6 Steps to Bring Your IT Process Automation from Basic to Breakthrough
With the popularity of IT Process Automation (ITPA) steadily on the rise, more and more organizations are embracing the power of technology for streamlining operations, improving efficiency and creating a more productive environment. That said, however, most of these companies are only just beginning to scratch the surface of the many benefits ITPA can offer. If your firm is among those merely in the beginning stages of leveraging ITPA, here are 6 steps you can implement to bring things to the next level.Step 1: Conduct a Skills and Organization Assessment
The maturity level of an organization along with the ability of operations teams to communicate, collaborate and work to support one another can be directly tied to advanced IT Process Automation success. As your business matures, cross-organizational processes must be identified and adapted to create a more holistic approach to service delivery. Each individual team member should be assessed to identify those with the following skills, which are essential for any automation management professional:
- In-depth knowledge and expertise of operations
- In-depth knowledge and expertise of the company’s infrastructure
- In-depth knowledge and expertise of the business as a whole
- Experience
Training and reallocation of resources may also be necessary, based on the results of this assessment.
Step 2: Improve IQ Levels of Various Workflows
The next step involves developing and improving your team’s understanding of the workflow process. Specifically, improvements should be made in how personnel understands the complete concept of everything from designing, building and testing a workflow to deploying and administering it once it’s developed. As a process, improving workflow ID involves the following tasks:
- Determine/plan what the workflows are
- Figure out what to automate and when
- Document all aspects of process workflows, including upgrades and revisions
- Implement comprehensive change management strategies
Step 3: Standardize Both the IT Infrastructure and the Approach to IT process automation
A high level of IT maturity includes the management of a standardized infrastructure, which allows IT process automation to be implemented without the costs and complexities of non-standardized, diverse IT infrastructures. Similarly, the processes through which ITPA workflows are tracked and maintained should also be standardized. As a result, the organization can realize the following benefits:
- Lower costs
- Increased reliability and performance
- Reduced workflow complexity
- Streamline/automate repetitive tasks
- Lower risk of error
- Reduced need for checks and balances on automated workflows
- Need for fewer skills
- Improved tracking and reporting
- Reduced reliance on high level expertise
Step 4: Establish Objectives and Manage Expectations
Establishing clear-cut objectives based on the reasons why automation is being considered will help determine which specific IT processes and workflows will actually be automated and in what order. This creates an accurate scope of the overall strategy for implementing and maximizing IT Process Automation. Objectives should include specific metrics which can be tracked and measured.
Expectations surrounding workload and cost reduction should also be set early and accurately. Successfully automating smaller tasks can be an excellent way to demonstrate value and provide a foundation upon which to build out more complex automation projects.
Step 5: Make a Concerted Effort to Control Costs
The costs associated with successful ITPA extend well beyond the initial investment in the automation tool. According to Gartner, managing an IT Process Automation tool can cost anywhere from 2 to 4 times as much as the product itself. Understanding and factoring in the expenses of all the various aspects is essential. To keep costs manageable, consider implementing the following strategies:
- Try using existing automation technologies to start
- Automate basic, repetitive tasks first
- Standardize as many processes as possible
- Carefully manage the initial expense of implementation, set up and customization
Step 6: Define the Value as Well as the Benefits
The value of IT process automation must be accurately measured against the time and other resources necessary to complete the process prior to automation. For many, the improved reliability, reduction in costly errors, quicker response times and enhanced efficiency are evident almost as soon as automation is implemented. The real ROI, however, will be realized as ongoing costs continue to go down or are eliminated altogether. To effectively assess the value and benefits of automation, consider the following metrics:
- Pre-automation time necessary to accomplish the task manually
- Pre-automation labor required to complete the process manually
- Skills needed to accomplish the process prior to automation
- Problems associated with manual processes (i.e. human error)
- Downtime due to manual process issues (i.e. servers, applications, IT services, etc.)
- Cost/difficulty of audit compliance prior to automation
Beyond the basic uses and benefits of IT Process Automation, this advanced technology has the potential to significantly improve business operations. By implementing the above steps, your IT department can tap into ITPA’s fullest potential and leverage its benefits to drive the ongoing success of your organization. It starts with the right partner.
