When most people hear "automation," they picture cold robots replacing humans. But RJ Madsen's story shows something different—automation done right actually gives people their time back and makes everyone's job more meaningful.
When most people hear "automation," they picture cold robots replacing humans. But RJ Madsen's story shows something different—automation done right actually gives people their time back and makes everyone's job more meaningful.
Let's be honest—when you hear "automation awards," your eyes might glaze over a little. Big deal, someone wrote some code. But stick with me here, because RJ Madsen's story actually says something pretty cool about where technology is heading.
RJ, an automation engineer at Net Friends (a managed IT services provider in North Carolina), just won the 2026 Builder of the Year award at the Rewst Automation & AI Awards. And before you scroll past, hear me out—his work is doing something that matters to real people.
The Numbers Are Staggering
Here's what got my attention: in April alone, RJ's custom automation tools saved his team over 750 hours of manual work. Seven hundred and fifty hours. That's nearly 19 full work weeks. And they're on track to hit over 1,000 hours saved per month. Let that sink in.
Because of his work, technicians at Net Friends can now support 200 users instead of the industry average of 100. That's double the workload with the same team. Not because they're working harder—but because the boring, repetitive stuff that used to eat their days now runs on its own.
Custom Work Beats Cookie-Cutter Solutions
What makes RJ different from a lot of builders is that he doesn't just grab off-the-shelf templates and call it done. He builds from scratch, customizing every detail to match exactly how Net Friends operates. It's the difference between buying furniture that sort of fits your space versus hiring someone to build exactly what you need.
One of his standout projects handles client employee device onboardings automatically—faster and more accurate than manual processes ever were. He built a system that tracks device age and assignment so clients can actually plan for upgrades instead of scrambling. He automated invoice processing that was swallowing roughly 120 hours per month. And here's the one that really caught my eye: he created a first-of-its-kind solution giving Net Friends centralized control over all their Google-based client accounts—a gap that no vendor had solved before.
The Human Side of Automation
Here's what I find most refreshing about this story: RJ isn't just building for his own benefit. He actively coaches colleagues on how to use Rewst. He shares his work at community events. He's contributing to the broader ecosystem that helps other MSPs improve.
His CEO, John Snyder, put it well when he said RJ doesn't just code or figure out logical steps from point A to B. He clarifies and improves ideas. He channels the heart of someone's vision. That's a different kind of skill than technical know-how alone.
What This Actually Means
For businesses like Net Friends, this translates to real customer impact. When technicians aren't drowning in manual tasks, they can actually focus on solving problems and building relationships. The COO, Joel Abney, said it best: customers feel that difference every day.
At the end of the day, automation isn't about replacing humans—it's about handling the tedious stuff so people can do meaningful work. RJ Madsen gets that. And his Builder of the Year award recognizes not just technical skill, but the ability to make technology serve people instead of the other way around.
That, to me, is worth talking about.
Tags: ['automation', 'it services', 'managed services', 'msp', 'rewst', 'technology awards', 'workflow automation']