MSP Process: 4 Finer Points
You hear it a lot: The best MSPs are “process-driven.” Success in the managed services industry takes more than talent and hard work; it takes process. Process is king! And so on and so forth…
The ‘P-word’ is an important one in the MSP space, but like a lot of business jargon, we tend to use it freely, casually, without giving too much thought to its meaning. This is a shame, and in the case of “process,” a major shame, because the topic truly is endlessly interesting.
In this article, we’re shedding light on some of the subtler, finer points associated with process. The goal is to help MSP owners understand the importance of process not only more clearly, but on a deeper level, too.
This discussion is aimed at the ‘thinking MSP owner’ – one who knows that being process-driven is about a lot more than following SOPs and maintaining documentation. So, without further ado, here are four surprising observations that just might give you a fresh perspective on what it means to be a process-driven MSP – and what it takes, too.
Finer Point #1: Great processes can look & feel WEIRD.
What’s a process? It’s a way of carrying out a particular task. It has steps. It’s well-defined. It tells you what to do, as well as when and how to do it. For MSPs, processes are particularly key in areas like ticket management, client onboarding, incident response, network monitoring, and regular maintenance tasks.
Processes are supposed to make things go smoothly and efficiently – but this masks an important truth about truly great, truly innovative processes: they can (at least at first) look and feel weird.
History is littered with examples of strange-seeming processes outperforming the norm – or even replacing it as the gold standard. From Tetris to free throws, progress often comes on the heels of daringly different approaches. Perhaps the clearest example of this comes from track and field…
Before 1964, high jumpers cleared the bar with a kind of scissors-kick motion; then Dick Fosbury came up with a new way – a better way – of jumping. His novel technique, which came to be known as the “Fosbury flop,” looked pretty funny at first. One reporter wrote that Fosbury resembled a “fish flopping in a boat.” But the American athlete’s awkward-looking method worked, and the last time an Olympic high jumper did NOT use it was over fifty years ago.
It just goes to show – sometimes you need to be willing to look silly to reach new heights. So ask yourself: Is there something my MSP could be doing better – faster, more efficiently, more thoroughly, etc. – that we’re currently resisting (or not even considering) because it seems ‘weird’?
The answer’s almost surely ‘yes.’ Your job, then – and your team’s job – is to (a) find out what that something is, and (b) find the courage to take the leap, however strange it may look to others.
Finer Point #2: Innovation in process can feel like a step backward.
Once again the world of sports provides us with an illuminating lesson on the nature of process.
This time we turn to golf – and to arguably the greatest golfer of all time: Tiger Woods. After winning the 1997 Masters in convincing fashion, Woods did something no one was expecting: he took apart his swing and rebuilt it from the ground up.
His old swing worked better than well – it got him the Green Jacket! But it could be better. That was the point – it could be better. So, Tiger did the opposite of what conventional wisdom tells us and proceeded to fix what wasn’t, strictly speaking, broken.
After retooling his entire swing under his coach at the time, Butch Harmon, Woods struggled for a bit – for two years, in fact. His body wasn’t used to the new motion, but he persisted, and in 1999, he called up Harmon with some good news: “Butchie,” Tiger said, “I got it.” And so began a 7-year period of utter dominance, during which Woods would make 142 consecutive cuts, a towering record in golf that remains unbroken.
The lesson here is clear: sometimes – oftentimes – implementing a new process, no matter how good it is, will involve an initial period of difficulty.
It’s called adjustment. If your people are used to doing things one way, you can’t expect them to seamlessly adopt a whole new way of doing things just like that. The road to progress isn’t linear, and it requires unlearning old habits as much as learning new skills.
So, when it comes to implementing new processes at your MSP, be patient, and accept that mistakes will happen. The key is responding to them appropriately – as opportunities to learn and refine, not blame and punish. Capisce?
Finer Point #3: Process without feedback is practically useless.
Processes aren’t good on their own. They need something else: intelligent oversight and consistent feedback. Let’s focus on the latter, and why it’s indispensable.
The overarching reason feedback and process go hand in hand is a simple one: not all processes are created equal. In fact, some processes suck. Feedback, then, is the tool by which we make our processes better. But feedback, to truly drive continuous improvement, has to be – you guessed it – continuous.
Curious to know how we ensure that regular feedback drives continuous process refinement and operational improvements here at The 20? Here’s a peek behind the curtain:
At The 20, we approach building a culture of continuous improvement in this way. We start with “the basics” – everyday tasks and core processes that drive the business. We document these tasks and use critical thinking to identify and eliminate (or at least minimize) inefficiencies. Once we’ve clearly mastered these basics (as defined by a set of carefully chosen metrics), we introduce more complex, strategic initiatives, with the goal of integrating them into our regular operations.
As these complex initiatives become part of the “basics,” we continue the cycle by introducing new, even more ambitious strategies and projects. This ongoing process ensures that what was once challenging becomes routine, and the cycle of improvement never stops, driving sustained growth and success for our MSP – and the MSPs in our membership group.
It works for us, and we know it’ll work for your MSP, too. Oh, and if you were wondering, Tiger Woods didn’t just reinvent his swing once, but three separate times! Continuous improvement, folks – that’s what long-term success is all about.
#4: The purpose of process isn’t to think less, but think more – and better!
When you hear “process-driven,” your mind might go to the idea of automating everything and thinking less. But in reality, the purpose of process is to free up mental space for better, more strategic thinking.
By creating structured workflows and standardizing tasks, you remove unnecessary guesswork, allowing your team to focus on problem-solving and innovation. In this way, a well-defined process doesn’t reduce thought – it enhances it, enabling more thoughtful, directed decision-making.
Here at The 20, we believe strongly in the power of making easy things easy, to free up time, energy, and resources for the hard stuff: solving complex client issues, improving security protocols, refining service delivery, driving long-term strategic growth – and so on.
That’s why our US-based 24/7 support desk can take on as much as 90% of your tickets, freeing you and your team up to tackle higher-value projects and initiatives. With our proven processes in place, you can throw yourself into the hard stuff, which is also the fun stuff – and the stuff that leads to real growth.
Let’s connect!
If you want to find out more about The 20 – who we are and how we help MSPs grow – fill out this short form and we’ll be in touch. We’d love to hear more about your MSP business – as well as discuss our model and membership requirements in more depth.
If you enjoyed this discussion and are hungry for more MSP wisdom, head over to our blog – there are plenty of articles to choose from. Happy reading!