Synonymous with efficiency and productivity, automation is commonplace in all business processes. ITSM is no exception: automation features streamline IT service management and simplifies the daily life of support teams. More than just saving time, some ITSM automation makes it possible to be more competitive.
Reduce operational costs
In the IT field, as elsewhere, automation aims to relieve teams of certain tasks with low added value, which are time-consuming, and repetitive and/or redundant. In the line of fire? Operations that can be triggered and carried out without direct intervention by a person.
When we talk about automation in the context of IT service management, examples are numerous. It is thus possible to automate the response to users following a request to the helpdesk, the creation of tickets on alerts escalated from the infrastructures (incidents, exceeding capacity thresholds), the dispatch of a ticket to an agent or a team, the addition of information when creating a ticket (name of the user, hardware used, installed software, etc.), to automate notifications related to changes, updates, up to the processing of simple requests (purchases, the loss of a password)…
This automation helps reduce operational costs by minimizing the intervention of teams in the execution of repetitive tasks. It also improves the reliability and performance of the service: reducing the risk of errors related to multiple entries, limiting the time spent searching or verifying information, the continuous monitoring of critical parameters, etc.
ITSM software therefore plays a central role in the implementation of these automated processing processes within IT production teams. The openness of the software, its ability to interconnect with other tools, the possibilities for modeling processes: these are all decisive and condition the operational gains accessible through automation.
Some examples of ITSM automation
Supervision
One of the first levers to activate to increase the competitiveness of your IT services, is the automation of the supervision of the IT park. To do this, you can interconnect your monitoring tool to your ITSM solution (this is often possible via an API). In this way, you will be automatically alerted in case of incidents, without human intervention, and therefore without re-entry, often a source of time or even error. Automatic alerts make monitoring easier and more reliable. Some companies thus ensure integrated management of their IT resources.
Deploying a server
Your ITSM software can also help automate simple processes, such as getting a server into production. How does it work? Upon receipt of a request to connect a new server, a workflow of automated actions will initialize the equipment (OS, network, software). Simply. With iTop, you can even automate the creation and complete description of the “server” component in the CMDB, as well as its monitoring and backups.
Resolving recurring incidents
With a powerful ITSM tool, you can analyze the types of incidents identified and automate their processing. This may involve sending a dedicated input form to document the problem, before finding its solution. This form will contain the necessary information to trigger one or more automatic curative actions.
Staff teams according to real needs
The automation enabled by ITSM tools makes it possible to develop service production capabilities, relieving teams of a number of operations.
It therefore helps staff the support teams as accurately as possible. Automating certain tasks makes it possible to envisage the growth of an IT department or production center, without increasing the workforce in a linear way.
In addition, a powerful ITSM solution offers all the indicators to measure the impact of automation and anticipate resource needs. Number of tickets processed, number of problems generated by such equipment, compliance with SLAs, average resolution time… You can cross-reference information – in the form of automated reports – to detect automation opportunities or confirm the need for recruitment. The ITSM tool thus contributes to a control of costs as accurately as possible.
Automating IT management tasks thanks to ITSM software, therefore generates measurable benefits: time saving, productivity, efficiency, reliability, etc. And over and above the operational performance, this automation is even more appreciable as it is converted into economic gains! Take the test with iTop !
