How MSPs can leverage automation in these hard economic times

We are living in unprecedented economic times and this has forced a lot of businesses to reevaluate their spending. Hiring is one area that businesses are cutting down on and that coupled with the great resignation we have witnessed may have put many businesses, especially MSPs in a tight spot.

With fewer people working in various roles such as IT, many MSPs have been left to provide maintenance systems with less support leading to employee burnout and reduced productivity.

The good news is automation can significantly help ease the burden on current employees. According to a report from McKinsey & Company, more than 30% of all activities in six out of ten current occupations are technically automatable.

Moreover, continued advancement in AI technology has also greatly simplified the automation process. Cybersecurity, remote monitoring and management (RMM), and Professional Services Automation (PSA) solutions have become more efficient by leveraging AI to intelligently assess machine performance and security. These solutions are now able to take the right corrective procedure for different issues with minimal human input.

This combined with the elimination of manual repetitive tasks such as creating backups and installing patches can help free a significant amount of technician’s time allowing them to focus on more valuable work that helps your MSP meet their service level agreements.

“Many of us have experienced losing an “IT Superstar” to attrition. After the initial shock has worn off, we often find ourselves wondering how we can replicate the work that person accomplished; especially when very little of it has been automated or documented. Through automation, businesses can begin to replicate common work streams, better track work products, and document processes that previously only existed in the minds of high-performing employees,” wrote Mike Puglia, the Chief Marketing Officer at Kaseya.

On integrating automation into your MSP, Puglia advises that you first create a list of the top twenty ticket types submitted over the past year. Next, identify patterns in the tickets and determine which areas can be automated.

“You’ll be surprised to find that at least five to eight of the items listed can be fully automated off the bat,” Puglia notes.

The next step you can take is to talk to your technicians and collect a list of manual tasks that they complete on a daily basis but don’t require technical expertise. By automating at least two of these tasks you will be creating time for the technicians to concentrate on more value-adding jobs.

As you continue to build up on the automation workflows you have created you will realise that even with the slump in the economy and talent loss, it’s still possible to maintain a high-performing MSP.