Top 7 Workload Automation Tools: Vendor Benchmark

We selected the top workload automation software based on the features, pricing, and market presence metrics of leading solutions. See our rationale for selecting each tool by following the links below:

Workload Automation Tools

For

1

ActiveBatch

Hybrid cloud / API orchestration

2

RunMyJobs by Redwood

Orchestrating SAP jobs while keeping a clean SAP core

3

Stonebranch

Numerous community-driven pre-packaged integrations delivered as SaaS

4

Fortra's JAMS

PowerShell integration & job scheduling management on the .NET framework

5

BMC Control-M

Data pipeline orchestration and managed file transfers

Show More (2)

Workload automation tools users typically need:

• Powerful automation features enabled by connectors to common enterprise systems.
• Ease of use facilitated by no-code functionalities.
• Centralized process monitoring and failure management.
• Deployment environment in both on-prem and cloud environments.
• Enterprise-grade security.

This article evaluates the core capabilities and market presence of the WLA tools so buyers can identify the top tools in a data-driven manner and focus on their buying process.

Workload automation market leaders

*Ratings are based on the reviews on Capterra and G2. ¹ Companies are sorted first by sponsorship level and then by their number of reviews.

Workload Automation Feature Comparison and Security Overview

Selection criteria for top products

• We focus on companies with 100+ employees.
• We focused on vendors with Fortune 500 references/case studies on their websites.

Top workload automation tools analyzed

ActiveBatch

ActiveBatch provides both on-prem and cloud-based job scheduling solutions emphasizing ease of use.

• In ActiveBatch, Flow Control Job Steps like ForEachRow and If-Branch allow users to manage and direct jobs within workflows based on specific conditions and dependencies. These steps can be easily added to workflows by dragging and dropping them into the desired location.
• In the ActiveBatch Console Panel, the Views Pane categorizes features like Scheduling Analytics (SLA Monitor, SLA List, etc.) and Administrator tools (System Objects, Extension Manager, Published Objects, etc.)
  • ActiveBatch also allows users to customize the console by adding panes, such as a Favorites tab, to quickly access Job Types, Variables, Shared Objects, Alerts, and more.
• ActiveBatch supports command-line operations, enabling the integration of preexisting automation from open-source job schedulers into the ActiveBatch platform.
• ActiveBatch includes an API creation tool called the Super REST API adapter. This adapter allows you to use AWS signature authentication and make AWS API calls using the signature.

You can refer to our article for more information and an in-depth review of ActiveBatch.

RunMyJobs by Redwood

RunMyJobs is a vendor-managed SaaS product, which means users automatically get the latest updates. A free trial is available on request.

RunMyJobs can handle workloads on S/4HANA or BTP with its built-in integrations. This allows users to automate workloads without needing additional software or changes to their core SAP installation. It also provides SAP-certified integrations with RISE and SAP S/4HANA Cloud.

RunMyJobs is a prominent choice for organizations that rely on SAP environments. For more information, see Redwood-SAP partnership.

Their offering:

Stonebranch

Stonebranch users can access the Stonebranch Integration Hub to utilize community-contributed integration templates. Additionally, dashboards and detailed reports are available, providing real-time insights and monitoring of service level agreements. Stonebranch can integrate with SAP services such as SAP S/4HANA. It is often praised for its great customer support.

See their demo below:

For an in-depth review of Stonebranch, refer to our article.

Fortra’s JAMS

Fortra’s JAMS is built on the .NET framework and fully integrates with PowerShell. It offers over 50 cmdlets for job management, maintenance, and administration directly through the command line.

JAMS supports a wide range of platforms, including Windows, UNIX, Linux, and IBM, and integrates with popular applications like SQL Server, Oracle, and SAP.

It provides centralized job management, enabling users to monitor, control, and audit workflows across diverse systems. JAMS also ensures high availability, load balancing, and comprehensive logging for efficient troubleshooting, making it ideal for complex IT environments.

See JAMS Scheduler alternatives.

BMC Control-M

BMC Control-M can be deployed on any cloud and is available as a SaaS service. It provides native support for popular cloud services such as AWS, Azure, and Google. Additionally, it can integrate with data platforms like Airflow, Snowflake, Azure Data Factory, and more. A free trial is available upon request.

If you’re already using Control-M and experiencing limitations, see Control-M alternatives.

Key features of workload automation tools

1. Deployment environment

On-Prem

On-prem deployment is essential for many organizations, especially those with stringent security requirements or specific regulatory compliance needs. Workload automation tools that support on-prem deployment allow businesses to maintain full control over their infrastructure and data. They can keep sensitive information within their own physical or virtualized servers, ensuring compliance with internal policies or external regulations like GDPR or HIPAA.

On-prem solutions also cater to businesses with legacy systems that cannot easily migrate to the cloud due to technical or cost-related reasons.

Cloud

Cloud deployment offers scalability, flexibility, and accessibility benefits that are highly attractive to modern businesses. Workload automation tools that support cloud environments enable organizations to leverage the elasticity and cost-efficiency of cloud computing. They can dynamically scale their computing resources up or down based on demand, optimizing costs and performance.

Moreover, cloud-based automation tools facilitate remote access and collaboration, supporting distributed teams and allowing for easier integration with other cloud-based services and applications. This flexibility is particularly advantageous for businesses undergoing digital transformation initiatives or those operating in rapidly changing markets where agility and speed are paramount.

2. Low-code capability and ease of use

Low-code WLA tools allow developers to automate operations. These tools usually feature a graphical user interface or pre-made elements for automating processes and creating rules. 

Benefits of Low/no-code WLA include: 

• Improved accessibility: Low-code features can let non-programmers use WLA tools. 70% of new applications developed by organizations use low-code tools, up from less than 25% in 2020.
• Greater speed: Low-code features enable faster automation processes, rule creation, and deployment. Low-code solutions save development time by 90%.
• Reduced risk: Low-code capabilities can help reduce the risk of errors and bugs in automation workflows and rules because users do not need to write custom code.

3. Supported coding languages

Versatility and Compatibility

Workload automation tools that support a wide range of coding languages ensure compatibility with various applications and systems within an organization’s IT ecosystem. Different departments or teams may use different programming languages depending on their specific requirements or historical preferences.

By supporting multiple languages such as Python, Java, PowerShell, or SQL, WLA tools can integrate with existing applications and scripts, regardless of the technology stack in use. This versatility reduces friction in adoption and implementation, allowing organizations to automate workflows across heterogeneous environments without the need for extensive re-engineering or rewriting of existing codebases.

Ease of Integration and Customization

The ability of WLA tools to support popular coding languages simplifies integration with third-party applications and services. For example, in a cloud-native environment, where microservices may be developed using different languages, a WLA tool that supports those languages can orchestrate workflows across these services effectively.

Moreover, organizations can customize automation tasks using their preferred programming languages, tailoring workflows to meet specific business requirements or to interact with specialized APIs. This flexibility in customization enhances the tool’s utility and ensures it can adapt to evolving technological landscapes and business needs.

User Adoption and Skill Utilization

Supporting familiar coding languages boosts user adoption and efficiency by allowing IT professionals to leverage existing skills for workflow automation. This minimizes the learning curve and speeds up implementation. It also fosters collaboration across teams with varying technical backgrounds, ensuring broader participation in automation initiatives without language constraints, ultimately enhancing productivity and innovation.

4-Security Posture

Security certifications such as ISO and SOC are crucial for workload automation (WLA) tools because they validate adherence to security standards and practices. These certifications assure organizations that WLA tools implement security controls, including access management, data encryption, and incident response protocols.

By holding ISO and SOC certifications, WLA tools mitigate security risks, comply with regulatory requirements, and build trust with customers who rely on them to automate critical business processes securely. These certifications also demonstrate a commitment to continuous improvement in security practices, ensuring ongoing protection against evolving cyber threats.

5. ERP Integrations

Integration of a workload automation tool with an ERP system can be crucial for obtaining the following benefits:

• Improved efficiency: Workload automation software can help boost ERP system efficiency by automating resource management and coordinating duties. 
• Enhanced visibility: Workload automation software coupled with ERP systems can provide real-time visibility into tasks and processes, helping detect bottlenecks and inefficiencies.
• Greater flexibility: ERP modules can be automated with an integrated workload automation tool. This lets companies modify and optimize system usage.

ERP integrations can be categorized as follows:

• Finance/accounting automation: Workload automation solutions can automate finance/accounting-related duties and processes such as:
  • Audit and compliance automation
  • Invoice creation and approval
  • Payroll automation
• Human resources (HR) task automation: Workload automation tools can automate tasks and processes related to HR workloads, such as:
  • Employee hiring
  • Off-boarding
  • On-boarding
• Supply chain management: Workload automation technologies can automate supply-chain tasks and procedures like:
  • Production scheduling
  • Shipment management
  • Warehouse management

6. Cloud platform applications and integrations

WLA tools can integrate different cloud environments and applications. Some WLA solutions can automate cloud chores on AWS and Microsoft Azure. Others can also link Azure Blob to Kubernetes. In cloud environments, WLA software can automate:

• Virtual machines 
• Storage
• Networking resource provisioning, configuration, and scaling

• Cloud management: Workload automation software can automate tasks and processes related to cloud resource management and deployment, such as:
  • Provisioning and configuring cloud resources 
  • Deploying and managing cloud-based applications 
  • Monitoring cloud-based workloads

7. Big data integrations

Workload automation-big data integration is important for the following reasons:

• Data integration: Workload automation tools can automate tasks and processes associated with data integration from various sources, such as:
  • Structured and unstructured data. ~90% of an organization’s data is unstructured, necessitating various applications to turn them into organized formats.
• Data transfer: Workload automation platforms can automate tasks and processes associated with data movement, such as:
  • Data transfer between various systems and applications
  • Load balancing of data streams. Load balancing is the process of distributing incoming network traffic across multiple backend servers. It is also referred to as a server farm or pool.
• Data governance: Workload automation software can automate data governance tasks and processes such as:
  • Enforcing data quality standards 
  • Tracking data lineage
  • Managing data security and compliance

Similar Tools

It is also important to note that workload automation tools are often used interchangeably with enterprise scheduling tools. Enterprise scheduling tools focus on task and job scheduling within specific environments, workload automation tools offer broader capabilities for automating complex workflows and orchestrating tasks across multiple systems, while job scheduling tools specialize in managing recurring or batch jobs efficiently.

It’s worth noting that there can be an overlap in functionality between these tools, and the terminology may vary depending on the context and specific software solutions.

Explore vendor lists for:

• batch scheduling software
• IT automation software
• Windows scheduling software
• enterprise scheduling software

Workload automation tools can serve a variety of purposes beyond task scheduling, offering ways to streamline and enhance data processing, system integration, and resource management. For instance:

• Enhance data workflows: Combining data warehouse automation software with orchestration tools streamlines data processing across multiple platforms.
• Optimize data integration: Utilize data orchestration tools for seamless data movement and transformation across complex environments.
• Coordinate applications: Leverage service orchestration platforms and process orchestration tools to manage workflows across various applications.
• Improve scalability: Apply container orchestration tools to scale and handle containerized workloads efficiently.

If you already have some workload automation tools in your mind or if you want to see the alternatives, check out:

• alternatives to AutoSys
• alternatives to Fortra’s JAMS

Disclaimers

• The prices of the WLA tools are not listed in the table because vendors give their customers customized quotes based on usage. 
• Because all workload automation software provides job scheduling capabilities, job scheduling is not considered as a difference in the table.
• All workload automation tools provide managed file transfer. Thus, it is not considered in the table.
• We may have missed some workload automation tools that satisfied the screening criteria. In that case, please leave a comment, and we’ll consider adding them.

Further reading

Apply workload automation in different industries and business functions. Check out all workload automation use cases and case studies.

Reference Links

1

G2, “Best Workload Automation Software”. Capterra, “Workflow Management Software, Financial Reporting Software.“

Principal Analyst

Cem Dilmegani

Principal Analyst

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Cem has been the principal analyst at AIMultiple since 2017. AIMultiple informs hundreds of thousands of businesses (as per similarWeb) including 55% of Fortune 500 every month.

Cem's work has been cited by leading global publications including Business Insider, Forbes, Washington Post, global firms like Deloitte, HPE and NGOs like World Economic Forum and supranational organizations like European Commission. You can see more reputable companies and resources that referenced AIMultiple.

Throughout his career, Cem served as a tech consultant, tech buyer and tech entrepreneur. He advised enterprises on their technology decisions at McKinsey & Company and Altman Solon for more than a decade. He also published a McKinsey report on digitalization.

He led technology strategy and procurement of a telco while reporting to the CEO. He has also led commercial growth of deep tech company Hypatos that reached a 7 digit annual recurring revenue and a 9 digit valuation from 0 within 2 years. Cem's work in Hypatos was covered by leading technology publications like TechCrunch and Business Insider.

Cem regularly speaks at international technology conferences. He graduated from Bogazici University as a computer engineer and holds an MBA from Columbia Business School.

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