OS X 10.6 : Automating new system provisioning with scripts
There is a better way to do this. The IT department at my company maintains a disk image with all of the settings in place they need to administer the Macs when they are received-including software in place registered with site licenses. They open the Macs and simply replace what's on the hard drive with the disk image.

Scripting is a logical path, but scripting System Preferences is a real bear because you have to go with GUI Scripting which is rife with problems, the least of which trying to decipher UIElementInspector to get what you need.