2 Ways to Increase Profits Via Cascading Contract Automation

Is Your IT MSP Ready to Rock?

By that I mean, do you want to:

1. Make the Support Team’s Work-Life Easier?

2. Boost your Csat score?

3. Increase your profits?

I think I know your answer. 

By now, we’ve got a clear understanding of the jargon, a list of exclusions and exclusion sets, Roles and Work Types are updated, and the Contract Templates have been built in the zero account. 

Whew, what next?

We are finally ready to build the Cascading Contracts. Let us guide you thru the process as you lead the Company to: An Improved Work-Life, More Customer Satisfaction, and Stronger Profits.

The first step in Building the Cascading Contracts

Where to start? Relax, at the end of the day, it does not really matter. But in our opinion, the fifth 1st step in the Cascading Contracts Automation project is to: Start with the Contract that covers the majority of the anticipated labor.

Typically, this is a Recurring Services Contract, but it is not required by the PSA software. It may be easier just to think about the Recurring Services Contract as a Primary, and that is OK. 

Starting with the Contract that has the most anticipated labor is usually in your best interestbecause Cascading Contracts is all about capturing the labor and making sure it bills correctly. 

• What it is not about: Burden, Services, Frequency, Consumption, or Assets.

• What it is about: Labor, and the Approve and Post-process.

Therefore, it makes sense to be sure the 1st Contract in the Cascade is the one that is going to see the most amount of Labor, if for no other reason.

Once the type of Contract has been determined: 

• Search the Zero Account for the Template.

• Over the (Hamburger) menu selection to the left of the Contract, select Copy Contract Wizard, and build the Primary Contract.

• After the Contract is created, go back &add the Type of Work excluded from the Primary Contract.

Note: Most likely, for each Type of Work excluded from the Primary Contract that is not excluded to the Standard Role Rate adjusted by the Work Type, there will be an exclusionary contract. Sometimes you can double up, but not often.

Determining the First Exclusionary Contract

So which Contract is the first Secondary (exclusionary) Contract? The one with the next most amount of anticipated Labor; for the same logical reasons as selecting the Primary Contract!What Type of Contract will it be? It depends on the terms of the exclusion:

• Rate Adjustments – T&M

• Block Hour or Retainer – Duh

• Ticket Count – I doubt it, but maybe

• Fixed Price – No.Hold these to the end

• Recurring Services – Could be

Follow the same process as we did for the Primary Contract, including adding the exclusions after running the Copy Contract Wizard.

Continue this process until all Primary Contract exclusions have been addressed. Now, work backwards through the Cascade, linking the newly created Secondary Exclusion Contractsuntil the Primary Contract has an Exclusionary Contract assigned/linked to it.

Celebrate! You are done.

Note: Once you’re comfortable with the process, you can start with the end in mind and create the last Secondary Exclusionary Contract first and build the Cascade backwards. 

The advantage of doing it this way is that the next Secondary Exclusionary Contract is created first, and you can add the Cascading Contract linkage as you go, instead of two passes through the process.

Questions? Have a dilemma? Reach out anytime, we are here to help.