Staying ahead of the curve: 7 ways automation keeps your MSP competitive

Discover 7 powerful ways automation helps MSPs improve service, scale efficiently, boost profits, and stand out in a crowded market.

As MSPs gear up for a new year, the pressure to remain competitive is higher than ever. The days of delayed responses and manual ticketing are gone as new waves of customer service initiatives sweep the industry. To stay competitive, it’s time to rethink automation’s role in your MSP.  

With more MSPs leveraging RMMs and other tools to enhance service offerings, the ability to stand out isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s essential for survival. Our recent article, The Future of RPA in MSP Operations, explores how forward-thinking MSPs use automation as a foundational strategy to redefine their operations, deliver exceptional value, and differentiate themselves in a crowded market.  

Despite clear advantages, many MSPs remain on the fence about fully embracing automation, unsure whether it’s the right move for their business. This blog explores how automation positions your MSP as a market leader and sets the stage for sustainable success. 

1. Deliver enhanced service quality 

Picture a service desk where tasks like ticket triage, patch management, and SLA monitoring get handled with consistent precision. Automation tidies up these critical processes, reducing human error and ensuring deadlines remain intact. This reliability strengthens client trust, reinforces your MSP’s commitment to delivering on promises, and sets the stage for exceptional service standards. 

Take Geekbox IT, for example. The MSP leveraged automation to develop a workflow that integrates Discord to send real-time helpdesk alerts to technicians when a ticket is close to or exceeds SLA thresholds. The result? They keep critical issues in check and service delivery on track. 

Network IT Easy achieved a significant breakthrough in performance by automating new user onboarding, offboarding, and ticketing processes. With automated workflows, they deliver consistent, seamless experiences to over 100 clients, enabling them to handle dozens of new user setups every week efficiently. This transformation saves the MSP approximately 80 hours of work each week, freeing up valuable resources for higher-priority tasks.  

With these efficiency gains, Network IT Easy added new users in minutes—leaving competitors relying on manual processes far behind.

Competitive edge:

When you can shift your SLA altogether and resolve issues faster, you stand out as a trusted partner. Clients value reliability and results over low-cost alternatives, and automation gives you the edge to deliver both. 

2. Scale without increasing headcount or costs 

IT Partners in New Zealand leveraged Rewst’s prebuilt integrations to automate user onboarding, device decommissioning, and contract auditing. This allowed the MSP to scale operations with its current headcount while creating new revenue streams through client-facing automation services. 

Automation empowers your MSP to manage more clients and workloads without expanding your team. By eliminating repetitive tasks, your technicians can focus on strategic growth and complex problem-solving—all while keeping costs under control. 

Microtime saw similar benefits when they automated their accounts receivable and other processes. Using Rewst, they reduced manual workloads by almost 250 hours each month, eliminating the need for additional staff. This automation allowed them to scale efficiently, saving costs while maintaining high service quality. 

Competitive edge:

Automation allows you to scale seamlessly without needing to hire at the same pace, keeping your pricing competitive for existing and new clients. You can also take on larger contracts and expand into new markets faster than competitors tied down by manual operations. Clients looking for MSPs capable of growing without sacrificing service quality will prioritize those with a proven track record of success. 

3. Accelerate problem resolution to maximize client satisfaction 

Automating redundant processes like ticket categorization, escalation, and troubleshooting speeds up problem resolution. Less time spent trialing solutions gives technicians the time to address concerns more effectively, reducing downtime and enhancing the client experience. 

Karpel Solutions used automation to develop a custom integration between their DevOps workflows and ConnectWise PSA. The integration synchronized alerts and tickets, providing clients with faster, more efficient service delivery. 

Relentless Solutions used Rewst’s prebuilt automation to implement a system that analyzed ticket notes, flagged frustrations, and escalated negative sentiment tickets. This automation ensured the MSP addressed critical issues promptly, boosting client satisfaction and operational efficiency. 

Competitive edge:

Faster resolution times improve client satisfaction and serve as a selling point in your sales process. Prospective clients seek MSPs that deliver faster fixes, trusting you as a results-driven partner. 

4. Expand your client’s businesses with Automation-as-a-Service

Extending automation tools and workflows to your clients’ financial management and employee onboarding processes creates new revenue opportunities for your MSP through Automation-as-a-Service (AaaS).  

For example, integrations with popular platforms like QuickBooks Online, Xero, ADP, and BambooHR empower you to automate critical processes for your clients such as payroll, HR management, invoicing, and compliance reporting. These automations free your clients to focus on scaling their business while improving accuracy and efficiency.  

Tailored, client-focused automation solutions enable your clients to achieve more while unlocking their growth potential. Positioning your MSP as a critical partner in their success makes it harder for clients to switch providers. Maximizing their internal processes doesn’t just boost efficiency—it strengthens loyalty and increases client retention. 

Competitive edge:

Offering AaaS is a win-win scenario. You unlock new recurring revenue streams for your MSP while giving your clients a competitive advantage. Few MSPs provide this level of proactive automation for their clients, creating a differentiator attracting businesses seeking cutting-edge partners. 

5. Boost profit margins by eliminating time-consuming tasks 

Imagine your technicians focusing on high-impact projects instead of drowning in repetitive, low-value tasks. Automation takes over time-consuming processes like manual billing reconciliation, freeing your team to work on strategic initiatives like enhancing cybersecurity defenses and improving areas that drive business growth. Automating repetitive processes empowers you to meet increasing client demands while maintaining strong profit margins. 

The service desk technicians at eTop dedicated 1,400 hours each month to manual tasks such as onboarding and offboarding new users. The MSP integrated their existing tools into Rewst automating 40 workflows. This shift allowed technicians to focus on high-value projects, including developing front-end interfaces for automations that enable end users to address issues proactively. As a result, the number of endpoints supported per technician increased from 200 to an impressive 350! 

Similarly, Tech Rage IT tackled another common bottleneck: user onboarding. Previously, technicians spent nearly 20% of their time on monotonous tasks like account creation, software installation, and ticket assignments for new hires. Automating these processes reduced time spent on onboarding by 80%. This freed their technical staff to focus on higher-value work, like developing client-specific solutions and improving network performance, while saving $60,000 annually. 

Competitive edge: 

MSPs with higher profit margins have more resources to reinvest in growth, marketing, and customer retention strategies, empowering you to outpace competitors. Automation also lowers the cost-of-service delivery, so you can offer competitive pricing without sacrificing quality.

Want to gain a competitive edge in the MSP space? Discover how automation helps industry leaders deliver faster fixes, scale without extra costs, and boost profit margins. Download the MSP Automation Lookbook for real-world examples of automations that drive results 

6. Build a trusted reputation with proactive services 

Is your MSP chasing fires or prepping the house to prevent them altogether? 

Automation shifts your focus from reactive problem-solving to proactive management, keeping your clients ahead of potential disruptions. Predicting maintenance needs, addressing security threats, and optimizing resource usage elevate your MSP’s reputation as a reliable and forward-thinking partner. 

Some automation platforms integrate directly with security tools, empowering your MSP to address threats proactively. Imagine Nerdio detecting suspicious activity on a virtual machine. A workflow kicks in, taking the VM offline, disconnecting VPNs and private links, and even setting up replacement infrastructures automatically. These proactive measures strengthen your clients’ security posture while reducing technician workloads and response times. 

The Rewst RPA platform even offers prebuilt automations like Notify on Conditional Access Policy Changes which uses OpenAI to monitor Microsoft 365 configurations, interpret updates, and send timely notifications about potential security challenges.  

Competitive edge:

Clients today demand proactive IT management. When you prevent issues before they occur, your MSP stands out as a reliable, innovative partner in a crowded market. Offering proactive services with automation strengthens your reputation, attracts clients who value forward-thinking solutions, and ensures you’re always ahead of the competition. 

7. Leverage data-driven insights to stay ahead  

What if your MSP shaped trends instead of just reacting to them?  Automated reporting turns raw data into actionable insights, giving your team the clarity to anticipate client needs, spot inefficiencies, and seize growth opportunities. Instead of scrambling to keep up, you’re driving the conversation. 

When Fusion IT and Millennia Technologies merged, fragmented systems made aligning sales and service strategies difficult. Automation bridged the gap with a two-way sync between HubSpot and ConnectWise PSA, creating a unified view of customer journeys and unlocking new opportunities for cross-selling. 

Jared Brantley at Raven Automation took this further by using Rewst’s App Builder to create a custom dashboard that ranks clients by profitability and solution adoption. This data-driven approach empowers leadership to prioritize high-impact clients, optimize pricing, and confidently grow recurring revenue. 

Competitive edge:

MSPs that rely on data-driven strategies can respond precisely to client needs and market trends. Automated analytics uncover new upsell opportunities, identify gaps in service offerings, and ensure proper resource allocation. This proactive approach enhances operational efficiency and attracts and retains high-value clients, giving your MSP a clear edge in the marketplace

Staying ahead with automation: Your competitive edge for 2025

As the MSP landscape grows more competitive, automation is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. Leveraging automation across your MSP unlocks unparalleled efficiency, delivers exceptional service quality, and positions you as a forward-thinking partner that clients trust.  

Whether scaling operations without increasing costs, proactively addressing security threats, or empowering your clients with Automation-as-a-Service, these strategies aren’t just about staying relevant—they’re about leading the pack.

Joelle Cullimore
Content Marketing Manager