How do you report network automation tool results for network engineering projects?

1 Identify your audience

Before you start writing your report, you need to know who your audience is and what they care about. Different stakeholders may have different expectations, interests, and levels of technical knowledge. For example, your project sponsor may want to see the business benefits and return on investment (ROI) of your network automation tool, while your network operations team may want to see the technical details and performance metrics. You need to tailor your report to your audience's needs and preferences, and use the appropriate language, tone, and format.

2 Define your scope and objectives

The next step is to define the scope and objectives of your network automation tool project. What problem or opportunity did you address with your network automation tool? What were your specific goals and deliverables? How did you measure your success and progress? You need to provide a clear and concise overview of your project scope and objectives, and explain how your network automation tool helped you achieve them. You can use a SMART framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) to define your objectives and align them with your audience's expectations.

3 Describe your network automation tool and process

The third step is to describe your network automation tool and the process you followed to implement and use it. What network automation tool did you choose and why? How did you install, configure, and integrate it with your existing network infrastructure and systems? How did you test, troubleshoot, and monitor it? How did you document and share your network automation tool and process with your team and stakeholders? You need to provide a detailed and accurate description of your network automation tool and process, and highlight the features, benefits, and challenges of your network automation solution. You can use diagrams, screenshots, code snippets, or other visual aids to illustrate your network automation tool and process.

4 Present your network automation tool results

The fourth step is to present your network automation tool results and compare them with your baseline or previous state. What data and metrics did you collect and analyze with your network automation tool? How did your network automation tool improve your network performance, reliability, security, efficiency, or scalability? How did your network automation tool save you time, money, or resources? How did your network automation tool meet or exceed your objectives and expectations? You need to present your network automation tool results in a clear, concise, and credible way, and use charts, graphs, tables, or other visual aids to support your claims. You also need to explain the significance and implications of your results, and how they relate to your audience's interests and goals.

5 Discuss your network automation tool challenges and lessons learned

The fifth step is to discuss the challenges and lessons learned from your network automation tool project. What difficulties or issues did you encounter with your network automation tool or process? How did you overcome or mitigate them? What did you learn from your network automation tool project, and what would you do differently next time? You need to be honest and transparent about the challenges and lessons learned from your network automation tool project, and show how you adapted and improved your network automation solution. You also need to acknowledge the limitations and assumptions of your network automation tool project, and how they may affect the validity or generalizability of your results.

6 Provide your network automation tool recommendations and next steps

The final step is to provide your network automation tool recommendations and next steps for your network engineering project. What are the key takeaways and best practices from your network automation tool project? What are the next steps or actions you or your audience need to take to sustain or enhance your network automation solution? How can you leverage your network automation tool results to support your future network engineering projects or initiatives? You need to provide clear and actionable recommendations and next steps for your network automation tool project, and show how they can help you or your audience achieve your network engineering goals and objectives.

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?