Most MSPs roots are deeply embedded in break and fix business models. Is your PC suddenly underperforming and slow? We’ll refresh it for you and replace your old hardware. Software not working as it should? Let us take remote access and figure out the solution. While this is perfectly fine, and an important part of the everyday job of MSPs, it’s still only a small component of the ever-increasing needs of any small business or enterprise. In this article, we outline why it’s crucial for traditional MSPs to shift their concerns from machine uptime, optimisation and break & fix, towards the end user experience and their client’s business goals.
TRANSPARENT DELIVERY OF SERVICE
Dealing with IT departments in any industry is typically a similar experience for most people. They supply and fix your hardware, make sure your OS is updated and implement new changes to workplace portals. Apart from that do you really know what they are doing seven hours of the day? Probably not. This is a major issue for business owners who may feel they pay too much relative to the services they receive. However, it is also a common misconception that all MSPs need to address in generating and maintaining client satisfaction. The background work done in securing the longevity of a client’s online environment is often missed. So how do MSPs communicate their value effectively?
1. Overhaul ticketing processes
Ticketing systems are often clunky and frustrating for customers. Sometimes tickets can be answered within a minute, or unanswered for several weeks with no progression. Ticket history is then lost through the different methods of communication (portal, email, chat etc.), leading to more concerns about the MSPs value. A centralised ticketing system will remove these concerns. Have one location where tickets are lodged, communicated, archived and viewable for their status. This will help to reduce the constant back and forth and save you and your client’s valuable time.
2. Scheduled layperson reporting
The global shift towards remote work has increased the threats posed by malicious actors. Businesses need to be aware of this to position their online environments correctly. The importance of periodic security assessments in achieving this cannot be understated. They provide information on where a business is doing well and what areas need improvement. For example, our reporting at Evisent informs our clients of old hardware, slow performance, unencrypted drives and much more through a layperson friendly report and risk score. Using this as a visual aid, we can then plan with our clients on what steps to take to ensure all devices are completely secure and comply with contemporary security practices.
3. Improved software utilisation via documentation
MSPs have multiple tools available to manage data, devices, patching and security. But these are rarely pre-emptively implemented and instead used in response to an immediate security concern. A complete understanding all of applications is necessary for every technician within the MSP to maximise their functionality. An inability to utilise these applications may result in unpatched vulnerabilities, misconfigured firewalls, or even more serious security lapses. So how do we standardise these procedures? Document, document, document. Every process within an MSP must be clearly set out and accessible so that even a trainee can implement it to the same standard as a senior technician. This will eliminate backtracking to fix incorrectly deployed services, mitigate security concerns for your client, and save everyone a lot of headaches.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR CLIENT
A modern MSP provider should learn everything about a client’s business processes, people, purpose and challenges. Being able to translate this into clear goals is valuable for clients. Whether their business processes can be made more efficient through software, their environment more effectively secured through employee training, or data shared and collaborated on through the cloud. The underlying question for any client is: how does the service you provide improve my life? For us at Evisent, the key is complete transparency in what is offered and identifying how it complements or addresses the strengths and weaknesses relevant to the business, respectively. Disruptions in technology and the risks associated with an online presence should not outweigh its capability to transform resource management, increase productivity and bolster revenue.
