Automation is transforming the way MSPs operate.
Nearly half of all tasks that people are paid to do could already be automated using today's technology.
If you're not automating at least some of your daily tasks, you're competing with the 75% of companies that have gained a significant competitive advantage through workflow automation.
In this post, we'll explore six key areas where automation tools are making a significant impact for MSPs:
Prospecting
Prospecting is about identifying and connecting with potential clients who might be interested in your services.
Traditionally, this has been a time-consuming process, but automation tools help MSPs efficiently find and engage with potential customers. This is done by leveraging data and smart algorithms to accelerate the outreach process. This saves time and increases the chances of connecting with high-quality leads.
Here are some of the best prospecting tools available in the market for MSPs:
ChatSpot
ChatSpot is a conversational marketing platform that uses chatbots to qualify leads and engage with website visitors. ChatSpot allows you to create chatbots that can answer common questions, schedule demos, and collect lead information.
Propensity
Propensity leverages unique intent and engagement data to help MSPs identify and prioritize high-intent leads, providing visibility into who is interacting with ads, visiting websites, and engaging with content. Propensity automates sales prospecting through personalized emails, building sequences, and integrating qualified leads into CRMs.
6Sense
6sense Revenue AI™ for Sales is an advanced sales platform that leverages AI to prioritize in-market accounts and provide comprehensive buyer intelligence, helping MSPs efficiently target the right prospects. 6sense refines the prospecting process by automating lead prioritization and integrating data into existing tools.
Proposal Writing
Writing proposals requires attention to detail and persuasive writing skills.
AI-powered platforms can automate the creation of professional and compelling proposals. By inputting key details about your services and the client's needs, these tools can generate customized proposals quickly.
Here are some of the best proposal writing tools available in the market for MSPs:
ChatGPT
ChatGPT (from Open AI) is an AI-powered writing assistant that can help you generate creative text formats. In the context of proposal writing, ChatGPT can help you brainstorm ideas, suggest content, and improve the flow of your writing.
Gemini
Gemini (from Google AI) is a factual language model from Google AI, trained on a massive dataset of text and code. For proposals, Gemini can provide summaries of factual topics that you can incorporate into your writing to enhance credibility.
DocGenius
DocGenius is an AI-powered legal document assistant that can help you generate a variety of legal documents, including contracts, NDAs, and privacy policies. While DocGenius is not specifically designed for proposals, it can be a helpful tool for generating boilerplate language that you can then customize for your proposals.
Platform + Automation
Platform automation refers to a unified technology platform that optimizes various business functions through a combination of features. This can include marketplaces offering pre-built solutions, digital workflow automation tools, integrated commerce functionalities, and a central hub for managing everything.
There's a current gap in the market with many existing solutions only tackling one or two aspects of business management.
That's why our platform stands out as an ideal choice for MSPs seeking comprehensive platform automation:
TechGrid
TechGrid is a business operating system that combines a marketplace, digital workflows, and commerce tools to help TSPs deliver a modern customer experience.
TechGrid automates MSP operations by integrating CRM, PSA, and ITSM tools into a central hub. This simplifies workflow automation and facilitates direct integration with partners like Ingram Micro and TD Synnex for efficient digital collaboration.
TechGrid accelerates bill of materials creation from days to seconds, ensuring accuracy and efficiency in proposal generation.
Support & Customer Experience
In the realm of customer support and experience, automation looks like chatbots answering common questions, automated emails guiding new users through onboarding, or systems automatically routing tickets to the right specialist. This frees up agents for complex issues, allows for 24/7 support, and provides a smoother, faster experience for customers.
Pia
Pia automates service desk tasks such as reading and organizing service tickets. This tool streamlines ticket management, reduces manual workload, and ensures faster response times.
Thread
Thread software enhances customer service for MSPs by integrating into platforms like Slack and Microsoft Teams, allowing customers to initiate support threads. Thread also automates common requests, notifies teams of new issues, and escalates urgent matters promptly.
NineMinds
Nine Minds' Alga software enhances IT ticketing capabilities through advanced AI, offering intelligent problem-solving and multi-faceted customer support. Integrated with ConnectWise, Alga revolutionizes service delivery by providing efficient, AI-driven solutions that optimize workflow management.
Security Operations Automation
Security operations automation (SOA) optimizes tasks in a Security Operations Center (SOC) that monitors for cyber threats. By automating tasks like log analysis and incident triage, SOA speeds up threat detection and response, reducing human error.
BlinkOps
Blink is a security automation platform that simplifies complex workflows across IT environments. It enables security teams to automate policy enforcement, alert responses, cloud security optimization, compliance validation, and more.
Torq
Torq offers an enterprise-grade hyperautomation platform designed to automate complex security infrastructures at scale. Rapidly integrate and automate diverse business and IT processes across cloud, on-premise, and hybrid environments. With AI-driven prompts, no-code and low-code options, and expert-curated templates, Torq enables quick deployment of security automations while ensuring robust, compliant, and scalable operations through its secure, cloud-native architecture.
Splunk Phantom
Splunk Phantom is a Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) platform that integrates security infrastructure orchestration, playbook automation, and case management. It helps you systematize security workflows, automate repetitive tasks, and respond swiftly to threats.
Robotic Process Automation
Robotic process automation (RPA) is essentially using software robots to automate repetitive tasks that people normally do on computers. These tasks are typically rule-based and involve things like data entry, moving files, copying and pasting data, and filling out forms.
RPA tools can mimic human actions by interacting with different computer applications the same way a person would, but they can do it much faster and more accurately.
Rewst
Rewst is a user-friendly Robotic Process Automation (RPA) platform that allows MSPs to automate IT processes without coding or agents. It bridges tool gaps, expedites workflows through visual canvases, and frees up staff from repetitive tasks like ticket management and security triage.
UiPath
UiPath's automation capabilities help MSPs enhance operational efficiency, reduce errors, and free up human resources for more strategic tasks. The platform supports a wide range of integrations, making it versatile for different IT environments.
Power Automate
Microsoft Power Automate automates workflows between different applications and services. It uses low-code tools and AI to make automation accessible. Power Automate lets you build workflows to automate repetitive tasks, connect disparate systems, analyze data for optimization opportunities, and leverage built-in AI models for intelligent document processing.
Getting Started with AI
In 2024, automating your business as an MSP is no longer optional. A structured approach can make it more manageable:
- Audit: Map out your existing workflows and identify repetitive tasks that consume significant time and resources.
- Set Goals: Define what you aim to achieve with automation, such as increased efficiency, reduced errors, or enhanced customer experience.
- Choose the Right Tools: Select automation tools that align with your needs and objectives.
- Start Small: Begin with a few key areas to automate and gradually expand.
- Train Your Team: Ensure your staff understands the new tools and processes. Provide training and support to facilitate a smooth adoption.
What Should MSPs Automate
When you start incorporating automation into your business, it can be challenging to decide where to start. Let’s walk through the main areas that should be prioritized for automation:
- Deal Information: Automatically sync data between your CRM and CPQ to save time and ensure accuracy.
- Bill of Materials: Use digital workflows to instantly build standardized bills of materials for faster, more consistent quoting.
- Proposals: Generate tailored proposals with AI-powered tools, saving time and improving client experience.
- Pricing: Automate complex pricing calculations and approvals for faster quotes and negotiations.
- Tasks: Enhance collaboration between departments with automated task assignments and notifications.
Best Practices Around Automation
- Use Cases: Clearly define the problems you want to solve and the specific tasks you want to automate. Focus on use cases where AI can add the most value.
- Quality Inputs: AI models rely on high-quality data to function effectively. Ensure that the data you feed into AI systems is accurate, clean, and relevant.
- Pilot Projects: Begin with small-scale pilot projects to test the effectiveness of AI solutions.
- Monitor and Measure Performance: Use key performance indicators (KPIs) to track success and identify areas for improvement.
- Ethical Considerations: AI implementations should adhere to ethical guidelines, ensuring fairness, transparency, and accountability.
- Training: Provide training on how to use AI systems effectively and interpret their outputs.
- Human Oversight: Regularly review AI outputs to ensure they align with your business goals and ethical standards.
