Thankful to be part of the 13%

As this is the Thanksgiving Holiday here in the U.S., we are reminded there is a lot to be thankful for.  For the most part, we are a healthy, close knit Advanced Global family, full of respect and admiration for our co-workers.  We are thankful for our heavenly father and our forefathers who stood their ground and created a balance of powers in government.  We are also thankful that we get to follow our passions day in and day out. 

We are also very thankful for our Clients, Past Clients, and the success they enjoy while allowing us to fulfill our purpose: helping MSPs using the Autotask software to drive operational improvements and thrive.  This Thanksgiving, we are also very appreciative of their across-the-board success!  It was not until last week, that I realized what Advanced Global expects and our Clients enjoy is rare and not the norm for Operational Improvement programs. 

You see, last week I spoke at the Service Management World annual international conference in Orlando.  One of the other speakers, world renowned and good friend Roy Atkinson, spoke on the Digital Transformation Revolution.  He had a great definition of what the “Digital Transformation” is: “The Digital Transformation is an Operational Transformation leveraging emerging Digital Technology.”  That, in itself, helped me to understand the hype. 

But what caught my attention the most is that 87% of all Digital Transformation Operational Improvement programs FAIL!  WOW! And to think about how much money is spent, time and energy invested, and promises turned to disappointment; it is no wonder that common folk like me are under impressed with the “Digital Transformation” hype.   

As Roy went on in his presentation, it was what the 13% of successful programs had in common that was most enlightening.  They all had 3 things: 

1. An improvement program plan or roadmap on how to get from there to here. 

2. A success criteria that not only informed them when they had arrived but also served as a “Northern Star” guiding their decisions along the way. 

3. An Executive, Champion, or Guide holding them accountable to stay the course and get’er done. 

Here are some testimonies from our past Clients as to how Advanced Global delivers on these three keys to having a successful Operational Improvement program: 

• “Advanced Global has a really good, well-defined process. Lea Ann & Carol don’t ramrod things. They help you to make good decisions to best fit the issue at hand.” Evan Stein, CMIT Solutions of NYCE 

• “I like your nitty-gritty Service Delivery depth of knowledge and your willingness to share.” Paul Arthur, Total Care Computer Consulting 

• “You are a great teacher, honest and speak to the level of the audience you are addressing. We are very happy with the assistance you rendered us at Cetan Corp!” Bill G, Cetan Corp 

Thank you for those kind words about Advanced Global’s programs.  In a nutshell, here is how we design our programs for success: 

1. All programs have a clear, well-defined roadmap on how to get from there to here.  Each roadmap includes the key mindset and habit changes that the MSP needs to embrace to be successful.  And each program has a very simple, continuous improvement Scope of Work / Work Breakdown Structure that serves as agenda topics as the Client transverses through the program.  In other words, Advanced Global’s programs do not meander from one Client questions to another but have a specific guided path that brings real results. 

2. When it comes to success criteria or a “Northern Star” to guide decisions, each program focuses on Qualitative and Quantitative KPIs: 

   1. Qualitative:  

      1. Is the Client happy with the results? 

      2. Can the managers breathe easier knowing how the operation is doing and where improvements are needed? 

      3. Are the Employees working smarter and not harder? 

   2. Quantitative (Based on LEAN Process KPIs): 

      1. Inventory/Resource Utilization – each program is designed to bring at least 10% improvement in productivity. 

      2. Throughput/SLA Performance – each program is designed to bring at least 10% improvement in meeting Client expectations. 

      3. Efficiency/RHEM - each program is designed to significantly increase the # of Endpoints per hour per month that can be supported for the Managed Services Clients.  A typical improvement is to move the RHEM KPI from 1 hour of work for every 1.5 Endpoints per month, to an efficiency of 1 hour of work for every 5 Endpoints per month over the course of the three Advanced Global Core Service Delivery Improvement program phases. 

3. We find it much easier to hold Clients accountable when we have a clear, agreed to, well-defined path at the beginning of the program, followed by specific success criteria guiding the discussions and decisions along the way.  What makes Advanced Global unique is our Side by Side, “Done With You” coaching style whereby we not only meet with you weekly to answer your questions, guide the discussion, and hold you accountable to make decisions but also log into the Client’s Autotask database to verify what we said was fully understood, changes made as expected in timely fashion, or standing by with a Changed Management process that allows us to make the changes for you so the program stays on track, not only to be completed but with the money-back guarantee promises we made way back in the beginning. 

At this point, your head maybe spinning, wondering what happened with your 2023 Operational Improvement Goals.  If that is the case, please do not go into 2024 with the same plans and goals, expecting different results – that would be insane. 

Here is a better way to approach pondering why the 2023 Operational Improvement programs failed to deliver: 

1. Are you capable of Operational Improvements?  But of course, I would say yes, but here is why: 

   1. Based on the 112 MSPs that have gone before you, one of them most likely was in a similar situation or the way Advanced Global’s programs are designed, we adjusted the base program to meet their and your unique challenges.   

2. Is Advanced Global the right partner, and is one of their programs the right program?  Of course, I would say yes, but here is why: 

   1. All programs in 2022 and so far in 2023 met the success criteria, and while we offer money-back guarantees on our programs, we have yet to be asked to refund money due to not meeting one of the success criteria.    

3. And the last question is now the time to move forward with an Advanced Global partnership?  Of course, I would say yes, but here is why: 

   1. As mentioned, going into 2024 with the same Operational Improvement Plan/Roadmap, Goals, and Accountability; expecting different results is insane. 

   2. We still have time to deliver significant improvements by the end of 1st quarter if we start now; and we know that as the year goes on, significant improvements have less impact on the end of year performance. 

   3. The next step is FREE with NO-Obligation to move forward with an Advanced Global program – in other words, there is no risk in scheduling a Strategy Conversation with Steve.  Here is my Calendar Link. 

Summary: 

While it is a great time of the year to be thankful, and I am sure you have a long list of gratitude, if 2023 Operational Improvement program(s) is not on that list; be thankful that 2024 is guaranteed or your Money Back to be different. 

For more information on Advanced Global programs and how we help, schedule a FREE Strategy Conversation with Steve, and remember the next step after the Strategy Call is FREE with No-Obligation, but we will talk about that more when we meet.  Here is my Calendar Link. 

Thankful for you and the opportunity to help your MSP to Thrive. 

Steve & Co