Automation is essential for MSPs to scale their businesses and improve efficiencies. Yet, many in the community hesitate to automate processes over concerns like complex setups, integration challenges, and a lack of clear benefits.
Two companies that have embraced automation have some words of hope — and caution. Their advice can help MSPs overcome the hurdles that prevent more widespread adoption.
Why MSPs Can’t Afford to Skip Automation
Brian Weiss, CEO and chief AI officer at ITECH Solutions, said automation minimizes support costs, keeps fixed support contracts profitable, and helps MSPs do right by their customers. “If you’re not automating, you’re either over-billing clients or under-billing and losing profit.”
It also enables business growth, added Paulo Rodrigues, director of quality management for Tech Superpowers. “Automation has helped us do more with the people we have. Hiring can be tough, so being able to automate repetitive tasks is a huge help.”
Find the Automation Sweet Spot
Tech Superpowers has used automation tools like TimeZest ticket scheduling for several years, Rodrigues said. Now, the team no longer wastes time going back and forth to schedule calls or follow up on non-replies.
Paulo Rodrigues
But as much as he loves automation, Rodrigues is cautious about the next step: AI. “When it comes to AI in our workflows — like virtual agents handling tech support — we have held off due to security concerns,” he said.
Client experience is another reason to pump the brakes, shared Weiss. Rodrigues agreed. “We have considered automating more client responses, but are cautious about making things too robotic,” he admitted. “You don’t want clients receiving the same automated message over and over.”
Rather, Rodrigues advised MSPs to strike the right balance, using automation to handle repetitive tasks without sacrificing the human touch that clients value.
Lay the Groundwork: Training, Testing, and Data
When it comes to leveraging automation, it’s important for MSPs to take time to educate their teams.
“There’s definitely a learning curve,” Rodrigues said. “You have to put in the work to set up systems correctly. And it’s not something you can just ‘set and forget.’” Tools must be refined over time, so his team regularly checks for new features and integrations.
Brian Weiss
Weiss added that data management is integral to automation. “Automation is only as good as the data it has access to. For AI and automation to work effectively, all your systems need to be integrated, and your data needs to be in one place.”
Next-level Automation: Building for the Future
ITECH has taken it a step further by developing its own tools.
“Most MSP tools are built on outdated frameworks, which makes automating harder than it should be,” Weiss said. His solution? Rebuild the entire system around an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system using Dynamics 365. This overhaul allows more robust automation that integrates across all business functions and moves automation from a cost- and time-saver to a whole new profit center, he noted.
Ultimately, automation has become a necessity for MSPs. Those who don’t embrace automation — whether for efficiency or future-readiness — risk falling behind.
Getting Started
Here’s some practical advice for MSPs that want to automate their operations, via Weiss and Rodrigues:
- Start with obvious time-savers, like scheduling tools or automated follow-ups in ticketing systems.
- Don’t expect perfect tools out of the box. You’ll need to put some effort into setting things up properly to see the benefits.
- Prioritize integration. If not, you’ll be forced to spend more time managing the automation than benefiting from it.
- Consider long-term scalability to ensure you’re not stuck with a tool that works now but holds you back in the future.
Featured image: DALL-E
