How the MTTR Fits into Your MSPs Growth Plan
Read this article, and you’ll walk away with know-how on:
MTTR & how it fits into the MSP growth/Service Delivery Improvement plan
SLA Performance vs. Mean Time to Resolve
The many benefits of running the MTTR
The real MTTR #’s may surprise you
Ways to reduce the MTTR of any one sub-issue
How to start your Profitability Improvement journey
Welcome, fearless Autotask warriors! I’m glad to see your brains haven’t exploded from all the recent discussions on improving profitability and the Service Delivery experience.
We’ve covered a lot of material pretty quickly…but I do remember promising at the beginning of this year a plan for measurable MSP growth by the end of the 2023 - and we always deliver!
We understand that it can be overwhelming, especially with everything else you’ve got on your plate right now. So, if you have questions about anything in this article, please drop us a line at info@AGMSPCoaching.com, and we will reach out to help.
We also understand that not everyone reading this is an Autotask expert with plenty of time on their hands (in fact, helping the MSPs who are not experts grow to the next level is one of the reasons we started Advanced Global).
Let’s Talk: Mean Time to Resolve (MTTR)
That said, let’s get to this week’s discussion on Mean Time to Resolve (MTTR) and where it fits into our MSP growth/Service Delivery Improvement plan.
We have already covered how the SLA performance report can be used to drive profitability. The SLA Performance report is to an MSP what Throughput is to LEAN processes: the faster raw materials (Tech Billable Hours) can be converted to products (Client Engagements), the more efficient the operation is.
At a higher level, the faster a Client request goes from New to Completed, the more efficient the engagement is. Assuming, of course, that:
the quality level is there
the request is not reopened because of short cuts in the process or premature completion
But the SLA performance has a downside: the many “Waiting Customer” wait states that someone can put a Client request into. Yes, this makes us feel good because now we have an excuse (Waiting Client, Vendor, Parts, or just put it on hold so the Tech can get to quarter beer night quicker). However, it does not inform us of the true Client Experience.
Run the MTTR Report for an Accurate Throughput
For that, we need the MTTR Advanced Report. It is the same as the Completion SLA Performance Report, without all the wait states. Thus, for a true Throughput for an MSP, run the MTTR report.
FYI, the Industry Average MTTR is 2 business days with the Average Technician effort at 45 minutes.
Surprised by those numbers? You’re not alone. We’ve seen many a jaw drop when our Coaches tell that to new Clients. Why? Well, for the typical MSP (not you, of course), self-perception is that we are getting to everything in a timely fashion and that no Client is waiting more than a day (except, of course, the ones in the Backlog List of Tickets and the one drifting towards its first birthday).
While Mean Time To Resolve infers we are talking about Reactive Client Requests (not IMACS or Project work), for most MSPs, if the work is a change request or a simple add (less than 4 hours of remote work), the request is considered in the MTTR.
Some MSPs Have No Idea What Their MTTR is
For those MSPs dumping the ticket in the queue and assigning whatever random Issue and Sub-Issue comes first, they have no idea what their MTTR is because they have not segmented out all the non-reactive work. For some MSPs, it is even worse since they treat projects as reactive work…but that is a rant for another day.
To clarify, ideally, we are talking about Incidents, but even then, we have Medium and Low priorities that we never seem to get to. The perception that we are doing well comes from our Critical and High priority response times, which are the best of any IT industry. (Maybe even better than the fire department, and I know way better than the HVAC vendor or police department).
Why is that? Think of your last Critical ticket that everyone jumped on – what happened to the other tickets while the Red Alert Siren was blaring?
Most importantly: why do you care? When it comes to profitability reporting, the MTTR report goes way beyond the Client Experience. It actually has a huge internal continuous improvement value.
By running the MTTR by Sub-Issue, you can see which Issues are taking the longest to remediate (resolve). By focusing the Service Managers’ energies to improve in this area, you can bring the overall Client Experience through the roof! (Remember, Happy Clients aren’t bothering your Team for updates, which makes THEM even happier).
To reduce the MTTR of any one sub-issue…
Look at the following aspects:
Skill set of the assigned Tech
Was it a poor assignment based on the Skillset?
Does the Tech need more training, schooling, or mentoring?
Dump it in a queue so there is a high probability that a Tech with the wrong skill set will grab it…
Is the process to engage on these flawed?
Classified as low – which means whenever we get around to them.
No process, just waiting on the Vendor.
The process is to look at the ticket every two days and reset the last activity date so the tickets stay off everyone’s radar.
New Technology or not part of the MSPs Technology Stack.
Do these things, my friends, and you’ll be rocking happy Clients in no time! Welcome to the beginning of your new Profitability improvement journey.
Start the journey today with Advanced Global’s FREE No-Obligation PSA Configuration Evaluation. What is it costing you NOT to begin right now? Hint: $600 USD per Tech per Week.
The elephant in the room:
Who is Advanced Global, and why should we listen to them?
Advanced Global MSP Coaching is the Autotask Service Delivery Authority.
We Guide MSPs to use more of the Autotask Software to drive Operational Improvements.
The first step is a FREE 
Get started today. Waiting is costing you $600 per Tech per Week, and we can help you recoup that loss, Guaranteed or your Money Back. For more information, email us at info@AGMSPCoaching.com