Microsoft CSP license renewal automation.
An internal automation for the Multiskills IT operations team that tracks Microsoft CSP license renewals across clients and turns them into planner tasks before they lapse.
the problem
Tracking Microsoft CSP license renewals across multiple clients is exactly the kind of work that does not fit a human. Dates scattered across Partner Center, renewal windows that close quietly, and an ops team that should not be spending admin hours on what is fundamentally a reminder problem. When a renewal gets missed, it costs the client and the business.
the approach
Built a hybrid architecture on n8n and Power Automate, sitting on top of Microsoft Partner Center as the data source. Surfaces upcoming renewals on a schedule, creates Planner tasks assigned to the right ops team member, and sends reminders before renewal windows close. Started as a solo prototype, then expanded into a team build as the ops team shaped the requirements across versions. Led subsequent iterations, adding features as the operations team refined what they actually needed in daily use.
the outcome
Took admin time off the ops team's plate for renewal organization and task creation. Reminders now fire consistently before renewal windows close, catching revenue that could have lapsed. Has evolved through multiple versions driven by ops team feedback, which is its own indicator that it's in daily use.
the lessons
Internal tools succeed when the people using them drive the versioning. The most useful features in this system were not the ones I planned, they were the ones the ops team asked for after three weeks of actual use.
stack
- n8n ·
- Microsoft Power Automate ·
- Microsoft Planner ·
- Microsoft Partner Center