Gabby Nizri, CEO at Ayehu, says:

You may think that when it comes to running an efficient data center, the more bells and whistles you have at your disposal, the better. Unfortunately, the opposite is true. Too many systems that are either independent, inconsistent, or both, can end up complicating the infrastructure and make managing even the smallest tasks more difficult than necessary. Implementing the right IT process automation tool and adopting some best practices, on the other hand, can bridge existing systems and departments and create a more efficient, effective and successful data center. Here’s how.

The major hurdle many IT professionals still face today is that of deeply rooted silos. This problem arose from what was originally thought to be a solution. Each department or team would determine its individual needs and then bring in a specific tool to meet those needs. What resulted was a huge number of standalone solutions that did not work well together. Instead of a well-integrated system, data centers were left with a complicated mess that was unconnected and ineffective.

Not only does having this type of set up cause more unnecessary work for data center professionals, but it can actually stunt the ability for the company as a whole to develop and implement an overarching automation strategy. That’s because most of these independent tools do not communicate, collaborate or integrate with one another. The ultimate goal of any data center is to achieve maximum efficiency, which is just not possible without a sophisticated IT process automation tool that can bridge these gaps and pull everything together.

Today, automation can work wonders for an organization in any industry, but only if it’s designed to work toward “big picture” goals. Rather than solving one specific problem, the right ITPA tool should be able to interface with existing systems and enhance their capabilities. For example, integrating an automation product with a network management tool like SolarWinds Orion can provide an end-to-end solution that pulls together processes and makes everything run more smoothly.

If your data center is still dealing with a more fragmented approach to IT Process Automation, you’re most certainly not alone.

Moreover, it appears to be a problem that’s growing, rather than lessening. In fact, according to a recent Gartner report, the number of large enterprises that will have at least 4 automation products in place at once is expected to rise from 20% to 75% by the year 2017. Another challenge lies in the way automation is viewed: often as merely a means to make scripting easier, rather than leverage its power to automate complex workflows and processes.

The ultimate goal, both in the present as well as the future, is to change the way IT Process Automation is being used and maximize its capabilities. Organizations will need to streamline their I&O strategies to focus on the many benefits that the right IT process automation tool can provide. A dedicated team of automation professionals should be assembled and they should conduct a thorough audit to identify areas where automation can improve operational efficiency and ultimately help achieve the strategic goals of the business. Finally, a good amount of research should be conducted to determine which IT process automation tool is the right fit for the needs of each organization.

The data center of tomorrow will be much more efficient and effective, thanks to IT Process Automation.