MSP Evolution: Unlocking Tech Efficiency
No excuses. No explanation. Youdon’twin on emotion. You win on execution. -Tony Dungy
In the bustling world ofMSPs, the Service Coordinator is often the unsung hero, acting as the central hub and customer advocate. They manage open tickets,identifypriorities, and ensure smooth operations. Among the tools at their disposal, oneAutotaskdashboard stands out asa game-changerfor unlocking your technicalteam'smaximum potential:Techs’ “Ready to Engage” Monitor Dashboard.
Today, fellow Autotask Gladiators, we are going todelve into the significance of this dashboard and how it can revolutionize your MSP's efficiency.
The Dashboards
Advanced Global installs 3 primary dashboards for Service Coordinators in our Service Delivery Foundational Improvement engagements.
The firstdashboard istitled“All Open TicketManagement”.Often calledthe “HUD” orHeads up Display, this dashboardsurfaces information that allows the ServiceCoordinatorto quicklysee an overview of theMSP’sService Delivery status and make decisions.This is where triage and schedulingoccur, and the ServiceCoordinatorspends a lot of their time.
The nextis the“Workload Rebalancing”dashboard.Herethe ServiceCoordinatorsees information more focused on tickets such as SLAstatus, tickets reaching estimated time, time needed, etc. Of course, everything is color coded foraquick understanding of where to focus.Thisdashboard allows you to quickly rebalance workloads to keep Clients happyand Techs from going underwater.
Thethird andmaybe themost importantdashboardis the Techs’“Ready to EngageMonitor.”Here is wherethe Techs' primary workspace – the Ready to Engage widget – ismonitored. Andlet’sbe clear,maintainingthe Techs' Ready to Engage widgets in "fine working order" iscriticalto:
Techs knowing whatthe Right Next Ticket is
Maximizing Efficiency
Finding the Freedom to Grow the Business
Not to mention,Home on time for Dinner, Off the Grid Weekends and Vacations, or Improving one’s Gaming Score.
Techs’“Ready to Engage Monitor”Maintenance is Critical
The Ready to Engage widget, sorted by the Next SLA Event Due Date, is designed to organize aTech's Dayand show them exactly what to work on next, maximizing their efficiency. It moves waiting tickets out of their immediate list and highlights scheduled engagements. A well-maintained widget ensures that tickets needing attention are always at the top, based on SLA priority.
However, if this widgetisn'tkept clean andaccurate, it loses its value. Overdue ticketscloggingthe top of the list, tickets without proper SLA dates, or a confusing mix of work prevents the Tech from trusting the system designed to help them.
The Cost of Mistrust: Reverting to Old Habits
This lack of trust is incredibly damaging becauseTechs will never fully lean into the new, efficient processes or consistently use their dashboards if theydon'ttrust the Ready to Engage widget. When Techsdon'ttrust the dashboard, they revert to old, less efficient habits like scrolling through cluttered Queue views, their general worklist, or "My Tasks".
These alternative views are problematic because they are often not sorted bySLAautomation and can be a confusing mix of scheduled, waiting, and critical tickets. The Techs then spenda significant portionof their time – potentially30% of their day– simply trying to figure out what to do next, rather thanworkingon client requests. This leads to decreased efficiency (sometimes as low as 50%or less than 20 productive hours per week while being paid for40 hoursof productivity) and prevents them from getting to lower-priority tickets, which then drift into the dreaded backlog or become "first birthday" tickets (over a year old). Moreover, a cluttered Ready to Engage widget with overdue items adds stress to the Techs, making them feel constantly behind.
How to Maintain the Techs' Ready to Engage Widget
As the Service Coordinator, it falls on your shoulders to keep these widgets in fine working order.It'snot as difficult as it sounds and primarily involves a few key steps that take only minutestwiceadayonce the system is clean.
Here’show you canmaintainthe Techs' Ready to Engage widgets:
Ensure Every Ticket Has a Next SLA Event Due Date:View all the widgets and check for ticketsmissingthis crucial date.
Most often, this happens when a ticket has been reopened. To fix this, go to the ticket history and clear the resolved date and time associated with the SLA event.
Sometimes,it'sdue to a missing contract on the ticket,indicatingan issue with contract mapping or setup. A Workflow Rule should ideally put a non-contract SLA date on the ticket if the contract field is empty.
Remember, project or recurring ticketsshouldn'ttypically be in theReady toEngage widget; they should be scheduled on calendars.
Address Tickets with Past Due Dates:Ensure all due dates shown are today or in the future. Overdue tickets (more than one from yesterday or more than two days out) need immediate action.
Don'tdelay or overthink it. Pick up the ticket and schedule a Service Call for the Tech.
The ideal time to schedule these cleanup tasks is Thursday afternoon, asit'sless busy than Monday-Wednesday. Schedule a reasonable block of time,perhaps anhour, given that remote desktop engagements average 30-45 minutes. You can add a note asking the Tech if more time is needed.
Scheduling the ticket removes it from the Ready to Engage widget and puts it on the Tech's calendar where it belongs.
Monitor WorkloadVolume:While not strictly "cleaning" the widget, ensure the workload is balanced. For remote desktop Techs, aim for 8 to 12 tickets in their Ready to Engage widget.
If a Tech has too many tickets, perform workload rebalancing to distribute them.
If a Tech has too few, use workload rebalancing to add more, keeping them within the target range. Adjust based on the Tech's role (field or project engineers may have fewer).
Summary/TLDR
Maintaining the Techs' Ready to Engage widget throughTechs’“Ready to Engage Monitor.”iscrucial for maximizing efficiency and ensuring smooth operations. By keeping thisAutotaskwidget clean andaccurate, MSPs can significantly reduce the time Techs spend deciding what to do next, allowing them to focus on delivering high-quality service. Embrace these maintenance practices to build trust in your systems, enhance productivity, andultimately driveyour MSP towards greater success.
The Next Level
Ready to take your MSP operations to the next level? Dive deeper into our series onMSP Evolutionand discover more strategies to streamline your processes and enhance service delivery. Check out our latest articles on monitoring chaos, workload rebalancing, and automation.Subscribe to our newsletterfor exclusive insights and tips to keep your MSP ahead of the curve.Go watch someYouTube videos. Read“Unshackled.”And finally, if youlikeEasy Buttons, email us at[email protected]and we cantransform yourMSP Operations together!