DevOps Principles for Small Business IT: Where to Start Today for Immediate Impact

Section 1: The Most Impactful First Step - Automate a Repetitive IT Task

For most SMBs, the easiest and highest-impact first step is automation. Identify a repetitive IT task—like setting up new employee accounts, regularly applying security patches, or running backups—and automate it. By automating even one task, businesses can immediately free up time, improve consistency, and reduce human error.

Here’s how to get started today:

Identify a Bottleneck or Time Sink: Think of one task your IT or operations team repeats often. For many small businesses, onboarding new employees is a good example—setting up email accounts, adding them to groups, configuring access permissions.
Choose an Automation Tool: Start small with tools like Microsoft Power Automate (great for Office 365 tasks), or use Zapier for simple integrations between common services. If you have more technical capacity, tools like PowerShell scripts or even built-in features in your cloud environment (like Azure Logic Apps) can add significant value.
Test and Iterate: Create a simple script or workflow to automate one part of the process. Test it, refine it, and measure how much time it saves. This will help build confidence and momentum for future automation initiatives.

Section 2: Why Automation First?

Automation is a foundational step that creates immediate impact:

Time Savings: Automating repetitive tasks immediately frees up resources—what used to take hours manually can be done in minutes or even seconds.
Error Reduction: Automation ensures things are done the same way every time, eliminating the variability of manual work.
Builds a Foundation: Automating tasks creates a strong basis for more ambitious IT transformations, like adopting Infrastructure as Code or improving collaboration.

Section 3: How This Fits Into the Bigger Picture

Once you’ve automated a few tasks, the next step is to scale these efforts across other parts of your business. DevOps is a journey, but automation is a very attainable starting point with the potential for immediate benefits. It lays the groundwork for continuous integration, improved collaboration, and making IT a proactive partner in business success.

Call to Action

If you’re ready to explore quick-win automation opportunities in your IT environment, schedule a consultation with us. We’ll help you take the first step towards transforming your IT processes.