Why Network Automation Is No Longer Optional (& How Itential Makes It Stupid Easy)

It’s true — getting started in network automation can feel intimidating as hell. You hear people talk about it like you need to have a PhD in Python just to get started. Meanwhile, you’re out here juggling VLAN and interface changes, troubleshooting the same issue for the third time this week, and wondering if you’ll ever get time to learn how to automate your first change.

Trust me, you’re not alone.

But here’s the thing — network automation isn’t replacing network engineers; it’s making us better engineers. If you’re not automating at least some part of your job, you’re working harder than you need to.

I recently joined The Bearded IT Dad’s IT Career Podcast to talk about this exact topic — why automation is becoming a must-have skill, what’s holding people back, and (most importantly) how to get started without feeling like you need to become a full-time coder.

Networks aren’t getting simpler. They’re growing bigger, more complex, and more critical to businesses than ever before. And yet, too many teams are still stuck doing things manually, relying on CLI commands like it’s 2005.

“The network is more critical than it has ever been before. Enterprises now see automation as a necessity, not a luxury.”

We’ve reached the point where automation isn’t just about saving time — it’s about keeping up. It’s about survival. If you’re still configuring every device by hand, troubleshooting the same problem over and over, or waiting on manual change approvals, you’re falling behind.

One of the biggest misconceptions I hear is that you need to be some kind of automation wizard to even get started. Nope. Wrong. False.

“Network engineers don’t need to become developers. The key is learning how to apply automation to everyday tasks, not becoming an expert programmer.”

Here’s the deal — you don’t need to write complex scripts from scratch to start automating. You just need to start small:

• Automate a simple, repetitive task (port changes, VLAN configs, etc.). Use tools that already exist (Ansible, Netmiko, Terraform, torero, etc.).
• Leverage the wealth of existing automations as a starting point: scripts, playbooks, plans, etc.
• Focus on orchestration, which ties automations together into structured processes.

Most engineers start with a simple script, run in over and over in a sandbox until they start to understand it and realize “Wow, this is pretty cool”, and then go from there. The hardest part is just starting.

So where does Itential fit in? We built Itential for network engineers first — meaning you don’t need to be a full-blown developer to use it.

Here’s how we make automation accessible:

No coding required (but it’s there if you need it): Whether you prefer low-code drag-and-drop workflow or want to write scripts, Itential gives you both options.
How It Works

Bridges the gap between engineers & operators: Automators can build scripts, but anyone can execute them without needing to know Python or deal with complex dependencies.
How It Works

Orchestrates automation across teams: We help tie together automation from networking, security, cloud, and ITSM tools like ServiceNow — so your entire org can work smarter, not harder.
How It Works

Makes scaling automation easy: One engineer automating a task is cool. A whole team operationalizing automation at scale? That’s where the magic happens.
How It Works

Ready to dip your toes into automation but don’t know where to start? Here’s my advice:

• Find a manual task you hate doing (bonus points if it’s something you do daily).
• See if someone has already automated it (spoiler: they probably have).
• Test it in a safe environment (no need to break production on day one).
• Expand & iterate (one script turns into ten, and before you know it, you’re an automation rockstar).

And if you don’t want to deal with Python environments, script sharing headaches, or dependency management, Itential makes it easy.

Try out Itential’s automation service with a 30-day trial and see how it simplifies the whole process.

Automation isn’t replacing network engineers — it’s making us more valuable. The engineers who embrace automation will be the ones leading the future of networking.

“Automation is a journey. Don’t get overwhelmed. Start small, build confidence, and evolve from there.”

Stop working harder than you need to. Start automating and take control of your network.

Check out my full conversation with Dakota Seufert-Snow, host of The Bearded IT Dad podcast, here — or learn more about Itential Automation Service here.