The BrightGauge Blog

How do you go about managing expectations for new and existing clients? Have you changed your processes as your company has evolved? How often do you review and revise service level agreements (SLAs), proposals, and contracts with your clients? These are the types of questions managed service providers (MSPs) of today need to be asking themselves to ensure that they’re providing clients with an expected level of service. Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you think your clients have unrealistic expectations? How did that mismatch come to be? In this post, we will cover how to approach your proposals and SLAs and why it’s more important than ever. Having the right conversations with clients When expectations aren’t managed, it’s usually because there’s a difference between what clients think they’re paying for versus what they are actually buying from you. Transparency is key here. Clients need to know exactly what they are getting out of your arrangement. On the other hand, as an MSP, you aren’t responsible for fixing every single problem your client comes across, and they need to understand that as well. Now is the time to have open, honest, and sometimes tough conversations with clients. Gone are the days where an MSP sold a technology solution to a client and called it a day. Today, there’s more to it. Security and data are a major part of the picture. Clients don’t just need a tech service. They need an MSP to help them solve a business issue. These issues are typically resolved by focusing on data and understanding how to use data to affect certain outcomes. The problem is, clients expect data services to be automatically baked into contracts and SLAs but they aren’t taking the time to truly understand what their specific data needs are. So, today’s conversations and value propositions need to be centered around data. All roads should lead back to data. Help prospects and clients by leading discovery conversations about what data they need, how they need to use their data, and what data can do for their business. From there, as an expert service provider, you can advise your clients on what and how much they need from your end. As a trusted MSP who wants to continue being a trustworthy partner, we can’t stress enough how abundantly clear you need to make your SLA, proposal, or contract. This is the time to spell things out for them. If you’re presenting your client with various packages at different price points, make sure they are clear on the specifics of each package. Lead with outcomes versus a list of good and services. And make sure to answer all their questions up front. The triangle of data Both you and your client need to play your part in making sure each point in the triangle of data is getting attention. Data needs to be: Secure - be clear on what security means from your end. As an MSP, you are providing technology and services to help a client keep their data secure. However, there are measures your client needs to take on their end to keep themselves protected. Accessible - how and when can data be accessed on personal devices; do employees work from home and need to secure their home computers? Recoverable - can a client access data after someone leaves their company? All three points on the triangle are connected and work in tandem. One cannot be changed without changing the other two. Work through various scenarios where changes would need to happen and what that would look like so that clients know what they can expect from you. In your SLAs, highlight how the technology and services you provide solve the needs of each point on that triangle. For more on how to sell services centered around data and how to work security into the conversation, watch the ConnectWise webinar ‘The New Way to Look at Managed Services’. See a sneak peek below:

While it’s always hard to see someone leave a team or move on, it can be a harsh reality once you jump into what they’ve left behind. Often, you’re left with tasks left undone or a lack of documentation to follow. When planned right, platform and process handoffs should come with a clear overview and instructions for each use case across teams and individuals. Keeping tidy documentation can be tough, especially when you’re a small shop running single team members in multiple roles. We’ve put together this checklist to help any new or existing BrightGauge partners get up to speed on where to begin with organizing and working within an existing BrightGauge buildout. Taking over an existing BrightGauge account If you are new to BrightGauge or have just been assigned as the primary account user on an existing account, follow these tips and steps to get started. Overview video - This quick video gives a great high-level overview of what BrightGauge offers. Watch the video - only 4 minutes! Share with any team members you may want to onboard as well. Attend an in-depth training webinar - Sign up for one of our weekly training webinars OR watch a recorded version here. These weekly sessions offer you the opportunity to attend a one hour deep-dive into all areas of BrightGauge. You’ll learn about datasources available, data syncing, dashboards, automated reports, goals, and more! Create an inventory of what’s already in your BrightGauge - Get organized by creating a log of all users, including viewers, and take note of the dashboards, scheduled reports, and gauges you have built and are actively using. You may reference what comes standard with each datasource through looking it up in our Knowledge Base, and scrolling to the end of the corresponding article. We recommend creating a spreadsheet or using your internal documentation tool to get organized. Be sure to note which team or process would reference that item, frequency of use, definition, and how often it should be updated or referenced. For a great example of organizational bliss, check out this user showcase webinar with Justin Bryant of CSpire on Starting a Service Library: watch the video here. Pro tip: If the account is just too much of a mess, with many of the default dashboards and reports modified from their original version, reach out to support@brightgauge.com. We'll be happy to push out a new set of defaults to your account. Delete what’s not in use - Let’s face it, we’re all guilty of hoarding something seemingly valuable to us. If it was created more than 6 months ago and you’re not using it, get rid of it! Pro tip: On the left-hand side of your gauges overview page, click ‘Unused Gauges’ to get a sense of what you can delete. Read more cleanup tips here. Meet with stakeholders to align on objectives, discuss use cases, and come up with actions you'd like to see as a result of your BrightGauge use. We're here to help! Setup a one-on-one training with a BrightGauge Success team rep. Book your new admin training here. After you’ve organized and cleaned your account and have a general idea of how you’d like to use BrightGauge, it’s time to get formal about your objectives. Map out what is actionable and where you would like to make organizational change and improvements. Turn to “IDEAS”, then keep it “SMART”. IDEAS is a framework for setting key performance indicators (KPIs). Identify the problem What is the problem that you want to solve? Or what do you want to prevent from happening? By starting here, you can tie metrics directly to your desired outcomes. Determine what solves the problem Now that you’ve identified your issues, what are the indicators that might mean progress towards a solution? For example, if you’re looking to improve Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) scores, maybe Average Time to Response is a metric that’ll help you make progress. Establish your KPIs Knowing your issues and what can help you solve them is how you’ll determine the KPIs that are right for your business. At this point, consider where you’ll find the data you need (i.e. what tools can help you track your data?). Analyze the results Now that your data is in, it’s time for a gap analysis. How do your actual results compare against benchmarks you’ve set? Where can you fill in the gaps? Perhaps you need a change in processes or to invest in additional training for your team members. Start from the beginning The process of setting and tracking KPIs is ongoing. On a regular basis, you should assess your results, see what you can learn, and then start the process over. With this framework in mind, you can begin to determine the KPIs that are going to drive each department, and your organization as a whole, towards success. To reach those KPIs, it’s important to set SMART goals. Goals should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time Based) so that it’s easier to track the progress of meeting that goal. If you’re in sales, it’s not enough to say, “next quarter, I want to close more accounts”. Instead, a SMART goal will be something like, “by the end of next quarter, I want to bring in 10 new accounts that will result in a higher commission for myself and will contribute to the overall revenue goals of our company; I’ll do this by increasing the amount of calls I make from 100 to 150”. When you’re ready to start building By now, you’re probably ready to start building. By all means, go for it! But do keep in mind these last few tips so you can keep your account clean and tidy. Map out the key metrics you’d like to measure by team and individual, and how to make them actionable. Check out this great user webinar that goes into setting expectations with baseline metrics and naming conventions. Plan for your data. List out what you’d like to see on one or multiple dashboards, reports, and goal lists. Think short term and long term, and proactive versus reactive KPIs. Use what’s already built. All integrations in BrightGauge come with pre-built dashboards and gauges and report templates. Check out what’s automatically available to you before trying to build something that may already be there. Pro tip: If the data doesn’t look quite right, you may just need to apply a filter. Always apply a filter at the dashboard or report level before cloning a gauge. This will help keep your account accurate, clean, and organized. All dashboard and report filters override what you have set at the gauge level; keep this in mind as you work with date ranges. Check data accuracy. Make sure you’re using the right dataset. If you’re looking at ticket stats for the last 30 days, check to see that you’re not working with one of our lighter datasets. When in the gauge builder, reference the right-hand column for a review of the time range you’re working within, sync frequency, and description. Click on the name of the dataset there to see the raw data coming in. Always be iterating. Consistently review where you are. It’s never too early, or too late, to evaluate and change course accordingly. This is especially the case with goal setting. If 3 weeks in you find that you’re far exceeding or falling short, adjust and keep a realistic view of where your team and you are at. Show off your work. You’re spending valuable time, effort, and money into building these gauges, dashboards, and reports, so put them to use! Incorporate your data into meetings, presentations, discussions with stakeholders, client visits, and more. For more help, check out these go-to videos, webinars, and articles: How-to Videos Dashboard examples and keys User Showcase Webinars Support queue - we trade tickets for how-to videos Weekly general training webinars In-person workshops Knowledge base documentation This post was written by Danielle, Partner Success Team Lead to BrightGauge. The Partner Success Team is focused on getting you the training and resources you need to help grow your business through team alignment and showing your value to clients. Still not sure of where to begin? Email success @ brightgauge.com.

The global workforce as we know it is undergoing a major shift. More employees than ever before are working remotely or looking for that option from their employer. In fact, a survey conducted by Global Workplace Analytics found that over the last 10 years, remote work has grown more than 90%, a figure that will undoubtedly continue to increase. There’s no denying that telecommuting is here to stay - it’s better for the environment, it is said to have a positive impact on productivity, and it makes people happy given the work-life balance we’re always chasing. For any number of reasons, including COVID-19, you may currently be shifting to a remote work state, but may be wondering how it will affect company goals or the ability to manage individual team members. BrightGauge is a tool that can help your remote teams be successful and remain on the same page. Managing data is critical for remote teams The best way to align team members, whether they are remote or in a traditional workspace, is to keep your eye on data. How do numbers paint a picture of what’s going on in your organization? You can’t manipulate or hide numbers. Data is rooted in truth, so it’s a powerful way to build transparency and trust in business relationships. Data shows exactly what is going on with anything from ticket statistics, sales opportunities, customer satisfaction, revenue, and more and takes the guesswork out of whether or not you’re on track to hit goals. And the best way to manage data is to choose the metrics and KPIs that matter most to your bottom line and then automate how you’re consuming that information. With BrightGauge dashboards and reports, you’ll pull in data from tools you’re already using (like ConnectWise, Autotask, QuickBooks, Customer Thermometer, and more) and view it all on a single pane of glass, keeping things organized and more visible to all team members. BrightGauge data updates in real-time, so there’s no need to worry about being misinformed or out of the loop. Let’s put this in a real-world example. Suppose you’re managing a remote service desk. This is a critical team, as customers interact with your support department probably more than anybody else in your company. On one BrightGauge dashboard, you might view: How many tickets were opened versus closed today Average response time for tickets Support team leaderboard This shows a ranking of your team members based on parameters you set - perhaps most tickets closed today Customer satisfaction scores Stale tickets Tickets opened versus Negative reactions As this data constantly updates throughout the day, you’ll never find yourself wondering what your different technicians are up to. Take it one step further by setting thresholds for certain KPIs - for example, be alerted anytime average response time goes above 30 minutes - so that you can take course corrective action immediately. BrightGauge partner Josh Weiss of LA Creative Technologies has been managing a remote support team for quite some time now and finds that BrightGauge helps his service desk run seamlessly. Though his support team is based in Mumbai, a BrightGauge ticket processing dashboard allows his techs to triage and resolve tickets placed by clients all the way in Los Angeles, with no disruption in response time. Eric Hoffmeister of Innovative Computing Systems already works with a mostly remote engineering team. Given the circumstances surrounding COVID-19, the helpdesk is now 100% remote and managers are learning how to cover work as normal. Through BrightGauge dashboards, admin time per tech is being tracked on an automated, real-time basis. A daily dashboard lets Eric keep a pulse on the team by showing who’s on vacation, whether or not projects are on track, what each engineer’s workload is, and so on, which means time is being utilized properly and efficiently. General tips for remote teams - Use tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams to keep the lines of communication open - Managers and employees should have regular check-ins to talk about progress, roadblocks, and strategy - Follow a structured workday that keeps you in a productive groove - Manage expectations - over communicate what is expected from one another - Stick to deadlines - Be honest with yourself and your team about what can get done To learn more about how BrightGauge can improve visibility for your remote teams, schedule a live one-on-one demo with us today.

We say this over and over - when it comes to building long-term client relationships, transparency is key. You need to show your client the value that you’re bringing to their business so that they understand what their investment is worth and are never left to question why they are paying you. A great way to do this is by sending consistent reports to key stakeholders. Another option made possible by BrightGauge is to share a real-time dashboard with your client. That’s exactly what Peter Kardel, co-founder of Clever Ducks, puts into practice. Clever Ducks is an MSP out of San Luis Obispo, California, focused on serving clients who see tech as a strategic weapon, or something central to their success. Their clients want to cut costs with IT, not on IT. As part of their client retention strategy, Peter and team share a Client Success Overview dashboard that allows them to manage relationships in a proactive way. For example, when it comes to a planning and QBR process, a lifecycle of client’s hardware and software all up and down the stack is established. That way, Clever Ducks can proactively replace gear once it reaches the end of its lifecycle rather than waiting for that equipment to fail. “Something like this makes our operations much less reactive and it’s a much better outcome for the client because, as we all know, downtime is expensive,” says Peter. Peter has found that setting color-coded thresholds on the Client Success Overview dashboard makes the data more compelling and more likely for a client to take notice. “People just know that green is go, yellow means you may want to hit the brakes, and red is bad,” says Peter. “After a while, a client looks at a dashboard, sees red, and wants to take immediate action. It’s an amazing way to support their success and help them prioritize.” In general, the Client Success Overview is a good way to ensure that everyone is on the same page. *View this sample Client Success Overview Dashboard here Included is the client’s ticket trend, which is a nice visual way to tell a story of what’s going on without hiding anything. It provides an opportunity to look at trends and understand what changes need to be made to influence the direction of that trend. With this dashboard, Peter and team avoid bogging clients down with nitty gritty details. Instead, they get right to the point of showing clients that their business is safe and can show where there are opportunities to take advantage of in order to be successful. An interesting KPI they include in the overview is how the clients are rating Clever Ducks. The dashboard is often being seen by C-suites, so these CSAT scores show how team members are (or are not) happy with Clever Ducks’ service. It’s a nice boost for that C-suite person to know that their people are confident in their technology. These days, your workforce won’t tolerate IT that’s confused or unreliable, so having confidence in leadership is becoming ever more important. Finally, a Client Success Overview dashboard makes meeting with clients way more efficient. Instead of bringing a stale report that was printed out before the account manager meets with a client, Peter and team can literally open the dashboard in front of the client during the meeting and look at real-time information, allowing them to get down to business and problem-solving right away. For instances when team meetings are not occurring face-to-face, clients still have access to their important data, day or night. Check out the links below to replicate this type of dashboard for your own clients. Link to Client Success Overview Dashboard Link to Dashboard Recreation Key Please feel free to reach out to success@brightgauge.com with any questions you have!

Have you ever been a part of a professional community or peer group or considered joining one? In such groups, many business leaders turn to their peers for advice on how to grow, both professionally and personally. You’ve likely heard of The IT Nation, ConnectWise’s professional community, but maybe are not familiar with the various events offered by The IT Nation and how they may be useful to you. Here, we’ll introduce you to The IT Nation and all that it encompasses, as well as guidance on which events may be best suited to your specific needs. What is The IT Nation? What does being a member of The IT Nation actually mean? Who’s included in The IT Nation? What’s the difference between The IT Nation and IT Nation Connect? The IT Nation is a global community of technology professionals working to push each other and the industry to new heights. By working collaboratively, sharing best practices, and listening to thought leaders, members can make this industry better and stronger. Members of The IT Nation live all around the world and have different business models and technology stacks to run their companies. The IT Nation is open to any technology solution provider, whether they use ConnectWise solutions or not. By fostering a sense of ‘co-opetition’, all can learn from and alongside each other to navigate the ever-change technology landscape. So how do you get involved in The IT Nation? With events throughout the year and advice from the community available on demand, there are several ways to maximize your experience within The IT Nation. Listen WHO THIS IS FOR: Anybody looking to gain more business insights! With the Stories from The IT Nation podcast series, you’ll hear members of The IT Nation community share advice based on personal experiences running their businesses. Learn how to attract top talent to your organization (including how to appeal to the millennial crowd), identify when it’s time to fire customers, stay relevant to your customers and more. Share WHO THIS IS FOR: ConnectWise partners who want to learn to use the products even better. IT Nation Share user groups are regional, one-day product trainings offered free of charge to ConnectWise partners. Meet other technology providers in your area and get answers directly from ConnectWise product experts on to help you learn how to better use your ConnectWise solutions. Explore WHO THIS IS FOR: ConnectWise partners seeking deeper, in-depth training on all products. Need more than one day of product training? Want training on the full ConnectWise platform, including BrightGauge, Continuum, and IT Boost? Join us in Orlando this summer for IT Nation Explore. This annual three-day product conference will feature over 100 breakout sessions, labs, and panels so every member of your organization can get the training they need to increase efficiency in their daily operations. Connect WHO THIS IS FOR: Business leaders wanting to make their organizations better and stronger. For business owners and leaders who need to know what’s coming next in the industry—and how to prepare their business for the changes that lie ahead—IT Nation Connect offers thought leadership and business building content over three days. Learn from experts in the industry on how to navigate M&A conversations, cybersecurity challenges, how to find and retain top talent, and more. As the largest and longest-running IT conference in the channel, it’s a can’t-miss event every year. This year’s event takes place in Orlando November 11-13. Evolve WHO THIS IS FOR: Specifically for members who have applied and been accepted who want to have honest conversations about work and building legacy. At IT Nation Evolve, business owners can share experiences, engage with peers, and get the resources they need to build their legacy. Members attend events each quarter where they meet with their peers and share progress—as well as hold each other accountable to work toward personal and professional goals. Want to be in the loop on everything that’s happening in The IT Nation? Stay connected through social media to get updates on our events, podcast opportunities, and more.

As a team or business manager, how are you keeping an eye on what your various departments or team members are doing? While no one likes to micromanage, it does make sense to have an awareness of what's going on across the board and how it's impacting the organization's bottom line. With BrightGauge dashboards, it's easy to automate this and kind of take a hands-off approach to monitoring your team's activity. Dashboards give a 10,000 foot view of what's going on in your business, so taking a quick glance at your boards can give you all in the info you need in just a moment's time. Basically, no need to go around asking your team what they're working on, because that information will be accessible to you whenever you want it. Join our webinar to learn more In our experience, it always helps to see how others are putting dashboards and other features to practice, so please join us for the next installment of our User Showcase webinar series. Benjamin Pearce, president and CEO of ACP Technologies will share how he has set up dashboard playlists that inform on team activity across departments. Each day, 5 different dashboards rotate on his screens, so he can easily see what sales and support are working on. Benjamin will give you a live overview of these boards and will also cover important KPIs, like: Activities Ahead vs Overdue Long-term Revenue Opportunities Service Activity This webinar takes place on Wednesday, March 11th, at 3:00pm EST. Save your seat now! Even if you can't make it, be sure to RSVP so we can send you a recording of the webinar.

Announcing the latest integration to launch at BrightGauge: OneDrive. OneDrive, a Microsoft product, is a cloud storage solution that allows you to save your files and photos and access them from anywhere that suits you. You may be familiar with Dropbox as an integration option with BrightGauge, but perhaps you prefer using OneDrive. No worries! You now have both options available to you. The basic premise of this integration is that if you have a .CSV file uploaded into OneDrive, you will be able to visualize the data on BrightGauge dashboards and reports. How to Connect to OneDrive To connect to OneDrive, click on the green ‘Add a new Datasource’ button, found on your BrightGauge overview page. Find OneDrive under the ‘All’ category, click on it, and follow all the prompts. Within a few minutes, you should be good to go. If you need further instructions, check out our OneDrive support doc. Not yet a BrightGauge customer? Contact us today and we’ll be happy to schedule a live one-on-one demo. What do I get out of the box? If you’re a BrightGauge partner, you know that when you connect to our datasources, your account will be pre-loaded with KPIs and dashboard and report templates, so you can get right to your data. OneDrive (and Dropbox) are unique integrations in this respect. Since this integration relies on custom data, there aren’t any pre-built dashboards, gauges, or reports included. Basically, as long as you’ve got a .CSV file with data, you can display it within BrightGauge, so your possibilities here are plentiful. For more details on how to create a dataset from a CSV, including some CSV requirements, read this. We love hearing from you, so let us know how you’re using OneDrive + BrightGauge to view your data! Anytime you’ve got a question about OneDrive + BrightGauge, please submit a support request or contact us and we’ll be ready to help.

In 1996, wife-and-husband duo Kelly and Nate Freeman realized their vision of opening up an IT shop in Clearwater, Florida. It started as a small MSP but really began picking up around 2002. Today, Network People is an MSP+, with 15 employees and a great internal system, providing IT and security services to close to 300 clients. A BrightGauge partner for several years now, the tool is a big part of their daily operations. We spoke to Joe Somerville, Integrator + Director of Operational Development to learn more. How Network People got its start Network People has always had a mission to deliver the best tech services in the Tampa Bay area, and one of the ways they’ve done that is by spending a lot of time with their clients. Maintaining a strict customer-focused attitude is something they believe has set them apart from many other MSPs in the industry. “It’s important to us to go above and beyond for our clients, regardless of our agreement level,” says Joe. “That way, mom and pop shops are being treated the exact same way as our larger corporate companies.” This level of care has allowed Network People to grow and build a reputation as a trusted partner for SMBs in the municipalities, health practices, law, and architectural sectors, amongst others. When it comes to taking on new clients, the Network People team gravitate towards companies that are community-driven, have a good culture, and are operating calmly and in an organized manner. Making sure the client relationship is one that jives has allowed Network People to really focus on that personal touch and spend more time with clients. “Doing the right thing is a top priority for us,” says Joe. “We’re spending time, effort, and money on constantly developing, getting things built to a level we’re happy with, and figuring out where we can consistently improve for the benefit of our clients.” As an example, Joe and team discovered that they had clients who weren’t monitoring their backups correctly, consequently putting their companies and sites at risk. Undoubtedly, an issue like this requires the right tools in place to properly take action and be proactive. Which is exactly where a tool like BrightGauge comes into play. Becoming a BrightGauge partner After attending an HTG meeting (now known as IT Nation Evolve), the owner and president of Network People brought BrightGauge into their stack of tools, seeing value in being able to get to data quickly and automate processes. Since then, BrightGauge has been a key player in daily operations at Network People. “BrightGauge is the best way to see data,” says Joe. “It’s allowed us to do what we want in an efficient way with our clients and lets us put data in front of our clients when we’re talking to them.” Joe estimates that he and his team use BrightGauge dashboards for 3 hours a day, every single day. “I can’t even imagine running our business without this,” says Joe. In addition to using the dashboard and reporting features, Joe says that BrightGauge support is some of the best he’s experienced, furthering the value of the tool even more. What BrightGauge has helped the Network People team accomplish When it comes to monitoring client’s backups, BrightGauge helps in intelligence gathering and due diligence, which has aided in their client retention efforts. More than that, BrightGauge dashboards are the primary way the Network People team share data with clients. “We deliver VCIO meetings through BrightGauge dashboards,” says Joe. “And part of our onboarding process is building out a client dashboard specific to that client.” We love this part of Network People’s onboarding and the tips they gave for bringing data to clients: - They assign their clients as a viewer to their own client dashboard - They use a templated dashboard and add a filter for that client, so that the whole process takes 3-4 minutes to set up - During onboarding, they hold a 10-15 minute training, taking clients through their gauges, what the data should mean to them, what they should keep an eye on, and in what instances they should reach out to Network People for more support/clarity Genius! “Anytime we get clients to understand what we do and why we do it, we strengthen the partnership and build a lot of legitimacy into what we do on a monthly basis,” says Joe. “We’re protecting them; we’re sharing numbers open and honestly; and we’re only able to do this because of custom datasets in BrightGauge.” As security issues become more serious and our industry becomes more vulnerable, Joe is proud that Network People still has a client-first focus and that they are spending time figuring out how to provide enough service to keep their clients secure, no matter their budget. “We are always taking care to work with a client’s environment so we fit into them instead of them fitting into us,” says Joe. “It may not be the most profitable mentality, but it is so important to us.” That’s definitely something to admire. We’re proud to have you as a partner, Network People! Most-used datasources: ConnectWise Manage and Automate, and Liongard Roar (Joe says he is most excited about building this out) Top KPIs: Tickets Per Engineer; SLA Per Ticket; Billable Time Goals; CSAT; Department Hourly Goals Notable Dashboards: Centralized Services; Service Manager Review; Client Board; Finance Board; CSAT Board; Inventory Board

Do you send reports on a consistent basis? We’re big fans of reports because they’re a reliable source of truth. They show your clients or your internal teams exactly what you’ve been working on and the results of that work and, because of that, they’re great for building a solid foundation of trust. We love seeing how our partners are using BrightGauge reports as a business growth strategy and as a way to keep teams accountable. This month, we’re sharing an Internal Weekly Service Report, as used by Joe Ensalaco of JT Global Enterprise, a systems integrator operating worldwide with offices in the UK and the US and specializing in Unified Communications, Customer Engagement, Digital Transformation, and Smart Retail. Joe, the Service Operations Manager, built this report as a way to keep track of what his team did the previous week (he actually built this within 2 weeks of becoming a BrightGauge partner - impressive!). “By looking at certain metrics on a weekly basis, we’re able to understand the circumstances around an influx in tickets, or a lack of support, so we can be proactive about preventing service issues in the future,” explains Joe. His Internal Weekly Service Report focuses on both customer metrics and service desk metrics. *This is a sample report for illustrative purposes only; not an actual report prepared by JT Global. On the customer end, Joe and team are looking at who the busiest customers of the week were, how many tickets they opened versus closed, and what type of tickets are being opened. Knowing who their most active customers are helps drive cost management decisions and also indicates whether JT Global should train their customers in how to self-solve repeat issues (for example, building out phone extensions). On a service desk side, Joe’s looking at what the whole support team is doing in general. Key identifiers include Ticket Kill Rate, Average Time to Resolution and Acknowledgement, SLA Stats by Priority, and Planned Works & Change Requests. “For each metric we look at, we’re setting goals and thresholds so we can hold ourselves accountable to a specific benchmark,” says Joe. “For example, SLAs for most of our customers are 30 to 60 minutes, so we look at these numbers each week to make sure we’re on track.” For Joe and the JT team, BrightGauge has enabled them to automate 90-95% of what was previously in their manual reports, obviously saving them a ton of time and letting them get back to focusing on their business. Interested in setting up an Internal Weekly Service Report for your team? Check out our Report Key to recreate it yourself or feel free to reach out to success@brightgauge.com and we’ll be happy to help. Thank you to Joe and JT Global for sharing your insights! Link to Sample Report Link to Report Recreation Key

If you’re like most MSP owners, you’re constantly thinking about how to generate more revenue for your business while continuing to provide unique and differentiating value to your customers. These days, everybody is talking about security. It’s a hot topic because everyone needs more of it and they are willing to pay to ensure they’re protected. In fact, surveys have shown that 93% of SMBs would switch their MSP if another MSP would offer the ‘right’ security services. So, as an MSP, how can you use this urgent need for security as an opportunity to bring more money into your organization? Just ahead, we share 3 points to remember when thinking about monetizing your security offerings. Cybersecurity as a key initiative The current reality is that MSPs are more vulnerable to security attacks than ever before, forcing the conversation around security to happen on a regular basis. It’s time to get honest about where you stand from a security point of view, both for your own benefit and that of your client’s. Cybersecurity is now a ‘must-have’ versus a ‘nice-to-have’, so if you’re not already working it into your customer agreements, you should be. When it comes to offering security-as-a-service, we recommend keeping the following in mind: Educate your customers. You likely have customers in all types of industries, and they may not all be aware of the importance of being secure. And that’s okay. As a trusted partner, they turn to you to consult and advise them on business best practices. So go ahead and show them why security matters. Do a dark web scan of your client and show them the results so they understand what information is accessible. But don’t stop there. Also educate them on how you’re currently protecting them and which of your services they can add to become even more secure. Remember, you should be a trusted partner, not just another vendor, so show them why their investment in you is worthwhile. Make buy-in easy. Keep things simple for your customers so that their decisions are no-brainers. One way to do this is to roll security-as-a-service into your ‘all-in’ price, so that it’s automatically included in the packages you offer. Remember to be upfront and honest about exactly what your packages include. Show your customers what coverage looks like and make it clear what level of protection you offer. Your goal is to provide your client with a solution to their issues in a way that they can’t turn down. Properly onboard your customers. This ties back into the education component. Establish policies and procedures around your security offerings and train your customers on those procedures during your onboarding process. Making them part of the security process will reinforce the importance of it and get them more willing to play their part in keeping their business secure. Quick note: if your point of contact is not a decision-maker, ensure that he or she understands how to properly communicate the reasoning for a security package to those decision-makers. This is essential for buy-in. Want to explore more specific ways to monetize security? In this webinar brought to you by ConnectWise, hear from partners who have added over 1 million dollars to their annual revenue by selling security services: