What is an expected outcome of deploying network management automation?

Network management automation aims to streamline operations and reduce manual intervention. A key expected outcome is that tasks like software upgrades can be performed efficiently and consistently across many devices from a central controller or orchestration platform. This centralized approach minimizes human error and ensures uniformity. A distributed management plane is not a prerequisite for automation; many automated systems utilize a centralized control plane. Automation typically reduces complexity when adding new configurations, as templates and scripts handle repetitive tasks, rather than increasing it. While custom applications can be used, many automation solutions leverage standard protocols, APIs, and off-the-shelf tools, so they are not strictly "needed" as a universal outcome.