Automation provides the flexibility required for the continuous evolution of Information Systems. Thanks to the cloud and simple, high-performance tools, SMEs can also implement automation processes. Various areas can benefit from this: IT security (in particular, incident response), HR, accounting, application deployment, sorting of incoming e-mails...
Automation is a recurring theme in IT projects. Network-programmable interfaces have been around for over a decade. But with the proliferation of easy-to-use tools and cloud-based offerings specializing in this type of process, anyone can benefit from its advantages.
Indeed, automation can be integrated and applied to any task, from network automation to configuration management and application deployment, to cloud and infrastructure provisioning. With the multiplication of systems and instances, and the increase in complexity, all companies need to rely on a solution that is more appropriate and capable of recording information about their systems in order to manage them more effectively.
Interest in automation is all the greater now that companies have embarked on their digital transformation. In a highly competitive environment where speed and performance are paramount, an RPA (Robotic Process Automation) strategy is becoming an absolute necessity.
If mastered and adapted to your company's specific needs, it can be a major asset. Even for SMEs! Provided you understand what's at stake, identify the benefits for your business and avoid making the most common mistakes.
Automation enables cross-functional collaboration
Contrary to popular belief, automation doesn't necessarily mean cutting staff; on the contrary, it can optimize them! It's about better coordinating teams and different business processes. Automation is above all a question of collaboration and dialogue. This is one of the keys to its success.
Hence the need to win the support of the entire IT team, as well as of the various businesses involved in automating tasks identified as priorities. This approval can only be obtained by presenting what works, but also what makes teams less agile.
Explaining how automating certain processes will improve this current state of affairs is therefore crucial. This solution enables certain employees to get rid of manual, time-consuming and uninteresting tasks, in favor of more rewarding, higher-level work.
This advice applies to any significant change in IT strategy. But this is particularly true of automation, which sometimes has negative connotations.
The ideal toolbox
Management must also listen carefully to the teams, as they are the ones who will be using the tools selected for automation. These discussions will help prioritize the solutions to be deployed.
The range of automation solutions on offer is becoming more and more extensive. This is an opportunity for large accounts, who can choose the most effective solutions, whatever their level of complexity. For SMEs, on the other hand, this diversity can be an obstacle. Supported by specialists, they can select the ideal automation toolbox, adapted to their specific needs.
These tools must offer three main advantages:
- flexibility: to cover 90% of your use cases;
- simplicity: to enable teams to master them without too much difficulty;
- user-friendliness: to guarantee their adoption by the business and thus prepare for future deployments.
Common mistakes
Convinced by the benefits of automation, some companies decide to move up a gear too quickly. They attack their entire software development cycle or a very large workflow.
It's a mistake that can have far-reaching consequences. Automation is an effective trigger for reviewing existing processes that are recurrent (but above all, repeatable). They justify automation. But it's crucial to ensure that they are carried out correctly. Automating the wrong processes leads to chaos!
You have to be realistic and not overestimate the benefits. Conversely, if you underestimate them, you'll end up underestimating the program. That's why it's essential to identify exactly what automation will really bring in terms of overall benefits, and not just to a particular department.
The migration from an essentially manual to an essentially automated system must be gradual. The first few weeks will certainly be difficult. Being accompanied by a specialized partner avoids making the main mistakes we have just mentioned.
