When it comes to automation, one of the first images that pop into the mind is that of robots. Whether it’s an advanced manufacturing facility filled with robotic arms and machines, or the vision of a robot that can walk and talk, the idea of automation is often closely tied to this very physical and visceral image.
However, much automation today is often hidden in servers and software systems, working on the backend to make our everyday operations smoother than ever.
Photo credit: gmast3r / 123RF
After all, it’s not robots but code that helps process new orders or cross-check inventory at a warehouse, although these are processes that were once manually done by a human. But it’s undeniable that such workload automation has benefitted employees, allowing them to focus on tasks that matter.
As time marches on, the expectations around automation have evolved. Companies were once satisfied with carrying out batch processing of orders or payroll data overnight, but now expect automation to do more and much faster.
Job scheduling was one of the earliest forms of workload automation. Back when computers were less powerful, tasks that required more computational power – such as generating reports or processing large amounts of data – would have to be completed at night to prevent overloading company servers in the day. IT staff would often need to work late hours to ensure these processes were carried out successfully, which is why the ability to schedule jobs for after working hours became convenient.
However, traditional job scheduling was limited to certain times in the day – something at odds with the increasingly agile nature of digital businesses, which needed to process information quickly. A retail business, for example, could no longer wait until the end of the day to process new orders and then respond to them the next day – not when customers were expecting quick confirmations on their purchases. Firms also needed to be alerted to errors in a timely manner so that they can rectify them swiftly.
These shifts in customer and business demands, coupled with new technological developments, have led to heightened demand for workload automation solutions that can do so much more than before, according to Tetsuya Nakamura, head of Hitachi Asia’s Job Management Partner 1 solution, the firm’s workload automation platform.
Tetsuya Nakamura, head of Hitachi Asia’s Job Management Partner 1 solution / Photo credit: Hitachi
"We've seen new technologies related to multiplatform, cloud environment, web services, and APIs come up, and those have influenced how workload automation operates," Nakamura says.
Cloud computing, as a single piece of technology, has caused shifts in the workload automation space. In the past, all of a company’s data was stored on its servers, which were usually located in a dedicated computer room of its office building. Workload automation tools could simply tap into these servers to access all necessary data needed to execute tasks – something that isn’t possible with cloud solutions, which store data across different environments.
The increasing use of software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions has also compounded this issue. In 2021, the average number of SaaS services used by organizations stood at 110 services, up from just 8 such solutions used by firms in 2015. This has created even more complex IT environments for businesses, and driven the need for automation to ensure all these disparate technologies and services are able to work together without human intervention.
"As a whole, customers now expect the workload automation tool to perform more powerful tasks, as well as serve as a way for them to centrally manage various critical systems, services, and platforms," shares Nakamura.
To that end, it is vital that workplace automation tools keep up with the demands of businesses that use them. Hitachi, as a company, has been able to adapt to these changes, continually improving and updating its products to meet customer needs.
Its Job Management Partner 1/Automatic Job Management System 3 (JP1/AJS3) platform was first developed over 20 years ago, but it’s still going strong as one of the most-installed workload automation products in the world, according to the Enterprise Management Association.
“When JP1 first started out, it utilized the know-how cultivated from the days of mainframe to create a job scheduling and batch processing function,” explains Nakamura. “This was the very first prototype of workload automation.”
Photo credit: gmast3r / 123RF
At its core, that is still what JP1/AJS3 helps businesses to do: It pulls data from multiple sources and automatically runs the processes required for business operations with minimal human intervention. For example, when a new order comes in, tasks necessary to process the sale – such as getting the invoice prepared or alerting the warehouse – can be done automatically.
JP1/AJS3’s services have also since evolved to encompass a larger variety of platforms. One of its key features is its integration with public cloud services such as Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure.
“When customers move their on-premise operations to cloud environments, they need linkages between cloud service and on-premise operation to perform the same operation seamlessly,” explains Nakamura. “JP1/AJS3 can help customers realize the linkage and centrally manage these different operations using our cloud service linkage function.”
Hitachi also ensures that JP1/AJS3 supports application programming interfaces (APIs) to serve the many applications that businesses use nowadays.
“No customer uses only one company’s service – these days, they have multiple vendors, and in some cases, the only way to connect them with each other is through the use of APIs,” Nakamura says. “We support this functionality, which helps customers have more choices in what they use and enables them to easily integrate between the different systems and services.”
Nakamura says Hitachi will keep improving and enhancing JP1/AJS3 as technology marches on, so that it continues to meet the needs of customers on the road ahead.
He underlines the rising use of robotic process automation (RPA) and containerization as two business automation trends the firm is looking closely at.
“Many RPA products lack scheduling and error handling functions, and the use of container environments further complicates the IT environment for businesses,“ Nakamura explains. “We’re working to support better integrations between RPA solutions and container environments and JP1/AJS3 to facilitate more efficiency in their processes.”
Workload automation will remain a vital part of business operations for all companies, even as new tech solutions come up and firms change the way they operate – Nakamura says Hitachi intends to remain at the forefront of this process for many years to come.
Hitachi Job Management Partner 1/Automatic Job Management System 3 (JP1/AJS3), a workload automation and job scheduling tool, has the capability to centrally manage and automate system operations over multiple platforms and applications that aids to improve the operational productivity and agility. It simplifies jobs/tasks to lighten IT operation workloads and complex manual operations efficiently and effectively.
Register for a 60-day free trial of JP1/AJS3 here.
This article was originally published in Tech in Asia Studios, which connects brands with Asia’s tech community. Learn more about partnering with Tech in Asia Studios.https://www.techinasia.com/20-years-automation-hitachi-changing-demands-businesses
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