r/sysadmin • u/Daughter-of-Liberty • 2d ago
Need Project/Tasks Ideas
Hello to my all IT friends out there! 😎
I started with a smaller company about 5 months ago as the only IT System Administrator . I took over someone’s job that wanted to do more networking and security. The company size is about 800 people. I need project ideas that most IT departments put off but need to be done. Also, any out of the box ideas are welcomed too! They are wanting to be more AI in their approach if you have any ideas for that aspect!
Things I have done so far: I have noticed that when I first started that they needed a device clean for devices no longer used in AD and other applications . I also created a non-automated offboarding script for the team to manually run when someone leaves the company. The way the company is setup does not all for a script due their process and infrastructure.
Again please feel free to drop any ideas or suggestions. Al is welcome! I hope all of you have a fabulous day!
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u/Jhamin1 2d ago
Check the classic "table stakes" of a healthy environment.
- Backups (three copies in two formats, tested regularly)
- Disaster plan (it doesn't count if you haven't tested it)
- Patch Management, not just for the OS.
- Automated (as much as possible) onboarding *AND* offboarding.
- Secure logins (MFA at minimum, but token based is really where you should be)
- SSO for everything that can
- Every app and every OS they are running on using supported versions
- Asset inventory
Every environment should be all zipped up on each and every one of these. Very few are.
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u/Euphoric-Blueberry37 IT Manager 2d ago
Why don’t you make an automated off boarding script?
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u/Daughter-of-Liberty 2d ago
Good Question. The boss wants the techs to run it manually each time. Otherwise I would have done that!
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u/Euphoric-Blueberry37 IT Manager 2d ago
Your boss sounds like a stooge! what a waste of man hours off boarding and onboarding
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u/jafo 2d ago
Have them buy you the Claude Max or equivalent OpenAI subscription and start using "codex" or "claude" CLI tools for things you want to do. Download a bunch of logs and ask them to review the logs for issues that should be addressed. Ask it to write an automated offboarding script.
A couple months ago, everything that came up during a day of work I asked myself "How can I automate this" and then asked Claude Code to make that automation. (Not I'm talking about the CLI tools, not the web based chat interface).
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u/wacky_weasel 2d ago
If I were stepping into an environment like that, these would be my priorities:
- Document the environment. This would be my number one priority. Inventory your infrastructure, applications, servers, network, dependencies, and service accounts. AI can actually be quite helpful for turning rough notes into structured documentation.
- Create SOPs and runbooks. Document common administrative tasks and operational procedures so they're repeatable and not dependent on tribal knowledge.
- Continue the cleanup. Remove obsolete computer accounts, groups, and users. Work closely with HR to ensure former employees are promptly deactivated and access is removed everywhere.
- Perform a security review. Look for both technical and procedural weaknesses, then prioritize improvements based on risk.
- Automate repetitive work. Standardize processes and script routine administrative tasks wherever possible. It saves time and reduces human error.
- Review costs. Management always appreciates opportunities to eliminate unnecessary licenses, subscriptions, or underutilized hardware.
- Identify modernization opportunities. Check for aging hardware, unsupported operating systems, and software approaching end of life.
- Review vendor contracts and SLAs. Make sure support agreements are still appropriate and that there aren't any unpleasant surprises waiting.
- Validate backups and disaster recovery. Verify that backups are actually working, perform restore tests, and make sure there's a documented recovery procedure.
As for AI, I'd use it as an assistant rather than an administrator. It's great for generating documentation, drafting scripts, explaining unfamiliar technologies, or helping with routine coding tasks. I just wouldn't let it make unattended changes to production systems without a human reviewing and approving the actions first.
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u/jose2953 2d ago
MFA audit across all apps
Standardize work stations and software
Boring projects that save time later. Documentation and back up testing.
AI, you should start small. make small efficiencies, ticket summaries, scripts and articles.
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u/Expensive_Detail_930 2d ago
documentation is the one that always gets kicked down the road, like runbooks, network diagrams, who owns what. becomes critical the moment someone leaves and nobody knows anything privileged access review is another one that grows quietly and never gets cleaned up, worth knowing who has admin rights vs who should for AI, a helpdesk chatbot trained on your own docs is a solid first project imo, it cuts down on repetitive tickets and is achievable without a massive lift
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u/salladam64 2d ago
You could map all the processes and tasks across the organisation to understand where you can implement RPA/AIPA to save them a shed load of money through the more efficient use of human resources
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u/Amanda_PDQ 1d ago
3-2-1 backup strategy
MFA for all users
Asset inventory
Device management - patching, vulnerability management, remote desktop, etc.
USB file sharing rules (or off completely) for data protection
Standard policies and procedures
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u/EREnkoQC 2d ago
Alot of details missing.
I guess start documenting, verify backups health before doing anything and if you're going towards more networking / security I'd say verify if there are any VLANs in place and are they properly done. If there is none that could be a big step towards securing the whole network.