Modern MSPs are being asked to do more than ever: support more endpoints, respond faster, retain talent and stay profitable. The challenge is doing all of that without drowning in tool sprawl, ticket volume and constant context switching that slows technicians down and frustrates customers.

That’s exactly what we tackled in the webinar, “12 questions to modernize your MSP operations.” Kaseya’s Abel Concepcion and MSP industry veteran Eric Simpson shared a real-world view of what modernization looks like across the service desk — from day-to-day efficiency improvements to the operational habits that help MSPs scale without chaos.

This session was structured around the IT operations modernization scorecard, a self-assessment built on 12 questions designed to evaluate how modern and scalable your operations really are. The scorecard helps you identify strengths, uncover gaps and prioritize next steps based on the potential biggest impact. You can also watch the full webinar recording here.

Takeaway 1: Disconnected tools quietly tax your margins

When your PSA, RMM and documentation live in separate worlds, technicians don’t spend their time solving problems — they spend it hunting for context.

That “in-between time” adds up fast:

• More clicks, switching and copy-and-paste
• Slower resolution times
• More escalations (because techs don’t have what they need)
• Lower customer satisfaction and lower technician morale

One of the strongest points from the session: integration isn’t just about convenience — it’s about cost control. The more seamlessly systems share context, the faster your team can move from alert to ticket to resolution without losing time (or details) along the way.

To resolve this issue, identify the top three places technicians lose time today (device context, passwords, SOPs, contract/billing fields, prior notes, etc.). Then, prioritize integrations that remove the biggest friction first.

Takeaway 2: Better dashboards = better days

How technicians start their day shapes how they finish it. When work sits in generic queues without clear assignment rules, it can lead to ticket cherry-picking, inconsistent prioritization and missed SLAs.

Modern operations use automation to ensure:

• Work is assigned based on the rules you define (priority, impact, client tier, skill set, etc.)
• Techs focus on execution, not constant decision-making
• Service managers get visibility into workload and bottlenecks

Move from “watch the queue” to rules-based assignment and role-based dashboards so the right work reaches the right person automatically.

Takeaway 3: AI works best when it’s embedded — and backed by real data

AI isn’t magic. It’s only as effective as the information you feed it. The webinar highlighted that the biggest gains come when AI is embedded directly into daily workflows, not treated as a separate tool.

For example:

• Summarizing ticket activity so escalations don’t start from scratch
• Flagging missing triage details
• Helping generate SOP-style documentation from real work performed

None of this works unless technicians consistently log clear notes and updates in the ticket. AI can only add value when your process is solid and your data is complete. A simple rule to reinforce is: if it’s not in the ticket, it didn’t happen — especially before escalations or vendor handoffs.

Takeaway 4: Process isn’t rigidity — it’s clarity

When the process breaks down, the symptoms are obvious:

• Everyone “fires from the hip”
• Service quality varies by technician
• Performance is hard to measure fairly
• Customers wait for their “favorite tech” instead of accepting the next available resource

As Eric Simpson bluntly put it, in the absence of process, people do what they think is right, which may not align with what the business needs.

Standardizing how work flows through the service desk creates consistent outcomes across the board. Issues are handled the same way, escalations follow a clear path, resolution steps are documented instead of improvised and automation runs on rules you can trust (not guesswork).

Takeaway 5: Documentation can’t be optional — and tribal knowledge doesn’t scale

Relying on what’s “in someone’s head” creates fragility. When documentation isn’t centralized and actively used:

• New hires ramp slowly
• Tickets take longer when your best techs are unavailable
• Teams repeat troubleshooting steps they’ve already solved
• Customers get inconsistent outcomes

The webinar also called out a cultural truth: most techs don’t love documenting, especially when they’re slammed. That’s why the right approach is to make documentation easier to create, easier to find and harder to ignore, with shared standards and accountability. To get started, standardize where documentation lives, how it’s named, who owns updates and how techs are expected to reference it during ticket work.

Takeaway 6: The best MSPs modernize through evolution, not revolution

You don’t modernize by rebuilding everything at once. High-performing MSPs:

• Review and refine regularly
• Fix the biggest bottleneck first
• Measure outcomes (SLA attainment, resolution time, utilization, CSAT)
• Build alignment with weekly team rhythms

Modernization isn’t a one-time project. It’s a habit.

Ready to benchmark your MSP operations?

If you’re unsure where to start, use the same framework the webinar is based on: the IT operations modernization scorecard. It includes 12 questions designed to highlight where your operations are strong today, and where modernization will deliver the biggest impact.

Source: Datto