Shadow IT Hurts Automation Efforts

Published: Nov 21, 2014
Updated: May 12, 2021
2 minute read

Shadow IT Hurts Automation Efforts

Taking Command

Taking Command

68% of IT pros surveyed said their CIOs are either hands-on when it comes to automation, or they’re thought leaders who demonstrate how automation can affect their organization.

Potential Benefits of Automation

Potential Benefits of Automation

Changing the way virtual and cloud environments are managed: 82%, Allowing self-servicing organizationwide: 73%, Reducing the cost of IT operations: 68%, Automating big data and data integration projects: 65%

Multifaceted

Multifaceted

61% of IT execs said automation is helping their organization enhance the customer experience, and 59% said it increases productivity. More than half said it helps users share knowledge.

Piecemeal Process

Piecemeal Process

59% said their organization does not have a holistic approach to automation, and this ad hoc approach creates points of incompatibility.

Going It Alone

Going It Alone

Nearly half said their firm doesn’t have mature business processes to automate, and that business owners are creating their own automated solutions with nonstandard or incorrect tools.

Full Plate

Full Plate

78% of the IT execs said their tech department is overloaded, leaving them little time for value-added activities.

Issues Caused by Heavy IT Workloads

Issues Caused by Heavy IT Workloads

IT’s abilities and resources are stressed: 46%, Business benefits are placed at risk: 16%, IT has little time for anything but being “order takers”: 16%

Stalling Out

Stalling Out

74% of IT execs said the tech department struggles—if it’s not “dropping balls right and left” or having a “total meltdown”—when it comes to mobile development.

Big (Data) Difficulties

Big (Data) Difficulties

66% encounter these levels of difficulty with respect to analytics and data science.

Stormy Weather

Stormy Weather

58% of the executives face these same struggles when it comes to cloud computing.

Tech-Challenged

Tech-Challenged

Only 45% said business leaders in their organization know how to use tech to improve operations and gain a competitive advantage.

Dennis McCafferty

Dennis McCafferty

Content Writer

Dennis McCafferty, a writer for eWeek, Baseline and CIO Insight, has more than 20 years of experience as a writer. He has covered a variety of technology and business topics for a number of publications, including those of Ziff Davis. Dennis was also an editorial staffer for USA Weekend, the nation’s second-largest magazine, with more than 22 million readers.

CIO Insight Logo

CIO Insight offers thought leadership and best practices in the IT security and management industry while providing expert recommendations on software solutions for IT leaders. It is the trusted resource for security professionals who need to maintain regulatory compliance for their teams and organizations. CIO Insight is an ideal website for IT decision makers, systems integrators and administrators, and IT managers to stay informed about emerging technologies, software developments and trends in the IT security and management industry.

Property of TechnologyAdvice. © 2026 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.