Attention, MSP operatives! Q Labs reporting for duty. Yes, yes, try not to look too excited.

I’ve just returned from an intelligence gathering operation (otherwise known as an MSP Ignite Pigment meeting) and discovered a rather distressing pattern. MSPs across our sector are abandoning their automation initiatives faster than Bond abandons exploding vehicles. The culprit? Poor personnel allocation. Let’s have a proper briefing, shall we?

The Automation Agent: Your Mission-Critical Operative

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: Automation requires a dedicated agent who can concentrate without interruption. Not a technician who dabbles in automation between firefighting missions, not someone who drops everything when their mobile device rings with client emergencies. This agent needs the ability to turn off their ringer, focus deeply, and resist the temptation to answer every SOS signal from clients.

Why is this crucial? Because automation development requires juggling multiple variables and maintaining deep concentration. Each interruption means starting over, leading to frustration, errors, and ultimately abandonment of the entire initiative. I’ve seen countless MSPs try to assign automation duties to their most technically gifted technician, only to watch the project crumble as that same technician gets pulled into every urgent client issue.

The Evolution of MSP Automation: From Reactive to Strategic

As MSPs mature through their operational stages, they encounter an important realization. Those component tasks they created for technicians—like installing antivirus software—shouldn’t actually be manual operations at all. The system itself should ensure these critical tools deploy automatically across all endpoints, only alerting human agents when intervention becomes absolutely necessary.

This evolution represents a fundamental shift in thinking. Instead of empowering technicians to perform tasks manually, we’re creating systems that operate autonomously, with technicians stepping in only when automation can’t resolve an issue. This approach dramatically reduces human error and oversight failures.

The Two Theaters of MSP Automation

Understanding where to deploy your automation forces requires recognizing two distinct battlegrounds:

External Automation Engines

Tools like Rewst, Pia, N8N, Power Automate, and Make excel at operations that interact with APIs and cloud services. These are your weapons of choice for:

• User onboarding and offboarding
• Client onboarding and offboarding
• Creating mailboxes
• Adding contacts to phone systems or PSA

RMM-Based Automation

Your RMM system handles automations that directly affect endpoints. This is where you deploy:

• Workstation onboarding procedures
• Weekly maintenance routines
• Stack alignment monitoring
• Best practice configurations

Real-World Deployment: Lessons from the Field

Let me share a rather illuminating example. One of our operatives (yours truly, in my less sophisticated days) consistently forgot to install printers during workstation deployments. Nothing ruins a client relationship faster than receiving a call while driving away from their site about forgotten equipment.

Had I possessed proper SOPs or, better yet, automated deployment procedures, this embarrassment would never have occurred. The lesson? Automation prevents those human lapses that strain client relationships and frustrate technicians.

Best Practices: Your Automation Protocol

To achieve mission success, consider these operational protocols:

1. Proactive Security Settings: Implement automated configurations for security best practices. For instance, disable browser notification permissions that scareware exploits. Don’t wait for clients to fall victim—deploy these protections automatically across all systems.
2. Weekly Maintenance Operations: Create automated routines that verify and restore critical settings. If someone disables a security feature, your automation ensures it’s restored within the week.
3. Stack Alignment Monitoring: Configure automated checks (every two hours recommended) to verify your standard toolset remains installed across all endpoints. If something goes missing, attempt automatic reinstallation. After a predetermined number of failures, escalate to human intervention.

The Strategic Imperative: Management Buy-In

Your automation initiative requires more than technical implementation—it demands organizational commitment. Management must understand that automation doesn’t replace technicians; it liberates them from repetitive tasks to focus on high-value activities that truly improve client operations.

This shift allows MSPs to deliver consistent service quality regardless of which technician handles a particular ticket. Once you achieve this consistency, you can focus on adding those personal touches that create exceptional client relationships—the kind that make your MSP irreplaceable.

Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It

Successful automation deployment requires:

• A dedicated automation agent free from constant interruptions
• Comprehensive SOPs that document processes and exceptions
• Clear understanding of which automation tools fit specific tasks
• Management support and organizational commitment
• Strategic thinking about proactive versus reactive operations

Remember, agents: Automation isn’t about replacing human ingenuity—it’s about amplifying it. Your assignment is to free your technicians from mundane tasks so they can focus on building those sticky client relationships that make your MSP indispensable.

Need help deploying your automation arsenal? Infiltrate our Cleared Access program for classified automation templates and strategic guidance. Your MSP’s operational efficiency depends on it. No pressure.

Q Labs, over and out.