AutoSeek: A Method to Identify Candidate Automation Steps in a Service Delivery Process

A variety of processes for managing IT systems are being remotely serviced today. There is a growing realization that these services, which were hither-to laborcentric, should adopt more automation to improve quality and reduce cost. However, it is not clear how this can be done. We present a method to systematically analyze a process to find steps which can be automated in a cost-effective manner with the appropriate level of automation. In doing so, we balance the need for efficiency from automation while considering the cost of implementation and maintenance to perform it. The method, called AutoSeek, has been applied to different types of delivery processes and has been found effective as a broad framework towards systematically making process improvements. As a concrete example, we will also discuss how acceleration opportunities for approvals during change management can be understood with AutoSeek and undertaken.