AutoSeek: A method to identify candidate automation steps in IT change management

Abstract

A variety of processes for managing IT systems are being remotely serviced today. There is a growing realization that in these services, which were hither-to labor-centric, better service quality and reduced cost could be achieved with more automation but it is not clear what steps should be automated and how. We present a method, called AutoSeek, to systematically analyze a process to select steps that can be automated in a cost-effective manner with the appropriate level of policy-based automation. In doing so, we balance the savings from automation with the cost of implementating and maintaining the automated steps. AutoSeek has been applied to different types of delivery processes and has been found effective as a broad framework towards systematically making process improvements. © 2007 IEEE.