Automation is essential for managed service providers that want to scale. Without automation tools, managed service providers (MSPs) lose valuable time to repetitive tasks and manual processes, instead of focusing on strategic goals and innovation.
MSP automation reduces mean time to resolution (MTTR) and improves predictability. It also improves remote management and monitoring and helps MSPs respond to increasingly complex customer demands. But as your business grows, you may find that your MSP automation software is missing key features you need to scale effectively.
So how do you get the most value from MSP automation? And what features should automation tools include to increase productivity and profitability? This complete guide to MSP automation benefits answers these questions and shares 13 automation essentials to look for when shopping for a new solution.
13 MSP automation essentials
Whether you’re looking for MSP automation that supports billing processes, enables effective remote management and monitoring, or reduces the risk of human error, MSP automation tools can help you resolve common pain points. Before making the switch to a new automation solution, make sure it includes the following features:
1. Network alerts
If a network goes down, productivity often goes to zero. Even performance dips — or “brownouts” — can dramatically impact business. For example, too much latency and jitter can lead to poor-quality VoIP calls and video conferences.
Automated network alerts are a great example of MSP automation. They can help you react to outages sooner and proactively address brownouts before they lead to bigger issues. You can configure MSP automation to use ping triggers and simple network management protocol (SNMP) monitors to automatically alert your team when a network problem arises.
2. Maintenance tasks
In the MSP business, there’s an ever-growing list of maintenance tasks that are essential for keeping things running smoothly. For example, new machines may come provisioned with network services you need to disable or enable. Similarly, you might need to send a Wake-on-LAN (WoL) packet to ensure some machines are on at a specific time.
Scheduling these routine tasks as automated processes provides two key benefits:
- Reduced risk of human error: Once you automate the work, you reduce the risk of a human forgetting to do a routine task.
- Increased productivity: If your technicians don’t have to worry about routine maintenance tasks, they can focus on the work that requires human attention.
3. Ticket routing
Effective ticket handling is one of the best ways your MSP can boost productivity and client satisfaction. Ticket management is repetitive and based on simple workflow logic, so it’s a process you can easily manage with MSP automation.
Automated processes can help you route tickets with context so you can address common use cases. For example, you could automatically route all the tickets for a specific client to an account manager or auto-assign a ticket to Tier 2 support based on status. An MSP automation tool also tracks the status of tickets and prioritizes client tickets based on rules you define.
Using Syncro’s AI-powered Guided Ticket Resolution, your tickets are automatically assigned to an AI classification. Based on the classification, you can automate ticket routing so tickets get to the right technicians for that type of problem.
Learn more about how MSPs are using AI to transform operations in this on-demand MSP Masterclass.
4. Issue remediation
MSP automation improves remote management and monitoring of client systems, with RMM features that can resolve issues 24/7. Once you create remediation rules in your MSP automation platform, you can count on the software to resolve common issues with client systems and route complex problems to the appropriate technicians.
Questions to ask as you set up remediations include:
- What issues have a well-defined fix?
- Is the fix scriptable?
- How should your remediation action combine with your ticket automations?
An automated remediation example configuration in Syncro
5. Patch management
A quality patch management strategy can be a cybersecurity game changer. Many exploits in the wild today result from vulnerabilities that could have been resolved with a published patch.
Automation enables MSPs to search for and apply patches as they become available. By automating patch management, MSPs can improve operational efficiency and resource allocation, as well as keep client systems and endpoints secure.
6. PowerShell scripting
PowerShell is the key to MSP superpowers. With PowerShell scripts, you can automate everything from standard maintenance tasks to complex user management workflows. These scripts can enhance cybersecurity, streamline MSP business management, and configure user permissions automatically.
Syncro’s MSP automation software includes PowerShell scripting, along with a large community script library, so you can hit the ground running. Here are three PowerShell scripts you can find in the community script library:
- Auto-configure user profiles: A Syncro customer provided a PowerShell script that auto-configures Microsoft Outlook with a user’s email address.
- Disable browser password saving: This script disables browser-based password saving in Chrome, Firefox, and Edge.
- Monitor storage space: This customer’s script contribution monitors storage spaces and physical disks in Windows.
For a deeper dive into PowerShell scripting, check out 8 Ways to Supercharge Your MSP With PowerShell Scripts.
7. Vulnerability management
We’ve already covered automated workflows for patch management, but that’s just part of the broader scope of vulnerability management. A critical component of this is system monitoring, which helps detect and prioritize risks. At a high level, vulnerability management covers:
- Discovery: Enumerating the assets in an organization and the associated threats.
- Prioritization: Ranking the vulnerabilities based on the overall risk.
- Remediation: Addressing the risk through mitigation or elimination.
Patch management falls into the remediation category. But MSPs can and should automate vulnerability discovery and prioritization. For example, security scans can detect insecure network protocols like SMB v1 and potential application vulnerabilities.
8. Client communications
With the surge in popularity of ChatGPT, a lot of exciting MSP automation possibilities exist around client communications. However, you don’t have to use AI as your customer service rep to benefit from automated communications. In many cases, selecting the right automation platform that’s triggered by conditions like a ticket status change can streamline client communications, improve your response times, and ensure uniformity in your messaging.
9. SLA monitoring
SLAs protect your MSP business and set clear expectations with your clients. To maintain credibility, it’s essential to regularly meet or exceed your SLAs. When dealing with multiple sites, alerts, and technicians, it can be easy for an SLA breach to slip through the cracks if you’re not careful.
Automated workflows can help you detect and address SLA breaches efficiently. For example, if a ticket’s due date has passed, you could leverage automation to send an alert or automatically escalate it.
Looking for an SLA crash course? Check out MSP SLAs: The Quick Start Guide.
A Syncro ticket automation to change the priority of a ticket that’s overdue
10. Client-facing reports
When an MSP does its job well, the client might not even notice. After all, no one stops to think, “Hey, the servers sure are running great today!” Reports can help MSPs demonstrate their value to clients and potentially increase client satisfaction. They can also enable refresh opportunities when older hardware and software are detected.
Manual reports are useful, but automation tools take them to the next level. Automating the creation and distribution of client-facing reports makes it easier to scale the practice across all your customers.
11. Internal reports
MSP automation helps you improve operational efficiency with internal reports. You can easily see MTTR — and filter by client, technician, or issue type — to see if you need to work on service delivery.
12. Quoting for prospective clients
Pricing can be tricky for MSP to get right. However, an automation tool can simplify the process once you’re comfortable with your price points and offerings. For example, Quoter is an automation tool that MSPs can use to integrate with multiple PSAs and reduce administrative overhead.
13. Billing for existing clients
Billing is a critical part of MSP cash flow management. Ensuring your clients get accurate and timely invoices increases the likelihood of timely payments. Automating billing processes for your existing clients streamlines workflows and improves cash flow management by reducing manual effort and minimizing errors. For example, automated billing features can:
- Dynamically count employees and assets to bill accordingly
- Add unbilled ticket charges as a line item
- Configure recurring invoices using a stored payment method
Syncro users can also benefit from a variety of payment processing integrations.
How to choose the right MSP automation tools
When switching to a new automation platform, consider the following factors:
- Scalability and cost: Can the platform grow with your business? The right automation platform lets you expand your client base without straining your budget.
- Ease of use: Is the platform user-friendly? A straightforward interface reduces the learning curve and increases adoption rates.
- Integration: Does the platform integrate with your existing systems and tools? Seamless integration ensures smooth workflows and data consistency.
- Customization: Can you customize the platform? The right MSP automation platform will have customizable features that allow you to adapt the tool to your unique processes.
- Support: What kind of support and training does the vendor offer? Reliable support and comprehensive training are essential for successful implementation and ongoing use.
- Migration: Can you easily move your data and client endpoints to a different platform?
By carefully evaluating these factors, managed service providers can compare platforms and choose an automation solution that helps them achieve their business goals. The right automation tool can significantly enhance operational efficiency, improve service quality, and drive business growth.
Make the switch to Syncro
Syncro is all-in-one, integrated MSP software that supports MSP automation, business operations, and customer service delivery. To see what Syncro can do for your MSP, sign up for a free trial today — no credit card required!
Share
Related Resources
