Automation Is Key
According to Microsoft, automation can relieve IT departments of mundane activities and free them up for more complex, business-critical tasks.
Why are IT departments leveraging automation now more than ever? As a result of offices around the globe shifting to remote working, as well as the increasing connectivity of devices, IT departments have been forced to adapt quickly to the changing needs of their organizations. Users are no longer under the watchful gaze of their IT teams and the processes that ensure the security and protection of devices are now carried out remotely.
With this in mind, freeing up capacity for IT teams with the help of automation has been key in enabling agility at a time of digital acceleration. By automating mundane, routine, and repetitive processes, IT professionals can focus their attention on complex tasks. Other benefits include cost savings, improved efficiency and consistency, greater security, and avoiding human error, while allowing teams to scale processes faster than ever before.
Automation also helps address certain financial and human capital issues. In a survey of 445 IT professionals carried out by the Chartered Institute of Information Security, 82% said their budgets had either decreased, remained the same, or weren’t rising fast enough to meet the latest cybersecurity challenges. Burnout was also identified as a significant problem. Automation of certain tasks can alleviate pressure and boost cybersecurity capabilities.
What are the key considerations when it comes to automating IT processes?
It is important to take stock and determine which processes are relevant to your organization. Specifically, it is necessary to determine which processes are basic, repetitive, and routine, and whether they take up a lot of time. If a task requires a low level of skill, and is routine but time consuming, then it might be time for automation to take the lead.
What is Microsoft Power Automate and what are the benefits to users? Microsoft Power Automate is a cloud-based system that allows users to streamline repetitive tasks and paperless processes in an organization. With the right triggers and actions in place, Power Automate can change manual, repetitive tasks into a chain reaction of automated workflows. Thanks to prebuilt models and templates, users of all levels can create automated processes using low-code, drag-and-drop tools.
Microsoft recently introduced Process Advisor to Power Automate, which takes the guesswork out of automating tasks. It identifies opportunities and areas for automation by mapping workflows, uncovering bottlenecks, and making recommendations.
What are some of the disadvantages of IT automation and how can they be resolved? One of the perils of IT department automation is falling into the trap of trying to transform everything at once. Start out with a simple process for automation and do it well. With a proof of concept in hand, attempt to repeat the same success with other tasks. This is a great way to build team buy-in and will help to win over any skeptics.