Business automation versus process automation

To remain competitive in an information economy, it’s more important than ever to streamline operations, to cut costs, and to foster innovation. Two key concepts for meeting these challenges are business automation and process automation. Although these concepts are both steps on the same journey, they work toward different objectives, and grasping their nuances is vital for maximizing their impact.

The difference between these concepts aligns closely with the maturity level of IT organizations. Emerging IT teams may prioritize basic process automation to manage routine tasks efficiently. More advanced organizations recognize business automation as a strategic evolution, integrating systems with overarching enterprise goals to achieve superior efficiency and innovation. The different approaches are akin to progressing from patching isolated issues to architecting a cohesive infrastructure framework.

Let’s examine the differences between business automation and process automation, highlighting how NetApp^® Data Infrastructure Insights enhances business value throughout the journey.

Process automation: Streamlining specific tasks

Process automation focuses on automating specific, repetitive tasks or workflows within an organization. According to Gartner, process automation is defined as “the automation of complex business processes and functions beyond conventional data manipulation and record-keeping activities, usually through the use of advanced technologies.” Examples include automation of data entry, invoice processing, and employee onboarding workflows.

For instance, a company might use robotic process automation (RPA) to streamline invoice processing by automatically extracting data from invoices and entering it into an accounting system. This approach saves time and reduces errors, but it is limited to a specific process.

Business automation: A comprehensive approach

Business automation, on the other hand, takes a broader, more strategic approach. It involves integrating multiple processes, systems, and data sources to align with overarching business objectives, such as improving customer experiences, driving revenue growth, and achieving scalability. Business automation uses advanced technologies like AI, machine learning, and analytics to orchestrate end-to-end operations across departments.

For example, business automation might involve integrating customer relationship management (CRM), enterprise resource planning (ERP), and supply chain systems to provide a real-time, end-to-end view of operations, enabling faster and more informed decision-making.

Why the distinction matters

While process automation delivers quick wins by optimizing specific tasks, business automation drives transformative outcomes by aligning processes with strategic goals. According to a 2023 Camunda report, 91% of respondents say their organization plans to increase investment in process automation over the next 24 months. However, organizations that focus solely on process automation risk creating silos, missing the opportunity to achieve comprehensive business value. Business automation, supported by intelligent data infrastructure, bridges these gaps and maximizes ROI.

NetApp Data Infrastructure Insights is a powerful infrastructure observability tool that offers unified visibility into your hybrid and multicloud environments, helping your organization manage, optimize, and secure your data. Data Infrastructure Insights supports business automation by delivering actionable insights, by streamlining your workflows, and by maintaining scalability.

Let’s look at how Data Infrastructure Insights drives value through business automation.

Unified visibility for cross-functional collaboration

One of the biggest challenges in business automation is to break down silos between your IT teams and your business units. Data Infrastructure Insights helps you meet this challenge by giving you a comprehensive view of your workloads, storage, and infrastructure health across your hybrid environment. By feeding real-time data into platforms like ServiceNow through REST APIs and webhooks, Data Infrastructure Insights confirms that your IT teams, DevOps, and business stakeholders have access to the same insights. This information access fosters collaboration and enables end-to-end process orchestration.

Business value:

• Improved decision-making. Real-time visibility into your organization’s infrastructure health and performance enables faster, data-driven decisions.
• Enhanced collaboration. Teams across your departments can align on shared goals, reducing inefficiencies caused by siloed operations.

AI-driven resource optimization

Data Infrastructure Insights uses AI to give you prescriptive guidance for resource allocation and performance optimization. For example, it can detect anomalies, identify your underused resources, and recommend adjustments to maintain optimal performance. This capability is critical for business automation, because it enables your infrastructure to scale dynamically to meet your business demands, such as seasonal traffic spikes and AI workload requirements.

Business value:

• Cost savings. Automated resource allocation reduces waste and optimizes your cloud and on-premises infrastructure costs.
• Scalability. AI-driven insights enable your organization to scale infrastructure seamlessly, supporting business growth without manual intervention.

Automated incident management

Integration of Data Infrastructure Insights with ServiceNow enables automated incident management by triggering alerts for AI-detected anomalies, log events, and threshold breaches. These alerts automatically create incidents in ServiceNow, complete with detailed context and direct links to Data Infrastructure Insights for troubleshooting. This process reduces the mean time to resolution (MTTR) and minimizes your manual effort, aligning with the goals of business automation.

Business value:

• Reduced downtime. Faster issue resolution promotes high availability and reliability of your critical systems.
• Increased efficiency. Automation of incident workflows frees your IT team to focus on strategic initiatives.

Simplified data management for AI and analytics

As organizations increasingly adopt AI and analytics to drive business automation, managing large volumes of diverse data becomes a challenge. Data Infrastructure Insights, combined with the broader NetApp intelligent data infrastructure, supports your AI initiatives by providing powerful data management capabilities.

Business value:

• AI-readiness. Data Infrastructure Insights keeps your data accessible, secure, and optimized for AI-driven analytics, enabling smarter business decisions.
• Innovation. Simplified data management accelerates the development of AI-powered services and applications.

Future-proofing through data governance and compliance

NetApp can help your organization stay ahead of evolving technology challenges by providing tools to monitor, to optimize, and to secure your infrastructure. Features like data classification and proactive threat detection keep your organization in compliance with regulatory standards while maintaining scalability. This capability is particularly important if you’re in an industry such as finance or healthcare, where data security and compliance are critical.

Business value:

• Regulatory compliance. Data governance and auditing reduce your risk of noncompliance and the associated penalties.
• Competitive advantage. Scalable infrastructure supports your long-term business growth and adaptability.

To maximize the value of Data Infrastructure Insights in business automation, here are some best practices:

• Integrate with your existing systems. Use REST APIs and webhooks to connect with platforms like ServiceNow for seamless data exchange.
• Take advantage of AI insights. Use AI-driven recommendations to optimize your resource allocation and to proactively handle performance issues.
• Prioritize end-to-end visibility. Confirm that all your teams have access to the unified dashboard to align your automation efforts with your business goals.
• Monitor and iterate. Continually monitor the insights from Data Infrastructure Insights and adjust your automation strategies to adapt to your changing business needs.
• Focus on compliance. Employ the user behavior analytics and threat detection features to maintain regulatory compliance and data security.

Let’s consider a global retail company that’s aiming to streamline its supply chain and customer service operations. By implementing Data Infrastructure Insights, the company gains real-time visibility into its hybrid cloud infrastructure, enabling automated inventory management and demand forecasting. Integration with ServiceNow automates incident resolution for supply chain disruptions, while AI-driven insights optimize resource allocation during peak shopping seasons. The result? Reduced operational costs, improved customer satisfaction, and a more agile business model.

Although process automation delivers efficiency for specific tasks, business automation drives transformative outcomes by aligning your processes with your strategic objectives. NetApp Data Infrastructure Insights plays a pivotal role in business automation by providing unified visibility, AI-driven optimization, and seamless third-party platform integration.

By using Data Infrastructure Insights, you can achieve cost savings, scalability, and innovation, positioning your organization to thrive in a data-driven world. As 81% of organizations are piloting or scaling AI, the need for intelligent data infrastructure has never been greater. With Data Infrastructure Insights, your organization can unlock the full potential of business automation and stay ahead in the global race for digital transformation.

To see how Data Infrastructure Insights can transform your business, request a personalized demonstration.