If you’re an MSP leader, you’re likely surrounded by numbers. From utilization to CSAT to first response times, the volume of available data is enormous. However, the more data MSPs collect, the less clear things sometimes become.
This is the classic case of analysis paralysis. You're tracking everything, but acting on almost nothing. Instead of seeing progress, you get lost in a fog of graphs, hoping something meaningful pops out.
The good news is you don’t need to overhaul your entire reporting structure. You just need to narrow your focus and get more intentional about how you use the data you already have. The most successful MSPs are the ones who use a few KPIs well—not the ones who track the most.
Technician Efficiency: Beyond Just Time Logged
Technician efficiency tends to be one of the first things MSPs measure. But often, it’s calculated using incomplete or outdated data. The numbers might look clean on paper, but they rarely reflect what’s actually happening in real time.
The better question is how much of your team’s day is spent on meaningful, billable work? Are techs constantly switching contexts? Are they losing time to manual ticketing or admin tasks? Tracking these patterns as they happen, rather than retroactively, gives leaders the chance to make smarter decisions about staffing, workflows, and support capacity.
Some MSPs are starting to incorporate real-time time capture tools into their service desks, allowing them to see where time is going without adding reporting friction for technicians. This kind of visibility makes it easier to balance workloads and reduce revenue leakage.
Ticket Velocity: More Than Just Volume
Everyone knows how many tickets came in last week. The harder question is how long did they sit in the queue before someone acknowledged them? How long did it take to resolve the issue?
Ticket velocity offers a more complete view of service delivery. It helps you understand if delays are happening during triage, escalation, or follow-up. And more importantly, it shows how those delays are impacting client satisfaction.
Rather than just looking at averages, pay attention to outliers. Which types of tickets consistently take the longest? Which clients experience the most delays? Are certain team members regularly overwhelmed?
Identifying and responding to these patterns doesn’t just improve speed. It also improves trust. When clients feel heard quickly, even if resolution takes time, they’re far more likely to stay happy.
CSAT With Context: Make Feedback Useful Again
Client satisfaction (CSAT) metrics are only useful when they’re tied to the full picture. That means looking at the context around the score.
Instead of just scanning for red flags, start asking what high and low scores are connected to. Patterns in your feedback can point to deeper process issues or even highlight what’s already working well.
Some service desks now automatically tie CSAT data back to ticket categories or technician performance, giving managers a clearer path to take action. The goal isn’t just to gather feedback. It’s to turn feedback into fuel for improvement.
Don’t Just Track It. Use It.
The goal of any KPI isn’t to look good in a report. It’s to drive action.
When you focus on a few critical metrics, you unlock insights that actually move the business forward. That might mean rebalancing tech workloads, tightening up client expectations, or adjusting SLAs based on real-time feedback.
Data is only useful when it’s trusted, contextual, and tied to action.
Thread is designed to help MSPs focus on the numbers that matter without adding more complexity. If you're ready to move from reporting to results, book a demo and see how Thread can give you the visibility, insight, and confidence to lead your service desk with clarity.
