stay competitive in an increasingly digital world. With the right automation tools in place, businesses can streamline and improve their IT processes, ensuring that they remain successful in the future.

Practices that Define Best IT Operation Automation Ideas

IT operation automation can be a powerful tool for improving operational efficiency and effectiveness, but it requires careful planning and management to ensure that it is implemented successfully. By following these best practices, organizations can maximize the benefits of IT operations automation while minimizing the risks and challenges. Here are some best practices for IT operation automation:

1. Define Clear Objectives: Before implementing IT operations automation ideas, organizations should define clear objectives and goals for the automation initiative. This will help ensure that the automation efforts are aligned with business needs and will provide the desired benefits. This also aids businesses to know their needs for specialized automation tools, platforms, and skills.
2. Start Small and Iterate: Operations workflow management can be complex and challenging to implement, so it’s best to start small and iterate. Organizations should identify a few key areas where automation can provide the most value, and focus their initial efforts on those areas. As they gain experience and expertise, they can expand their automation efforts to other areas.
3. Involve Stakeholders: IT operations automation tools affect many stakeholders, including IT staff, business users, and customers. Organizations should involve all relevant stakeholders in the planning and implementation of IT automation, to ensure that their needs and concerns are taken into account.
4. Use the Right Tools: There are many tools and platforms available for IT automation, and organizations should choose the tools that are best suited to their needs and objectives. They should evaluate different options, consider factors such as ease of use, scalability, and integration with existing systems, and choose the tools that provide the best value. Establish roles for workflow and inform the users. 
5. Monitor and optimize: IT operations workflow requires ongoing monitoring and optimization to ensure that it is functioning properly and providing the desired benefits. Organizations should establish metrics and KPIs to measure the effectiveness of their automation efforts and use the data to identify areas for improvement.
6. Ensure Security and Compliance: IT operations automation can create new security and compliance risks, so organizations need to ensure that their automated systems are secure and compliant. They should establish security and compliance policies and procedures for their automated systems, and ensure that they are regularly audited and updated as needed.

What to Look for in an IT Operations Automation Tool

IT operations automation can be a powerful business nuance for improving operational efficiency and reliability, but it requires careful planning and management to ensure that it is implemented successfully. Organizations need to be prepared to invest in the necessary resources and processes to ensure that their automated systems are secure, reliable, and effective. When selecting an IT operations automation tool, there are several factors to consider to ensure that the tool is the right fit for your organization’s needs. Here are some things to look for:

• Research the tool for its ease of use, maintenance, and configuration, with a user-friendly interface and clear documentation. This will help ensure that the tool can be used effectively by IT staff with varying levels of technical expertise.
• Check whether the IT operations automation tools are able to integrate with other systems and tools that your organization uses, such as monitoring and alerting tools, cloud platforms, and service desk software. This will help ensure that your IT automation efforts are effective and efficient.
• Pick an IT ops automation method that is scalable to meet the needs of your organization as it grows and evolves. This is especially important for cloud-based tools and platforms, where the ability to scale up or down quickly can be critical.
• Find a flexible and customizable IT operation workflow solution, allowing your organization to tailor it to its specific needs and requirements. This will help ensure that the tool can be used to automate a wide variety of IT operations tasks and processes.
• Invest in an IT automation tool that is secure, with features such as multi-factor authentication, encryption, and access controls. This will help protect your organization’s data and systems from cyber threats.
• Check whether the IT automation tool comes with enhanced support by the vendor, with regular updates and bug fixes, and a responsive support team that can help address any issues that arise.
• Build IT operations automation ideas that add good value for the investment and fit your business margin. This includes not just the initial purchase or subscription cost, but also the ongoing costs of maintenance, support, and training.
• Some IT operations automation tools take more work to implement in your organizational culture. I.e., organizations need to ensure that their staff is open to change and that they have the necessary support and resources to adopt new tools and practices.

Thus, selecting the right IT automation tool requires careful consideration of the organization’s needs, goals, and resources. By choosing an IT automation tool that is easy to use, integrates well with other systems, is scalable and flexible, and provides good security and support, organizations can maximize the benefits of IT operations automation and improve their operational efficiency and effectiveness.

Why Cflow is the Best for IT operation automation?

The best IT automation tool for any given organization will depend on its specific needs and goals, as well as factors such as budget, resources, and technical expertise. The upcoming years will be a surge of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence,5G, and machine learning. Deciding on an automation solution that has the ability to rapidly integrate and orchestrate new tools and technologies into existing systems is the need of the hour.

Cflow, a no-code business management solution, helps you automate IT operations without writing a single line of code, and dynamic workflows help your automation scale when your business thrives. So, let Cflow take care of your IT automation moves and make your IT department busy building strategic tasks in your organization. 

Build the future of Modern IT with Cflow. Sign up for a free trial now!

FAQs in IT Automation:

What are the technologies to be considered for IT operation automation?

Evolving technologies introduce many advancements like Business Process Management (BPM), Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS), and High Productivity Application Platform as a Service (hpaPaaS) to make IT operation automation easy.

What are the challenges in IT automation?

Automation requires a deep understanding of the technology & processes and upfront tools investments. Besides these being positive,  there may also be instances of automating a faulty process and ending up with an avalanche of issues.

What are the organizational benefits of IT automation?

Automation allows you to be confident about the required tools and thereby optimizing the SaaS spend. IT automation embarks new technological trends in your organization to boost productivity. This leaves room for IT to involve in business-critical tasks and sophisticate every employee’s needs.