IT Automates Processes to Achieve Business Goals

By Samuel Greengard

1 of

Keeping the Customer Satisfied

61% of the IT pros surveyed report that automation is helping their company meet business objectives related to enhancing the customer experience.
Productivity Gains

59% said automation allows them to boost productivity, 52% believe it helps share knowledge more effectively and 46% said it helps deliver new products.
A Clear View

82% believe that automation will change the way businesses manage virtual and cloud environments.
Self-Service Is Crucial

Self-service automation is playing a key role in the enterprise. 73% of the surveyed IT pros cited it as a key factor.
Automation Reduces Costs

68% believe that effective automation reduces the cost of IT operations.
Big Data Enters the Picture

65% of the respondents said that automation is integral to big data and data integration within the enterprise.
Mixed Signals

While 61% of IT pros said they are confident in their organization's ability to automate, 78% admit that they lack the time and resources to automate effectively.
Silos Hinder Results

59% admit that a primary challenge is breaking down silos and associated points of incompatibility.
Business Processes Matter

49% of respondents believe that their organization lacks the mature business processes required for automation.
A Lack of Standards

48% said business departments are creating their own automated solutions—a.k.a. shadow IT—with nonstandard or incorrect tools.
Knowledge Counts

IT execs said that only 45% of business leaders are highly knowledgeable about how to use automation to gain a competitive advantage.
Working Together Matters

They said that 46% of business leaders do not bring IT into the planning and deployment process, which often creates strategic hurdles.
View All Slideshows >

As digital technology unfolds and businesses look to boost efficiency and productivity, there's a growing emphasis on automating processes, workflows and various connection points. A newly released study conducted by automation software firm PMG indicates that strained corporate IT departments are increasingly eyeing automation technology as a way to meet business objectives. However, the "2014 PMG IT Automation Survey" also found that significant hurdles exist, including connecting disparate tools, solutions and systems, as well as dealing with shadow IT. Overall, 98 percent of the 304 corporate IT professionals surveyed said that the automation of business processes is vital to driving benefits in today's corporate environment. Joe LeCompte, principal at PMG, believes that the lofty vision of automation served up by consultants and IT departments is finally filtering into the mainstream of the enterprise. "Everyday acceptance and use within companies is becoming reality," he explains. "Today, 87 percent of IT departments say they are aligned with their organization's business goals … the outlook for true enterprise automation is very bright." Here are some of the key findings about automation and its role in building greater value within the enterprise.

This article was originally published on 2014-11-04

Samuel Greengard is a freelance writer for Baseline.