Why The Human Touch Matters In Today's Automated MSP World

By Frank Colletti, Group VP, Worldwide Sales, SolarWinds MSP

Today’s managed services practices are using increasing levels of automation to succeed. Whether it’s remote monitoring and management (RMM), professional services automation (PSA), or something else, automation allows the MSP to deliver consistent, efficient services at a predictable price for customers.

But automation can’t replace the human touch. It’s important for the future of the relationship to show your face to the client and maintain clear, ongoing communication if customer retention is your goal. On the flip side, if you can’t deliver a personal touch, you risk pushing customers to a competitor who can.

Why Automation Matters

Automation is getting more attention because AI systems are replacing repeatable tasks humans don’t perform very well. In a split second, a computer can sift through massive volumes of data that would take humans hours to accomplish—if they accomplished it at all. In so doing, a machine can make inferences by identifying trends and anomalies relevant to the task at hand.

In managed services, this allows systems to forecast a server breakdown, an application crash, or any number of anomalies or trends. The machine detects the problem, sends an alert, and an administrator acts on it. As systems get more sophisticated, human interference becomes less common because the machine takes the corrective action on its own.