As IT operations grow more complex, organizations need efficient solutions to reduce risk and improve performance. Automated runbooks streamline critical processes, minimizing errors and accelerating response times.
Automated runbooks make IT operations more efficient while reducing risk for organizations. This article will cover runbook automation trends, predictions for the future of runbook automation, and advice on how organizations can get the most out of these developments.
The current role of automated runbooks
Firstly, what are automated runbooks? Runbooks provide step-by-step guides on how to perform operations - with the addition of automation, runbooks make the execution of these operations more efficient while reducing risk and the time needed to complete them. However, there is always room for more innovation to increase the benefits of automated runbooks.
Below are some of our runbook automation trends and predictions.
Key trends shaping the future of runbook automation
Cutover’s runbook automation software already provides executable dynamic disaster recovery plans, a centralized execution platform, real-time visibility, and audit logging for post-event review. Here are some of the other runbook automation trends that are starting to emerge:
Enhancement with application data
Although runbook automation has many benefits, the usefulness of the runbooks is highly dependent on the quality of the plans and the data they are based on. While building your plans in an automated runbook makes orchestration and execution much easier by default, having a way to incorporate data from across your technology stack and automatically configure this into your runbook plan not only makes runbook creation quicker and easier, it also ensures that the plans you create are actually useful in a real-world scenario, such as an IT disaster recovery event.
For example, when it comes to disaster recovery, the Cutover Application Metastore brings the latest runtime and design time data on the application you’re recovering and uses it to create a recovery runbook based on your runbook template. This ensures that you always use accurate, up-to-date data and are ready to use the plan to recover when a real disaster occurs.
AI-enabled automated runbooks
It’s clear by now that AI is more than a fad and is here to stay in many aspects of business and technology. This is no different when it comes to runbook automation trends. There are multiple areas where AI-enabled runbooks can provide greater efficiency and a better user experience. This can include using AI to create runbooks from scratch, improve existing runbooks, generate digestible summaries of what a runbook contains, and incorporating AI agents into runbook platforms to reduce manual effort even further.
Templates and prescriptive guidance
Runbook templates give you greater control and governance over ensuring that your runbooks are built in the right way and are consistent. Having the best quality templates, based on learnings and guidance from experts, will make these templates, and therefore your automated runbooks, more accurate and useful.
Predictions for the future of runbook automation
Runbook automation trends will continue to develop to meet customer needs and provide more benefits. At Cutover, we’re constantly coming up with new ways to improve IT operations with automation, AI, expert advice, and more.
One of our main runbook trends predictions is that, as IT operations become more complex, security risks increase, and customers expect more, there will be greater adoption of runbook automation and other tools that can help make organizations more efficient and successful.
Prepare for the future of runbook automation
How could these runbook automation trends benefit you? If you’re not already using automated runbooks for your crucial IT operations, it’s time to evaluate your current processes and see if they’re working for you - and if they will continue to deliver results in 2025 and beyond.
Find out more about the impact of runbook automation software on businesses to understand more about the benefits of automated runbook adoption.Cutover can help you streamline IT operations, reduce risk, and enhance efficiency with our advanced runbook automation solutions. Book a demo today to see how our platform can support your business and drive better outcomes.