The CloudRadial Playbook: How Fast-Growing MSPs Can Gauge Operational Efficiency

Most service providers are equipped with PSA software to streamline internal ops workflows. But what about your client-facing flows?

CloudRadial fills that gap as the fastest-growing client services automation (CSA) platform for MSPs. Teams can easily turn to CloudRadial’s suite of solutions — from automated QBRs to smart ticketing to end-user training — within one seamless, white-labeled portal.

We sat down with Jeff Farris, President & CEO of CloudRadial, to discuss the unmatched client service enabled by the CloudRadial-Thread partnership. Our conversation covers:

How client expectations for MSPs have dramatically shifted in recent years
Why teams should double down on client engagement touchpoint
KPI frameworks for MSPs to measure internal vs. client success

MSPs Must Prioritize Digital-First Client Relationships

IT looks radically different from how it did when many MSPs first launched.

To match these ongoing IT developments (and to remain profitable), MSPs need to adapt to deliver digital-first and highly personalized client engagement.

Historically, MSPs could make money simply when a company found it too difficult to set up their own service closet or configure their own PCs. Today, it may actually be cheaper to entirely replace a PC than to pay to repair it.

As Jeff summarizes: MSPs now have to deliver additional value on top of these baseline commodities. Otherwise, they’ll always be squeezed by margins and competition.

The entire landscape continues shifting from on-premises to cloud-based, as most American SMBs now consider themselves digital businesses.

Whether they’re restaurants or real estate agencies, a considerable amount of effort is required to be put into their digital storefront. And it is increasingly critical to their continued success.

The challenge becomes: What will MSPs do to maximize these companies’ cloud capabilities?

Why You Should Be Investing in Engagement Touchpoints

To best understand and serve the goals of digital-first clients, Jeff pushes three goals for MSPs:

Maximize your client engagement levels
Streamline those touchpoints as much as possible
Make sure the value-add of this engagement is clear to clients

He points to the example of security.

In the past, MSPs could simply install Webroot or McAfee to a system and call it secure.

Now, malware and ransomware have grown so sophisticated that they require end-user training to detect. That means high-touch education and collaboration with client teams — to help them understand precisely why actions like training are essential.

As Jeff puts it, it’s not enough to set up the IT in the back office and let the data collect.

To ensure all of this is being leveraged properly, you must engage with your clients — regularly, collaboratively, and strategically.

“Going forward, the core element is client engagement. MSPs just have to be collaborative. You can’t manage IT entirely from the back office.”

How MSPs Can Gauge Internal vs. Client-Facing Success

To assist clients in gauging both operational efficiencies and client-facing efficacy, CloudRadial developed two measurement structures:

Operational maturity level
Engagement maturity level

Operational Maturity Level (OML)

This metric provides MSPs with a cohesive way to measure progress on the back end, from how well they plan and execute processes to how profitable these efforts are.

According to Jeff, OML checks have been pivotal for MSPs to continue delivering the best possible services (i.e., equally impactful and profitable) to their clients.

Engagement Maturity Level (EML)

The CloudRadial team developed EML to enable similar evaluations on the client-facing end.

MSPs can measure their client engagement through various channels to assess:

Where their clients are and will be going
How to best meet those evolving goalposts
The tactical benefits of strategic client engagement

“Measurement structures like OML and EML really help MSPs deliver more focused, reliable, and profitable services to their clients.”