To Err Is Human: Making the Case for Automation

Alexander Pope said, “To err is human, to forgive divine.” Pope was talking about sin, but this principle applies to a key gap in many ITSM structures.

In the race to stay competitive, many corporations are finding creative ways to do more with less. The result: service management teams must confront increased demands with a limited headcount.

Automation enables key IT and business processes through new business initiatives such as digitization to serve business users who demand exceptional experiences and who don’t tolerate IT failure.

What’s more, automation offers a predictable and repeatable sequence of steps from start to finish and takes the same route each time. It reduces risk and eliminates ambiguity by following a tested path consistently.

In a service management environment, a workflow passes from one person to the next as it progresses through different stages. It’s at these handoff points where tasks can fall through the cracks or workflow is interrupted, resulting in a breach.

Imagine automating that workflow. Your processes can run faster and more efficiently while lessening the risks of human error.

What once took weeks can be accomplished in hours or days or minutes, maximizing the productivity of all involved.

There’s been a growing requirement recently for ITSM teams to “shift left” for cost and efficiency reasons, but without the necessary injection of resources at the front end. Talk about challenging.

Whether you’re aiming to work faster, maintain consistency, or reduce costs, automation can help.

Automated service management processes let you refocus your time and resources on strategic activities that support business initiatives and goals.

It’s often assumed that automation means delivering more of the same. However, effective automation also provides opportunities to mature and unify individual workflows into a continuous set of processes and capabilities that work collectively.

Automation enables a better quality of support and user satisfaction through faster response times, improved quality, and a broader range of services delivered. In addition, automation helps streamline communication and minimize costs.