Previously I wrote about the benefits of SD-WAN as a way to save companies both time and money. Going beyond the WAN discussion, automation exists to further push the envelope of how you can use technology to perform tasks, allowing IT teams to accelerate. Custom automation services provide many businesses with a competitive edge. Information technology and automation go hand in hand and allow businesses to compete with bigger, more established firms.
Here is how automation is saving IT both time and money in industry
Field Service Teams
Most vendors and IT services are uniquely adapted to field service management (FSM) and utilize customizable automation to fit their unique business needs. Vendors can provide a broad array of services including cloud technology, geolocation software, advanced scheduling, and expedited message management to improve communication and process. By using automation, field services companies have seen revenue increases of as much as 17.5 percent. User-friendly mobile computer systems, vehicle-mounted printers, and wireless networking have all contributed to a reduction of time spent in the field.
Server Monitors
To ensure that your company’s service line agreements are met, you need a server that always performs at peak efficiency levels. Data aggregation and monitoring tools, such as Splunk, can help you identify and resolve problems quickly. Server monitors typically include an interface that transfers all the log information from several servers to one central location. Splunk even offers a mobile application to tap into the data if a problem arises, providing you peace of mind.
Did you know, as a partner of Splunk, CentraComm is able to offer a free download of the software for your own testing purposes? Click here to learn more and take it for a test drive.
Health Care
With the passage of the Health Care Act, the healthcare industry has had to introduce more automation as a way to increase efficiency without increasing costs. Companies such as Microsoft and GE use automation to reduce costs, prevent errors in treatment, and manage patients more effectively. Through server-based systems and specialized software, hospitals can seamlessly communicate internally, with the lab, and with off-campus radiologists.
Another tool that health care organizations take advantage of is cloud networking. The cloud allows the retrieval and transmission of data to insurance companies, a patient’s physician, the pharmacies, and the federal or state government as needed. IT technicians have greatly reduced the time and cost of health care processing by creating an integrated system with a simplified interface while meeting all HIPAA compliance regulations that are put upon them.
Industrial Machinery
Automation often calls to mind an image of robots replacing human workers. People fail to grasp the complexities of IT programming that power the automation. Modern programmable logic controllers (PLCs) have replaced electromechanical relays to consolidate equipment, and control devices, through one unilateral system. PLC’s are used in many industries and machines, including light fixtures and assembly lines.
IT technicians can install and operate PLC systems remotely, away from the actual site of operation. This provides a resourceful and easily readable system for companies wishing to strengthen their operations while eliminating human error.
Depending on your business needs, there are a variety of options for automation. As businesses adapt to the changing role of the workforce, automation becomes a necessity for surviving the intricacies of the corporate world.