Workflow Wizards: Gareth Smith delivers full-time impact in a part-time automation role

See how Gareth Smith leads a team and builds powerful workflows with Rewst—all in a part-time automation role.

Welcome to the latest article in our Workflow Wizards series, showcasing the ideal automators in the MSP industry. Last time, we featured Charlie Carter, an Automation Engineer at Air IT, who transformed manual processes into efficient workflows that save time and reduce errors.

This installment highlights Gareth Smith, Tier 2 Team Leader and Automation Engineer at Your IT Department. Gareth combines leadership and automation expertise, blending technical ingenuity with a knack for mentoring his team—all while driving impactful automation through a flexible, part-time approach.

What is your professional background?

I entered the IT world just over three years ago, and it’s been an exciting, fast-paced journey. I started as a junior technician, eager to learn and grow. I quickly advanced to team leader through hands-on experience and a proactive approach. I discovered my passion for problem-solving and process improvement in this role, which naturally steered me toward automation.

Currently, I juggle dual roles as a team leader and automation engineer, blending technical expertise with leadership to drive efficiency and innovation within my team, thanks to Rewst’s ability to deliver results without requiring full-time focus.

Did you have any automation experience before Rewst?

Before Rewst, I dabbled with Power Automate and PowerShell, primarily to save time on repetitive tasks like mailbox provisioning, user management, and security scripts for compromised accounts. While PowerShell allowed me to automate some processes, it presented significant limitations. I spent countless hours writing and managing complex scripts, which often felt like navigating a maze. The sheer code volume also intimidates new engineers, making knowledge transfer challenging. These hurdles made me realize we needed a more efficient, scalable solution. I asked, “Where do we go from here?”

How were you introduced to Rewst? What was your initial reaction?

I built an entirely new user onboarding process in Power Automate, which wasn’t exactly fun. When I showed it to my boss, he mentioned Rewst—we had a demo years ago before Rewst evolved. We booked another demo, and my first reaction was, “Wow, this is crazy!” Integrating everything—ConnectWise PSA and RMM, Microsoft 365, IT Glue, etc.—in one place felt like automation heaven.

The potential to simplify and streamline previously tedious processes drew me in. Managing complex workflows with more flexibility and less manual effort lit a spark, turning into a genuine passion for automation. It opened a new dimension in my career that blends technical problem-solving with creative thinking. The best part? I started with just one day a week dedicated to learning Rewst and still achieved meaningful impact.

What was most helpful when learning Rewst? Did you have any ‘Cluck yeah!’ Moments?

The Rewst Foundations course became my basis, teaching me automation fundamentals from basic workflows to core principles. I explored Crates filled with templates for lists, variables, and more. Initially, I stuck to unpacking crates to see how elements interacted, but soon, I customized workflows like user onboarding, adding my tweaks.

Crates didn’t just offer quick wins—they helped unravel complex automation structures. They helped me break down processes, understand connections, and build confidence. One highlight was improving our compromised mailbox workflow, which I showcased during an open mic session.

Once I got the hang of it, I moved beyond templates and built workflows from scratch. My first big “Cluck yeah!” moment? Creating a custom approval process I was told might be impossible. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t.

What are some workflows you’ve built? Which are you most proud of?

The client portal is my pride and joy. It handles about 90% of our change management tasks, streamlining processes like new user onboarding, password resets, offboarding, and compromised mailbox responses—all without requiring a technician touching a ticket. Clients access forms, manage requests and enjoy custom branding. Through this portal, leadership began to see the full potential of automation with Rewst. It showcased how automation streamlines operations internally and for clients, boosting efficiency and scalability.

Curious to see it in action? I demoed the client portal during a Workflow Wednesday session—check it out here.

What’s your approach to building a new workflow?

My manager and I designed a Rewst roadmap to structure our approach to automation. We brainstorm ideas, create detailed flowcharts, and visualize each process from start to finish. This method lets us spot potential challenges early and refine the workflow structure. With a clear outline, we define specific goals for the workflow, emphasizing how it will improve efficiency or solve key problems.

We present these plans directly to leadership, showcasing the operational impact they can deliver. After securing approval, we dive into the build phase, constantly iterating based on testing results and feedback. We focus on starting small, breaking complex automations into manageable sections to maintain clarity, reduce errors, and simplify troubleshooting. This proactive, hands-on approach has helped us scale our automation efforts efficiently and effectively.

How has Rewst impacted your role at Your IT Department?

Rewst has transformed my role, opening new ways to explore creative solutions. I started with one day a week learning the ropes. As I delivered impactful workflows, leadership recognized the value and expanded my automation time to two days weekly, witnessing how automation boosts efficiency. This growth also led me to launch Your Automation, our Rewst Professional Services arm where we help other MSPs build Rewst automations.

Balancing dual roles as an automation engineer and team leader keeps me dynamic. I build workflows that save time and reduce errors while leading a team of four technicians, managing escalations, overseeing SharePoint and Intune, and tracking key performance indicators (KPIs). Leadership values this dual perspective because it drives innovation while staying connected to daily operations. Automation enhances team performance, and real-world challenges inspire new automation ideas. Thanks to Rewst, I’ve achieved all this with flexible, part-time automation efforts that deliver full-time impact.

The coolest part? With Rewst, your imagination is the only limit. If you can think it, you can automate it.

What advice do you have for new Rewst users?

Take the Clean Automation course—it saved my hide. It’s a great starting point for efficiently structuring workflows and making them quicker, smoother, and easier to troubleshoot. It helps you develop good habits, like organizing sub-workflows and maintaining clean logic paths.

Don’t rush. Start small, focus on one piece at a time, and understand how elements connect. The foundation you build early makes scaling automations easier down the road.

Another key resource is the Rewst community and ROC support. The community is phenomenal—full of people eager to help, share ideas, and offer insights. Whenever I hit a roadblock, I counted on ROC support and the community for quick, effective solutions. It’s like having an extended team that always has your back.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

Believe it or not, I wanted to be a volcanologist. Volcanoes fascinated me—their raw power, unpredictability, and the science behind them. Life led me elsewhere, but automating workflows feels like controlling a digital eruption. You harness potential chaos, channel it through the right pathways, and create something powerful yet controlled.

What do you do for fun?

I’m a nerd through and through. I love playing Dungeons & Dragons, and I even got my kids into it. Building epic campaigns and watching their imaginations soar is fantastic. I’m also into 3D printing—I’ve got a printer behind me for creating custom minis for our games. It blends creativity and tech. My wife jokes that I’m raising a family of nerds; honestly, I couldn’t be prouder.