One of the crucial factors for any business leader to consider is the tools they're putting in place to deliver excellent outcomes. This is especially true for a managed service provider (MSP), as the tools they use provide the foundation for the technology and services they can offer customers.
An MSP’s technology stack typically includes many different software tools that enable it to conduct and organize business and facilitate its services. This stack could include tools that help with ticketing, remote monitoring and management (RMM), patch management, device deployment and management, billing, cybersecurity, and more.
However, while these tools help an MSP immensely in its ability to support its clients, they can also introduce new challenges. Namely, each tool added to the MSP’s repertoire comes with an additional cost and the need to train employees on how to use it correctly to get all its benefits. In this way, it’s essential for an MSP to strategically consider what tools it's adding to its stack to gain maximum benefit — without any downsides.
One way for an MSP to mitigate this risk of an increased number of tools is to consider single-pane-of-glass software options. Single-pane-of-glass software is a management console that presents data from multiple tools and other sources in a single place. As its name suggests, it does this for MSP analysts in a single screen — or pane of glass.
MSP360 is an all-in-one platform that combines three feature-rich and highly cost-effective IT solutions under one console: powerful data protection, secure remote access, and streamlined IT management.
Having a single piece of software present multiple functions and data sources in this way has a few benefits. First, it can help consolidate costs, with a single tool accomplishing the tasks of numerous individual tools. Second, it helps make MSP employees more efficient by presenting essential information about a client or multiple clients in a single view instead of having to toggle back and forth between different windows. This saves the MSP analyst time in flipping between multiple windows, as well as allowing them to connect the dots between different data sets more effectively in a single, big-picture view.
This efficiency level means an MSP can support clients more quickly and effectively. Additionally, it can help an MSP leader gain the most efficiency from the employees they have on the team. This is especially important amidst a shortage of IT talent. According to a survey by PwC, 77 percent of business leaders said they were struggling to hire and retain talent, citing that as critical to growth; yet only 31 percent said they expected the talent shortage to ease this year.
While single-pane-of-glass software is helpful in many cases, there are some circumstances where an MSP may need standalone tools. For instance, the MSP may need more specialized tools for certain areas that require more specific expertise, such as cybersecurity. But by choosing single-pane-of-glass software where possible, the MSP can optimize its stack as much as possible for efficiency and then supplement where needed with these specialty items.
Technology and tools aren’t the only factors that will determine an MSP’s success, but having the right software and systems in place will make success easier. Making strategic decisions like choosing a single-pane-of-glass software solution can help an MSP set itself up for success and, by proxy, set its customers up for optimal results for many years.
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