‘You need to strengthen your client relationships, your team collaboration and your service consistency. That’s going to increase your efficiency, your operational maturity and, ultimately, your sales, your revenue and your profitability,’ says Ray Mann, channel development manager at ScalePad.

Ray Mann, channel development manager at ScalePad, told an audience of MSPs at XChange August 2024 this week about the fictional story of Bruce, a local IT service provider known for his dedication and innovative approach. Bruce, according to Mann, has become a celebrated figure in the MSP community. His tale starts from humble beginnings to becoming an IT hero and is a testament to the power of automation and strategic growth, thanks to ScalePad, he said.

XChange is hosted by CRN parent The Channel Company.

As a child, Bruce was fascinated by technology, often dismantling household electronics and repairing his neighbors’ computers, Mann said. His passion for IT, paired with an early knack for problem-solving, laid the groundwork for his future success.

His journey took a significant turn when he decided to turn his passion into a business, which quickly gained recognition for its exceptional service. However, as his business grew, Bruce faced growing challenges, including managing assets, keeping up with customer demands and maintaining efficient internal processes.

[Related: MSP Panel: Learning From Peers, Forging Ties With Vendors Will Drive Success]

“Thirty-one percent of MSPs are not profitable,” Mann said. “On top of that, 31 percent of MSPs are hindered by manual processes. A little bit of correlation there? Maybe.”

The turning point came when Bruce realized that working longer hours was not solving his problems. Enter ScalePad, a company with more than 275 employees and 12,000 MSP partners offering tools specifically designed to address Bruce’s challenges, according to Mann.

ScalePad’s offerings, including Lifecycle Manager and Backup Radar, provided Bruce with the means to streamline operations and improve service delivery.

“We’re here to help equip your MSP adventure,” Mann said. “We do this through a variety of methods, but I want to focus on this four-pillar framework that’s crucial for the growth of an MSP. First, you need to automate those manual tasks of data collection, or monitoring. You need to standardize on your client management, your service delivery processes and, ultimately, your reporting. You need to strengthen your client relationships, your team collaboration and your service consistency. That’s going to increase your efficiency, your operational maturity and, ultimately, your sales, your revenue and your profitability.”

He added that ScalePad doesn’t build or acquire unless it fits within the four-pillar framework.

The tools from ScalePad not only helped Bruce organize his business but also enabled him to offer better service to his customers, Mann said.

ScalePad’s offerings also addressed critical issues such as data security and compliance. With tools like Control Map, Bruce’s business could handle complex compliance requirements and offer enhanced security services to regulated sectors.

Mann said his story of Bruce’s journey highlights the impact of embracing technological advancements and strategic growth to achieve success in the competitive world of IT services.

Wayne Hunter, CEO of Allen, Texas-based MSP AvTek Solutions, became a ScalePad partner after he recently acquired another MSP.

“The main thing is the Lifecycle Manager product, the warranty piece of it, is actually going to help us with customers,” he said. “We’ve been good at warranty, but we wanted to bring it to another level.”