Device Rollout Automation

Overview

Designed and implemented automation workflows to streamline device rollout programmes at the National Crime Agency — a UK law enforcement organisation operating within a secure, dual-network environment. The programme processes 100-200 devices per wave across multiple deployment cycles annually, with strict compliance and audit requirements at every stage.

This project demonstrates practical automation in a high-security enterprise environment where standard cloud-based tooling is unavailable, and where every process decision carries operational and legal accountability.

The Challenge

Device rollout at the NCA operates under constraints that don’t exist in typical enterprise environments:

• Dual-network environment — Secure and standard networks are physically and logically separated. Automation cannot bridge networks; workflows must operate independently on each side.
• Compliance requirements — Every device state change must be audited. Who touched it, when, what changed.
• Scale without resource growth — Processing 100-200 devices per wave with a lean team requires processes that scale without proportional headcount increases.
• Legacy tooling — BMC Remedy is the operational system of record. Any automation must integrate with Remedy, not replace it.
• No public cloud — Standard automation platforms requiring internet connectivity are not available in the secure environment.

Solution Architecture

Core Tools

Workflow Design

The automation is structured as a pipeline with clear handoff points between stages:

Stage 1 — Pre-deployment preparation Bulk device data imported and validated. Duplicate checking, field validation, and assignment logic run automatically. Errors are surfaced before deployment begins rather than mid-wave.

Stage 2 — Ticket generation Remedy tickets created programmatically from validated device data. Each ticket carries the full audit context required for compliance — asset details, assigned user, expected completion date, responsible analyst.

Stage 3 — Progress tracking Automated status checks against open tickets. Devices that have not progressed within expected windows are flagged for manual review. This replaces manual chasing that previously consumed significant analyst time.

Stage 4 — Closure and reporting Completed devices trigger closure workflows. Wave completion reports generated automatically, showing throughput, exceptions, and any devices requiring follow-up.

Impact

Before automation:

• Ticket creation was fully manual — each device required individual data entry into Remedy
• Progress tracking relied on analysts periodically querying Remedy and maintaining separate spreadsheets
• Wave completion reports were compiled manually from multiple data sources

After automation:

• Ticket creation for a full wave (100-200 devices) reduced from days to hours
• Progress exceptions surface automatically — analysts focus on exceptions rather than hunting for them
• Reporting generated on-demand with consistent format and no manual compilation

Proposal for Extended Automation

A formal proposal was developed for further automation covering the full device lifecycle — from initial procurement through to decommission. The proposal included:

• Integration design — how Power Automate workflows could interact with Remedy APIs within the dual-network constraint
• Cost-benefit analysis — projected time savings across multiple annual deployment cycles
• Risk assessment — compliance implications of automated state changes and required control points
• Phased implementation roadmap — starting with lowest-risk, highest-value automations and building toward fuller lifecycle management

The proposal applied the same analytical framework used in MBA strategic management coursework to a practical operational problem — demonstrating that operations management experience translates directly into technology consulting capability.

Skills Demonstrated

Technical:

• Power Automate flow design including conditional logic, error handling, and approval workflows
• BMC Remedy integration via API and native connectors
• Data pipeline design for bulk processing with validation
• Process documentation to enterprise standard

Professional:

• Working within a secure environment with enhanced security clearance
• Stakeholder engagement across technical and non-technical audiences
• Formal proposal writing with cost-benefit analysis
• Compliance-aware automation design

Relevance to Cloud Consulting

The constraints of this environment — no public cloud, legacy systems as the system of record, strict audit requirements, dual-network isolation — are not unique to law enforcement. They appear across financial services, healthcare, and regulated industries generally.

The ability to design effective automation within these constraints, rather than assuming greenfield cloud-native conditions, is a differentiator in enterprise cloud consulting engagements.

Ongoing. Part of the Support Analyst role at the National Crime Agency, January 2023 — present.