Optimize and automate

Optimization means making something better as much as it needs to be better and as long as limitations of resources and other regulations allow to proceed.

The road to optimization 

This road can vary in different frameworks but the essential roadmap in ITIL follows:

• Existence of a vision and objective on which the optimization applies.
• Assessment of the current state 
• Plan and prioritize the improvements based on agreeing on the future state. 
• Ensure alignment of optimizations with stakeholder commitments. 
• Optimization implementation in an iterative way. 
• Monitor the effects of optimization. 

Using automation 

Automation means using technologies to execute a process automatically without humans taking apart – or less use of humans – and also the other definition is making processes easier and standardized so that the decisions could be automatically made.

Applying the principle 

In order to result in success in applying this principle these considerations are essential: 

• Apply the “simplifying” and “optimizing” before applying “automating”. A complex system could harder to be automated.
• Define metrics to measure the achievement of optimization based on value and outcome. 
• Use other principles while applying this principle.