MSP Evolution: Unlocking the Four Pillars of Success
This week: We transition to The “How” of 4 Pillars of Operational Transformation
“Learning is not compulsory; it’s voluntary. Improvement is not compulsory; it’s voluntary. But to survive, we must learn.”
Welcome back, Autotask Gladiators! Especially those who were in Las Vegas last week for Right of Boom. I know the sessions were long and brain frying, but I thank you for your work in protecting our SMB clients and helping to increase the reputation of the MSP community for quality and value. (I also envy you being warm while it was 12 degrees in Maine!)
Speaking of Right of Boom, an associate was in attendance. He attends every year with his little green suitcase. Now, this suitcase is not flashy. It doesn’t have a Bluetooth sound system built in, nor is it equipped with a 100,000 mAh power bank, a jump pack, or a flame thrower. It can’t expand to the size of an elephant and doesn’t have 4 wheels.
That suitcase was a gift from his mother and has been to just about every industry show in the last 15+ years. If I told you the brand, you’d know it instantly, as the brand has a well-deserved, long-standing reputation for quality and durability — and for not being cheap.
So why am I telling you about a suitcase? Because it reminds me of the project management triangle: “You can have it cheap, fast, or good – pick two.”
And that reminds me of the tools and vendors in the MSP space. Sure, you can perfect your Autotask yourself to make sure it’s done right – but it will take you years. Or, you can just take the basic onboarding and deal with the inefficiencies (and grumbling Techs) of using a tool not optimized for YOUR MSP. Or, you can spend the money on an Autotask Coach that will optimize Autotask for your MSP, allowing you to immediately realize the full potential of your tools.
By investing in a “name brand” Autotask Coach with years of documented success, you can shave years off your implementation timeline, achieve faster results, and see a significant return on investment. This approach ensures that your MSP operates efficiently and effectively, leveraging the optimized capabilities of Autotask to drive growth and success. I’ll leave the decision to you, but I think you all know where I stand on this. 😊
Speaking of leveraging Autotask to drive growth and success, this year our focus is on the 4 Pillars of Operational Transformation. This is the best path for MSPs to find the freedom to grow, so I am excited to share these with you.
These pillars that I am sharing with you are the mindsets needed for MSPAutomation to work. For those of you just finding this blog and who like to start at the beginning, you can go here. For the rest, a quick overview:
The What:
What exactly are these 4 Pillars I am talking about?
Categorization: - “Not all Client Requests are created equal.”
Categorization is the process of grouping client requests into distinct, logical workflows based on their nature and requirements. It recognizes that not every ticket is the same, allowing MSPs to develop tailored Standard Operating Procedures for each group. This method prevents the chaos of a one-size-fits-all approach—where requests are merely dumped into a queue—and instead creates structured, efficient workflows that reduce stress, improve response times, and enhance both client satisfaction and overall operational performance. Essentially, categorization is the foundational step toward transforming operations into a proactive, streamlined system.
Allocation: - “Pre-positioning the right skillset to meet Client Expectations.”
Allocation is the process of determining and assigning specific amounts of time and resources to various groups of client requests based on complexity and duration. In MSP operations, allocation involves advanced planning by pre-positioning tech time for critical incidents, monitoring alerts, other incidents, moves/adds/changes, installs, preventive maintenance, or project tasks rather than letting requests pile up haphazardly. This structured approach ensures each task receives proper attention, reduces scheduling conflicts, minimizes operational chaos, and improves overall service delivery. Ultimately, effective allocation streamlines daily operations, fosters a proactive work culture, and contributes to sustainable growth and enhanced client satisfaction. This process is absolutely critical for long-term operational success.
Prioritization: - “On a multi-dimensional level, because our world is complex.”
If we lived in a simple world, Critical to Low would suffice; BUT WE DON’T. Prioritization on a multi-dimensional level is an advanced approach that ranks client requests by evaluating multiple factors simultaneously—such as urgency & impact, client relationship, and the request's stage in its lifecycle. Rather than relying on a simplistic high/medium/low system, this method dynamically identifies the "Right Next Ticket" by weighing diverse criteria. It ensures that the most critical and contextually significant tasks are addressed first, thereby reducing chaos and enhancing operational efficiency. This comprehensive, data-driven approach ultimately improves service delivery, optimizes resource use, and elevates the overall client experience.
Organization:
Organization in the MSP world refers to the deliberate structuring and management of workflows, tasks, and responsibilities to create clarity and direction across the entire service delivery environment. It involves setting up comprehensive dashboards, prioritized worklists, and clear role-based responsibilities so that every team member—technicians, service coordinators, managers, and owners—can instantly identify their next action. This systematic arrangement minimizes chaos, reduces delays, and enhances communication. Ultimately, effective organization drives operational efficiency, improves client satisfaction, and supports sustainable business growth by ensuring that every client request is managed with precision and accountability. Such structured organization is crucial for sustaining MSP success.
It is worth noting that this is accomplished by a mix of Dashboard Visibility, Automated Mechanisms, and Semi-Automated Mechanisms that work under the hood.
The Why:
Why do I think an MSP would want to LEAN in and embrace the 4 Pillars?
Profitability:
MSPs should transform their operations for profitability because operational transformation eliminates chaos and inefficiencies that drain resources and inflate costs. By transforming their operations, MSPs can streamline service delivery and reduce wasted hours. This shift creates a proactive, data-driven environment that increases profit margins. Operational transformation fosters sustainable growth by freeing management to focus on strategic initiatives rather than firefighting daily issues. A transformed operation delivers measurable financial benefits, aligning day-to-day practices with LEAN Process Profitability KPIs to drive consistent, long-term profitability. It maximizes overall business value.
Mental Health:
Transforming operations empowers MSPs to alleviate chronic stress and burnout affecting team members, client employees, and owners. By implementing structured workflows transforming the operation, chaotic, reactive work environments are replaced with proactive, data-driven processes. This clarity reduces uncertainty and fosters a calmer, more balanced workplace. Improved mental well-being enhances productivity, job satisfaction, and overall client service. Operational transformation nurtures a resilient workforce, ensuring long-term mental health, better performance, and sustainable growth for MSPs by mitigating the mental strains of disorganized operations and constant crisis management. It creates a remarkably positive, thriving work culture.
Client Experience:
Transforming operations elevates the client experience by ensuring every service request is managed with precision and clarity. Through Operational Transformed client interactions, MSPs deliver consistent, transparent, and timely support. This organized approach eliminates uncertainty and reduces delays, ensuring clients receive the right solution at the right time. Improved workflows minimize miscommunication, enhance accountability, and foster trust between MSPs and their clients. By proactively addressing client needs and streamlining service delivery, MSPs create a more satisfying and efficient experience that drives loyalty, reduces frustration, and contributes to a stronger, more competitive market position. It delivers enduring client satisfaction.
The How:
Now we will learn how to Implement the 4 Pillars of Operational Transformation for MSPs.
Roadmap:
Our Roadmap (or Continuous Improvement Plan, if you will, because every successful Operational Improvement program has a Plan) today is very straightforward. This Roadmap has been Tried and Proven to be True, delivering the Money-Back Guaranteed results repeatedly. Many MSPs have gone their own way, and that is fine, but they also have never achieved Operational Optimization that those who have bought into the philosophy have achieved!
Let’s peek:
The Road Ahead: 8 Implementation Phases that Transform an MSPs Operation:
#1: Service Delivery Team (Drive to Thrive Phase)
#2: Time Entry to Invoicing (Advanced Contracts)
#3: “Best in Class” Client-Facing Communications Protocol (Building a Better Client Experience)
#4: Finishing Projects Profitable, On-Time, & On-Budget (Project Management Improvement)
#5: Empowering Service Managers to Lead, Mentor, and Hold Accountable (Service Delivery Performance Improvement)
#6: Proactively Maintaining the Networks and Driving Incidents Down (Preventative Maintenance)
#7: Go Sell Something (Sales Dashboards and Opportunities)
#8: Internal Asset Management (Inventory and Procurement)
While the process has been meticulously refined over the years, its origins trace back to a fascinating story of innovation and perseverance.
Steve’s Journey:
Over a transformative seven-year journey, Steve reengineered MSP operations by developing the 4-Pillars of Operational Transformation. Initially thrust into a reactive, break/fix environment, he was challenged to convert a 25‐year-old on-site service model into a proactive, data-driven system. His first step involved segmenting open tickets based on client pain points – beginning with a preventive maintenance program plagued by 40% disruption and chaotic project scheduling. These early experiences underscored the need for a radical mindset change.
Steve’s framework evolved into four core pillars: categorizing all client requests into distinct workflows with tailored SOPs; allocating tech time efficiently by scheduling various engagement types; automating multi-dimensional prioritization of worklists so technicians always know the right next ticket; and organizing open ticket views for instant clarity. By leveraging advanced dashboards over traditional queues, he unlocked significant operational efficiency and improved ticket resolution rates. The documented success of his approach—now adopted by over 150 MSPs—demonstrates that what traditionally took 7–10 years can be achieved in under 18 months, fundamentally transforming operations and profitability. Indeed, Steve’s journey epitomizes the true essence of transformation.
The MSP Journey:
While Steve’s extensive seven‐year transformation remains a hallmark story, the Advanced Global’s Client Base also features narratives from other MSPs that embraced the 4-Pillars framework to overhaul their operations. One notable journey describes an MSP that, like many in the industry, began with a chaotic, reactive service model characterized by inefficient ticket queues and missed SLA targets. Recognizing the need for change, this MSP embarked on a comprehensive operational transformation by first auditing its processes and identifying key bottlenecks in customer communication, scheduling, and resource allocation.
They restructured their service delivery into four interconnected pillars: segmented and prioritized service request workflows, proactive scheduling using real-time dashboards, automated communication protocols to keep both customers and technicians in the loop, and a renewed focus on internal accountability. By shifting from traditional queue-based systems to a more dynamic, dashboard-driven approach, the MSP not only improved SLA performance dramatically but also enhanced resource utilization and reduced operational disruptions. Their journey underscored the power of combining technological enhancements with cultural change—through regular internal training sessions, process reengineering, and a commitment to data-driven decision-making—to achieve a streamlined, profitable, and customer-focused service model.
Summary:
The Bottom Line is that The 4 Pillars of Operational Transformation Help MSPs Find the Freedom to Grow.
For more information on what Operational Transformation would look like and specifically how it would help your MSP to Find the Freedom to Grow:
Continue following this Blog Article Series
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Oh, that little green suitcase? Since it was properly sized for the user, it efficiently carries everything needed and protects the contents while navigating the airport and airplane aisles with ease. It fits easily in the overhead storage, and not once has it been pulled for gate checking. And that is what I call money well spent. If all MSP tools could be that way.
Look forward to seeing you here next week.
Steve & Co