Architecting for AI ROI: How to Build an Automation Strategy that Maximizes Productivity Title 5671426228

Learn how to build a centralized, IT-led automation strategy that turns agentic AI into measurable ROI by reducing fragmentation, boosting productivity, and scaling automation securely.

     

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
In previous posts,we’ve explored how and why agentic automation will take over from generative AI as the standard approach for AI implementation in the coming year.

(00:09):
We’ve also discussed the guardrails required to deploy agentic automation efficiently,
securely,and in compliance with evolving regulations.
Today we’ll focus on maximizing ROI,delving deeper into the productivity gains that can be realized not just in IT,
but across a business,with a centralized,IT-led,automation strategy.

(00:31):
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A Fragmented Approach to AI is Killing Your Productivity.
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As of 2025,many organizations have adopted AI in a fragmented fashion (00:37):
employees,
teams,or business units each using tools according to their own priorities.
On paper, this can seem agile.
After all,letting each team figure out creative solutions to their own problems sounds empowering,
right?

(00:57):
But in reality,agentic automation is an area where fragmentation quickly becomes a ROI-killing liability.
On one hand, it keeps AI adoption surface-level.
Individuals without automation expertise tend to rely on generative AI tools that help with small parts of a task,
but cannot execute tasks end-to-end.

(01:18):
Often,these efforts are experimental and improvised,
without a cohesive plan for how the tools fit into a broader automation strategy or what risks they introduce.
More worryingly, fragmented AI usage leads to inconsistent security practices and limited oversight.
As previously discussed,this creates serious vulnerabilities and compliance gaps that can erode ROI.

(01:42):
By contrast,a centralized automation strategy can unify automation initiatives under a single point of technical leadership responsible for identifying opportunities,
crafting highly productive solutions,and distributing them securely.
A key consideration is that IT teams are uniquely positioned to lead the drive for business process automation.

(02:04):
Their combination of technical expertise,process visibility,
and control over infrastructure makes them the natural enablers of automation strategies that allow the wider business to benefit from innovations in AI and agentic automation.
Rather than incentivizing different departments to adopt AI tools in a decentralized,

(02:25):
fragmented way,IT can manage a centralized automation strategy that acts as a productivity engine for the entire organization.
This is a strategy that can help to justify increased investment into AI,
with real potential for long-term,compounding ROI.
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Building a Productivity-Boosting Centralized Automation Architecture.

(02:46):
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A recent survey of IT leaders finds that 62% of organizations that have implemented agentic automation expect ROI over 100%,
driven in large part by strategic thinking,comprehensive usage,
and cross-departmental benefits.

Here’s how to design an IT-led architecture that puts the benefits of automation within reach of every team and business function (03:03):
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Identify Enterprise-Wide Automation Opportunities.
Every aspect of business has repetitive, manual processes that drain time and attention.
In addition to implementing their own automations,

(03:24):
IT leaders can drive more impact by collaborating with departmental heads to uncover opportunities for automation across the business.
Regular discovery sessions with business leaders can help uncover these pain points.
IT teams can then use their technical expertise to orchestrate agentic workflows that serve each department’s needs while keeping governance centralized and consistent.

(03:47):
This collaborative approach expands automation’s impact while maintaining enterprise-grade control.
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Provide Self-Service Automation.
At the heart of an effective automation strategy is a library of pre-approved actions and workflows.
These are built,tested,and approved according to rigorous security policy,
validating them for safe and productive use across the business.

(04:11):
Non-technical users can then trigger automation tasks without needing to write or modify code themselves.
This approach saves time across the business,while retaining full control through central approvals,
policy enforcement,and usage tracking.
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Validate Business Impact for Every Automation.
Automation doesn’t succeed simply because it runs.

(04:34):
It succeeds because it delivers measurable outcomes.

That’s why automation architecture should connect operational data with measurable results (04:37):
hours saved,
tickets closed,cost reduced,and time to value speed.
By tracking usage patterns and performance metrics,
IT teams can help other teams understand what’s working,
what isn’t,and how to optimize their automated processes for productivity.

(04:58):
These insights help IT leaders demonstrate value to executives,
justify further investment,and refine automation strategy based on real performance.
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Central Oversight and Policy Enforcement.
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Security is a pre-requisite for productivity and ROI.
A centralized,IT-led approach ensures that every agentic automation works within clearly defined security boundaries,

(05:23):
enforced by a consistent framework for access controls and policy-based approvals.
As McKinsey points out,scaling agentic automation is not just a technical problem,
it demands an “AI operating model” that clarifies who owns what,
how decisions are made,and how governance integrates into daily operations.
A centralized automation framework provides that structure,

(05:46):
enabling sustainable growth without sacrificing compliance or control.
Moreover,with comprehensive logging,documentation,
and audit trails in place,IT departments can demonstrate that AI is being implemented transparently and in alignment with legally binding regulatory standards.
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The Centralized Architecture Advantage.

(06:08):
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Productivity doesn’t come from more tools;
it comes from smarter architecture.
A centralized,IT-led approach turns AI from numerous isolated experiments into an enterprise-grade automation fabric that is deeply integrated with business infrastructure,
compliant with regulations,and fine-tuned to business objectives.

(06:29):
ScriptRunner’s automation platform provides each of the four pillars of a centralized,

policy-driven agentic automation strategy designed for the Microsoft ecosystem (06:34):
Comprehensive oversight over all cross-departmental automations.
Self-service automation capabilities for seamless usage by non-technical users.
Real-time performance tracking to validate business impact.
Built-in governance and access controls for automation security.