This article is the extended version of my LinkedIn post.
When most people hear the word innovation, they picture shiny new apps, futuristic products, or bold experiments from R&D teams. Rarely do they think of the IT Infrastructure Operations (InfraOps) teams—the ones who spend their days knee-deep in tickets, alerts, patches, and escalations.
Yet for organizations to truly run, it’s these teams who keep the lights on. And the truth is: innovation in infrastructure operations looks very different. It’s not about releasing the next viral product. It’s about solving recurring problems smarter, faster, and more sustainably.
Over the years, I’ve seen InfraOps teams transform from being perceived as “firefighters” to being recognized as hidden enablers of innovation. The difference wasn’t technology alone—it was mindset, process, and collaboration.
Everyday Innovation in InfraOps
Let’s break down some of the ways infrastructure teams can infuse innovation into what looks like “just operations”:
1. Automating Routine Tasks
Think of server provisioning, backup checks, or patching. In many enterprises, these are still manual, repetitive, and error-prone. By adopting workflow automation with tools like Ansible, Jenkins, or even custom scripts, teams have saved hundreds of hours annually.
In one of our projects, we automated SAN switch zoning and reduced the processing time by 2.5x. That’s not just efficiency—it’s innovation that scales every single day.
2. Proactive Problem Management
Instead of waiting for incidents to pile up, the smarter teams analyze historical data: What issues recur most often? Where are we bleeding time? Once identified, they build permanent fixes—whether through auto-healing scripts, better monitoring, or architecture adjustments.
This shift from reactive to proactive is one of the clearest forms of innovation an InfraOps team can drive.
3. Cross-Functional Collaboration
Innovation also happens when silos break down. InfraOps doesn’t just “fix what breaks.” By working hand-in-hand with developers, security, and product teams, infrastructure leaders help design systems that are resilient by default. This cultural shift—where operations are embedded early in design discussions—is as transformative as any new tool.
4. Process Innovation
Not all innovation is technical. Sometimes it’s about reinventing the way we work. Improved change management workflows, tighter feedback loops after incidents, or knowledge-sharing sessions across shifts can dramatically reduce errors and improve agility.
Thomas Davenport captured it best in Process Innovation: it’s not what you build—it’s how you rethink work to achieve better outcomes.
Why It Matters
Too often, innovation gets trapped in the R&D or digital product bubble. But for CIOs and CTOs, the silent transformation inside infrastructure operations can be just as powerful:
- Faster provisioning means quicker time-to-market.
- Better monitoring means fewer customer-impacting outages.
- Stronger collaboration means more resilient systems overall.
In other words, InfraOps innovation creates the foundations that allow flashy product innovation to succeed. Without it, even the best ideas stumble under the weight of fragile infrastructure.
The Leadership Angle
For leaders of InfraOps teams, the message is simple:
- Celebrate small wins. Don’t underestimate the impact of shaving 30 minutes off a provisioning task.
- Invest in mindset. Encourage the team to see beyond “keeping the lights on” and into shaping how work gets done.
- Tell the story. Often, innovation is invisible if you don’t highlight it. Share metrics, before-and-after cases, and the value delivered.
By reframing daily improvements as innovation, leaders can inspire their teams—and reshape how the wider organization sees them.
Closing Thought
“Innovation is doing the same things differently to achieve better results—not just doing different things.”
It’s time we stop limiting innovation to product teams. Infrastructure operations may not always look glamorous, but with the right approach, they can be the silent force of transformation that sustains long-term growth.
So next time someone asks where innovation lives in your organization—don’t forget to point to the team in the engine room.
💬 I’d love to hear your thoughts: How does your organization encourage innovation within InfraOps teams? Share your perspective in the comments below or connect with me on LinkedIn.
📑 References: Davenport, T.H. (2013). Process Innovation: Reengineering Work through Information Technology. Harvard Business Press. Gartner (2023). Innovation Insight for Infrastructure and Operations Leaders.
