Demystifying Automation: Common Queries Addressed by IT Partners

Automation is used in various areas like manufacturing, utilities, transport, and IT. Every day, we have multiple touchpoints with automation without even realising it. Think about banking – the first thing that might come to mind is an ATM machine. However, banks use automation for various tasks beyond just dispensing cash, like fraud prevention, safeguarding customers and ensuring compliance with regulations. To better understand automation in a business setting, we'll answer some of the frequently asked questions that IT Partners receive around automation.

1.    What is automation?

Automation refers to the use of technology, machinery, or software to perform tasks with minimal human intervention. Essentially, it involves replacing manual or repetitive processes with automated ones to increase efficiency, accuracy, and productivity. With advancements in software, machine learning and robotics, businesses are able to accomplish more with less.

2.    Why should you partner with an IT Provider that leverages automation?

Partnering with an IT Provider that utilises automation offers various advantages, including increased efficiency, cost-effectiveness, scalability, improved accuracy, and quicker issue resolution. It also expedites time-to-market for products and services, enhances security, and provides valuable data-driven insights.  

3.    How do clients benefit from IT Partners automation capabilities?

• Streamlined information gathering: Enabling faster ticket generation and quicker response times. Automating this process ensures that information is gathered efficiently and accurately, expediting your entire support process.
• Significant reduction in rework caused by human error: Automated processes are designed to execute tasks with precision, minimising the chances of errors that could lead to unnecessary rework. This not only saves time but also improves the overall quality of IT Partners services.
• Efficiency and accuracy: By automating repetitive tasks, IT Partners improve the speed of task completion and reduce costs associated with manual labour. Although engineer input is still required for the initial development of automated processes, the overall workload is reduced.

4.    How does automation complement IT Partners team of engineers?

Automation is a valuable tool for IT Partners' team of engineers, designed to enhance their capabilities rather than replace them. With this in mind, IT Partners has developed a virtual engineer known as Sam Knox. These automation processes (aka Sam Knox) are designed to work alongside our talented team, providing support in handling repetitive and lower-level tasks. The intention is to streamline processes and create opportunities for IT Partners’ engineers to concentrate on more complex issues, redirecting their focus towards identifying optimisation opportunities.

5.     What client processes have been introduced recently?

IT Partners has recently implemented an automated process for the creation of new users in a business environment. Prior to this, clients initiated the process with a support request to create a new user, followed by an IT Partners engineer's manual creation of said user. The automated process allows clients to conveniently fill out a form with all the necessary details about the new user. In the background, this information triggers an automatic creation process, eliminating the need for manual intervention by an IT Partners engineer.

6.    How could you leverage this thinking in your business?

As a client of IT Partners, you can leverage automation in your business environment through tools like Microsoft 365 Power Automate (included in the M365 Business Premium license). This application provides a user-friendly platform to create automations within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, allowing users to optimise their business processes. IT Partners Professional Services team is on hand to help your business uncover this functionality.

7.    What is an example of a Power Automate project?

A good example of how clients can leverage automation in their environment is policy management. Traditionally, monitoring policies for review involves a methodical process of tracking timelines, responsible parties, and ensuring effective communication – a process that takes a lot of time and effort. With Power Automate, when it's time to review a policy document, the designated individual receives an automated notification, eliminating the need for manual checks and saving valuable overhead that would otherwise be spent on repetitive tasks.

If you’re interested in finding out how automation can be applied to your business processes, get in touch with our team of experts today at hello@itpartners.co.nz or phone 07 957 2650.