Why Autotask Reports Are a Service Manager’s #1 Comrade

Read this article, and you’ll walk away with know-how on: 

  • The Responsibilities of the Service Manager (Fast Recap) 

  • 2 Powerful Advanced Live Reports (a Deep Dive) 

  • 6 More Supporting Leading or Lagging Profitability KPIs 

  • Real-Time Time Entry – Whoa, what a Hot Potato! 

  • The Consequences of Not Delivering A+ Service to the Client 

  • Explaining to the Techs WIIFM (& What to Follow Up With) 

  • Respond to the Service Coordinator…the Reopen Tech…the Owner 

  • Smart Tips to Implement Today 

 

Welcome back, fearless readers! For the past few weeks, we've been talking about the responsibilities of the Service Manager. If you’ve stuck with us, thank you for reading.  

In weeks deux and thrice, we discussed the second most important job of the Service Manager: managing the Service Coordinator. In week four, we talked about managing the Techs.  

And we also celebrated part deux with Charlie Sheen using a bow and chicken (we try and keep these articles fun for you), so make sure you go back and read anything you missed.   

Now, for our fourth installment, we’re putting everything into a blender to explain why Advanced Autotask LiveReports are a Service Manager’s best friend.  

But first, a word from our sponsor. We figure if Netflix and Pluto can have ads, so can we! 

FYI: 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 No-Obligation PSA Configuration Evaluation.  

There's no reason to delay. 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 

And we’re back. Before we jump in to today’s content, here’s a quick recap of the purpose of this series: 

Your Service Manager should be taking ownership of these three things. If they are not, you need to fire them (or at least get them some guidance on their Role and Responsibilities). 

 

A Service Manager is responsible for: 

  1. Holding the Service Coordinator accountable for doing their job as expected 

  2. Holding the Techs accountable for doing their job as expected 

  3. Holding the Team accountable to meet profitability expectations 

    1. Resource Utilization above 80% 

    2. SLA Performance above  

      1. Triage – 97% 

      2. Tech Engagement – 95% 

      3. Completion – 90% 

    3. Reactive Hours per Endpoint per Month to less than 1 hour of work for every 4 Endpoints 

 

“WOW,” I imagine you are saying, “That’s a tall order.”   

Yes, it is. But – if a Service Manager did step up and take responsibility for these three things, my goodness, the Service Delivery would: 

  1. Meet expectations 

  2. Maximize profitability 

  3. Provide a Zen work-environment 

 

Helping you get there is EXACTLY why these articles (and Advanced Global MSP Coaching) exist! Think of it this way: just like a doctor uses blood work to make sure your body’s functions are within the proper numbers, we use Advanced Autotask LiveReports to find the issues in an MSP and get those numbers where they should be.  

 

After all, if you can’t measure it, you can’t figure out what’s wrong - and you can’t fix IT. 

 

To that end, I want to do a deep dive into two Advanced Live Reports that go to the core of a Tech performance and six that are supporting either leading or lagging profitability KPIs. I call these the core Tech performance Advanced Live Reports. 

 

The two core Tech Performance reports to know about are: 

  1. Advanced Resource Utilization  Manage Your Techs Right to Improve Service Delivery (agmspcoaching.com) 

  2. Advanced Real-Time Time Entry 

The leading indicators of Tech performance are: 

  1. Advanced SLA Performance 

  2. Advanced Estimated vs Actual time per Tech 

  3. Escalation Rate 

  4. Reopen Rate 

  5. First Contact Resolution (notice we did not say First Call Resolution – which is a huge difference) 

The lagging indicator of Tech Performance is: 

  1. Client Survey Score per Tech  

 

Real-Time Time Entry: 

WOW, where do we start with this Hot Potato? If there is any one place where most MSPs are dropping the ball, it is in the area of holding Techs accountable for Real-Time Time Entry. I reiterate this point all the time because it really is a cancer in the industry that is not being dealt with. 

And there is good reason it is not being dealt with. Would you: 

  1. Bite the Hand that Feeds you? 

  2. Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth? 

  3. Cut off your Nose despite your Face? 

That is what it feels like when you start pushing on the billable Techs, whose work keeps the light on.   

Besides, who wants all that confrontation anyway? Can’t we all just get along?  Isn’t Love all we need? If only. Just like the hippy movement of the ‘60s went bust, it’s just not true.   

There is so much cancer (downside) to allowing Techs to slack and not complete timesheets using a Real-Time Time Entry engagement/disengagement Standard Operating Procedure. 

The top 4 cancers are: 

  1. Poor Documentation 

  2. Inaccurate Timesheets 

  3. Lack of delivering a superior Client Experience 

  4. No one knows what anyone is working on or NOT 

 

Poor Documentation: 

When introducing a Real-Time Time Entry Culture change, this is the place to start. If a Tech asks WIIFM, respond with this simple question: 

 

When was the last time you were pissed off because you were asked to reengage on some other Techs mess, only to find there is no documentation as to what they did, where they left off, or what needs to be rolled back or rolled forward? 

 

This pain in the side is usually enough to get the attention of the Tech as to what is in it for them. 

But good documentation goes beyond informing the follow-up or escalation (not to be confused with expedited) Tech where things are at for any one engagement.   

Good Client specific documentation has proven that it: 

  1. Reduces Technician Effort 

  2. Speeds Up the Time to Engagement/Disengagement 

  3. Makes room for more Managed Service Support 

It also provides richer, more timely non-billable response to the Clients, including: 

  1. Invoice Information 

  2. Non-Workflow Updates 

  3. Internal Information Research    

Imagine you are one Culture Change away from having the good documentation you have always desired. 

 

Inaccurate Time Entries: 

OH, if I had a nickel for every time a Client pushed back on an invoice because the Time Entry was way more than expected. Truth be told, Real-Time Time Entry is not going to change the fact that some Clients are always looking for a way to cut corners, but it will give you a defensible position.   

For example, if the Time Entries are all put in on Sunday night, and all add up to an even number of hours, even I would challenge the accuracy of the information. And if I am challenging the accuracy and a Client is asking about it, I would have to sheepishly reduce the bill, and most likely reduce it below what is fair to the Company to appease the Client, all because I am not in a defensible position. 

Now, if you are not an Owner, you may be saying, “How often does that happen anyway? Is it really worthwhile changing the culture?” Well, I can’t be sure what every Owner experiences, but at the MSP I worked for, it was such a significant problem that the Rock for the Quarter was holding ourselves accountable so we could hold the Client accountable to pay the bills.   

We were writing off so much work as non-billable (not to be confused with invoiced against an MSA), that the Owner was demanding we do something about it. Real-Time Time Entry is one of those things, along with following process and checklists. Countless conversations with MSPs have shown that my experience was not unusual. 

 

Lack of Delivering Superior Service to the Client: 

The #1 reason to put your foot down and demand Real-Time Time Entry is for the Client Experience. According to HDI research, the #1 reason a Client leaves you (or just badmouths you around town to any future prospects) is because of a poor Client Experience.   

Providing a Superior Service to the Client is simple: start with Real-Time Time Entry. With Real-Time Time Entries, the Client-Facing Communications can be updated and provided consistently.   

A deeper dive on the HDI research shows it is inconsistent communication that drives Clients crazy, along with no communication at all. All you need to do is provide updates as needed (acknowledge, assigned, disengaged, complete) and consistently (automated), and you will have raving fans – because the other guys are just not doing it. 

This is where the rubber meets the road. After explaining to the Techs WIIFM, follow up with: 

  1. The Client expects and is paying us for updates. 

  2. Real-Time Time Entry (Documentation, Accurate Time Entries, and Client Updates) are part of the engagement – we are not asking you to do this on your time. 

  3. This is part of the job you are being paid to do. 

End of Story – No Excuses – You are not too busy to update the client since it is the lack of updates that are:  

  1. Encouraging Squeaky Wheel Clients to disrupt your workflow asking for updates or to jump the line 

  2. Causing you to stop doing what you are doing to dig out your notes and 

  3. Respond to the Service Coordinator as to where things are at 

    1. Respond to the reopen Tech as to what you did 

    2. Respond to the Owner – who you wish would leave you alone and let you do your job (of course, 1st you need to do your job) 

    3. Keeping you from reducing your backlog of Tickets on the weekend when you could be out gaming  

 

Internal Information Research: 

Let’s pick up with some of the bullet points from the last section: 

Respond to the Service Coordinator: 

Nothing belittles a Service Coordinator’s position more than babysitting Techs. That babysitting takes on 3+ forms: 

  1. Being the watchdog for Document Detention 

  2. Trying to answer the Client’s questions without disrupting the Tech 

  3. Holding the Techs accountable to update the documentation, put their time in, and close the ticket (and please do not update the Client if the Time Entry is two weeks old) 

  4. Trying to figure out where the Tech is at and what they are working on because the Owner is hovering over them to find out 

(Please Techs, GROW UP!) 

Respond to the reopen Tech: 

No Tech likes to: 

  1. Be disrupted 

  2. Chase down the last engagement Tech to figure out what they did 

  3. Be called out by a Client or Owner for something they hardly remember 

 

So, why do you allow it to go on? If you’re not convinced, just consider where you’re at right now and ask: Is this really working? Set a great example for the rest of the Team and embrace Real-Time Time Entry. 

 

Respond to the Owner: 

The fallacy here is that it is the Owner’s fault. They are the ones not holding the Techs accountable, and they are the ones that need to step up and do something about. But what? These are highly valuable, billable resources. The last thing I want to do is have a butting heads match or piss them off. 

So, DON’T!   

HOW?  

 

I am so glad you asked! 

  1. Have a lunch ‘n learn conversation with them about the benefits of Real-Time Time Entry. 

    1. Be prepared to answer: WIIFT? 

    2. Client Expectations and what they are paying for. 

    3. From now on it is required - or someone is going to lose their job. 

  2. Purchase and schedule an Advanced Real-Time Time Entry report to run at 10am Monday morning right along with the Purchased Advanced Resource Utilization report. 

  3. Have the Service Coordinator monitor Kim Drum’s Total Team Hours Worked This Week widget, and anyone that does not have 6 hours in by 4:30 pm each day is told to report to the Owner for Document Detention. 

  4. When the Tech shows up at your office or Zoom Bridge, simply ask them: 

    1. What did you do today? (I know you work hard, there must be something we have not accounted for…) 

    2. Work with them to update the Documentation, Time Entry, and call the Client to apologize for not updating them in a timely manner, but here is the update (yes, you will be leaving a vMail). 

    3. Let them know this is going down in the Employee HR file, they are capable of doing better, and Real-Time Time Entry (documentation, time entry, and Client updates) are all part of the job. 

  5. Review the reports with the Team, give rewards for those who are doing their job, and use them to put peer pressure on those who aren’t. 

 

Now you can see that some strategic reports and culture changes can make a huge difference in your Service Delivery and increase profits. Just like a doctor with the right lab report has the power to heal the patient, you can make your MSP better with properly written Autotask Advanced LiveReports. And that’s why these reports truly are a Service Manager’s (or Owner’s) best friend.  

 

I hope this has been helpful. Questions, concerns, or rotten tomatoes? Feel free to email us at info@AGMSPCoaching.com.  

The elephant in the room:   

Who is Advanced Global, and why should we listen to them?  

  1. Advanced Global MSP Coaching is the Autotask Service Delivery Authority. 

  2. We Guide MSPs to use more of the Autotask Software to drive Operational Improvements.   

  3. The first step is a FREE No-Obligation PSA Configuration Evaluation.  

STOP wasting $600 per Tech per Week!  We can help you recoup that loss, Guaranteed or your Money Back.  Get started today, by emailing us at info@AGMSPCoaching.com 

   

Steve & Co  

Stephen BuyzeAutotask, real time time entry, time entry, service manager, techs