How to Build Custom RMM Reports for Executive-Level MSP Reporting

Executive reporting is more than system uptime and ticket counts. For MSPs (Managed Service Providers), it means delivering clear, business-focused insights that help clients understand the value of their service. A quality MSP report translates technical data into easily digestible data that supports executive decision-making.

This guide outlines collecting, formatting, and automating RMM (Remote Monitoring and Management) reports, highlighting critical IT metrics. These include patching, security posture, backup status, system uptime, compliance alignment, and asset lifecycle trends. You’ll learn how to gather this data from various endpoints, including Windows, macOS, and Linux. We will also cover ways to use scripting to enrich data and present IT reports in a clear and intuitive way.

How to build executive-level RMM reports

MSPs need more than generic dashboards and tables to deliver easy-to-consume data that their clients want. Executive-level reports need to combine technical data with clear and relevant insights.

📌 Prerequisites:

• Your RMM platform needs to support data export, scripting, dashboards, and report generation (e.g., NinjaOne).
• Scripting capability via PowerShell, CMD, and Bash for endpoint data collection
• You will need access to performance logs, event logs, update status, BitLocker status, and AV configuration.
• For this task to go seamlessly, you will need to be familiar with compliance or SLA (Service Level Agreement) reporting requirements.
• Optional: You’ll need access to registry or GPO settings for deep compliance visibility.

Method 1: Using PowerShell to collect reporting metrics from Windows

PowerShell gives you full access to system metrics that matter, making it an invaluable tool for creating MSP reports. These include uptime status, security status, and patching history. You can run these scripts directly from your RMM platform, export the data to CSV, and schedule regular runs for consistent reporting.

📌 Use Cases:

• Best for collecting Windows-specific metrics like encryption status, AV health, and patch levels
• Useful for scheduled RMM scripts that generate regular (monthly or quarterly) executive reports
• This will help MSPs prove SLA adherence or regulatory compliance.

📌 Prerequisites:

• An RMM platform that supports script scheduling, file collection, or centralized exports
• Windows endpoints should be running PowerShell 5.1 or later.
• Admin permissions are required to run system-level queries and export a file.

Here are sample PowerShell commands and what they do:

1. System uptime

This command returns the number of hours the system has been running since its last boot. You can use this to track uptime and identify machines that are rarely rebooted.

((Get-Date) - (Get-CimInstance Win32_OperatingSystem).LastBootUpTime).TotalHours

2. Antivirus and firewall status

This command will pull the current status of Windows Defender, including whether the antivirus, real-time protection, and anti-spyware capabilities are up and running.

Get-MpComputerStatus | Select-Object AMServiceEnabled, RealTimeProtectionEnabled, AntispywareEnabled

3. BitLocker encryption

This command checks if drives are encrypted using BitLocker and shows the status of protection per volume. This comes in handy in compliance and data security reports.

Get-BitLockerVolume | Select-Object MountPoint, ProtectionStatus

4. Patch status

This command lists the five most recent patches installed, sorted by date. This will show patch compliance and the number of recent endpoint updates.

Get-HotFix | Sort-Object InstalledOn -Descending | Select-Object -First 5

5. CSV report

After you’ve collected the metrics, you can then export the data to a CSV file using this PowerShell command:

Export-Csv -Path "C:\Reports\SystemSummary.csv" -NoTypeInformation

This file can then be pulled into a centralized report, formatted, and sent to your stakeholders.

💡 Note: It would be best to use your RMM software to schedule these scripts on a regular basis, like weekly or monthly. You can then store and aggregate the data into MSP reports using programs like Excel, Google Sheets, or whichever tool your organization uses.

Method 2: Utilizing CMD scripts for quick metric capture on Windows

In environments where PowerShell is unavailable, Command Prompt scripts offer an alternative to gathering system information. These can give you metrics like uptime, disk usage, and system specifications.

📌 Use Cases:

• Good for lightweight environments or legacy systems that don’t support PowerShell
• Useful for quick endpoint assessments, especially in onboarding or asset validation
• Can be scheduled through your RMM to collect and centralize logs for monthly reports

📌 Prerequisites:

• Windows endpoints with CMD access and permission to write to local files
• A designated export path (e.g., C:\Reports) where scripts can drop log files
• RMM policy or task to run and collect logs on a schedule

Here are sample CMD commands along with the data they capture:

1. System information

This command captures data like OS version, build number, system uptime, memory, CPU, and patch level. You can use this to verify system specifications.

systeminfo > C:\Reports\sysinfo.txt

2. Disk space summary

This command lists all the logical drives with their total size and free space. This is handy for reporting on storage usage across endpoints.

wmic logicaldisk get caption,freespace,size > C:\Reports\diskspace.txt

3. Uptime check

This command will present the system uptime start date, which you can use to calculate how long the device has been online.

net statistics workstation | findstr "since"

These logs can then be parsed, uploaded, or directly attached to your executive reports. Although CMD outputs are not as structured as those on PowerShell, you can still reformat them so they can provide data to your report. To save the logs as a .txt file, use this command:

systeminfo > C:\Reports\sysinfo.txt

Method 3: Collecting data from Linux/macOS using Bash

Although macOS and Linux systems make up a tiny portion of managed environments, they still need to be part of the reports. To include them, you can use Bash scripts, which can be run using an RMM or on the Terminal.

📌 Use Cases:

• This method is best for mixed environments with Linux and macOS endpoints.
• Bash scripts are useful for reporting on device health, patching activity, and basic compliance.
• Collecting data from Unix systems will eliminate gaps in reporting, especially in environments with mostly Windows endpoints.

📌 Prerequisites:

• You will need to use an RMM platform that uses Bash script deployment on Linux/macOS.
• Your devices need to have Bash shell access and permission to run local scripts.

Here are some Bash commands and what they do:

System uptime

This command will return human-readable system uptime, which you can use to identify reboots or stability issues.

uptime -p

Last patch or update timestamp (Ubuntu/Debian only)

Use this code to see the last time a successful update check was performed. This will validate whether a device is checking in for patching or otherwise.

stat -c %y /var/lib/apt/periodic/update-success-stamp

Disk usage

This command will show the size, used, and unused space on the root partition. It will help you monitor storage health and capacity planning.

df -h /

Firewall status (Linux only)

ufw status

This command will report whether the Uncomplicated Firewall (UFW) service is active. This is a fast way to validate that basic host-level protection is in place.

Once you’ve collected all the needed data, you can redirect these outputs to .log or CSV files for later retrieval using this command:

uptime -p > /var/log/reporting/uptime.log

Method 4: Using the Windows Registry to query the configuration state for compliance

The Windows Registry can be used to confirm if your organization’s security or policy settings are being enforced. For compliance–related MSP reports, you can obtain these values using PowerShell and include them in your endpoint validation and audit output procedures.

📌 Use Cases:

• Verifying endpoint compliance with policies like screen lock timers or encryption status
• Use this method to confirm antivirus and security configurations for regulatory audits
• Supplementing RMM-collected data with deeper, OS-level configuration checks

📌 Prerequisites:

• This will require Windows endpoints with registry access and no restrictions on PowerShell execution.
• Admin permissions to read keys from HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/.

Here are sample registry paths you can visit to see whether they comply with your organization’s standards.

Windows Defender real-time protection

A value of 0 in this case means real-time protection is enabled. If it is set to 1, it means real-time scanning is off, which may violate security policies.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Real-Time Protection

"DisableRealtimeMonitoring"=dword:00000000

Screen lock enforcement

This value will enforce a 15-minute window before the screen locks. This is required in various security and compliance frameworks and will reduce the chances of security breaches and unauthorized access.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Control Panel\Desktop

"ScreenSaveTimeout"="900"

How can I pull these values from PowerShell?

To pull these values via PowerShell, use the following commands:

Get-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Real-Time Protection" | Select-Object DisableRealtimeMonitoring

Get-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Control Panel\Desktop" | Select-Object ScreenSaveTimeout

You can then export these values to a CSV or .txt file and add them to your compliance report using this command:

Get-ItemProperty "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\..." | Export-Csv "C:\Reports\compliance.csv" -NoTypeInformation

Method 5: Enforcing reporting-ready settings using Group Policy

Although Group Policy does not create reports, it ensures your endpoints are logging the right data, ensuring your scripts, tools, and RMM platform can extract it. Your reports might be incomplete without this method.

📌 Use Cases:

• This method ensures all logs and event data are available in all Windows endpoints.
• Supports reporting on patch status, Windows Defender events, BitLocker usage, and user activity
• Standardizes log retention and compliance audit across managed environments

📌 Prerequisites:

• This method requires Active Directory or an RMM with GPO deployment capability.
• You will need access to the Group Policy Management Console or local Group Policy Editor.
• You will need administrative access to modify these policies and enforce them at the domain level.

Here are the following Group Policy paths to configure and what they are for:

Windows Update logging

Track patch events for reporting on compliance and update coverage. Navigate to this path and enable:

Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update > Configure Automatic Updates

Defender logging and audit policies

Log Windows Defender actions (AV events and real-time protection) by enabling:

Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Microsoft Defender Antivirus > Reporting

Be sure to configure the following, too:

• Turn on behavior monitoring
• Monitor file and program activity on your computer
• Enable logging for Microsoft Defender Antivirus

Enable the audit process by going to this path:

Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Advanced Audit Policy Configuration > System Audit Policies > Detailed Tracking > Audit Process Creation

Double-click Audit Process Creation and check Configure the following audit events. Select Success (you can check Failure as well if you want to track failed attempts), then click Ok.

BitLocker auditing

To track BitLocker usage and ensure encryption actions are logged, travel to this path:

Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > BitLocker Drive Encryption

Then, enable the following:

• “Choose how BitLocker-protected operating system drives can be recovered.”
• “Configure use of passwords for operating system drives.”

Next, configure these audit policies according to your organization’s needs:

• Advanced Audit Policy Configuration > Object Access > Audit Removable Storage
• Advanced Audit Policy Configuration > Object Access > Audit File System

Event log retention and sizing

To prevent logs from being overwritten, while also ensuring historical data is available for reports, head to this GPO path:

Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Event Log Service

Next, go into each of the subfolders:

• Application
• Security
• Setup
• System

And configure these two settings:

• Specify the maximum log file size – Set it to 32 MB or more to stop important logs from being overwritten quickly. It ensures data sticks around long enough for reporting audits, or RMM collection.
• Retention method for log files – You can set it to “Overwrite events as needed” or “Archive the log when full” depending on your organization’s needs.

Method 6: Preparing data for executive presentation

Let’s say you have all the data. The final step is to normalize and format that data into a clear report for executive presentation. It’s important to remember that executives don’t need technical data – they need information presented in short summaries that show how the information gathered will impact their business.

📌 Use cases:

• Useful for generating monthly or quarterly summaries for clients
• Gathering technical metrics into a format understandable to your clients
• Give clients an idea of how valuable an MSP is through uptime, resolution speed, and compliance coverage.

📌 Prerequisites:

• All the data gathered from earlier methods
• Access to important tools like Excel, Google Sheets, and PowerPoint for presentations
• A clear yet comprehensive understanding of your client’s SLA or compliance targets

When formatting your reports, use file formats that match how you will present the data:

• CSV – Good for internal analysis or dashboard input.
• PDF – Clean and professional. Excellent option for executive review.
• HTML dashboards – Ideal for real-time access to live metrics.
• Charts – You can use Excel or Google Sheets to convert CSV data into easy-to-understand visual charts.

We recommend including the following KPIs in your report:

• Total endpoints under management
• Percentage of devices patched in the last 30 days
• Percentage with antivirus enabled and up to date
• Percentage of devices with disk encryption enabled
• Number of open tickets and average resolution time
• Uptime SLA achievement (actual vs. target)

⚠️ Things to look out for

Additional considerations when building custom RMM reports

Custom reports aren’t only about the data and its implications. They need to be accurate, professional-looking, and tailored to your business-oriented audience.

Time zones and site filters

Ensure relevance and clarity by breaking down data by client, location, or business unit. This will give your reports context and point out which sites are falling behind, responding slowly to problem resolution, and where further improvements are necessary.

Automate your report generation

Set up and schedule report generation on a monthly or quarterly basis using your RMM. This will make this task quicker and easier, avoiding manual work while maintaining consistency. However, be sure to constantly monitor outputs and make tweaks whenever necessary.

Branding and professionalism

Be sure to include client logos, names, and contact details in your report templates. This will polish your reports and help your clients understand the data.

Security and confidentiality

Report files should be secured both when in the clients’ hands and in your system. Incorporate protections like PDF passwords or include access permissions for those who can view or modify the data.

Compare current metrics with older data

Be sure to include comparisons to metrics in the prior months. This will highlight trends and show progress over time.

Troubleshooting issues in RMM report creation

Missing data

Be sure that scripts have the appropriate permissions and that file paths and registry keys (especially in Method 4) exist or have been created.

Formatting errors

Test your CSV or .txt exports before importing into Excel or other tools to make sure headers and delimiters are consistent.

Inconsistent OS data

Your scripts might be trying to run the wrong commands on the wrong device. For example, a Windows script will not work on Linux. Be sure to verify the device’s operating system before using the command.

Export failure

If the export fails, the script may not have permission to save the file. Fix it by ensuring the folder exists, the device can write to it, and the script is set to show errors if something goes wrong.

How NinjaOne can help build RMM reports

NinjaOne has MSP reporting tools that can help you create and manage executive-level RMM reports.

Deliver detailed and comprehensive executive-ready MSP reports

MSP reports are essential for demonstrating MSP performance and a great way to show clients that systems are healthy, secure, and comply with service-level agreements. They provide a clear summary of performance. You can obtain data through various means, like using scripts to gather metrics, validating settings via registry or GPO, and obtaining critical items like encryption and patching.

When built correctly and seamlessly, these reports will help you give the clients the visibility and transparency they want and see the value of your service.

Related topics:

• Guide for MSPs: How to Use an RMM Platform
• 10 Best IT Reporting Tools for IT Teams
• Moving Beyond Troubleshooting, IT Reports Best Practices