How do you balance IT operations communication and collaboration with automation?

1 Align your goals and expectations

The first step to balance IT operations communication and collaboration with automation is to align your goals and expectations with your team members and other stakeholders. You need to define what you want to achieve with automation, how you measure its success, and what are the roles and responsibilities of each party. You also need to establish clear and consistent communication channels, such as email, chat, phone, or video conferencing, and agree on the frequency and format of updates, reports, feedback, and escalations. By aligning your goals and expectations, you can avoid misunderstandings, conflicts, and delays, and foster trust and transparency.

2 Automate what makes sense

The next step to balance IT operations communication and collaboration with automation is to automate what makes sense. You need to identify the tasks that are repetitive, predictable, and low-risk, and use automation tools and techniques to perform them faster, more accurately, and more reliably. For example, you can use scripts, workflows, or orchestration platforms to automate server provisioning, patching, backup, or recovery. You can also use monitoring, alerting, or incident management tools to automate the detection, notification, and resolution of issues. However, you should not automate everything blindly, as some tasks may require human judgment, creativity, or intervention. For example, you may need to manually review complex or sensitive changes, troubleshoot unusual or critical problems, or communicate with customers or partners. You should also consider the cost, complexity, and maintenance of automation, and prioritize the tasks that have the highest value and impact.

6 Balance human and machine interactions

The sixth step to balance IT operations communication and collaboration with automation is to balance human and machine interactions. You need to recognize that automation is not a substitute for human skills, expertise, and relationships, but a complement and an enabler. You also need to respect and value the human aspects of IT operations, such as creativity, empathy, and teamwork, and foster a culture of learning, innovation, and collaboration. You can balance human and machine interactions by using automation to augment and assist human work, not to replace or eliminate it. You can also use automation to free up time and resources for human work, such as strategic planning, problem-solving, or customer service.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?