IT Process Automation – Is this concept catching up?

IT process automation is a software framework that enables CIOs and IT Managers reduce human efforts invested in carrying out mundane, repetitive and simple tasks (configuration, maintenance, etc.). IT process automation can save a lot of time for IT administrators and can enable them to work on more challenging tasks that demand human intervention/experience.

If we closely analyze the time spent by IT administrators, we may notice that they are utilizing a lot of their time on simple, repetitive tasks like provisioning/deployment of new servers, etc. Why not automate these tasks and free them up for more demanding tasks that require human intelligence/skill-sets? Considering that machines can do certain tasks faster, this might also result in faster problem-resolution. And IT administrators get motivated when they work on challenging tasks.

Machines can’t really replace humans. Well, at least in the IT department, and at least for now. But some tasks can be performed better and faster by IT process automation software. For example, consider the following IT tasks that can be automated.

• Resetting lost/forgotten password requests happens often in large companies and IT staff may spend a considerable amount of time attending to such requests. It is possible to set-up an internal self-service portal for the same and automate password recovery and management. If required, employees can be authenticated using SMS. Even that step can be automated.
• It is possible to automate the process of monitoring multiple servers for low disk-space and alert the administrator when the disk-space is lower than a pre-defined threshold. It is also possible to automatically delete/move server logs or other low-priority files elsewhere, in order to create more space in the servers.
• Many employees forget to switch-off their computers after their workday. This wastes a lot of energy, and hence money. It is possible to have an automated workflow that will promptly check and switch-over all unused PC’s into the stand-by mode, based on certain parameters.
• It maybe possible to automate certain commonly requested SQL queries. The user can send an e-mail or sms to the system in a pre-defined format and the system can automatically execute certain SQL commands/queries and send the results back to the user. If such an automated system is used for common requests, it can save valuable time of the administrator.

Reference/Source: 10 Time-consuming IT tasks you should automate.

So, is the concept of IT process automation catching up? Have you tried it in your company?

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