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, butmemory, tradition, andmyth frame our response. - Arthur Schlesinger (Historian)

Greetings,Autotask Gladiators.I hope that 2025 has been goodtoyouandthatbusiness is good. With SuperBowl mania out of the way,it’stime to get back to work.

For many of you, that just means going back to thegrind—todaybeing 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 laptopwith you on vacation,tochurch, and living in a constant state ofanxiety. Just keep doing what you always do, the wayyou havealways done it.

But is thatreallyliving? No. You deserve to live free of constant anxiety about Clients, Techs, money, and what tomorrowwill 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?”yousay. “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, growthe MSP, andbuy a 2026 SuperBowl ticket(knowing you will leave that laptop at home).Seeing a counselorwouldn’thurt either.

You need to Find the Freedom to Grow. We started our journey in this series afew weeks ago.Today,weenjoythefinal chapter.

The #1 Problem Facing MSPs

As mentioned, the vast majority of MSPsstruggle to Find the Freedom to Growtheir business. The reasons they struggle are:

• Operational Chaosrequiringthem 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 Causeof 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 usethe Autotasksoftware.

• 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 Improvementalone is not going to help withoutPSAutomationreconfiguredto support the redefined process.Techs are not going to change their habits untilthere is datapresented 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;butmost MSPs do not have 10 years to Transform theiroperations. Most MSPs want it NOWand are so anxious for the Transformationthatthey trip overthemselves—focusedon the results theybadly needwithout taking the time to really Transform the Operation.

I would love it if an MSP could click their heals, wiggle their nose, orsay“Kansas”three times and Transform theirOperationsovernight.The truthis,it still takes months – not years–to Transform an MSPs Operation. Not because of thePSAutomationre-configuration(that only takes 24-36 hours). Not because of the Data neededto hold the Team accountable in a positive,collaborative coaching/mentoring environment (that only takes 1-6 months). Not because of notknowingwhat you do not know(the list is only89, 172, or 225Standard Operating Procedures that are missing).What takestimeisabsorbingthe Transformation information, embracingthe Transformation Change, andadaptingto a new way of Delivering Superior Service to the Clients.

While the need to change is huge, and theaveragetime it takesto change is 12months, the path from there to here isnoticeably clear.Many MSPs have been there and donethat andknow 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:

1. Aplan or roadmap on how to get from there to here.

2. Asuccess criteriato serve as a guiding light.

3. 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 – wecannotdo the Transformation for you.

TheRoadmap:

Based on AdvancedGlobal’sexperience andrecord of accomplishmentTransforming an MSPs Operation so theycan Find the Freedom to Grow, the following phases are needed,inthis order:

1. PSAutomationEvaluation:The first step in an MS’s Operational Transformation journey that will guide them from where youareto Maximized Efficiency is AdvancedGlobal’sPSAutomationEvaluation.

1. Where we compare how you are using the Autotask software to how the “Best-in-Class” MSPs are using it.

2. Whenwe do the Evaluation for you,the only time you will need is an hour or so to go over the Findings and Suggestions.

3. Where you can take the Evaluation and:

1. Go itAloneand take 3-5 years to get throughand apply the information.

2. Join AdvancedGlobal’sService Delivery Gladiator Community and take 2-3 years to get throughand adapt the information with Q&A advice from the Community.

3. Partner with Advanced Global,who guarantees-or your MoneyBack-toguide you throughthe Operational Transformation in 6-18 months.

2. Drive to Thrive: Service Delivery Operational Transformation.

3. Advanced Contracts:Time Entry toInvoicingOperational Transformation.

4. Building a Better Client Experience: We say we are Client centric, but very few MSPs have a positive,collaborative coaching/mentoring environmentto hold the Team accountable to deliver such an experience, therefore providing an CX Operational Transformation.

5. Project Management Improvement:ForProjects to be completed Profitably, On-Time,and On-Budget,MSPs needa Project Management Operational Transformation that starts with “What is a Project?”

6. 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. Movingfrom theinitial10-20% Operational improvement to Maximized Efficiencytakes Advanced KPIreporting andsetting up the Service Managers with a positive,collaborativecoaching/mentoring environment.

7. Sales Pipeline:Thisis less about designing a Sales Process and more about how toTransformthe Sales Process byleveragingthe Sales Tools,including thePSAutomationconfigurations that support and automatethe Sales Process, leading toSales Operational Transformation.

Note:If any of theseseventopics havepiquedyour interest,pleasereach out to Advanced Global and ask fortheappropriateScopeof Work.

Success Criteria:

As you now know, for an Operational Improvement program to be successful, the MSP must have and focus on thesuccess criteria.But that presents a major challenge:

1. Out of the 144K KPIs that MSPs are bombarded with,following which ones areCritical, leading indicators, lagging indicators, oronlynoise?

2. Even if I knew which KPIs to focus on as anOperational Improvement success criterion, how do you mine thePSAutomationfor the data we need,and howdowe spin the data into gold (information) that will serve as the guiding light we sodesperately need?

3. And even if I did have the data, how do we apply it to ouroperationso we know what the data is sayingand what our action items are?

Well,for the answers to these great questions (if you have more, please send them toAdvancedGlobal ASAP,as there is not a minute tolose),here is what Advanced Global knows that you might not know:

1. We base the Operational Transformation Improvement program’s success criteria on LEAN Process Profitability KPI reporting:

1. Inventory -> Resource Utilization **

2. Throughput ->

1. SLA Performance:Is Throughput with Wait states

2. Mean TimetoResolve:IsThroughput without Wait states

3. Efficiency -> Reactive Hours per Endpoint per Month

2. Advanced Global provides very Advanced Autotask Live Reports**

1. Advanced Resource Utilization(ARU)

2. Advanced SLA Performance (ASLA)

3. Advanced Mean TimetoResolve (AMTTR)

4. Advanced Reactive Hours per Endpoint per Month (ARHEM)

3. Advanced Global provides guidance on how to:

1. Analyze the Reports

2. UseLeading Indicator Reports as to where to focus to improve theLEAN Process Profitability KPIs

3. Implement actionitemsover the next30 days

Note:Here is a link toa Sample ofAdvancedLEAN Process Profitability KPIreporting

Internal Champion and a Guide on the Side:

As mentioned, Advanced Global cannot providethe InternalChampion.That is something that needs to come from the MSPitself. Everything else Advanced Global can providethroughthe Operational Transformational Improvement Programs.

So, what does an Internal Championneed:

1. 15-20 minutes per day to review Daily Content Discussion information (Videos, Supporting Documents, Homework)

2. Normal Team Communication processes (Daily Huddles, Weekly or Monthly Team Meetings,meetings with Executives and Management)

3. A Passion to:

1. Improve the Quality ofWork Lifefor their Teammates, Clients, and Client Employees

2. Do things Better, Easier, and without Chaos – in other words,find ways to work Smarter,not Harder

3. Make the Owner, Clients, and Team proud of the Operational Transformation Improvements that have been achieved

Your next steps are easy:

1. Reach out to Advanced Global

2. Say “Yes” to aPSAutomationEvaluation

3. SitBack and Relax, knowing that Operational Transformation is right around the corner

Steve & Co