Embracing Automation at Every Level
www.ninjaone.com
Why is IT Automation Important?
As your organization grows, IT teams often struggle to keep up with increasing demands. Even with more headcount, bandwidth is limited — and leadership still expects strategic initiatives to move forward.
Automation helps relieve this pressure by reducing manual work. It allows IT teams to schedule actions based on specific triggers like time, device status, or user onboarding. This frees up time for high-impact projects.
Key Benefits:
- Reduces human error
Workflows execute consistently every time. - Saves time on manual tasks
Focus shifts to strategic initiatives. - Boosts IT employee satisfaction
Less burnout, more innovation. - Lowers costs
Fewer hours spent on repetitive tasks leads to better ROI.
Overcoming Roadblocks to Automation
Common Challenges:
- Executive buy-in
Show how automation saves time and budget. - Undefined ROI
Start small, measure time savings, build from there. - Skill gaps
Invest in training or bring in third-party expertise. - Unclear starting point
Begin with simple, high-volume or time-consuming tasks. - Firefighting overload
Daily issues often stem from a lack of automation. - Team resistance
Demonstrate individual and team-wide benefits.
Tips to Build a Culture of Automation:
- Start with a clear strategy and measurable goals
- Incentivize the IT team to suggest automation workflows
- Schedule dedicated meetings around automation
- Test automations in non-production environments
- Measure results and document everything
NinjaOne customers report saving time on 95% of manual tasks — with an average annual savings of $51,900 thanks to a 65% reduction in errors.
Things to Know Before You Start
- Future-proof your automation
Avoid hardcoding; keep workflows flexible and adaptable. - Gamify the process
Celebrate small wins and reward contributors. - Start simple
Small automations often bring the biggest early gains. - Empower interested team members
Invest in those eager to build automation skills. - Break down silos
Include other departments that will be affected. - Document everything
Thorough documentation ensures continuity and troubleshooting.
Automation Action Plan
Every business is different, but these steps provide a customizable blueprint for getting started:
Step 1: Measure Your Capacity for Automation
- Review workflows across all teams: SecOps, ITOps, DevOps, Helpdesk
- List tools used and time spent on tasks
- For helpdesk: Audit top 50 tickets, mark which could be automated
Step 2: Identify Tasks to Automate
- Manual, time-consuming tasks
Examples: password rotation, user creation, software deployment - Complex workflows
Examples: onboarding, VPN setup, security suite management - Monitoring tasks
Examples: compliance checks, print queue status, software usage
Step 3: Evaluate Your Tools
- Consolidate your stack to avoid complexity
- Use unified IT operations tools like NinjaOne
Step 4: Develop a Roadmap
- List tasks for automation and explain why
- Identify tools needed and roles involved
- Plan training and implementation timelines
Step 5: Build a Business Case
- Show time and cost savings
- Include case studies and timelines
- Estimate impact on users and teams
Step 6: Launch Your Automation Plan
- Define responsibilities
- Establish testing procedures
- Loop in non-IT stakeholders as needed
Step 7: Report on Results
- Time saved
- Cost reduction
- Productivity and user satisfaction metrics
Conclusion
Automation isn't just a time-saver — it's a catalyst for scalable, strategic IT transformation. With a clear plan and the right tools, IT leaders can reduce operational burden and deliver more value across the organization.
Platforms like NinjaOne help automate countless workflows from a single console, minimizing tool sprawl while maximizing efficiency.
About NinjaOne
NinjaOne is a cloud-native endpoint management platform used by over 24,000 customers across 120+ countries. It helps automate patching, visibility, and security across environments, increasing productivity and lowering costs.
