MSP Operational Transformation: The Final Chapter
Bottom Line: The 4 Pillars of Operational Transformation Help MSPs Find the Freedom to Grow
Science and technology revolutionize our lives, but memory, tradition, and myth frame our response.
- Arthur Schlesinger (Historian)
Greetings, Autotask Gladiators. I hope that 2025 has been good to you and that business is good. With Super Bowl mania out of the way, it’s time to get back to work.
For many of you, that just means going back to the grind—today being the same as yesterday, which was the same as any random day in 2024, 2023, or 2022.
Things are certainly simpler when they never change. You even get in a routine of carrying your laptop with you on vacation, to church, and living in a constant state of anxiety. Just keep doing what you always do, the way you have always done it.
But is that really living? No. You deserve to live free of constant anxiety about Clients, Techs, money, and what tomorrow will bring.
According to Dr. John Delony in his book Building a Non-Anxious Life, “Anxiety is not the problem. The problem is that we are unsafe, disconnected, unhealthy, and living like we have no say in what happens next.”
“Unsafe, disconnected, unhealthy?” you say. “Hogwash.” Are you sure? Take a few moments and ask your body. It knows. That pain in your legs, back, or head could be your body’s alarms going off.
So, what to do? You need to work on you. You need 7-8 hours of sleep a day. You need to stop eating garbage. You need a hobby. AND you need to decide that 2025 is the year you are going to embrace Operational Transformation, grow the MSP, and buy a 2026 Super Bowl ticket (knowing you will leave that laptop at home). Seeing a counselor wouldn’t hurt either.
You need to Find the Freedom to Grow. We started our journey in this series a few weeks ago. Today, we enjoy the final chapter.
The #1 Problem Facing MSPs
As mentioned, the vast majority of MSPs struggle to Find the Freedom to Grow their business. The reasons they struggle are:
Operational Chaos requiring them to micromanage the Service Delivery Team.
Not trusting the Team to meet Client expectations or deliver on Sales promises.
Techs not knowing the “Right Next Ticket.”
Root Cause of the #1 Problem:
The root cause of the Operational Service Delivery Chaos is:
Lack of Standardized Operating Processes.
Lack of understanding how to configure and use the Autotask software.
Lack of holding the Team accountable.
Operational Transformation:
The key to resolving an MSP’s #1 problem is Operational Transformation. AI is not going to help without Process Improvement. Process Improvement alone is not going to help without PSAutomation reconfigured to support the redefined process. Techs are not going to change their habits until there is data presented in a positive, collaborative coaching/mentoring environment.
For these three reasons, Operational Transformation is required. FYI, MSPs that have gone before you have taken 7-10 years of Trial & Error testing to find the path from there to here; but most MSPs do not have 10 years to Transform their operations. Most MSPs want it NOW and are so anxious for the Transformation that they trip over themselves—focused on the results they badly need without taking the time to really Transform the Operation.
I would love it if an MSP could click their heals, wiggle their nose, or say “Kansas” three times and Transform their Operations overnight. The truth is, it still takes months – not years – to Transform an MSPs Operation. Not because of the PSAutomation re-configuration (that only takes 24-36 hours). Not because of the Data needed to hold the Team accountable in a positive, collaborative coaching/mentoring environment (that only takes 1-6 months). Not because of not knowing what you do not know (the list is only 89, 172, or 225 Standard Operating Procedures that are missing). What takes time is absorbing the Transformation information, embracing the Transformation Change, and adapting to a new way of Delivering Superior Service to the Clients.
While the need to change is huge, and the average time it takes to change is 12 months, the path from there to here is noticeably clear. Many MSPs have been there and done that and know what you might not know. Here are some examples of things you might not know.
Operational Transformation Improvement Requirements:
In 2023, based on HDI and Clifton Butterfield research, 87% of Operational Improvement programs failed. The 13% that were successful and three things in common that the failed programs did not:
A plan or roadmap on how to get from there to here.
A success criteria to serve as a guiding light.
An internal champion and outside guide on the side .
Note: This is where and why you should consider a partnership with Advanced Global as we can provide all three, except the internal champion – we cannot do the Transformation for you.
The Roadmap:
Based on Advanced Global’s experience and record of accomplishment Transforming an MSPs Operation so they can Find the Freedom to Grow, the following phases are needed, in this order:
PSAutomation Evaluation: The first step in an MS’s Operational Transformation journey that will guide them from where you are to Maximized Efficiency is Advanced Global’s PSAutomation Evaluation.
Where we compare how you are using the Autotask software to how the “Best-in-Class” MSPs are using it.
When we do the Evaluation for you, the only time you will need is an hour or so to go over the Findings and Suggestions.
Where you can take the Evaluation and:
Go it Alone and take 3-5 years to get through and apply the information.
Join Advanced Global’s Service Delivery Gladiator Community and take 2-3 years to get through and adapt the information with Q&A advice from the Community.
Partner with Advanced Global, who guarantees-or your Money Back-to guide you through the Operational Transformation in 6-18 months.
Drive to Thrive: Service Delivery Operational Transformation.
Advanced Contracts: Time Entry to Invoicing Operational Transformation.
Building a Better Client Experience: We say we are Client centric, but very few MSPs have a positive, collaborative coaching/mentoring environment to hold the Team accountable to deliver such an experience, therefore providing an CX Operational Transformation.
Project Management Improvement: For Projects to be completed Profitably, On-Time, and On-Budget, MSPs need a Project Management Operational Transformation that starts with “What is a Project?”
Service Delivery Performance: While the Operational Transformation can happen in 6-12 months, it takes another six months for the newly adapted habit changes to be maximized. Moving from the initial 10-20% Operational improvement to Maximized Efficiency takes Advanced KPI reporting and setting up the Service Managers with a positive, collaborative coaching/mentoring environment.
Sales Pipeline: This is less about designing a Sales Process and more about how to Transform the Sales Process by leveraging the Sales Tools, including the PSAutomation configurations that support and automate the Sales Process, leading to Sales Operational Transformation.
Note: If any of these seven topics have piqued your interest, please reach out to Advanced Global and ask for the appropriate Scope of Work.
Success Criteria:
As you now know, for an Operational Improvement program to be successful, the MSP must have and focus on the success criteria. But that presents a major challenge:
Out of the 144K KPIs that MSPs are bombarded with, following which ones are Critical, leading indicators, lagging indicators, or only noise?
Even if I knew which KPIs to focus on as an Operational Improvement success criterion, how do you mine the PSAutomation for the data we need, and how do we spin the data into gold (information) that will serve as the guiding light we so desperately need?
And even if I did have the data, how do we apply it to our operation so we know what the data is saying and what our action items are?
Well, for the answers to these great questions (if you have more, please send them to Advanced Global ASAP, as there is not a minute to lose), here is what Advanced Global knows that you might not know:
We base the Operational Transformation Improvement program’s success criteria on LEAN Process Profitability KPI reporting:
Inventory -> Resource Utilization **
Throughput ->
SLA Performance: Is Throughput with Wait states
Mean Time to Resolve: Is Throughput without Wait states
Efficiency -> Reactive Hours per Endpoint per Month
Advanced Global provides very Advanced Autotask Live Reports**
Advanced Resource Utilization (ARU)
Advanced SLA Performance (ASLA)
Advanced Mean Time to Resolve (AMTTR)
Advanced Reactive Hours per Endpoint per Month (ARHEM)
Advanced Global provides guidance on how to:
Analyze the Reports
Use Leading Indicator Reports as to where to focus to improve the LEAN Process Profitability KPIs
Implement action items over the next 30 days
Note: Here is a link to a Sample of Advanced LEAN Process Profitability KPI reporting
Internal Champion and a Guide on the Side:
As mentioned, Advanced Global cannot provide the Internal Champion. That is something that needs to come from the MSP itself. Everything else Advanced Global can provide through the Operational Transformational Improvement Programs.
So, what does an Internal Champion need:
15-20 minutes per day to review Daily Content Discussion information (Videos, Supporting Documents, Homework)
Normal Team Communication processes (Daily Huddles, Weekly or Monthly Team Meetings, meetings with Executives and Management)
A Passion to:
Improve the Quality of Work Life for their Teammates, Clients, and Client Employees
Do things Better, Easier, and without Chaos – in other words, find ways to work Smarter, not Harder
Make the Owner, Clients, and Team proud of the Operational Transformation Improvements that have been achieved
Your next steps are easy:
Reach out to Advanced Global
Say “Yes” to a PSAutomation Evaluation
Sit Back and Relax, knowing that Operational Transformation is right around the corner
Steve & Co
Resources:
Unshackled e-book: https://www.agmspcoaching.com/unshackled
Richard Tubb: “Mental Health Resources for MSP Business Owners”
Our recent blog post on MSP Mental Health
Our YouTube channel
Service Delivery Gladiator’s Community: Home - The Service Delivery Gladiators