Orchestrating AI: The practical way to scale while reducing tool sprawl

Every IT team is under pressure to “do more with AI.” A new tool promises smarter workflows, a new agent claims to replace manual tasks. But if you’re managing service requests, availability SLAs, patch cycles, infrastructure capacity, and application performance every day, you know the truth: AI doesn’t automatically reduce complexity on its own.

In fact, with AI layered on top of an already fragmented stack, tool sprawl can become even worse; each new AI agent often requires its own integrations, governance model, and monitoring, which multiply the number of moving parts and create more silos rather than fewer. 

So how can we solve this? The answer lies in orchestration.

We consider orchestration to be the coordinated execution of tasks and processes across multiple tools and systems, ensuring actions happen in the right sequence, securely, and with full visibility.

It connects systems and workflows so IT teams can step out of reactive mode and start driving strategy.

The illusion of AI as a quick fix 

AI is powerful, but adoption alone doesn’t simplify a fragmented toolset. Siloed efforts can amplify the noise. 

According to a 2025 Forrester study of IT leaders commissioned by Tines:

• 38% said security and governance concerns stall scaling AI.

• 34% said proving ROI is a major challenge.

AI can surface valuable insights, but if your workflows, systems, and teams are disconnected, you’re left with more silos and more friction.

Why tool sprawl is the real problem 

Agents add real value, but without orchestration they risk becoming just another layer in a crowded stack. IT teams need fewer swivel-chair moments between tools and platforms.The Forrester study revealed:

• 49% struggle with competing priorities between IT and business units.

• 43% face siloed budgets and tooling decisions.

• 41% said too many disconnected platforms are slowing progress.

That’s tool sprawl in action. It leads to slower incident response, wasted spend, and more operational risk, all while IT and security teams are expected to scale without headcount.

It also drives talent burnout, as teams waste hours context switching between systems, chasing down data across disconnected platforms, and duplicating effort due to a lack of integration.

And don’t forget the issue of maintaining governance; as the sprawl grows, so does the governance burden.

Every new tool adds another set of policies, permissions, and compliance checks to manage, creating more room for gaps and inconsistencies.

Orchestration is the foundation for scaling AI 

This is where orchestration changes the game. Instead of adding yet another tool, orchestration connects the ones you already have. It’s the execution layer that makes AI useful and scalable.

• 73% of IT leaders said end-to-end visibility is critical to building trust in AI outcomes.

• 86% agreed IT is uniquely positioned to orchestrate AI across workflows, systems, and teams.

Orchestration reduces manual work and context switching while creating repeatable, auditable workflows that scale. The real shift is that it gives IT and security professionals like myself, the space to focus on higher-value priorities: reducing end user friction, ensuring compliance, and contributing directly to business initiatives.

Instead of being seen as a purely reactive support function, IT becomes a visible partner in driving outcomes that matter to the organization.

What IT and security practitioners can do now 

You don’t need a massive overhaul to see value; use these metrics to build credibility, demonstrate ROI, and show the business how IT contributes directly to performance and security. 

Here are actions you can put into practice right away:

• Fix the daily drains: Start by orchestrating the repetitive tasks that eat your time; things like ticket triage, access requests, patch rollouts, or log collection. Quick wins free up hours fast, minimize end‑user friction, and strengthen your overall security posture.

• Draw the map: Sketch out how data and tasks move across your stack. Then look for ways to streamline those steps e.g. by standardizing handoffs between teams, eliminating duplicate inputs, or automating simple triggers. This ensures work flows more smoothly and nothing falls through the cracks.

• Track the wins: Keep an eye on metrics that matter, and make them part of your regular reporting:

  • IT Service delivery and support:

  • Mean time to resolution (MTTR): Orchestration coordinates alerts, tickets, and escalations across tools so issues are routed and resolved faster.

  • Time to access/onboard: Automated handoffs between HR, IAM, and IT systems reduce waiting times for new users to get the tools and permissions they need.

  • Hours saved: Eliminating repetitive triage, password resets, or request fulfillment gives IT teams more time for proactive work and improves overall end‑user satisfaction by resolving requests faster and more consistently.

• Infrastructure management:

  • Change success rate: Standardized, automated execution of updates and patches reduces risk of outages and failed rollbacks.

  • Capacity and cost savings: Orchestrated monitoring and scaling of infrastructure ensures resources are used efficiently and overspend is avoided.

• Application management:

  • Release reliability and stability: For third‑party business applications, focus on outcomes like fewer failed deployments, shorter cycle times, and improved user experience. Track where automation directly boosts release quality and speed, rather than just counting tasks “automated”.

  • Compliance check completion: Integrated checks across apps ensure policies and audits are consistently applied.

  • Security posture improvements: Automated access controls and audit trails across applications reduce risk and strengthen governance.

• Choose tools that play well: Focus on stack suitability and interoperability. Prioritize tools and workflow platforms that integrate cleanly with your environment, support compliance, and scale with your needs. Nearly half of IT leaders in the Forrester study said they want centralized end-to-end solutions.

The bottom line 

AI alone won’t reduce the number of tools you juggle. Orchestration will.

By cutting through the sprawl, IT Ops teams gain control, visibility, and trust, creating a foundation where AI can finally scale responsibly. IT professionals who embrace orchestration aren’t just reducing noise. We’re enabling IT to move faster, stay compliant, and shift their role from support to strategy.