How to use IT process automation to make your software more efficient

Everybody has the same amount of hours in a day. What we do with those hours can make the difference between treading water and creating value in a business.

The biggest promise of technological advancements over the past two decades has been to free busy people from tedious activities. This is true of our personal lives and increasingly true of our professional lives. Just as the dishwasher liberated us from the time-consuming task of washing up after a meal, digital transformation has given us the power to tidy up our important (but burdensome) routine tasks. This is why over 60% of companies have at least piloted some form of automation..

Advancements in IT process automation platforms and AI have created more opportunities than ever to leave the busy work for the machine. By leveraging technology, IT professionals can move away from tedious activities and become value-added contributors to an organization.

Today we will look at the IT process automation process, how to know what to automate, and how everything from your hardware provisioning to your tech stack maintenance can get easier with some help from innovative software tools. 

What is IT process automation?

Before we dive into the types of process automation available to IT teams, it helps to define what IT process automation is. IT process automation (ITPA) Refers to the practice of automating IT services, support, and operational activities into business workflows that reduce manual processes for IT teams. IT PA uses apps, artificial intelligence, APIs, and other tools to handle repetitive tasks automatically. While ITPA is a wide-ranging practice within an IT department, it breaks down into two major types of automation. Within an IT department, it breaks down to two mainjor types of automation.

IT process automation categories

There are different categories of ITPA, focused on both the tangible tasks of running IT infrastructure and the array of business process management (BPM) Activities needed to support business users and improve operational efficiency. IT process automation breaks down into two major categories, both of which can be improved through automated workflows and process optimization.

Business process automation (BPA) 

Automating business routines such as approvals, payments, reporting, and analysis saves IT professionals hours attending to this category of work. By automating processes, these tasks can be done faster and more accurately than through manual processing. 

This reality results in better overall functioning for the IT department and more opportunities for team members to stay productive with tasks. It also realizes cost savings by reducing excess salary hours and extending the performance time of these tasks. For instance, while accounts payable professionals can only process a few invoices per working hour, using process automation tools, a piece of software can process thousands of invoices 24 hours a day.

Robotic process automation (RPA)

For the physical side of ITPA, Advanced software technology can replace humans in conducting lower-value tasks such as data entry, password entry, form filling, and routine analysis and reporting. These manual tasks usually take many hours to complete and can be optimized to reduce bottlenecks and illuminate issues from human error. 

RPA leverages machine learning, artificial brain intelligence (AI) automation solutions, and sometimes physical interfaces like micro-location to Improve IT operations and free up staff from repetitive tasks.

How to know when it’s time to automate an IT process 

To identify tasks that could benefit from IT automation, ask yourself a few questions about the process or activity you are considering automating:

1. Is the task tedious or repetitive?
2. Does the task follow rigid rules or a workflow?
3. Are responses time sensitive?
4. Can a computer do this work faster?
5. Are there benefits to automating over human interaction? For instance, would bots or automation make the task scalable?

If you can answer most or all of these questions affirmatively, this task is likely a good candidate for automation software.

Types of IT processes that can be automated

There are many used cases for ITPA. Depending on your organization and industry, you may find many uses for IT process automation software and techniques. Here are a few common use cases where ITPA tools can reduce manual work, improve customer experience, and optimize operations across the company.

Helpdesk tickets and notifications

Help desk requests can take up a significant portion of an IT administrator's workday. Automating the ticketing system can provide users with valuable information about some of the most common questions and issues they have. Simple automation may look like an automatic response to a ticket submission that gives users information about their request. With automated notifications, they can find out

• What actions have been performed on the ticket
• What information is needed to resolve the request
• How many requests are in the queue ahead of them
• Steps they can take to prepare for a helpdesk visit.
• When their help desk ticket is updated or resolved

Troubleshooting

Like helpdesk tickets, troubleshooting requests are excellent candidates for automation. For example, automation can walk users through simple tasks like rebooting a router or performing maintenance on an office printer. 

These instructions may help the user self-serve, removing the need for an IT team member to attend to the task personally. 

New Employee Onboarding

Most employees are onboarded through a similar or identical process. By automating the employee onboarding sequence, IT can provide many pieces of information without manual administration of the task. 

New employees can receive:

• Password, VPN, and credentialing information.
• Onboarding training such as webinars and portal access.
• Documentation for completion (tax forms, direct deposit forms, healthcare election, sign-ups for office perks such as streaming services).
• Access to standard communication tools such as Slack and Zoom.
• Employee handbook access and training.

IT can save time for various departments by systematizing these documents and processes. 

FAQ and reporting 

Much like helpdesk ticket automation, using an AI chat bought to answer common FAQ questions or deliver standardized reporting can take hours of work off the plate for IT. Software automation for reporting makes it possible to deliver valuable insights to anyone in need of information in a complete, hands-off process

IT Asset Management (ITAM) tasks

Automation technology can make it easier for the IT department to track, manage, and perform lifecycle maintenance for its physical assets. By automating tracking and IT asset management, IT can reduce the time it spends performing IT audits and hunting down missing or miscategorized assets and licenses.

How to automate managing your SaaS stack, contracts and renewals

The software stack is an excellent place to start your IT automation journey. As with physical assets, tracking your sass software portfolio and managing it through a centralized platform can save thousands of hours and dollars over time. 

Here are five ways to use IT process automation within your software management practice:

Route approvals automatically

Approvals management often hinders the performance schedule for adopting and implementing new software tools. Automating the approvals process ensures that initiatives remain in motion even when they require input or approval from several department heads.

Put renewal activities on autopilot

Renewals are another time-consuming manual task that could be better managed with an automated system. Not only does automating the renewals process Reduce time to performance, but it can also result in cost savings by optimizing your software holdings and avoiding costly mistakes with license renewals.

Centralize contractor information

Automating and centralizing your contract management process saves time and reduces the frustration of managing hundreds of contracts through a spreadsheet. Using automation for your contract management also improves compliance rates and eliminates redundant due diligence when working with existing contracts or renewals.

Automate invoices and payments 

Automating IT service invoices and payments saves time and takes advantage of potential early payment discounts. Because IT may be the billing owner for hundreds or thousands of licenses, automating invoice approval can save time, reduce mistakes, and improve budget performance.

Curate your SaaS selection

Curation is an excellent way to automate the software buying process. By using a centralized platform to select and implement new tools, organizations can empower their billing owners to get the tools they need with confidence and save money and time when sourcing new SaaS software. 

How Vendr uses SaaS management to streamline IT processes

IT has plenty to do to keep the organization running. Using a SaaS management platform like Vendr, IT departments can maintain a high level of management and performance while reducing the manual tasks and repetitive activities involved in buying new software.

Vendr makes it easy to price, negotiate, and optimize your software portfolio to save time and ensure you get the best price for the tools you need. Your IT department and Finance team can agree: automating SaaS buying is ideal for everyone.

Get full visibility into your company tech stack with one system of record and create a more efficient purchasing process to power SaaS for the whole company. Analyze my SaaS stack.

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