I used to own an MSP. Like many MSP owners, I wore too many hats—CEO, sales guy, tech guru, firefighter (metaphorically, but it sure felt real sometimes). As we scaled, I realized I was the Visionary, the big-picture guy with a thousand ideas a day. But ideas alone don’t get things done, which is why we eventually brought in an Integrator—the person who took my grand visions and made sure they didn’t crash and burn.
Along the way, we also worked with Process Consultants, who helped us streamline operations and fix the never-ending mess of “This is how we’ve always done it.” That’s when I truly understood the difference between a Process Consultant and an Integrator, and why most people should NOT try to be both.
What the Heck is a Process Consultant?
A Process Consultant is like the Marie Kondo of MSP operations. They look at your workflows, tools, and procedures and ask, “Does this spark efficiency?” If not, they chuck it out (or at least refine it).
They help with:
- Optimizing PSA and RMM tools (so you actually use what you’re paying for).
- Refining ticketing workflows (so your techs don’t spend half their day searching for the right queue).
- Eliminating bottlenecks (because nobody likes waiting 3 weeks for a quote to get approved).
- Automating the mundane (because if an intern could do it, your $100k engineer shouldn’t be).
In a growing MSP, a Process Consultant can be a full-time role—not just a one-and-done project. Continuous improvement isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity. Without it, you’ll be forever stuck in firefighting mode, with your team running around fixing symptoms instead of root causes.
What the Heck is an Integrator?
An Integrator is the person who takes all the grand plans (whether from a Visionary like me or a Process Consultant) and makes sure they actually happen. If the Visionary is the idea guy, the Integrator is the execution machine.
They handle:
- Turning strategy into action (because “Let’s optimize our client onboarding!” is just words without follow-through).
- Keeping teams accountable (so new processes don’t get ignored after two weeks).
- Aligning departments (because sales and service don’t always play nice).
- Driving long-term execution (so you don’t just have a one-time efficiency boost but an ongoing improvement process).
Most MSPs don’t need a full-time Integrator right away. That’s why Fractional Integrators exist. They step in part-time to help guide major business shifts—whether it’s scaling to the next revenue tier, restructuring leadership, or making sure your newly optimized processes don’t gather dust.
Can One Person Be Both? (Spoiler: Probably Not)
Here’s the thing: being both a Process Consultant and an Integrator is like trying to be both the chef and the restaurant manager. Possible? Maybe. Sustainable? Nope.
Why?
- Different skill sets – A Process Consultant loves analyzing and fixing systems, while an Integrator loves execution and team accountability.
- Different time focus – Consultants work on short-term projects, while Integrators think long-term business structure.
- Different priorities – A Consultant might say, “We need a better client onboarding workflow,” while the Integrator says, “Let’s ensure every tech actually follows that workflow.”
I’ve tried to be both before. It didn’t end well. I’d get deep into process changes, then get pulled into big-picture strategy meetings, and suddenly nothing got done. When we finally defined our roles—Visionary, Integrator, and Process Consultant—it was like a switch flipped.
Do You Need a Process Consultant or a Fractional Integrator?
Let’s make it easy:
- If your MSP has a mess of inefficiencies, broken workflows, and underutilized tools → You need a Process Consultant.
- If your MSP is growing but struggling with execution, leadership, and long-term structure → You need an Integrator (Fractional or Full-time).
- If you don’t know what you need, you probably need both.
When we finally got our Process Consultant and Integrator working together, everything clicked. Instead of spinning our wheels fixing the same problems over and over, we had repeatable systems that actually got used. And instead of a hundred half-baked ideas floating around, we had clear execution and accountability.
So, if your MSP is at that inflection point—where you know you need to get more efficient, but you also need to scale—figure out which role will make the biggest impact first. And for the love of all things tech, don’t try to do it alone.
