IT automation empowers organizations to streamline operations, reduce costs, and enhance productivity by eliminating time-consuming, error-prone manual processes. However, while 78% of IT professionals feel increasing pressure to automate, over 70% find it challenging to design automated systems and navigate the multitude of automation tools available.
This definitive guide on IT automation in 2024 provides clarity by answering frequently asked questions on everything business leaders and technical teams need to know, from real-world examples and automation software recommendations to implementation strategies and emerging trends.
What is IT Automation and How Does it Work?
IT automation employs various tools and technologies like scripts, machine learning, and predefined rules to automate IT tasks and processes instead of relying on manual work. It helps automate activities across areas like:
- System and infrastructure provisioning
- Configuration management
- Software deployment
- Data protection and disaster recovery
- Compliance auditing
- Monitoring and alerting
By codifying and automatically executing recurring tasks, IT automation eliminates human error, enforces process standardization, and significantly reduces manual effort – allowing IT teams to focus on innovation and strategic initiatives rather than repetitive maintenance work.
Automation in Action: Real-World Examples
Consider how a streaming media company like Netflix deploys IT automation:
Automated Deployment & Configuration
Whenever new software updates or infrastructure changes need to be rolled out, IT automation tools automatically handle tasks like:
- Configuring cloud networks/resources based on codified specifications
- Orchestrating multi-tier application installations across environments
- Applying security patches and OS updates to thousands of servers
This automates their deployment pipeline, saving enormous IT man-hours while accelerating rollout velocity.
Backup and Disaster Recovery
IT automation enables scheduled backup jobs to routinely snapshot critical databases and file systems. In case of failures, automated recovery workflows quickly spin up resources and restore data/apps to working state.
For Netflix, this ensures their streaming service remains available even amidst disruptions – a crucial capability for 24/7 consumer platforms.
Auto-Scaling Cloud Infrastructure
Via auto-scaling policies, IT automation can dynamically scale up or down cloud resources to match demand changes, optimizing cost/performance.
With viewership spiking during new content releases or holidays, Netflix relies on automation to instantly scale up capacity when needed without service degradation.
What IT Automation is Used For: Key Use Cases
IT automation offers benefits across a diverse range of functions – from infrastructure ops to service delivery.
Deployment & Configuration Automation
Deploying new infrastructure or updating systems requires considerable manual effort. Automation handles common deployment, configuration and management tasks like:
- Agile server provisioning
- Enforcement of security baselines
- Compliance and hardening checks
- Efficient deployment of patches, apps or bulk changes
- Granular monitoring and alerting
This enhances consistency, minimizes errors/downtime and accelerates service delivery across infrastructure updates, OS upgrades, new software rollouts etc.
IT Process Automation
Many recurring IT processes involve cumbersome sequences of manual steps.
IT automation helps by orchestrating end-to-end workflows, hand-offs between systems, decision gates etc. This includes automating processes like:
- Incident, problem and change management
- IT asset lifecycles
- Complex approvals workflows
Integrating process automation delivers tangible improvements in efficiency, accuracy and standardization.
Data and Security Automation
Automation also plays a key role in managing exponentially growing data while ensuring security and compliance:
- Backup/recovery automation – Executes routine snapshots and seamless restoration of business data
- Threat analytics and response – Leverages automation for continuous security monitoring, mechanism to instantly isolate/respond to detected threats
- Compliance automation – Handles continual auditing of controls and standards enforcement
This alleviates data integrity concerns while enabling proactive threat mitigation and demonstrated compliance readiness.
Why IT Automation Matters: Key Benefits
IT automation adoption continues growing exponentially driven by a multitude of benefits:
- Up to 90% faster deployment velocity
- 80% reduction in manual routine tasks
- 72% fewer disruptions/outages
- 63% higher IT productivity
- 60% cost savings from optimizing operations
- Accelerated innovation and competitive advantage
Additionally, automation enhances standardization across the IT environment while minimizing risks and errors.
As per IDC, organizations invest over 33% of IT budgets on automation and expect a 500% ROI in 5 years – illustrating automation‘s transition from nice-to-have into a mainstream imperative.
Overview: Major Categories of IT Automation Tools
Dozens of tools promise IT automation capabilities. Broadly, they belong in categories like:
Workload Automation
Comprehensive workload automation (WLA) software automates end-to-end jobs and schedules across infrastructure. Capabilities include:
- Batch processing orchestration
- Managed file transfers
- Job monitoring/alerting
- Workload balancing
Leaders here include Control-M, Automic, Stonebranch, etc.
IT Process Automation
Streamlines functional IT processes like change approval flows, access requests, virtual desktop delivery etc. Key features:
- Easy process modeling
- Drag-and-drop workflow builder
- Forms/dashboards creation
- OOTB integrations with ITSM tools
Major vendors include Nintex, Camunda, Kissflow etc.
Infrastructure Automation
Data center automation tools specializing in infrastructure management:
- Server /network/storage provisioning
- Configuration management
- Compliance enforcement
- Zero-touch patching/upgrades
Leading options here include Red Hat Ansible, VMware vRealize, etc.
Additionally, cross-domain enterprise service management solutions also provide extensive automation capabilities for data center, ITSM and business workflows.
Emerging IT Automation Trends
While IT automation is already ubiquitous, continued innovation further expands capabilities and use cases with emerging trends like:
AI and Machine Learning
Sophisticated algorithms enable tools to handle exponentially more complexity and even self-learn – driving intelligent automation (IA).
Hyperautomation
Blends technologies like RPA, BPM, AI etc. enabling deeply integrated automation transcending functional barriers/levels to create end-to-end automated workflows.
Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
Allows IT infrastructure components to be deployed, managed and updated by modifying source code rather than manual processes – vastly simplifying change control in complex environments.
Additionally, we see surging adoption of hybrid cloud automation, automated container deployment etc. as Cloud-native architectures become ubiquitous.
As per Gartner, over 65% of organizations now employ integrated IT automation platforms consolidating capabilities – a remarkable increase within just 2-3 years.
Challenges in IT Automation Adoption
However, while interest in automation is at an all-time high, most organizations also struggle on their journey with issues like:
- Complex evaluatations – Disjoint automation capabilities, fast evolving technology and a fragmented software market makes tool selection challenging
- Skill gaps – Scarcity of expertise in domains like BPA, AI/ML based automation etc constrains adoption
- Legacy constraints – Automation hindered by outdated systems which lack modern interfaces for integration
- Cultural inertia – Requires shifting team mindsets from legacy practices to automation focus
- Hidden costs – Underestimating efforts for configuration, customization, exception handling etc post deployment
Our recommendation is to invest in building internal automation CoEs focused on methodology, best practices and technology expertise. Furthermore, engage specialist vendors providing both strategic advisory as well as execution enablement.
Recommended IT Automation Strategy
An automation program needs coordinated execution across strategy, platform implementation as well as change management.
- Set objectives covering the target scope, KPIs and outcomes – rather than view automation narrowly as a cost saver
- Prioritize opportunities via process analysis on dimensions like manual effort, value generated, error rates etc.
- Audit existing landscape to rationalize tools, identify constraints and application touchpoints for integration
- Invest in reference architecture aligning to IT/cloud strategy rather than tactically automating siloed processes
- Phase rollout through iterative milestones focused on distinct processes or app domains
- Allocate budgets for training, content creation and ongoing enhancements rather than treating launch as the final step
- Embrace continual improvement mindset centered on automation maturity measurement, best practices and optimizing backlogs
Furthermore, develop specialized skills in technologies like RPA, machine learning, analytics etc. to expand automation capabilities.
The Future of IT Automation
IT automation underpins key technology transformations like hybrid cloud adoption, AI/ML infusion and data value unlocking – acting as the connective tissue stitching together processes, workflows and systems.
Over 75% of CIOs believe COVID has exponentially increased need for automation to build resilient operations. The coming decade will see automation become deeply embedded across the technology value chain – enabling next-generation innovations while optimizing infrastructure and applications.
As leaders architect their technology roadmaps, it is imperative to put automation centerstage rather than an afterthought. The window for gaining competitive advantage is accelerating – the time for action is now!
