Service Delivery Overview

How to Unshackle Your MSP’s Growth in 2023

December 21, 20226 min read

2023. Wow! People are already arriving in New York City to watch the ball drop. As I sit here at my desk, staring out the window at the beauty of a Maine woods, I can’t help but think back to 2022 and everything that came with it from 2020 and 2021.

The promises. The disappointments. And everything in between. I can hear the great John Lennon in my mind singing lines from his Classic Christmas song,”…And so this is Christmas. And what have we done? Another year over. And a new one just begun.

Yes, Christmas was last week, and the New Year isn’t quite here, but that last week of the year is the perfect time to think about what we have done, what we wanted to do, and what we could have done.

And then move forward to the next year, resolving to make things better – for yourself, your MSP, your clients, and perhaps…just perhaps, the world.

Ok, enough reminiscing. Let’s focus forward…

2023 MSP Focus: Growth!

One thing I encourage an MSP to focus on is growth. I get that not every MSP wants to grow to 100 employees, but every healthy MSP should have at least some growth.

To attain that growth, the MSP needs to achieve Service Delivery Freedom. It’s simple. Without Service Delivery Freedom, not only can the MSP not grow, but billable hours are also being wasted to the tune of at least $96,600 per Tech per Year (according to Kaseya CEO Fred Voccola).

Without the Freedom to grow, more Revenue just makes everyone busier and less efficient, which equates to less profit.

Case study after case study has proven that the path to Service Delivery Freedom is clear:

  1. Fully leveraging the Autotask PSA tool, so the Techs know what to work on next and so someone always knows what’s going on in the shop.

  1. Best in Class Standard Operating Procedures, leveraging the tools and making it easier for the Techs and Managers to work smarter, not harder.

  1. Advanced Reporting like the Tech Balance Scorecard (picture above) to guide the Techs on where they need to improve and give management the ability to hold them accountable.

FYI: It takes 7-10 years to figure out how to fully leverage the Autotask software, develop the SOPs needed for the Team to operate efficiently, and know how to hold the Team accountable.

3 questions to ask yourself:

  1. How long have you been using Autotask?

  1. How much of the tool are you fully using?

  1. How painful is it not to be able to grow the business?

Why does it take so long?

  • Trial and Error methodology is inefficient and leads to delays.

  • For those that have succeeded, it takes someone 20-40 hours per week working on nothing but Service Delivery Improvements, including learning how to leverage the PSA software.

  • The PSA software developers do not fully understand how an MSP uses their software, nor do they want the liability of telling you how to use it.

To make matters worse, there is no general conscience or one “Best Way” to do things. A lot depends on an MSPs’:

  • Product mix

  • Culture

  • Type of Clients

However, in less than a year, a Certified Autotask Service Delivery Expert can guide you through the process and adjust both the PSA software and SOPs to fit your unique solution.

To help you get started, we are going to write about what goes into each of the three steps on the road to optimization over the next few weeks and months:

  1. Leveraging the Autotask PSA Software

    • Categorizing, Prioritizing, and Organizing Client Requests

    • Streamlining the Invoicing process via Cascading Contract Automation

    • Building a Better Client Experience

    • Managing Projects on Time and On Budget

    • Planning Resource Workloads for MSPs

    • Managing Sales Opportunities and handing off to Finance, Procurement, and Service Delivery

    • Managing Inventory and Procurement

    • Billing based on Consumption via Advanced Contracts

    • QBRs and a Proactive Preventative Management program

    • Co-Managing Client Requests and leveraging the new and improved Client Portal

  1. Best in Class Standard Operating Procedures for MSPs

    • Overall Operational

    • Sales, Inventory & Procurement

    • Intake, Engagement, Disengagement, & Closeout

    • Open Ticket and Service Delivery Management

    • Project Management, Accountability, and Quarterly

    • Invoicing, Financial, and HR

  1. Advanced Live Reporting

    • Sales performance

    • Intake and Open Ticket Management performance

    • Profitability performance

    • Tech performance

    • Project performance

Without a guide, this road is like going through Jurassic Park in the rain - with no headlights on your Jeep - and the electric fences are offline for the next 7-10 years. Yes, years, my friend.

And that is, IF you have someone with the right skill set, you candedicate to the task. With Advanced Global as a partner,you can leverage 49+ years of experience and a dynamic team of 7 working full-time to guide you on how to be optimized in less than a year. It’s what we do.

How long does it take to walk you through each of the three steps? Since you asked,

  1. Fully Leveraging the Autotask PSA software – 6 months

  1. Implementing the Best in Class SOPs – 4 months

  1. Leveraging Advanced Live Reports – 2 months

Employing a guide is a simple, 3-step process:

  1. Start with a Free No-Obligation PSA Configuration Evaluation

  1. Have a discussion on Findings and Suggestions to find the best path for your situation

  1. Expedite the process by engaging the guide for a fraction of the cost of going it alone (skip being eaten by the velociraptors and still have lunch money)

The choice is yours. Do you want to:

Take 7 to 10 years of your life at the cost of 100,000 USD per year in wasted billable hours?

🤔 or…

Save more money than switching your car insurance to the lizard company by reaching out to Advanced Global and beingoptimized by 2024?Thus, saving you not only allthose wasted hours but also dealing with Client complaints, never really knowing what is going on, and the headaches that come with managing the constant chaos.

Why do I feel so strongly about this? My mission - and the mission of each and every member of the growing Advanced Global team - is to help your MSP reach itsfull potential and grow as much as you want to.

We are here for you because we believe that by working together, we can be profitable, find freedom, and enjoy the peace that Managed Services promises.

This was true in 2022 and even more so in 2023. I turn back to John Lennon to share my hope for you in 2023. “…a happy New Year. Let’s hope it’s a good one, without any fear.”

If I can be of any help to you, please do reach out. The first step is easy: just email Advanced Global at [email protected] and ask for information on the Free No-Obligation PSA Configuration Evaluation.

On the fence about asking for some help? Check out what some of our Clients and past Clients say about the effectiveness of Advanced Global’s programs:

Steve & Co

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