The MSP Tool Sprawl Problem, Why Fewer Tools Mean Better Productivity

For many managed service providers, the problem is no longer missing features, it is too many features across too many platforms. Modern MSP tool stacks often include 8 to 20 different systems, each with its own login, dashboard, alerts, and learning curve. What started as an attempt to enhance service delivery has instead created an entirely new form of complexity.

When MSPs say “we want fewer tools,” they mean:

• They already have enough functionality
• The real friction comes from juggling multiple systems
• More features inside yet another separate product do not help
• Integration and consolidation do
• The problem is not capability, it is workflow fragmentation

Why Tool Sprawl Causes Burnout

Every additional tool introduces new friction:

• Another login
• Another dashboard
• Another alerting system
• Another policy structure
• Another workflow to learn

This compounds rapidly.

How Tool Sprawl Shows Up Daily

• Context switching
  Technician jumps between RMM, ticketing, antivirus, backup portals, and vendor consoles
• Lost time
  Each switch costs 2 to 5 minutes, adding up to hours per day
• Higher cognitive load
  More dashboards equal more mental strain
• Increased training costs
  New hires must learn 10 or more tools before becoming productive

According to Auvik’s MSP Benchmark Report 2024, technicians spend up to 25 percent of their day switching between systems. ConnectWise’s MSP Threat Report 2024 identifies tool sprawl as a top contributor to technician burnout.

Technicians echo this frustration online:

• “I don’t need more dashboards. I need fewer dashboards.”
• “Half my week is switching tabs and browser sessions.”

The problem is workflow fragmentation, not missing capability.

What MSPs Actually Want

MSPs are not requesting more advanced tools; they want tools that reduce friction. Specifically, they want:

• Consolidated workflows
• Unified monitoring
• Cleaner automation
• Fewer dashboards
• Tools that reduce switching, not add complexity

CompTIA’s State of the Channel 2024 confirms MSPs now prioritize platforms that reduce administrative overhead, not add more features. The trend is moving toward solutions that replace 3 to 5 tools, not add one more to the stack.

The Cost of Tool Sprawl

Tool sprawl is expensive in both obvious and hidden ways.

1. Higher Direct Expenses

Every additional tool increases:

• Licensing costs, paying for 8 to 15 overlapping tools
• Training costs, weeks spent learning multiple dashboards
• Vendor management, more renewals and contracts
• Support overhead, scattered vendor tickets

Example, an MSP using 12 tools at $8 per endpoint each can reduce that cost to $3 to $5 by consolidating to five tools. A 500 endpoint MSP could save $15,000 to $40,000 per year.

Sources, Auvik MSP Benchmark Report 2024; Liongard MSP Efficiency Report 2024

2. Hidden Operational Costs

The biggest productivity killer is context switching.

• Switching dashboards, 45 to 90 minutes lost per day
• Copying data between tools, 30 to 45 minutes
• Resolving conflicting alerts, 15 to 30 minutes

Total lost time, 1.5 to 3 hours per technician per day, or up to $21,600 per tech per year.

Sources, Gallup Workplace Efficiency Report; Atera MSP Efficiency Study 2024; IT Glue Productivity Survey 2023

3. Burnout and Turnover

Disjointed workflows produce:

• More frustration
• Slower training
• Higher turnover

Replacing a technician costs 6 to 9 months of salary, or $25,000 to $35,000 per tech.

Source, CompTIA Workforce and Learning Trends 2024

4. The Impact of Consolidation

• Before, Tool Sprawl
  • 8 to 15 tools
  • High subscription cost
  • 1.5 to 3 hours lost daily
  • Slow onboarding
  • Higher burnout
• After, Consolidation
  • 3 to 7 tools
  • Lower spend
  • Unified workflows
  • Faster ramp up
  • More stable teams

Fewer tools do not mean fewer capabilities, they mean better focus.

How Level Helps Reduce Tool Sprawl

Level was designed specifically to solve tool fragmentation. Instead of adding another system, it unifies daily workflows into one intuitive platform.

1. Unified Endpoint Operations

Level consolidates the following tasks:

• Device monitoring
• Remote access
• Automation and scripting
• Software and patch deployment
• Inventory and asset visibility

This removes the need to jump between multiple dashboards, reducing context switching and improving resolution speed.

Source, IT Glue MSP Efficiency Study 2023

2. Reduced Training and Onboarding Time

Level’s simple interface enables new technicians to become productive in days, not weeks. This reduces:

• Training time
• Documentation burden
• Overreliance on senior staff

Source, CompTIA Workforce Trends 2024

3. Lower Software Spend Through Consolidation

Replacing overlapping tools reduces:

• Subscription counts
• Per endpoint fees
• Renewal and vendor management workloads

Replacing three tools at $2 to $5 per endpoint each can save thousands per MSP per year.

Source, Auvik MSP Benchmark Report 2024

4. Cleaner Automation for Repetitive Work

Level supports:

• Bulk actions
• Scheduled tasks
• PowerShell, Bash, and Python automation

This reduces manual work and increases billable output. Automation through Level increases tech capacity by 10 to 35 percent.

Source, Liongard MSP Efficiency Report 2024

5. Single Source of Truth for Device and System Data

Level serves as a central system of record for:

• Hardware and software inventory
• Patch and update status
• Device history and activity logs

Technicians no longer wonder which system has the correct data.

Source, Harvard Business Review, Operational Data Trust Study 2022

The Measurable Impact of Using Level

• Time per device action, from 3 to 10 minutes down to 30 to 90 seconds
• Number of tools opened daily, from 8 to 15 down to 3 to 7
• Technician ramp time, from weeks down to days
• Workflow interruptions, reduced significantly
• Burnout risk, lowered through simplified workflows

By consolidating operations into one platform, Level turns tool chaos into workflow clarity.

Conclusion, Fewer Tools, More Focus

MSPs do not want more dashboards or another layer of complexity. They want fewer systems, cleaner workflows, and more time to deliver real IT value.

Tool sprawl drains time, money, and morale. Level solves this by unifying endpoint operations, simplifying workflows, and reducing burnout, directly improving profitability.

When MSPs say “we want fewer tools,” Level delivers exactly that.