Switching PSAs, is there an advantage one over the other?
We’ve been hearing a lot of chatter in the forums from MSPs who are frustrated with their PSA. They’re wondering if the grass is greener on the other side. Maybe you can relate.
Now, it is a well-known fact that switching PSAs is not a big deal, but from our experience, there is so much more to it than that.
To our knowledge, all PSAs will give you a copy of your database, which another PSA would be happy to import into their software. The challenge is learning the new software or getting to a base level where it is operationally ready.
SyncroMSP is one of the more basic, fully functional PSAs. We are not sure how long it takes to implement, but we know that one as complicated as Autotask can be expected to take 8-12 weeks. However, Advanced Global's Accelerated Autotask Implementation can be completed in 4 weeks, again to a base functional level one step above the default level.
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The more significant question is, why are you switching? If you are hoping the grass is greener on the other side, this does not seem to be a good decision based on the number of people who switch, and then switch back a few years later. There are differences between the PSA culture that may merit switching. Integrating directly with a particular RMM tool is an intelligent PSA tool switching decision.
Most of the time, what really needs to be done is understanding more of the PSA you already have and focusing on fully leveraging the PSA software. There are cases where a small shop only needs a little bit of horsepower. Then a basic PSA such as SycnoMSP, BMS-Kaseya, etc., will get them by until they mature to needing one of the two powerhouses in the industry – ConnectWise or Autotask.
We are very familiar with both ConnectWise and Autotask. As many have said, the two PSAs work very similarly. The UI is different, along with the Culture and MSP philosophy.
How to Choose the Right PSA Software For Your MSP
When choosing between one of the two powerhouses, the Culture is the key differentiator that weighs into a smart decision. If you want a Culture that tells you how
to do things, ConnectWise has deep roots in telling you how to run your business. The software reflects this my way or the highwaymentality (Arnie 2015 IT Nation). However, that may be changing now that they are owned by VCs and are even more of a conglomerate than before.
To a fault, Autotask provides the same default settings as ConnectWise, but when it comes to running your business or leveraging the software, they leave a lot of it to the MSP.
Time out for a full disclaimer: We are raving fans of Autotask. While we have had a few Connectwise Customers, by far, the majority are Autotask. We are both (and to our knowledge the only) dual Autotask Certified Consultant Partners and Datto PSA Certified Practitioners.
Autotask (and I am sure the others do too) provides the best sequence of steps to implement the PSA software. As a software developer (as opposed to being an MSP), they know their software, can explain how it works, and where to go to find the settings you need at any step in the process. My guess is these three things are true for all PSAs.
The breakdown comes, as Aaron Kennedy says, "No PSA software comes pre-configured." ConnectWise claims they know best and just do it their way. But based on the frustrations with ConnectWise voiced in the forums, ConnectWise Customers are just as frustrated as Autotask Customers on trying to figure out how best to Leverage the PSA Software to Maximize their Return on Investment.
Side Note: When it comes to Leveraging the Autotask PSA software, see this article. (last week’s article)
So…now what? What you’re probably wondering is, ok this is some great info - but what is the best decision when it comes to PSA software? Keep in mind we are slightly hugely biased.
Why We Vote for Autotask When choosing a PSA Software
The reason we are Autotask Raving FANS is because of some key differences between the PSA software.
Those differences are:
· Dashboard/Widget UI
· Live Reports
· Ticket, Task, Opportunity, Account Category UI
Dashboard/Widget UI:
Without Dashboards, the Techs really do not know what to work on next. A board or Queue view gives an Employee a single list of tickets sorted in one way; whereas a Dashboard can provide 12 lists, each sorted differently. Monitoring/working 12 lists is too much and can become very overwhelming, but 3 widgets (Ready to Engage, Next 5 Service Calls, and Waiting/on-hold tickets) is not too much. Having 9 more lists to reference when needed is a huge competitive advantage.
Beyond the Techs, empowering someone in the Company to know every open Ticket and which one needs intervention is huge. Once again, a single list sorted one way does not get the job done. All Open Tickets, All Overdue Tickets, etc., are nice to know information, but what can you do with it – nothing, it is too overwhelming.
What’s needed is 5 widgets:
· New/Triage
· SLA due in X hours
· All waiting
· All on-hold overdue
· All tickets needing scheduling
And this same concept applies to Service Managers, Sales and Marketing, Accounting, and Executives.
Live Reports:
While dashboards are great at reporting what everyone is responsible for and what is changing this week or even today, it takes a more robust reporting tool to provide the historical, audit, and trend information. Not to mention the ability to see the details beneath the summary numbers.
Not being able to report on KPIs is the #1 complaint leading to "not leveraging all of the PSA software we are paying for." However, what many MSPs do not realize is - until the Service Delivery Foundation is improved, the data does not exist. And the first step in that process is to segment requests so the software can tell the difference between one type of request and another. This is why many say, “don't switch, but focus on leveraging the software you have”, and we agree.
However, once the Service Delivery Foundation is improved, Autotask Live Reports shines hands-down above the rest. Yes, some integrations provide pretty pictures, and there are the Data Warehouses where SQL and Power BI can get to the information needed.
But if you do not have a report writer skilled in these high-end reporting tools, Autotask Live Reports is a very beneficial middle ground. Outsourcing these reporting capabilities is not the answer, because when analyzing the data, you need to be able to slice and dice on the fly – something an outsourced report writer seldom is available to provide.
When it comes to KPIs, there are 100's of them and thousands of opinions on which ones "Every MSP should be using."
We favor 14 KPIs divided into three groups:
1) Intake and Open Ticket Management
2) Profitability
3) Tech Performance
Ticket, Task, Opportunity, Account Category UI:
While we all know that not every Ticket is created equal (even if we do not do anything about it), not every person views the Ticket in the same way. In other words, the Ticket field is different depending on your Role or the Type of Customer Request you are working on at the moment.
For Example:
· Triage (Customer Name, Customer Contact Info, Description, & Title – followed by Workflow, Issue & Sub-Issue, Best Resource, & Next Status)
· Incident Tech (Next SLA Event Due Date, Issue & Sub-Issue, Title, Expectations, remediation information)
· Service Request Tech (Scheduling, Onsite or Remote, Title, Parts Needed, Location of Parts)
· Escalation Engineer (Title, last steps, what is needed, and who do I hand it back to)
· Project Engineer
Well, you get the picture. Having the ability to change the views depending on where in the cradle to grave process the request is at is huge (is that the 4th time I used that word in this article?).
The same is true when working with Task, Opportunities, and soon to be Accounts (Autotask 2021.1 Major Release – May).
Summary:
For these three reasons, we are Raving Fans of Autotask. We assume that all PSAs have Workflow Rules, Speed Codes, Customizable Notifications, Cascading Contract Automation, SLA Automation, Incoming Email Processing, etc.
However, we do not know anyone who can guide an MSP on implementing the Autotask PSA software (or any other PSA software) in 4 weeks. If you are thinking of switching, have weighed the pros and cons, and decided to switch to the best (I mean Autotask), we recommend looking at the Accelerated Autotask Implementation tool on this website.
If you are hoping the grass is greener on the other side, don't jump. Learn how to leverage what you have, and if it is Autotask – call us.
