New research from The Access Group finds that 35% of UK workers admit to using generative AI without telling their bosses. As employee use of AI increases, many organizations are still developing their plans for how to monitor its use. Shadow AI is quickly becoming a challenge for many IT teams.
Shadow IT is not a new concept. The rapid evolution of SaaS technology has created a technological expansion within organizations as employees turn to technological tools to support their daily work. IT is often unaware of the technology being used within their organizations, so what options do they have to govern new technologies, including AI and the risks it brings? The answer lies in making it easier for employees to introduce new technology into the organization with the involvement of IT.
The root cause of shadow IT
There are numerous reasons why employees choose to incorporate unauthorized technology into their organizations. In the UK, hybrid working models, easy access to cloud services and the evolution of AI have meant that shadow IT has become a major concern for businesses. Some employees may also choose to bring their own technology because they are too busy or worried about upsetting IT by using the proper channels. Regardless of the reason, the root cause of shadow IT adoption is tied to inefficient and perhaps flawed processes.
But the responsibility does not fall solely on the employees. For example, if an employee follows the process to submit a technology request but it is delayed or goes unnoticed by the IT team, they are also likely to turn to shadow IT. In this scenario, organizations not only expose themselves to security issues related to unauthorized software, but also overload IT teams and waste time on employee work requests.
The key to improving IT processes
Too often, inefficient processes exist because they are manual and disconnected. Companies don’t know where the problem is because they don’t have end-to-end process visibility, data isn’t shared between people and systems as it should, and the user experience is plagued with challenges. This is where process automation comes into play.
This statement may seem like a fact, especially in the context of IT processes. But unfortunately, many companies struggle to automate their processes, including IT. The reasons vary, including manual processes that are complex and difficult to automate, legacy systems that lack the integrations needed to be automated, and more.
Following a simple framework for automation can help most organizations overcome these challenges:
- Identify where automation can be useful and applied
- Automate those processes with low-code tools
- Scale the adoption of new processes through modern, easy-to-use user interfaces.
By following this framework, organizations can accelerate the fulfillment of new IT requests and curb the use of shadow IT. Here are some examples: Map the IT compliance process: Get an end-to-end view of each step of the compliance process to visualize where bottlenecks and inefficiencies occur. Common bottlenecks occur when assigning requests and leaving reviews in the pending stage.
Improve experience and scale engagement: It is also important to analyze the user experience to ensure you have low barriers to entry. How do employees submit their requests to the modernized process? By leveraging low-code app development tools, you can create an employee intake form that is digital and intuitive to use.
Automate bottlenecks: Once you’ve identified where inefficiencies lie in the process and modernized the user experience, apply automation to optimize pain points. For example, automation can help you avoid requests getting stuck at the “assignment” stage by automatically assigning requests to the appropriate team or team member. It is important to note that automated processes can be successful with a “set it and forget it” mentality. Continuous monitoring and improvement is needed to ensure the process is working correctly.
The rapid evolution of technologies like AI will only exacerbate the shadow IT challenge. That’s why organizations must modernize their IT processes today to prevent further advancement of shadow IT and prevent future security risks. End-to-end process automation is key to understanding where IT processes are breaking down, applying automation, and scaling new processes for maximum engagement, all while reducing the need for employees to turn to shadow IT. for your technological needs.
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