Most MSPs don’t lose revenue in obvious ways.
There’s no single failure or dramatic moment. Instead, margins erode quietly through missed time entries, incorrect work types, misaligned contracts, and reporting no one fully trusts.
By the time it’s noticeable, the service desk feels busier than ever — with less to show for it.
And almost always, the problem starts inside Autotask.
Everyone knows time equals money. But time tracking is one of the weakest points in most MSPs.
Common issues show up everywhere:
Time logged late or not at all
Vague or inconsistent descriptions
Incorrect work types selected
Tickets closed before time is entered
Each mistake feels small. Together, they create a steady revenue leak that impacts billing accuracy, utilization metrics, and forecasting.
When billing feels unpredictable, the issue rarely lives in invoicing.
It starts with:
Work types that don’t align with contract logic
Sub-issues that don’t map to services
Outdated or duplicated contracts
Misconfigured billing codes
The result is either unbilled work, billing disputes, or both — and those problems often persist quietly for months.
When inputs are inconsistent, reporting becomes unreliable.
If tickets aren’t classified properly and time entries are messy, dashboards stop reflecting reality. Leadership loses confidence in the data, and decisions become reactive instead of strategic.
That’s when growth starts to feel harder than it should.
Because Autotask still “works,” these issues don’t trigger alarms.
Instead, MSPs feel:
Busy but underperforming
Unsure why margins are tight
Frustrated by reports that don’t add up
This isn’t the cost of growth. It’s the cost of operating on dirty data.
When Autotask is clean:
Time is logged consistently
Work types align with billing rules
Contracts apply correctly
Reports start telling the truth
Billing becomes smoother, utilization makes sense, and leadership can spot problems before they become expensive.
This isn’t about working harder. It’s about letting the system do its job.
If billing feels unpredictable or you suspect hours are slipping through the cracks, your Autotask setup likely needs attention.
Download the Autotask Data Clean-Up Guide to identify the most common configuration issues that cause revenue leakage — and learn how to fix them.