Smarter Week

AI and automation by role

How IT support / Helpdesk teams can use AI and automation

Below are 14 common tasks for IT support / Helpdesk teams, most common first. For each one you get the best fix (AI, automation, a feature in software you already have, or a simpler process), the steps to set it up and, for AI fixes, a prompt to copy.

Also called: Helpdesk Technician, Service Desk Analyst, IT Support Specialist, Desktop Support, IT Technician, Tier 1 Support

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Task 1 · typically 30 min, every day

Reset passwords, unlock accounts and fix MFA

Software featureBest fix

Turn on self-service password reset and move people to passkeys

Microsoft Entra, Okta and Google Workspace all let users reset passwords and unlock accounts themselves after verifying with MFA. Passkeys cut resets further because there is no password to forget.

Typically saves about 70% of the time2 h to set up
  1. 1Enable self-service password reset in Entra ID, Okta or Google Workspace and require two verification methods.
  2. 2Make sure users register their methods at sign-in (registration campaign).
  3. 3Enable passkeys or Windows Hello for Business for staff who can use them.
  4. 4Change the helpdesk reply for reset requests to a link to the self-service page.
  5. 5Track reset tickets monthly to confirm they are dropping.

Tools: Microsoft Entra ID SSPR · Okta self-service · Google Workspace · Passkeys or Windows Hello for Business

How to automate this task

Task 2 · typically 45 min, every day

Triage and route incoming IT tickets

Software featureBest fix

Turn on the AI agent in your service desk to answer and route tickets

ServiceNow Now Assist, Jira Service Management with Rovo, Freshservice Freddy AI and Zendesk AI can answer common questions from your knowledge base in Slack or Teams and route the rest to the right queue.

Typically saves about 40% of the time4 h to set up
  1. 1Check which AI features your service desk license includes.
  2. 2Connect it to your knowledge base and to Slack or Teams so people ask there.
  3. 3Turn on automatic categorization and routing for new tickets.
  4. 4Start with the 20 most common questions and check its answers weekly.
  5. 5Fix or write knowledge articles where it answers badly.

Tools: ServiceNow Now Assist · Jira Service Management with Atlassian Rovo · Freshservice Freddy AI · Zendesk AI agents · Moveworks

One more way to fix it
Process fix

Publish an ownership map and one intake form so tickets land right first time

Tickets bounce because nobody is sure who owns what. A clear ownership map and a required-fields intake form stop most reassignments.

Typically saves about 35% of the time2 h to set up
  1. 1List the systems and services and name an owning team for each.
  2. 2Publish it where people file tickets, and mirror it in CODEOWNERS and your ticket tool's components.
  3. 3Use one intake form with required fields (system, impact, steps to reproduce).
  4. 4Set a rule: the receiving team reassigns once at most, with a comment, or keeps it.
  5. 5Review the most-bounced tickets each month and fix the map.

Tools: Jira, Linear or ServiceNow · Backstage or a service catalog · Confluence or Notion

How to automate this task

Task 3 · typically 45 min, every day

Answer the same how-do-I questions (VPN, printer, Wi-Fi, software)

Software featureBest fix

Turn on the AI agent in your service desk to answer and route tickets

ServiceNow Now Assist, Jira Service Management with Rovo, Freshservice Freddy AI and Zendesk AI can answer common questions from your knowledge base in Slack or Teams and route the rest to the right queue.

Typically saves about 40% of the time4 h to set up
  1. 1Check which AI features your service desk license includes.
  2. 2Connect it to your knowledge base and to Slack or Teams so people ask there.
  3. 3Turn on automatic categorization and routing for new tickets.
  4. 4Start with the 20 most common questions and check its answers weekly.
  5. 5Fix or write knowledge articles where it answers badly.

Tools: ServiceNow Now Assist · Jira Service Management with Atlassian Rovo · Freshservice Freddy AI · Zendesk AI agents · Moveworks

One more way to fix it
AI

Turn resolved tickets into knowledge articles with AI

Your best answers are already in closed tickets. AI can turn the most common ones into clear self-help articles that users and AI agents can use.

Typically saves about 35% of the time1 h to set up
  1. 1Export the last three months of tickets for one category, with resolutions.
  2. 2Run the prompt below to group them and draft articles.
  3. 3Check every step and add screenshots.
  4. 4Publish to your knowledge base and link it from the ticket form.
Prompt to copy
Below are resolved IT tickets about [TOPIC]. Group them by underlying problem. For the five most common, write a self-help article for non-technical staff: title phrased as the user would ask it, a one-line answer, numbered steps, and when to contact IT instead. Use only fixes that appear in the tickets.

[PASTE TICKETS AND RESOLUTIONS]

Tools: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Microsoft Copilot · ServiceNow, Jira Service Management or Freshservice knowledge base

How to automate this task

Task 4 · typically 90 min, once a week

Set up laptops and accounts for new hires

AutomationBest fix

Ship laptops straight to new hires with zero-touch enrollment

With Windows Autopilot or Apple Business Manager and an MDM, laptops configure themselves the first time the user signs in: apps, settings, security and all.

Typically saves about 60% of the time8 h to set up
  1. 1Register company devices in Apple Business Manager or Windows Autopilot (your reseller can do this at purchase).
  2. 2Build enrollment profiles in Intune, Jamf, Kandji or your MDM with the standard apps and settings.
  3. 3Ship devices directly to the new hire; they sign in and the setup runs.
  4. 4On offboarding, remote lock or wipe from the MDM and arrange a return label.

Tools: Microsoft Intune with Windows Autopilot · Apple Business Manager · Jamf · Kandji · Mosyle

One more way to fix it
Automation

Drive joiners, movers and leavers from the HR system automatically

When HR adds, changes or ends someone in the HR system, Okta Workflows or Entra ID lifecycle workflows create accounts, assign groups and remove access without a ticket.

Typically saves about 65% of the time10 h to set up
  1. 1Connect your HR system (Workday, BambooHR, HiBob, Rippling) to Okta or Entra ID as the source of truth.
  2. 2Map departments and job titles to groups that grant the right apps.
  3. 3Build joiner, mover and leaver workflows (Okta Workflows or Entra ID Governance lifecycle workflows).
  4. 4Use SCIM provisioning for apps that support it so accounts are created and removed automatically.
  5. 5Test with a fake employee before switching on.

Tools: Okta Workflows · Microsoft Entra ID Governance · Google Workspace · Rippling IT

How to automate this task

Task 5 · typically 60 min, once a week

Install software and push updates and patches

AutomationBest fix

Automate patching and app installs through your MDM and a self-service app store

Your device management tool can push OS and app updates on a schedule and offer a self-service catalogue so people install approved software without a ticket.

Typically saves about 60% of the time4 h to set up
  1. 1Turn on automatic OS and app updates in Intune, Jamf, Kandji, NinjaOne or Automox with a short test ring first.
  2. 2Publish approved apps in Company Portal or Self Service.
  3. 3Point software request tickets to the catalogue.
  4. 4Review the compliance report weekly instead of checking devices by hand.

Tools: Microsoft Intune and Company Portal · Jamf Self Service · Kandji · NinjaOne · Automox

How to automate this task

Task 6 · typically 30 min, every day

Grant and remove access to apps, repos and shared drives

AutomationBest fix

Let people request access themselves with approval built in

Access request tools let users ask for an app or group from Slack or a portal, route it to the owner for approval, and grant it automatically, with a full audit trail for reviews.

Typically saves about 60% of the time6 h to set up
  1. 1Pick the tool: Entra ID access packages, Okta Identity Governance, or ConductorOne, Lumos or Opal.
  2. 2Name an owner for each app or group who approves requests.
  3. 3Allow requests from Slack or Teams and set access to expire where sensible.
  4. 4Use the same tool to send quarterly access reviews to owners.

Tools: Microsoft Entra ID Governance · Okta Identity Governance · ConductorOne · Lumos · Opal

One more way to fix it
Automation

Drive joiners, movers and leavers from the HR system automatically

When HR adds, changes or ends someone in the HR system, Okta Workflows or Entra ID lifecycle workflows create accounts, assign groups and remove access without a ticket.

Typically saves about 65% of the time10 h to set up
  1. 1Connect your HR system (Workday, BambooHR, HiBob, Rippling) to Okta or Entra ID as the source of truth.
  2. 2Map departments and job titles to groups that grant the right apps.
  3. 3Build joiner, mover and leaver workflows (Okta Workflows or Entra ID Governance lifecycle workflows).
  4. 4Use SCIM provisioning for apps that support it so accounts are created and removed automatically.
  5. 5Test with a fake employee before switching on.

Tools: Okta Workflows · Microsoft Entra ID Governance · Google Workspace · Rippling IT

How to automate this task

Task 7 · typically 45 min, once a week

Offboard leavers, remove access and recover devices

AutomationBest fix

Drive joiners, movers and leavers from the HR system automatically

When HR adds, changes or ends someone in the HR system, Okta Workflows or Entra ID lifecycle workflows create accounts, assign groups and remove access without a ticket.

Typically saves about 65% of the time10 h to set up
  1. 1Connect your HR system (Workday, BambooHR, HiBob, Rippling) to Okta or Entra ID as the source of truth.
  2. 2Map departments and job titles to groups that grant the right apps.
  3. 3Build joiner, mover and leaver workflows (Okta Workflows or Entra ID Governance lifecycle workflows).
  4. 4Use SCIM provisioning for apps that support it so accounts are created and removed automatically.
  5. 5Test with a fake employee before switching on.

Tools: Okta Workflows · Microsoft Entra ID Governance · Google Workspace · Rippling IT

One more way to fix it
Automation

Ship laptops straight to new hires with zero-touch enrollment

With Windows Autopilot or Apple Business Manager and an MDM, laptops configure themselves the first time the user signs in: apps, settings, security and all.

Typically saves about 60% of the time8 h to set up
  1. 1Register company devices in Apple Business Manager or Windows Autopilot (your reseller can do this at purchase).
  2. 2Build enrollment profiles in Intune, Jamf, Kandji or your MDM with the standard apps and settings.
  3. 3Ship devices directly to the new hire; they sign in and the setup runs.
  4. 4On offboarding, remote lock or wipe from the MDM and arrange a return label.

Tools: Microsoft Intune with Windows Autopilot · Apple Business Manager · Jamf · Kandji · Mosyle

How to automate this task

Task 8 · typically 20 min, every day

Chase tickets that bounce between teams

Process fixBest fix

Publish an ownership map and one intake form so tickets land right first time

Tickets bounce because nobody is sure who owns what. A clear ownership map and a required-fields intake form stop most reassignments.

Typically saves about 35% of the time2 h to set up
  1. 1List the systems and services and name an owning team for each.
  2. 2Publish it where people file tickets, and mirror it in CODEOWNERS and your ticket tool's components.
  3. 3Use one intake form with required fields (system, impact, steps to reproduce).
  4. 4Set a rule: the receiving team reassigns once at most, with a comment, or keeps it.
  5. 5Review the most-bounced tickets each month and fix the map.

Tools: Jira, Linear or ServiceNow · Backstage or a service catalog · Confluence or Notion

One more way to fix it
Software feature

Turn on the AI agent in your service desk to answer and route tickets

ServiceNow Now Assist, Jira Service Management with Rovo, Freshservice Freddy AI and Zendesk AI can answer common questions from your knowledge base in Slack or Teams and route the rest to the right queue.

Typically saves about 40% of the time4 h to set up
  1. 1Check which AI features your service desk license includes.
  2. 2Connect it to your knowledge base and to Slack or Teams so people ask there.
  3. 3Turn on automatic categorization and routing for new tickets.
  4. 4Start with the 20 most common questions and check its answers weekly.
  5. 5Fix or write knowledge articles where it answers badly.

Tools: ServiceNow Now Assist · Jira Service Management with Atlassian Rovo · Freshservice Freddy AI · Zendesk AI agents · Moveworks

How to automate this task

Task 9 · typically 60 min, once a week

Track hardware and licenses in spreadsheets

Software featureBest fix

Track devices and SaaS licenses in an asset tool that updates itself

MDM and SaaS management tools discover devices and app usage automatically, so the inventory is current and unused licenses show up without a spreadsheet hunt.

Typically saves about 50% of the time4 h to set up
  1. 1Use the asset module in your service desk (ServiceNow, Jira Service Management Assets, Freshservice) or Snipe-IT, synced from your MDM.
  2. 2Connect a SaaS management tool (Zluri, Torii, Productiv, Zylo, or Okta and Entra usage reports) to see which apps are used.
  3. 3Set a monthly report of licenses unused for 60 days.
  4. 4Reclaim or cancel them, and stop updating the spreadsheet.

Tools: ServiceNow or JSM Assets · Freshservice · Snipe-IT · Zluri · Torii · Productiv

How to automate this task

Task 10 · typically 30 min, every day

Check emails users report as phishing

AutomationBest fix

Automate enrichment and routine responses with playbooks

Playbooks look up IPs, domains and users, check reported phishing emails and close obvious false positives before an analyst sees them.

Typically saves about 55% of the time6 h to set up
  1. 1Pick the alert type that eats the most time, often reported phishing.
  2. 2Build a playbook in Tines, Torq, Microsoft Sentinel or Google SecOps: enrich, check sandboxes and reputation, decide.
  3. 3Have it auto-close clear false positives, quarantine clear phish across mailboxes, and reply to the reporter.
  4. 4Send only unclear cases to an analyst with the evidence attached.

Tools: Tines · Torq · Microsoft Sentinel playbooks · Google SecOps · Microsoft Defender for Office 365 automated investigation

One more way to fix it
Software feature

Use your security platform's AI to triage and summarize alerts

Microsoft Security Copilot, Google Security Operations with Gemini, CrowdStrike Charlotte AI and SentinelOne Purple AI can investigate an alert, gather context and suggest a verdict, so analysts start from a summary.

Typically saves about 35% of the time2 h to set up
  1. 1Check which AI features your SIEM or EDR license already includes.
  2. 2Turn on automatic alert triage or summaries for your highest-volume alert types.
  3. 3Ask follow-up questions in plain language ("show other sign-ins from this IP in the last 7 days").
  4. 4Track how often you agree with its verdicts before trusting it for auto-closing.

Tools: Microsoft Security Copilot · Google Security Operations with Gemini · CrowdStrike Charlotte AI · SentinelOne Purple AI

How to automate this task

Task 11 · typically 90 min, once a month

Write how-to guides or training material

AIBest fix

Record yourself doing it once and let AI write the guide

Record your screen while you talk through the task; AI turns the transcript into a step-by-step guide.

Typically saves about 60% of the time10 min to set up
  1. 1Record your screen and voice doing the task once (Loom, Teams, Zoom or Scribe).
  2. 2Get the transcript.
  3. 3Paste it into AI with the prompt below.
  4. 4Add screenshots where it says [SCREENSHOT].
Prompt to copy
Turn this transcript of me doing [TASK] into a step-by-step how-to guide for a new hire. Number the steps, keep each to one action, mark where a screenshot helps with [SCREENSHOT], and list common mistakes at the end.

[PASTE TRANSCRIPT]

Tools: Loom · Scribe · Tango · ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Microsoft Copilot

How to automate this task

Task 12 · typically 30 min, every day

Copy the same information between systems or spreadsheets

AutomationBest fix

Connect the two systems so data moves itself

A Zapier, Make, n8n or Power Automate flow copies new records from one system to the other the moment they appear.

Typically saves about 80% of the time2 h to set up
  1. 1Write down the trigger ("new row in", "new form submission", "deal marked won") and where it should go.
  2. 2Check if the two tools already have a built-in integration; turn it on if so.
  3. 3If not, build a two-step flow in Zapier, Make, n8n or Power Automate.
  4. 4Run it next to your manual process for a week, then stop copying by hand.

Tools: Zapier · Make · n8n · Microsoft Power Automate

One more way to fix it
AI

Have AI pull the details out into a table you can paste

Paste emails, PDFs or forms and get back clean rows in the exact columns your system needs.

Typically saves about 60% of the time5 min to set up
  1. 1Collect the source text (emails, PDFs, screenshots).
  2. 2Give the AI the column names you need.
  3. 3Paste the table into your spreadsheet or import file.
  4. 4Spot-check a few rows against the source.
Prompt to copy
Extract the following fields from the text below into a table with exactly these columns: [COLUMN 1], [COLUMN 2], [COLUMN 3]. One row per [ITEM]. Leave a cell blank if the value is not stated. Do not guess.

[PASTE TEXT OR ATTACH FILES]

Tools: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Microsoft Copilot

How to automate this task

Task 13 · typically 15 min, a few times a week

Chase people for approvals or sign-offs

AutomationBest fix

Move approvals into a tracked workflow with reminders

Approvals in Teams/Power Automate, Slack Workflows, or your e-signature tool remind people for you and show what is stuck.

Typically saves about 60% of the time1 h to set up
  1. 1List the approvals you chase most.
  2. 2Set up an approval flow (Power Automate Approvals, Slack Workflow Builder, DocuSign or your HR/finance system).
  3. 3Add automatic reminders after 24 hours.
  4. 4Agree a default: no answer in 48 hours means it goes ahead (where safe).

Tools: Power Automate Approvals · Slack Workflow Builder · DocuSign or Adobe Acrobat Sign

How to automate this task

Task 14 · typically 45 min, every day

Sort through and reply to email

AIBest fix

Have AI draft replies to routine email

Paste the thread and a one-line instruction; edit the draft instead of writing from a blank page. Most routine replies take a minute instead of five.

Typically saves about 35% of the time5 min to set up
  1. 1Open the AI assistant your company allows (or the one built into Outlook or Gmail).
  2. 2Paste the email thread, or use the built-in "draft reply" button.
  3. 3Tell it the point you want to make in one line.
  4. 4Read the draft, fix anything wrong, and send.
Prompt to copy
Draft a reply to the email below. My point: [WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY IN ONE LINE]. Keep it under 120 words, friendly and direct, and match the tone of the sender. Do not invent facts or commitments.

Email:
[PASTE THE EMAIL]

Tools: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Microsoft Copilot · Gmail "Help me write" or Outlook Copilot

One more way to fix it
Process fix

Batch email twice a day and let rules file the noise

Rules move newsletters, notifications and CCs out of your inbox, and checking at set times stops email from cutting your day into pieces.

Typically saves about 25% of the time20 min to set up
  1. 1Create rules that move notifications, newsletters and emails where you are only CC'd into folders.
  2. 2Turn off desktop and phone notifications for email.
  3. 3Pick two or three set times a day to process the inbox to zero.
  4. 4Tell your team that anything urgent should come by phone or chat.

Tools: Outlook or Gmail rules

How to automate this task

Quick wins

Have you tried…

Have you had AI draft a reply to a tricky or routine email?
You paste the email and say the point you want to make; the AI writes a draft you edit. Outlook and Gmail now have this built in.
Have you connected two apps so information copies itself between them?
Tools like Zapier, Make or Power Automate watch for something new in one app and create it in the other, so nobody retypes it.
Have you recorded yourself doing a task and had AI turn it into a written guide?
Record your screen while you talk, and AI writes the step-by-step guide from the transcript. Tools like Scribe even grab the screenshots.
Can staff reset their own passwords and unlock their accounts without calling IT?
Self-service password reset in Entra ID, Okta or Google Workspace lets users verify with their phone and reset on their own, any time of day.
Have you turned on the AI agent in your service desk (ServiceNow, Jira Service Management, Freshservice) to answer common questions?
These agents answer questions from your knowledge base in Slack or Teams and route the rest to the right queue, so simple requests never become tickets.
Do new laptops set themselves up when the new hire first signs in?
Zero-touch enrollment with Windows Autopilot or Apple Business Manager plus an MDM installs apps and settings automatically, so you can ship devices straight to people.
Are accounts created and removed automatically when HR adds or ends someone?
Okta Workflows and Entra ID lifecycle workflows use the HR system as the trigger to create accounts, assign apps and remove access on the last day.
Have you let an AI notetaker write your meeting notes and action items?
Tools like Copilot in Teams, Zoom AI Companion or Otter join the call, write the summary and list who owes what. You just check it and send.

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