MSPs are doing these 4 things to maximize efficiency and reduce overhead

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past decade, you know that things are more expensive than ever before. As a result, many MSPs are looking to cut costs and make themselves as operationally efficient as possible.

If you’re on the hunt to maximize efficiency and reduce your overhead, here are four key approaches to consider implementing: 

Learn how to assess automation eligibility 

Stuck with tedious, repetitive, and overall time-sucking tasks? It’s time to automate – but then again, everyone says that.  

More specifically, it’s time to do some research into what can be automated. 
 
Many MSPs are already aware of the concept of implementing automated systems for routine tasks like patch management, backups, and system monitoring. But embracing automation as a value of the business rather than a checkbox is much more important in the long run.  

Examining processes holistically and doing appropriate research into automation eligibility is far more likely to get returns than one-off automated processes. 

When considering automation eligibility, ask yourself the following questions: 

• What team(s) in the MSP have the least amount of free time?  

• Where is the most predictable, routine work happening? 

• Which processes have a high cost of error? Or which ones frequently have errors? 

Once you learn how to regularly detect a need for automation, you can begin to implement systems, tools, and processes to make automation a reality, which is huge for your efficiency. 

While you’re thinking about it: See how CloudRadial Automations save you time 

Bank on client self-service 

Okay, we admit it – we’re a wee bit biased on this one. But hear us out.

Our Portal 365 platform is a fantastic way to put self-service in the hands of your clients. 

Providing a portal that’s focused on self-service ticketing, documentation, training, reporting (and much more) appropriately gives clients the power to get the information they need from your MSP whenever they feel like it.  

This makes your client experience awesome — which has been proven to reduce churn — while also reducing the extra burden on your staff to provide updates to clients for information that they can now get for themselves.  

It’s a total win-win that more and more clients are coming to expect from their MSPs. Since it starts at just $95/month, it’s priced to save you much more money than it costs. 
 

 Interested in seeing more? Check out what Portal 365 can do here

Focus on training and retaining your team 

Many MSPs struggle with retaining talent. It’s become quite normal for technicians to leave MSPs, seeking higher salaries and overall better opportunities to learn and grow. 

Re-training new talent and re-building familiarity with clients can be frustrating at best and it can cost excessive time and energy at worst. In short, high turnover can literally cost you.  

So, what can you do about it?  

Best-in-class MSPs invest time and effort into building robust training practices to get new talent up-to-speed quickly. That makes sure that they can start being productive and effective in as little time as possible, reducing their onboarding period.  

But it’s not all about the new guys. It’s something for the whole company to do. 

Training your existing teams on new processes and systems is a sure-fire way to prove to them that you’re invested in their careers and development as a part of the team.  

Incentivizing employees to learn new skills and become more multi-role capable has become a critical component for MSPs that want to attract and retain the best talent. 

Consolidate tools when you can 

MSPs are largely self-admitted tool addicts that enjoy tinkering with the best and newest tools in the space. While it can be tempting to give new, shiny tools a try, it’ll likely cost you. 

If you can save yourself a contract of monthly bill by consolidating tools, it really helps in the long run. First, you need to determine if a tool is a candidate for consolidation. 

Ask yourself the following:

• Am I paying for something that does this already? If so, why? 

• Do my clients rely on this tool? Or does my team internally rely on it? 

• Do I really need the extended functionality of the “better” tool? 

• Is this tool providing me with any tangible ROI that I can see? 

Not every tool overlap is an accident. There are plenty of instances where an enhanced version of a tool is a financially sound decision, even when a cheaper alternative is present. 

Take for example one of our own use cases: CSAT.  

CloudRadial’s Portal 365 and CSA products both come with a CSAT tool built in. It’s a functional and reliable way to track customer satisfaction on support tickets.  

Does that mean you should run to the hills and kick your current CSAT provider to the curb?  

No, not necessarily.  

Evaluating whether your existing CSAT provider gives an enhanced experience to your clients and internal team is the key here. If you believe that it will negatively affect you to change the user experience, don’t touch the tool. On the other hand, if you think nobody will notice (or if you can explain the change reasonably), you’ve found a way to save money. 

Let's recap 

Adopting these four strategies can significantly enhance your MSP's operational efficiency and reduce overhead costs.

By assessing automation eligibility, empowering client self-service, prioritizing team training and retention, and consolidating tools, you position your business for long-term success in a challenging economic landscape.

Each of these approaches not only streamlines processes but also fosters a culture of continuous improvement and adaptability. As you implement these changes, remember that the goal is not just to cut costs, but to create a more agile and resilient organization.

Start today, and watch your MSP thrive while delivering exceptional value to your clients.