How do you evaluate the success of IT automation in your organization?

Be clear about what is going to automate, how will it benefit once automation is in place. Who are users of the automation and acceptance of automation by users gives metrics for success. Automation’s benefit is not limited to saving time, reducing human errors to zero are also need for automation effort.

- One time in my work we are having a device that is connected with monitoring screen, this each time we open this device we need to enter a username and password due to company policy, also we need to open multiple browser tabs for monitoring systems (to monitor our server resources), so we decided to automate this action technically by applying the following steps: - Modify BIOS Settings to allow this device to start automatically during work hours & also make it start when a power cable is connected. - Create user in AD and assign this user only access this machine (With least permissions). - Modify registry to allow this user to automatically login. - Created startup script to start browser and desired pages for monitoring.

Clear Objectives: Start with clear goals for automation, like saving time, reducing errors, or cutting costs. Measurable Results: Use specific metrics like time saved, error reduction, or cost savings to measure success. User Feedback: Gather input from IT staff and users to see if they find the automation helpful. Security and Compliance: Ensure that automation improves security and helps meet regulatory requirements. Scalability: Check if your automation can handle growing workloads and adapt to changes. Time Savings: Measure how much time automation saves in routine tasks. Error Reduction: Track how automation reduces mistakes in IT processes. Continuous Improvement: Make sure your automation evolves and improves over time.

Don't be tool obsesed. Choose the one team is commonly skilled at or whey they can be quickly upskilled to. When comes to automating infra consider is the tooling supports multi platforms like terraform Few tools may be free for personal but paid when comes to organisation use , so read their legal before starting it for business case

Having a full picture of your current systems and their strengths and weaknesses is a must when trying to implement automation. Automation is only possible if the tools you utilize can be utilized through APIs or other integrations. Know your tech and how it works from start to finish - success will come.

A successful IT automation strategy often involves a mix of different tools and solutions that cater to various aspects of your IT operations. For instance, you may utilize scripting languages like Python or PowerShell for custom automation tasks, while employing orchestration platforms like Ansible, Puppet, or Kubernetes for larger-scale, cross-system automation. Furthermore, DevOps practices advocate for the integration of automation tools throughout the software development lifecycle. Continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines often rely on automation tools to build, test, and deploy applications seamlessly. Here, tools like Jenkins, Travis CI, or GitLab CI/CD can play a significant role.

Documentation is often an underestimated part of the automation process, but proper documentation is a lifesaver. When you document your processes and scripts, you not only make it easier for yourself but also for your team to understand and maintain the automation in the future. This documentation ensures that knowledge isn't siloed and can be passed on smoothly.

Implementation is all about process change. Automating manual processes literally means changing someone's day job. The implementation should prioritise People, Process and Technology respectively

Effective implementation starts with a solid plan, good documentation, and a detailed rollout strategy. It's essential to test in controlled stages and have a rollback plan, ensuring minimal disruption to current manual processes. For instance, in our project, we ensured a smooth transition from time-consuming and error-prone manual checks to automated scans.

As with goals, monitoring should focus on asessing success of business goals - not individual solution components. These will be things like ROI, time to market, governance, compliance, risk etc

No monitoring tools should replace human checks. Many do automation, then do automation monitoring and then they get approximated of approximated data. And only see the problem when one is critical. Never forget to have people review raw data time from time to catch problems in early stages.

In my experience, automation without monitoring is a gamble. It might work flawlessly for a while, but without oversight, you're vulnerable to hidden issues. By using tools and techniques to keep a close eye on your automation, you can rest assured that it continues to serve your organization efficiently and effectively.

Automation is meant to align with specific goals and objectives. Regular reviews ensure that your automation efforts are still in sync with the changing needs of your organization. It's about adapting to evolving circumstances. Automation isn't static; it should evolve. By identifying gaps and challenges in your automation strategy, you can proactively address issues and uncover opportunities for improvement. Regular reviews keep your automation fresh and responsive to new challenges.

As a general rule, most automations should translate to hours saved or result in an overall improvement in reliability of certain business processes. This only works if the automation system is consistent and reliable, though. However, one other easy subjective metric that is worth considering is whether it makes impacted people's lives easier. Ideally you are automating processes that people hate, and so if you ask them how it's going they should respond favorably because you've made their life better.

Fully document your Processes, Checklists, and Procedures so you can identify, communicate, and understand what people are doing.

Every automation project provides learning opportunities. Document what worked well and what didn't. Consult and share this knowledge within your team. Continuous learning from each project helps to achieve more sophisticated and successful automations.

Performing an FMA (Failure Mode Analysis) is a great tool to help you identify possible problems and map all the points of failure your automation may have. There are many templates for FMA. Identify points of failure and possible actions to mitigate.

Learning from mistakes is as crucial as celebrating successes. When issues arise, treat them as opportunities to enhance your automation strategy. Conduct thorough post-mortems, involving key team members to identify root causes and implement corrective actions. This not only resolves immediate problems but contributes to a culture of continuous learning and resilience. By cultivating a culture of continuous improvement and innovation, your organization remains agile and well-positioned to capitalize on emerging opportunities and overcome challenges in the ever-evolving field of IT automation.

As a Senior DBA with 20+ years of experience working for startups and fortune 500 companies, for me, I know that IT automation is working when the number of “fires” have decreased and our team is being more proactive as opposed to reactive. When your company’s bottom line is dependent on your uptime numbers, and 30 mins of a server offline can equate to 1.2 million in a loss of sales, one learns quickly to test those automations often. I know that our IT automation is serving me when I have more free time to develop my skills, those of my team, while meeting our numbers - and fires are infinitesimal, because we are prepared. And it is proper automation that allows us to succeed in this area.

Is the automation technology you've implemented usable for multiple applications within the business? Did you design automation that spans across multiple business silos for the organization? The best designed solutions can be leveraged for any department that has manual, repetitive tasks.

In my extensive career, I've assumed pivotal roles in IT, Processes, and Business Automations, fostering a comprehensive perspective on successful automation implementations. Here are key facets to consider: Adaptability: A paramount consideration in automation lies in coding modularity. Craft your code akin to LEGO blocks, ensuring seamless interconnection of APIs with software actions. This modular approach facilitates easy incorporation of future changes or additions to APIs and infrastructure. Employing functions for each element enhances reusability, especially in scenarios with similar steps like authentication.