# IT Automation Tools: 9 Options for Service Requests > Published 2026-11-10 > Source: https://viktor.com/blog/it-automation-tools IT automation tools take repetitive IT service requests off the help desk: password resets, access grants, new-hire onboarding, app provisioning and offboarding. The right shortlist depends on where requests arrive and how much your team wants to build. The main options are Viktor, an [AI employee](https://viktor.com/ai-employee) who handles requests inside Slack and Microsoft Teams; ServiceNow and Jira Service Management for ticket-based IT service management; Moveworks for conversational IT support at enterprise scale; Freshservice for mid-market service desks; Okta Workflows and Lumos for identity and access; and Ansible or UiPath when the work is infrastructure or legacy screens rather than requests. **The best IT automation tools and the IT workflows each one automates best:** Viktor handles password resets, access requests, onboarding and offboarding that arrive in Slack or Microsoft Teams, with approval before each change and usage-based pricing. ServiceNow is strongest at ticket routing, change management and catalogue requests in large enterprises, priced by quote. Jira Service Management suits request queues and approvals for teams on Atlassian, from a free tier. Moveworks resolves high-volume IT and HR questions in chat for enterprises, by quote. Freshservice covers ticketing, asset tracking and onboarding flows for mid-sized teams, per agent. Okta Workflows automates joiner, mover and leaver account changes. Lumos automates access requests and access reviews. Ansible automates server, network and patch tasks. UiPath automates legacy screens that have no API. ## What IT automation tools do for service requests Most IT teams spend a large share of their week on the same handful of requests. Automation tools help in three ways: - **Intake:** capture the request where people already ask (chat, email, a portal) and turn it into structured work. - **Fulfilment:** carry out the steps in the identity provider, device management or SaaS admin consoles, such as resetting a password or adding someone to a group. - **Control:** route approvals to the right manager or app owner, log every action and close the loop with the requester. The common requests worth automating first: ```json:object { "_key": "k30", "_type": "table", "rows": [ { "_key": "k24", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "Request", "Typical manual steps", "What automation removes" ] }, { "_key": "k25", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "Password reset or MFA re-enrol", "Verify identity, reset in the identity provider, confirm", "The ticket, the wait and the back-and-forth" ] }, { "_key": "k26", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "Access to an app or group", "Find the owner, get approval, grant, record", "Chasing approvers and missed audit records" ] }, { "_key": "k27", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "New-hire onboarding", "Create accounts, assign licences, order a device, add to channels", "A checklist someone has to remember every time" ] }, { "_key": "k28", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "Offboarding", "Disable accounts, transfer files, reclaim licences and devices", "Forgotten accounts and wasted licences" ] }, { "_key": "k29", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "Software request", "Check policy and budget, approve, provision", "Email threads and manual licence counts" ] } ] } ``` ## IT automation tools at a glance ```json:object { "_key": "k43", "_type": "table", "rows": [ { "_key": "k33", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "Tool", "Best for", "Where requests happen", "Approach", "Pricing model" ] }, { "_key": "k34", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "Viktor", "Teams that want requests handled in Slack or Teams without building flows", "Slack, Microsoft Teams", "AI employee, 9,800+ integrations, approvals before sensitive actions", "Usage-based credits shared by the workspace; free to start" ] }, { "_key": "k35", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "ServiceNow", "Large enterprises standardising IT service management", "Portal, email, chat, virtual agent", "ITSM platform with workflow engine", "Quote-based, per fulfiller licence; typically the most expensive option" ] }, { "_key": "k36", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "Jira Service Management", "Teams already on Atlassian", "Portal, email, Slack and Teams", "Service desk with automation rules", "Free for up to 3 agents; paid tiers per agent per month (roughly $20 to $50)" ] }, { "_key": "k37", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "Moveworks", "Enterprises wanting conversational IT support", "Slack, Teams, portals", "AI support in chat, now part of ServiceNow", "Quote-based enterprise pricing" ] }, { "_key": "k38", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "Freshservice", "Mid-market service desks", "Portal, email, Slack and Teams", "ITSM with workflow automator and AI features", "Per agent per month, from about $19 on entry tiers to over $100 on top tiers" ] }, { "_key": "k39", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "Okta Workflows", "Identity lifecycle automation in Okta shops", "Triggered by identity events", "No-code identity workflows", "Limited use included with some Okta plans; wider use by quote" ] }, { "_key": "k40", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "Lumos", "Access requests and access reviews", "Slack, Teams, web app", "Access management and app governance", "Quote-based, usually per employee" ] }, { "_key": "k41", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "Ansible", "Infrastructure and configuration tasks", "Playbooks run by engineers", "Open-source automation for servers and networks", "Free open source; Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform by subscription quote" ] }, { "_key": "k42", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "UiPath", "Legacy systems without APIs", "Bots on desktops and servers", "Robotic process automation", "Free community edition; business plans by quote" ] } ] } ``` Prices change often and many vendors quote per deal, so check each vendor’s pricing page before you budget. If your requests already arrive in chat, you can [start free with Viktor](https://app.viktor.com/signup) and test him on one request type this week. ## Which tool fits your existing stack ```json:object { "_key": "k60", "_type": "table", "rows": [ { "_key": "k51", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "If you already run on", "Best fit", "Why" ] }, { "_key": "k52", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "Slack or Microsoft Teams as the place people ask", "Viktor", "He takes the request in the thread, works across your identity provider and SaaS admin tools, and asks before changes" ] }, { "_key": "k53", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "Microsoft 365 and Entra ID", "Viktor in Teams, plus Microsoft Power Automate for fixed flows", "Power Automate ships with Microsoft connectors and Teams approvals; Viktor covers the requests nobody has built a flow for" ] }, { "_key": "k54", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "ServiceNow", "ServiceNow workflows, with Moveworks as the chat front end", "Requests stay in the system of record your platform team already owns" ] }, { "_key": "k55", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "Atlassian (Jira, Confluence)", "Jira Service Management", "Request types, queues and automation rules sit next to engineering work" ] }, { "_key": "k56", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "Salesforce", "Okta Workflows or Lumos for access, or Salesforce’s own Agentforce IT Service", "Licence and permission changes follow identity events; Salesforce now sells a service desk on its platform" ] }, { "_key": "k57", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "Okta", "Okta Workflows, with Viktor or Lumos for the request side", "Identity changes run in Okta; people still need somewhere to ask" ] }, { "_key": "k58", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "Mostly servers and networks", "Ansible, PowerShell scripts or Rundeck runbooks", "Infrastructure and patch management tasks are run by engineers, not requested by employees" ] }, { "_key": "k59", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "A mixed stack with no clear centre", "Viktor, or an integration platform such as Zapier, Make, n8n or Workato", "Both connect many apps; with an integration platform your team designs each flow" ] } ] } ``` ## What counts as IT automation software? IT automation software carries out IT operations or IT service work without a person doing each step. For this guide, that means employee-facing service requests. It differs from neighbouring categories: - **IT service management (ITSM):** the system of record for tickets, changes and assets. Most ITSM suites include automation, but their core job is tracking. - **Robotic process automation (RPA):** bots that copy what a person does on screen. Useful for legacy systems, but brittle and not built for conversations with employees. - **General workflow automation (iPaaS):** platforms such as Zapier, Make, n8n, Workato and Microsoft Power Automate that connect any apps with designed workflows. Flexible, but each IT request type is a flow someone builds and maintains. Vendors sometimes call this IT process automation. - **AIOps:** tools that watch monitoring data and alerts to spot incidents. They automate detection, not employee requests. - **Infrastructure automation:** tools like Ansible, PowerShell and Rundeck that configure servers and networks and handle patch management, run by engineers rather than requested by employees. ## The IT automation tools in detail ### 1. Viktor Viktor is an AI employee who works in Slack and Microsoft Teams. Employees ask for what they need in plain language (“I’m locked out of Figma”, “Can Ana get access to the finance drive?”), and he handles the request across connected tools: checks the policy, asks the right person to approve, makes the change in the admin console or identity tool, and confirms back in the thread. He connects to 9,800+ integrations, including Okta, Microsoft Entra ID, Google Workspace, Jira, GitHub and Notion, and can use a browser where no integration exists. - **Best for:** IT and ops teams that get most requests in chat and do not want to build and maintain a flow for every request type. - **Strengths:** no workflow building, works where people already ask, approvals before sensitive actions, scheduled checks such as weekly licence or access audits. - **Limits:** not a replacement for infrastructure automation or a full ITSM suite with CMDB and change management. - **Pricing:** usage-based credits shared by the workspace, free to start. See [Viktor pricing](https://viktor.com/pricing). ### 2. ServiceNow ServiceNow is the standard ITSM platform in large enterprises. Its workflow engine, service catalogue and virtual agent automate request fulfilment end to end, with strong change management, CMDB and reporting. - **Best for:** enterprises with dedicated platform teams. - **Integrations:** prebuilt connectors (spokes) for Microsoft Entra ID, Okta, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Jira and Workday. - **Limits:** long implementations and a high total cost; most automations need configuration by specialists. ### 3. Jira Service Management Atlassian’s service desk links IT requests with engineering work in Jira. Automation rules, request types and a Slack and Teams integration cover common requests. - **Best for:** organisations already on Jira and Confluence. - **Integrations:** Slack and Microsoft Teams for chat intake, Confluence for knowledge, and Atlassian Marketplace apps for identity and device tools. - **Limits:** advanced automation and AI features sit in higher tiers; complex fulfilment still needs scripts or integrations. ### 4. Moveworks Moveworks offers AI support for employees that resolves IT requests in chat and searches knowledge across systems. ServiceNow completed its acquisition of Moveworks in 2025. - **Best for:** large enterprises with high request volume across many systems. - **Integrations:** ServiceNow, Workday, Okta, Microsoft Entra ID and Salesforce. - **Limits:** enterprise pricing and deployment effort; roadmap now tied to ServiceNow. ### 5. Freshservice Freshservice is an ITSM tool aimed at mid-sized organisations, with a visual workflow automator, service catalogue, asset management and AI features for ticket handling. - **Best for:** mid-market IT teams that want ITSM without enterprise complexity. - **Integrations:** orchestration apps for Microsoft Entra ID, Okta, Google Workspace and Slack. - **Limits:** deeper automation and AI capabilities depend on plan. ### 6. Okta Workflows Okta Workflows automates identity lifecycle events, such as creating accounts when someone joins and removing access when they leave, with a no-code builder tied to Okta. - **Best for:** onboarding and offboarding in organisations standardised on Okta. - **Integrations:** connectors for Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Jira and ServiceNow. - **Limits:** focused on identity; employee-facing request handling needs another layer. ### 7. Lumos Lumos focuses on access: self-service access requests in Slack or Teams, time-bound access, approvals and access reviews for audits. - **Best for:** teams with many SaaS apps and compliance requirements. - **Integrations:** Okta, Microsoft Entra ID, Google Workspace and Slack. - **Limits:** scoped to access and app governance rather than all IT requests. ### 8. Ansible Ansible is open-source automation for configuring servers, networks and cloud resources with playbooks. It is excellent for infrastructure tasks, not for employee-facing requests. - **Best for:** engineering and infrastructure teams. - **Integrations:** collections for AWS, Azure, VMware, Cisco, Windows and ServiceNow. - **Limits:** requires engineers to write and maintain playbooks. ### 9. UiPath UiPath runs software robots that click through applications, which helps when a legacy system has no API. - **Best for:** large organisations with legacy back-office systems. - **Integrations:** connectors for Salesforce, SAP, ServiceNow and Workday, plus screen automation for everything else. Automation Anywhere is the closest alternative. - **Limits:** bots break when screens change and need ongoing maintenance. ## Which category fits which need ```json:object { "_key": "k214", "_type": "table", "rows": [ { "_key": "k207", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "Your situation", "Best-fit category", "Example tools" ] }, { "_key": "k208", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "Requests arrive in Slack or Teams and the IT team is small", "AI employee in chat", "Viktor" ] }, { "_key": "k209", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "Large enterprise needing ITSM, CMDB and change management", "ITSM suite", "ServiceNow, Jira Service Management, Freshservice" ] }, { "_key": "k210", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "Most work is joiner, mover and leaver identity changes", "Identity automation", "Okta Workflows, Lumos" ] }, { "_key": "k211", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "Legacy apps with no API", "RPA", "UiPath, Automation Anywhere" ] }, { "_key": "k212", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "Fixed flows between SaaS apps that your team is happy to build", "Integration platform (iPaaS)", "Zapier, Make, n8n, Workato, Microsoft Power Automate" ] }, { "_key": "k213", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "Servers, networks and cloud configuration", "Infrastructure automation", "Ansible" ] } ] } ``` Many organisations combine two: an ITSM or identity platform as the system of record, and an AI employee handling requests where employees ask. ## Security and governance compared ```json:object { "_key": "k228", "_type": "table", "rows": [ { "_key": "k219", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "Tool", "Approvals", "Audit trail", "Deployment", "Access control" ] }, { "_key": "k220", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "Viktor", "Asks before sensitive actions by default", "Log of requests, actions and approvers", "Cloud", "Workspace permissions per tool connection" ] }, { "_key": "k221", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "ServiceNow", "Configurable approval workflows", "Full audit history", "Cloud", "Granular role-based access" ] }, { "_key": "k222", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "Jira Service Management", "Approval steps in request types", "Audit log", "Cloud or Data Center", "Role-based permissions" ] }, { "_key": "k223", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "Freshservice", "Approval workflows", "Audit log", "Cloud", "Role-based access" ] }, { "_key": "k224", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "Okta Workflows", "Built into flows", "Okta system log", "Cloud", "Okta admin roles" ] }, { "_key": "k225", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "Lumos", "Access approvals and time-bound access", "Access review records", "Cloud", "Policy-based" ] }, { "_key": "k226", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "Ansible", "Run by engineers; approvals via automation platform", "Job logs", "Self-hosted or managed", "Role-based in the automation platform" ] }, { "_key": "k227", "_type": "tableRow", "cells": [ "UiPath", "Configurable in orchestration", "Robot and job logs", "Cloud or self-hosted", "Role-based access" ] } ] } ``` Before buying, ask each vendor for its security certifications, data residency options and how AI features handle your data. ## Deployment time and rollout - **AI employee in chat (Viktor):** days. Approve the app in Slack or Teams, connect the identity provider and key SaaS admin tools, write the request policies, and start with read-only tasks before allowing changes. - **Mid-market ITSM (Freshservice, Jira Service Management):** weeks to set up the catalogue, request types, automations and integrations. - **Enterprise ITSM (ServiceNow, Moveworks):** typically several months, often with an implementation partner. - **Identity automation (Okta Workflows, Lumos):** weeks, depending on how many apps are connected. - **RPA and infrastructure automation:** per process or playbook; each one is built, tested and maintained. Whichever tool you pick, roll out in the same order: automate the top request type, measure time saved for two weeks, then add the next. Tell employees where to ask and what will happen, so they trust the new path. ## Total cost for a typical IT team For a 300-person company with a three-person IT team, a rough annual picture: a mid-market ITSM at about $50 per agent per month costs around $1,800 a year for three agents, plus setup time; an enterprise ITSM with an implementation partner commonly runs into tens of thousands of dollars in year one; usage-based tools such as Viktor scale with the number of requests handled rather than seats. Add the hidden cost of building and maintaining flows, which is often the largest line for workflow and RPA tools. ## How to choose IT automation tools 1. **Start with where requests arrive.** If most requests come through Slack or Teams, pick a tool that handles them there instead of forcing people into a portal. 2. **Count your top five request types.** Automate the volume first; rare requests can stay manual. 3. **Decide build vs describe.** Workflow tools need someone to design and maintain each flow. An AI employee works from plain-language requests and policies. 4. **Check identity and approval coverage.** The tool must connect to your identity provider, device management and key SaaS apps, and route approvals to the right owner. 5. **Insist on an audit trail.** Every access change should be logged for security reviews. 6. **Price the whole cost.** Licences, implementation, and the people needed to maintain flows. ## Where AI fits in IT automation Rule-based tools are reliable for fixed steps such as a scheduled offboarding script. AI covers the messy front end: understanding a request written in any way, asking a follow-up question, checking policy and deciding which steps apply. Several vendors now sell AI agents for this; Viktor does it as an AI employee your whole company can ask. [Try him on your top request type](https://app.viktor.com/signup). Many teams combine both: an ITSM or identity platform as the system of record, and an AI employee handling requests in chat and doing the routine fulfilment. ## Frequently asked questions ### What are IT automation tools? Software that carries out repetitive IT tasks automatically, such as password resets, access grants, onboarding, provisioning and offboarding, often with approvals and audit logs built in. ### Which IT requests should be automated first? Password resets, access requests, onboarding and offboarding. They are frequent, predictable and easy to measure. ### What is the difference between IT automation and ITSM? ITSM is the practice and platform for managing IT services, tickets and changes. IT automation is the execution of the work inside or alongside it. ### Can AI handle IT requests safely? Yes, with permissions scoped to what is allowed, approvals before sensitive changes and a full log of every action. Viktor asks for approval before sensitive actions by default. ## Try it on your request queue If your IT team answers the same requests in Slack or Teams every week, give them to an AI employee. Read [what an AI employee is](https://viktor.com/blog/what-is-an-ai-employee) or [start free with Viktor](https://app.viktor.com/signup).