The demand for managed services has grown exponentially, and it is expected to grow rapidly. According to a recent Statista report on the industry, the global managed service providers industry is expected to reach a value of $300 billion by 2027.
Managed services have been a popular way for businesses to streamline operations and improve efficiency. In a constantly growing market, managed services provide significant value by taking care of complex administrative tasks for the business.
Business owners benefit by partnering with third-party providers using innovative technologies such as cloud computing and managed IT security without having to manage these themselves in-house. This is especially beneficial for small and medium businesses (SMBs).
When a small or medium business continues to grow and is introduced to managed services, it can be overwhelming at first to get used to the new software. It is necessary that as your business grows, you continually revamp your operations to meet your growing needs.
As your business grows, so too will the importance of being able to remotely monitor your operations through a cloud-based solution; this is a crucial and critical part of the future of MSPs.
Strategies that managed service providers follow
The main objective of managed service providers (MSPs) is to ensure that simplify operations and provide their clients with a smooth and efficient experience. They support the company’s IT systems by offering various managed services such as network management, security, data backup services, and help desk support. To ensure that they are following the right strategy, MSPs should consider following the following points:
- Managed service providers (MSPs) need to determine what kind of service they are going to specialize in and offer their clients; this will help the MSP business determine which area they need to focus on specifically.
- MSPs need to identify their target market clearly if they are to tailor what they offer to meet the needs of specific clients. It also helps if you can identify the niche you would like to serve along with sub-industries.
- Pricing strategy is essential for any business, and MSPs must determine their pricing and billing methods. Offering options like per-user or per-device pricing or flexible pricing plans will benefit your business.
- MSPs must ensure they have the necessary infrastructure and technologies in place to effectively deliver their services. Using software and security tools alongside backup and recovery solutions is a best practice for success.
- Selecting the right people is essential if you are to have the right team to deliver services efficiently. Hiring skilled technicians and providing continuous training helps ensure they are up to date and your team has all the necessary expertise.
- Adhering to deadlines and maintaining SLAs defines the service your business offers. Having an SLA outlining the scope of service, response time, and other key metrics to help manage client expectations efficiently.
Seven ways to improve your operational strategy
1. Reduce paperwork
Say goodbye to the cumbersome paperwork! Introducing mobile and web applications will help your team streamline their data collection process and drastically improve operations across the business. With this simple but effective technological advancement in place, you will significantly reduce administrative overhead and allow your technicians to focus on other essential customer tasks.
2. Improve employee utilization
As important as it is to allocate work efficiently, you must also ensure that your employees are utilized optimally. The best way to ensure your technicians’ productivity is to have an intelligent dispatching tool in place. You can get more done in a single shift by tracking the time spent on each task and assigning technicians to new tasks once they have completed existing ones.
3. Allocate work automatically
Because there are various company and employee factors to consider, allocating work can be one of the most time-consuming tasks that a senior employee or manager will face. Integrating software that automatically assigns work to technicians based on their availability and proximity to the customer’s location is an effective strategy for your business. This ultimately saves time, allowing for increased productivity.
4. Ensure consistency in service delivery
As your business grows, it is essential to ensure that you deliver consistent service to all your customers, regardless of demand. Every business has one goal in mind, and that is to be successful; this can be attained by improving customer satisfaction. It takes a lot of effort to get a customer, and you should ensure that they have a great experience, not just the first time they use your company, but every time they use your company. Consistency instills a sense of trust in your customers and helps convert new customers into loyal customers.
5. Automate workflows
In most businesses, there is a routine task that we follow daily to ensure the smooth operation of our business, and these tasks are part of the daily workflow. All departments in your business have their own workflows—including customer-facing roles. If these workflows are manual processes, then they are ripe for optimization. By eliminating manual processes and replacing them with automated workflows, you will relieve your workforce of having to deal with mundane tasks and allow them to focus on customer requests. Soon your business will run like a well-oiled machine.
6. Measure process efficiency
To ensure that you maintain good business practices and to make sure that you stay consistent. It is essential that you measure the amount of work that has been completed, usually on a monthly basis.
A dashboard allows you to monitor your team’s performance and see the average time taken for first-time fixes, easily view communication with customers, and see the total distance traveled. You can also monitor your team’s attendance and see time off requests—all from the dashboard. Planning appointments and avoiding cancellations will become easier than it has ever been before.
7. Invest in technology
It is always wise to get a helping hand, and what better way than investing in field service software? Zuper will help you automate manual tasks and optimize both scheduling and dispatching. Ensure that your team and customers are all on the same page with efficient, real-time, intelligent dispatching.
Improve workforce utilization and boost asset performance with timely service reminders, all available through customized workflows. Investing in the right software will help you streamline your process, improve productivity and efficiently drive your business.
Maintain a uniform process
It is important to have a standard when offering Service Level Arrangements (SLAs) since they ensure that customers receive the same level of service from the time they sign-up with you. While it is important to understand that each customer and business is different, it is essential for you as a business to maintain a standard with your SLA, and this will help you maintain a loyal customer base. Though the requests from each customer may vary, viewing these requests as a service based on the standard of your SLA and providing uniform service is essential.
The importance of dashboards
As an MSP business, maintaining a standard among your customers is essential, and it is crucial that it is uniform across your business. With the help of a dashboard, you will be able to track and address changes in key metrics quickly. Monitoring small changes is vital to growing your company. Even more beneficial is customizing dashboards to give you insights into your tasks, revenue streams, and current customers in a clear and concise interface—helping make data-driven decisions that much easier!
Prioritize cybersecurity
As a managed service provider, prioritizing cybersecurity is of the utmost importance when handling customer information, especially with payment and credit card details. A focus on security is essential to protecting the client’s data and their systems; treating customers’ information as a valuable and confidential resource will help you garner credibility with them. Conducting assessment checks regularly among your customers and implementing stringent security protocols are important parts of prioritizing cybersecurity.
Implement effective project management
Among managed service providers, effective project management is crucial to delivering projects on time and within budget; prompt and diligent service will help you improve customer satisfaction. To enable this, you set clear goals while on a project is important. At the same time, having consistent communication across your team is vital. Clear communication with your customers is essential throughout the entire process of completing the project.
Final thoughts
We discussed the importance of effective strategies for managed service providers (MSPs). From determining what kind of services, they specialize in to identifying their target market to using tailor-made offerings to meet the specific needs of their clients. MSPs must ensure they have the necessary infrastructure and technology to deliver their services effectively.
We discussed various benefits managed service providers can experience by adopting technological solutions. From reducing paperwork by introducing mobile and web applications to utilizing employees more optimally.
Zuper is a comprehensive field service app that will help managed service providers organize themselves efficiently and improve the flow of information between front-line field technicians and customer service representatives.
It will help MSPs navigate through the complex landscape of communication between teams to ensure your technicians are adequately equipped and arrive promptly at their service destination. To learn more about Zuper and to get first-hand experience with how it works, schedule a free demo here, and we will be glad to show you how your business can benefit from Zuper.
