Be honest. Do you ever feel most of your time at work is spent jumping through the hoops of a process than actually getting something accomplished? Before you know it, it’s the end of the day, and you haven’t made a dent in the work you were supposed to do.
There has never been a time when our work lives have been supported by such an impressive amount of technology and innovation. So, getting things done should be a breeze, right?
The truth is, it hasn’t worked out that way.
With more IT innovations being put in place to increase user productivity, we’re all expected to do more complex tasks with greater detail, in less time, and with fewer resources.
For most tasks within an organization, there’s an associated process, many of which require access to the right IT application. Any delay or complication with that access creates an interruption in workflow. Add up a few of those circumstances each day, and the sum can be a frustrating level of unproductivity.
The antidote for all this ‘hoop-jumping’ is business process automation, simplifying IT deployment, configuration, and access.
The strategic use of an automation solution can cut operating costs while increasing productivity, reliability, and performance. But a word of caution—you can’t just throw any automation at the problem and hope for the best.
Build an Automation Culture
This is arguably the most important step. Without it, whichever software you try to implement will be an uphill, exhausting, and potentially futile battle.
Though automation comes with many benefits, not everyone will be jumping at the opportunity to use it. There might be some resistance to change, and the fears about job security will creep in. You’ll need to be sensitive to the likelihood of these concerns, even if they aren’t openly being discussed.
It’s crucial to be upfront and address the expectations of bringing on an automation solution and how you expect it to change the way work is done today. Have an open discussion around the benefits automation has on an individual level to start creating a culture the accepts, encourages, and embraces the ways automation will improve the quality and efficiency of work. Invest in educating employees on how to use automation efficiently to really reap the benefits.
With everyone on the same page, you can narrow down which solution is best for your company and anticipate the ways you’ll implement automation. There are some important points to consider when choosing the best solution for your situation:
Asset Management
A centralized database should contain an inventory of the devices that access the automation, along with their operating configurations and installed applications. Look for a solution that can automate the discovery process to make sure every device is accounted for and add new ones to your database as they are coming online.
Job Functions
Users with similar job roles are likely to have the same needs for accessing data and services. Automation should allow pre-approval on these needs, eliminating administrator involvement.
Automatic Updates and Patching
For consistency and reliability, patches and updates should be deployed without the need for an administrator. Along with automating patch management, your customers’ preferred third-party applications are kept up to date to close up common vulnerabilities.
Self Service
A single user request for an application should automatically initiate a workflow that performs all steps from authorization through configuration and software updates. A lot of the more routine IT tasks and issues could be solved with little to no intervention by a tech.
Security
Security and compliance protocols should be centrally monitored and managed through automated processes with little or no impact on the user.
Monitoring and Remediation
User applications or operating environment issues should be reported automatically to IT operations. Repeated repair processes should be automated for an immediate fix. The sooner you can fix an issue, the sooner the end-user can get back to work.
ConnectWise Automate is proud to offer the most powerful automation engine available on the market. It’s designed to work the way you work, letting you automate every repetitive IT task imaginable with reliable results every time. Learn more about how ConnectWise Automate can make your business processes more productive automatically—because hoops should be for basketball.
Brett Cheloff is VP of product at ConnectWise. Read more ConnectWise blogs here.
