A guide to getting everyone at your MSP bought into automation

Overcome resistance to automation in your MSP. Learn strategies to get buy-in from leadership, DevOps, and technicians, transforming skepticism into enthusiasm for automation.

Congratulations! You’ve decided to adopt automation across your MSP. Now, it’s time to get everyone else in the company on board.

You know automation is a game-changer for MSPs. You’ve seen and heard how it can significantly boost productivity, enhance accuracy and consistency, improve client satisfaction, and support scalable growth. Yet, there’s always one person who’s skeptical about change. It’s time to turn your automation skeptics into champions by involving them in the process. Give them a firsthand look at how automation can take tedious tasks off their plate, freeing them up for more strategic work. While some team members may initially be hesitant about change, embracing automation can lead to exciting new career growth and success opportunities.

This blog details the resistance leadership may face when getting the rest of the company on board with automation and provides strategies to create understanding and awareness across different departments.

Ready to transform your team’s approach to automation? Let’s get started.

Overcoming resistance to automation in your MSP

Many MSPs face resistance to change. Whether the leadership team is questioning ROI or the DevOps team is worried about losing control, getting buy-in for automation can feel like trading fire extinguishers for fireproofing. But with the right approach, you can turn skepticism into enthusiasm.

Leadership and Management - Financial Concerns and Strategy Clarity

Imagine this: you enter a room filled with your leadership team and instantly sense resistance. They’re hesitant about automation, often voicing concerns rooted in financial apprehensions and a lack of clear direction. It feels like confronting a brick wall built on the mindset of “we’ve always done it this way.”

So, how do you shift this narrative?

Begin by conducting a payoff analysis. Sit down with your team and break down the numbers. Demonstrate how the time and resources saved far outweigh the initial investment in automation. Show them results from other MSPs like Karpel Solutions, who deduced that saving five minutes per week on tasks like investigating phishing tickets could offset the cost of our entire automation platform. Illustrate a vision of long-term savings, efficiency gains, and the return on investment (ROI) that can convincingly support this transition.

Next, focus on crafting a clear automation strategy. Develop a detailed roadmap highlighting specific goals, timelines, and success metrics. Share your strategic plan with your team to ensure everyone is aligned. Begin with smaller projects to build confidence, collecting feedback to refine your approach. This iterative process is crucial for successful implementation.

DevOps - Keeping Control and Simplifying Integration

When discussing automation with DevOps teams, it’s important to acknowledge their concerns about losing control over processes and code. You might compare this to convincing a master chef to use pre-measured ingredients—there’s a natural apprehension that such a shift could compromise the quality and precision they hold dear.

To address these worries, introduce advanced features like “escape hatches,” webhooks, and workflow listeners. These tools allow developers to seamlessly integrate custom code into their projects, enabling them to scale their efforts while maintaining complete control over their processes, code, and outcomes. Encourage exploration of resources like “How Rewst Empowers Advanced IT Developers with Control and Flexibility” to demonstrate how they can retain autonomy.

Additionally, when speaking to the DevOps team, emphasize the ease of integration. Highlight tools that provide direct database access and facilitate the merging of custom software with automated workflows. This approach helps DevOps teams confront compatibility challenges and ensures they can maintain quality and precision without disrupting their existing systems.

Shift the conversation toward empowerment. Remind DevOps that automation is not about imposing limitations but enhancing capabilities. By streamlining routine tasks, Rewst allows developers to focus on strategic initiatives, ultimately enriching their roles and increasing their impact.

Technicians - Bridging Cultural Barriers and Skill Gaps

If you notice your techs are holding back, they could be hesitant to embrace automation due to cultural barriers rooted in established processes and fears about job security. It’s natural for technicians to worry that automation could make their roles redundant or diminish their value.

Start by acknowledging their concerns and emphasizing that automation is a tool meant to empower them, not a threat to their jobs. Explain that automation is designed to handle repetitive, mundane tasks, allowing them to focus on more strategic, interesting, and high-impact work that requires their expertise.

Highlight how automation can enhance job satisfaction and give them an opportunity to have a say in companywide initiatives through a feedback loop. Foster an open dialogue where they can share their thoughts and suggest automation ideas, creating a sense of ownership over the process. This also helps mitigate fears by involving them actively in shaping the future.

Next, improve collaboration by breaking down data silos. Encourage cross-departmental teamwork and implement integrated tools that facilitate seamless data sharing and communication.

Finally, provide continuous training through Cluck U to build a culture of automation. Rewst offers targeted programs that equip technicians with the skills needed for automation tools. This is a fantastic opportunity for career growth. The active Discord channel also connects them with a community of skilled users, fostering collaboration, idea-sharing, and continuous learning while supporting their long-term career development.

Wrapping up: Embracing the journey of automation

Convincing your team to switch from fire extinguishers to automation can transform your MSP. Automation boosts productivity, accuracy, client satisfaction, and scalability. While you might face resistance from departments like DevOps and management, it’s crucial to highlight the control and flexibility automation platforms like Rewst provide. Involving skeptics can showcase how automation alleviates tedious tasks, allowing for more strategic work.

By creating a vision of a stress-free workflow and celebrating small victories, you can make the transition more appealing. The shift from resistance to relief happens as your team sees the benefits firsthand. Simplifying integration, conducting payoff analyses, and providing ongoing training can turn hesitation into enthusiasm. Automation is more than a tool; it’s a team player that lets your experts focus on critical tasks.

For more insights on gaining company-wide buy-in for automation, check out our Lookbook, which showcases how eight MSPs have successfully integrated automation, saving time and improving client satisfaction. Use these examples to inspire your automation journey.

Considering automation but encountering resistance? Discover how to turn hesitation into enthusiasm with expert insights from our on-demand webinar, “Measuring and Maximizing the Value of Automation.”

Angela DeClouet
Content Writer