Guest: Kevin Hughes, Head of Sales & Marketing at Ascentient
Host: Steve Morey
The AI Tipping Point for MSPs
The managed services industry is changing, and fast. What once evolved year by year is now transforming on a weekly basis. At the centre of this change is artificial intelligence (AI), and few are leaning into it as decisively as Ascentient.
In a recent podcast episode, I sat down with Kevin Hughes, who leads sales and marketing at Ascentient, to discuss how his team is approaching AI, the lessons they’ve learned, and why he believes embracing change is essential for every Managed Service Provider (MSP) seeking to stay relevant.
🎧 Listen to the full conversation below
From Automation to AI: Building the Right Foundation
Kevin’s journey at Ascentient spans more than a decade, starting as a sales administrator before moving through quoting, account management, projects, and now leading revenue growth. This experience has given him a rare full-spectrum view of how MSPs operate — and where the friction lies.
Rather than jumping straight into AI, Ascentient took a strategic detour: automation first.
“Automation is the baseline catalyst to then leveraging the true capabilities of what AI can transform,” Kevin explains.
By streamlining internal workflows and eliminating manual bottlenecks, they reduced operational costs, accelerated service delivery, and freed staff to focus on higher-value tasks. Only then did they begin layering AI on top — using it to fill the gaps where automation alone couldn’t reach.
Finding AI Opportunities Through Feedback
One of the most interesting tactics Kevin shared was their use of weekly employee feedback surveys. Every Friday, team members are asked:
- What two tasks felt tedious this week?
- How long did they take?
- How often did they come up?
This data-driven approach identifies the most repetitive tasks that are ripe for automation or AI. The next step? Running the same process with clients to discover their pain points and bottlenecks.
“It’s not about eliminating jobs,” Kevin says. “It’s about freeing up people to be more present, build stronger relationships, and work on business growth.”
Embracing Microsoft’s AI Ecosystem
With most of its clients already in Microsoft 365, Ascentient has gone all-in on Microsoft Copilot and emerging Microsoft AI agents. These tools serve as 24/7 digital co-pilots for frontline workers, boosting productivity, reducing costs, and helping clients reimagine their operations.
“It’s like having a top advisor by your side at all times,” Kevin notes. “The ecosystem is so integrated that we can take our clients’ operations to another level.”
Why Many MSPs Are Hesitant, and Why That’s Risky
Despite the clear opportunities, many MSPs remain hesitant about AI. Some fear it will replace jobs; others find the scale of change daunting. Kevin believes this hesitation is risky:
“Those that don’t do it will fall behind and be out of business. Those that take it with stride and jump into it… will have a leg up.”
His advice is to experiment boldly, accept a few failures as part of the process, and learn faster than competitors.
Learning from Leaders: Partnership with Pax8
Ascentient has been working closely with Pax8 and Microsoft to build an AI roadmap. Through workshops, assessments, and planning sessions, they’re mapping the steps needed to adopt AI internally — and then replicate that journey for clients.
“It’s about building a baseline and then climbing the mountain step by step,” Kevin says. “Once you reach the top, what you can do is endless.”
Taking a Vertical-Focused Approach
Rather than deploying generic AI tools everywhere at once, Kevin is taking a vertical-first strategy, starting with the logistics sector, where Ascentient already has deep experience. The team is analysing how AI can streamline supply chains, improve communication across brokers, 3PLs, and carriers, and reduce operational friction.
Once the model is proven in logistics, the plan is to apply it to other sectors, including healthcare, aviation, and manufacturing.
The Big Lesson: Start with the Business, Not the Tech
Throughout our conversation, one theme stood out: understand the business first. Kevin emphasises that too many MSPs jump into AI without talking to their clients or mapping their business drivers.
“You have to understand how your client makes money and where their risk is,” he says. “Then you can ask: how can AI help them reduce cost or increase revenue?”
It’s a refreshing, human-first perspective that cuts through the hype.
Final Thoughts
AI isn’t about replacing people, it’s about empowering them. For Ascentient, it’s not just a technology play; it’s a cultural shift toward curiosity, experimentation, and deeper client engagement.
And if Kevin’s experience is anything to go by, the MSPs who embrace AI early will be the ones leading the industry’s next chapter.
🎧 Listen to the full conversation
