Efficiency and speed are essential for survival in a competitive IT world, and Benedikt and Lukas shared their story of transformation, transcending manual processes, and embracing automation’s power. It is the journey of T-Systems Austria, a branch of Germany’s number one IT service provider, and its quest to revolutionize its IT operations with myProcess, an automation and orchestration platform powered by Camunda.
The challenge: A manual world
Imagine a large data center, the heart of IT operations, with racks of servers and an intricate web of cables. This center daily serves tens of thousands of customers, leveraging economies of scale.Now, picture managing this center manually. This was once a concerning reality for T-Systems Austria: a lot of unstructured work, repetitive tasks, manual labor, and long throughput times, all leading to high operational costs. Provisioning a new virtual machine (VM) alone could take weeks. The need for change was increasingly evident and was a growing business imperative.
Lukas and Benedikt took to the stage at CamundaCon in Berlin to share their journey. Their presentation, which is well worth watching, was both enlightening and inspiring.
The solution: myProcess and Camunda
Enter myProcess, a solution that seemed as simple as it was profound: automate everything manual. But the transition from a manual to an automated world is no trivial task. It required a platform that could handle complex workflows with ease and adaptability, and the Camunda Workflow Engine became their chosen ally.
myProcess: The automation platform
myProcess, as demonstrated by Lukas Fröhlich, team lead of the automation team, and Benedikt Kaiser, a senior process automation specialist at T-Systems Austria, is a testament to how a well-constructed automation platform can redefine operations. It presents itself as an intuitive ordering portal where users can initiate requests for IT services.
With over 30 use cases, from patch automation to VM creation, myProcess is not just a tool but a transformational force for their business.
The platform’s user interface is straightforward, guiding users through form submissions that trigger workflows. Behind the scenes, Camunda’s BPMN diagrams orchestrate each process step, ensuring precision and efficiency.
The transparency offered by myProcess is a game-changer, allowing users to track the real-time status of their requests, fostering trust and clarity.
Enabling team and company support
However, technology alone doesn’t guarantee success, and T-Systems Austria understood that. Lukas and Benedikt discussed how they formed an enabling team dedicated to the development and operation of myProcess.
Company support was equally paramount, ensuring access to essential master data and the cooperation of technical teams with the expertise needed to automate sophisticated tasks.
Iterative workflow improvement
The approach to workflow improvement was iterative. The team started with manual workflows, gradually automating parts of the process, and continuously seeking enhancements.
In their presentation, Benedikt Kaiser shares the evolution of their VM creation workflow, which went from a three-week manual process to an under two-hour automated marvel. In his own words, this iterative approach underlines a key takeaway: “Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither are fully automated workflows.”
Results and roadmap
The results they share speak volumes. The patch automation workflow alone saved over 8,500 hours in one year. In total, myProcess saved T-Systems Austria over 24,065 hours of manual work in 2023. The next step is migrating to Camunda 8, which promises even more efficiency gains without drastically changing its current architecture.
The largest benefit is the speed, and at the same time, the increase in efficiency, and our solution enables us to achieve a better quality and therefore greater stability, which leads then to far fewer failures and outages.”
– Lukas Fröhlich, Teamlead E2E Process Automation, T-Systems Austria
Key presentation takeaways
In Lukas and Benedikt’s presentation, the journey of T-Systems Austria’s myProcess, powered by Camunda, suggests two key ingredients for success.
- First, having a focused team and strong company support is critical for successful automation.
- Second, success comes from persistently iterating and improving workflows, proving that strategic automation can lead to remarkable efficiency gains and customer satisfaction.
In the end, myProcess isn’t just a platform—it’s a symbol of transformation. It represents a shift from the drudgery of manual operations to the zenith of automated excellence. It’s a tale of how T-Systems Austria not only faced their challenges but overcame them with a solution that is as elegant as it is effective.
With the integration of Camunda, they have clearly set a benchmark for what IT operations can achieve with the right tools and mindset.
The future with Camunda 8
As T-Systems Austria looks to the future, their roadmap is clear: migrating to Camunda 8. This transition is more than just an upgrade; it is a step towards harnessing the full potential of process orchestration. This move will eliminate the need for a central database, simplify the architecture, and leverage new communication protocols such as gRPC and GraphQL.
The shift also involves adopting long polling to reflect changes in the front end, ensuring that users continue to experience the same, if not better, level of real-time transparency and interaction.
The value of real-time insights
One of the most significant advantages has been its ability to offer real-time insights into workflow status. According to their presentation, this feature has fostered a culture of transparency and accountability within T-Systems Austria.
By allowing users to see the progress of their requests at any given time, the platform has eliminated the anxiety and uncertainty that often accompanies IT operations. This transparency has improved the user experience and enhanced collaboration among teams, leading to a more cohesive and efficient work environment.
Embracing a workflow mindset
The shift to myProcess and the implementation of Camunda have also prompted a broader cultural change within T-Systems Austria—a move toward “a workflow mindset.” This approach has encouraged employees to see their tasks as part of a larger, interconnected process.
Understanding the bigger picture has led to a more holistic view of operations, where every action is recognized as a contributing factor to the company’s overall success.
A demonstration of effectiveness
The numbers are a testament to the efficiency gains achieved through myProcess. The time saved translates into a significant reduction in operational costs and the freeing up of valuable human resources. These resources can now be redirected towards more strategic initiatives that drive business growth and innovation.
“We were doing a lot of unstructured work, leading to high operating costs, which you do not want to have for a company of our size. In total, this year, we have saved over 24,065 hours of manual work.”
– Benedikt Kaiser, Process Automation Specialist, T-Systems Austria
T-Systems Austria’s journey with myProcess, powered by Camunda, is a powerful narrative of innovation, strategic thinking, and relentless pursuit of efficiency, and the presentation makes for essential viewing. It stands as an inspiring example for other companies facing similar challenges, showing that with the right technology, a dedicated team, and an iterative approach to improvement, it is possible to transform IT operations into a streamlined powerhouse of productivity and innovation.
As T-Systems Austria continues to evolve and embrace the latest in process automation and orchestration, it is not just keeping pace with the times—it is setting the pace, clearly demonstrating what is possible when technology and human ingenuity come together to create something truly remarkable.
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