Five steps to intelligent automation success

As we shift into 2025 and towards increasingly complex hybrid cloud environments, the sheer scale and complexity of data operations is holding many organizations back from the full promise  of their data to gain new insights to drive the business. In the meantime, digital-first entrants with highly resilient, agile data infrastructures are storming ahead, scaling effortlessly, and claiming new market segments with ease.

But here’s the thing: it’s entirely possible to transform established data infrastructures and management processes to gain the agility to compete in an increasingly dynamic landscape. The key? Intelligent automation.

Going beyond basic task automation, intelligent automation integrates machine learning, AI-driven insights, and predictive analytics. With intelligent automation, enterprises can orchestrate processes seamlessly across disparate IT systems and hybrid cloud environments. This frees up resources to focus on business growth while enhancing data performance and security with real-time continuous monitoring and proactive system optimization.

Streamline data management

With intelligent automation at play, data growth needn’t be so daunting either. Intelligent automation can streamline data management processes, giving new AI models or business applications, for example, access to the right data, when it’s needed, where it’s needed.  This enables standard data management practices are followed and ensures the optimal data access, performance, security and cost optimization.  By supporting standard data governance, intelligent automaton also helps businesses gain deeper, real-time insights to support more informed decisions. So, they can act faster, boosting operational efficiency and delivering greater customer experiences. 

Intelligent protection

Automation not only streamlines data but also helps to protect it. As cyber threats grow in sophistication, intelligent automation can bolster resilience and protect data. This is made possible with the right cyber resiliency capabilities applied to your data plus continuous monitoring, which can identify anomalies and anticipate potential threats across even the most complex data infrastructure.

Where to start: five steps to achieve intelligent automation

With a phased approach that builds on existing automation capabilities by incorporating tools like AI/machine learning, data analytics and AIOps, it’s possible to achieve intelligent automation and all the benefits it delivers . Here are five steps to set you up for success:

1. Define your objectives
   Where are you now, and what are your goals? Are there clear opportunities for deeper automation? This is where business objectives should be defined, such as reducing manual processes, improving data accuracy, boosting resilience or enhancing scalability.
   
   
2. Build a resilient data foundation
   Success hinges on data. A unified data infrastructure together with data governance to ensure quality, security, and compliance, gives organizations a strong foundation and clean, reliable data to feed automation tools.
   
   
3. Bolster traditional automation with AI Integration
   Move beyond basic task-based automation to more complex, value-driven processes. Integrate AI and machine learning to handle sophisticated processes like anomaly detection, predictive maintenance, and decision-making.
   
   
4. Orchestrate across environments
   To fully realize the benefits of intelligent automation, organizations must be able to orchestrate automation across a range of environments. This requires tools that can connect and automate workflows across disparate systems – from legacy and modern cloud infrastructures to edge devices. This orchestration reduces friction and ensures a seamless flow of data and insights throughout the organization. See how the Isle of Wight NHS Trust is boosting resilience and ensuring high availability across its environment.
   
   
5. Monitor, optimize, and scale continuously
   Intelligent automation is a continuously evolving cycle of monitoring, optimizing, and learning from the outcomes. Advanced analytics and AI can be used to identify inefficiencies and opportunities for further automation. As an organization’s capabilities grow, automation should be scaled across more complex functions and areas. For Garanti BBVA, automation means that monitoring their storage landscape is now the easiest part of their infrastructure to manage.

In short, intelligent automation gives organizations the adaptive, proactive platform to scale, pivot, and stay ahead of the competition with ease.

Did you know that Hitachi Vantara was rated leader and outperformer in primary storage for Virtual Storage Platform One in the latest GigaOm report? VSP One is setting a high benchmark for its innovations in supporting complex cloud environment and ensuring enterprise performance no matter what. Read more here.