science

IT process automation

IT process automation is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand IT process automation rather than just read about it. In short: IT process automation (ITPA) is a series of processes which facilitate the orchestration and integration of tools, people and processes through automated workflows. ITPA software applications can be programmed to perform any repeatable pattern, task or business workflow that was once handled manually by humans.

Key takeaways

IT process automation belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect IT process automation to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of IT process automation from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

IT process automation (ITPA) is a series of processes which facilitate the orchestration and integration of tools, people and processes through automated workflows. ITPA software applications can be programmed to perform any repeatable pattern, task or business workflow that was once handled manually by humans.

Description ITPA is often used interchangeably with the term run book automation (RBA). IT departments in organizations of every size and industry can employ ITPA technology to specify certain criteria and outcomes for almost any task or process currently being performed. When a system event occurs, the appropriate workflow is triggered and executed to automatically address and remediate the problem. This is often seen in IT service management or ESM during the ticketing process, it is becoming much more commonplace in daily business functions. Advanced ITPA software is intuitive enough to automate complex processes across multiple systems with or without the need for human input. When desired or necessary, human decision points can also be embedded into the workflow ensuring that the appropriate IT personnel receive alerts and/or escalations and can quickly respond accordingly. Some ITPA software products can be fully and seamlessly integrated with various existing systems, applications and platforms. This may include monitoring, incident response, messaging and notification and much more.

Applications The purpose of IT process automation is to streamline IT operations in a number of areas and facets. It is used to replace repetitive manual tasks, processes and workflows with automated solutions. The ITPA product can be versatile enough to bridge multiple systems, applications and platforms to create a more uniform IT infrastructure. Each task is designed as a workflow which contains specified procedures, conditions and triggers. Automated workflows can be scheduled in advance, or designed to be triggered based on specific events or conditions. For instance, an automated workflow to perform routine system maintenance tasks could be scheduled to execute automatically at a designated time each day or week. Another automated process might be triggered, based on a particular event, such as a stoppage of service or system outage. Based on predetermined control flows, the ITPA tool can automatically remediate the problem or send alerts/escalations to the appropriate human decision-maker for immediate action.

Results Businesses employing IT process automation may experience a number of consequences including:

Cost savings Increased productivity Greater efficiency Reduction in errors Faster response to system problems Improved service levels Job losses

Related Concepts robotic process automation (RPA) workload automation ITSM automation NOC automation SOC automation SIEM automation Self-service automation payroll automation

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with IT process automation

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what IT process automation claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to IT process automation before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about IT process automation ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of IT process automation

In research: IT process automation appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses IT process automation in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: IT process automation is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Information technology management, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for IT process automation outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study IT process automation in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what IT process automation means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain IT process automation out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is IT process automation in simple terms?

Why does IT process automation matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study IT process automation?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on IT process automation.