Lack of IT automation: companies lose 6 billion euros

Many companies do not fully exploit the potential of their IT - with serious consequences. In a world of digital business models and 24/7 operations, a high level of automation is becoming a strategic success factor.

According to the "Cloud Automation Excellence" study, two-thirds of German companies agree with this statement. But only six percent say they have completely achieved the ideal of end-to-end automated IT.

The hurdles include lack of budgets, lack of transparency and rigid organizational structures. If nothing changes in the pace of automated, digitized workflows, companies will miss out on as much as six billion euros by 2020.

By then, the companies want to significantly increase the degree of automation from 36 percent today to 58 percent.

"That's an ambitious goal. To achieve it, they need to invest in automation technologies as well as rethink their legacy organizational structures."

Carlo Velten, senior analyst at Crisp Research, said.

"This also gives them the much-needed 'breathing room' to come up with their own innovations."

One third of the companies surveyed rely on artificial intelligence to achieve their automation goals. More than two-thirds also rely on collaboration with external service providers.