This workflow describes how small to mid-sized MSPs manage operating system and application patching across managed endpoints. It assumes centralized patching, predictable maintenance windows, and risk reduction over zero downtime.

Patch management follows four repeating phases: preparation, deployment, verification, and exception handling. Most failures originate from poor preparation or incomplete verification.

Explicitly define included devices, exclusions, operating systems, and third-party applications per client. Review scope during onboarding and annually.

Maintenance windows must be client-specific, predictable, and documented. Avoid always-on patching unless the environment supports it.

Use staged approval. Auto-approve low-risk updates, delay feature upgrades, and explicitly block known problematic patches.

Deploy during maintenance windows with enforced reboot policies and limited user deferrals.

Verify install status, reboot completion, and post-reboot check-in. A device that does not return online is a failed patch.

Classify failures into install failures, reboot failures, regressions, or offline devices. Each class maps to a response path.

Prioritize critical servers, then shared workstations, then single-user endpoints. Log all remediation.

This workflow should produce documented patch scope, maintenance windows, approval rules, post-patch reports, and exception logs.

Track patch compliance rate, failed installs per cycle, emergency patches, and mean time to remediate.

Patch management checklist; Patch failure triage runbook; Tools for MSP patch management; Patch compliance reporting for MSPs.