IT Business Management Software/Solution

[CaliZ]

Hello,

I've scoured through the forums in the various topics of what everyone is using to manage their company with. (Business Stack)
While there are quite a few on here that run either purely break-fix or MSP models, unfortunately we seem to be somewhere in the middle.

We have been in business for over a decade and have grown from break-fix to not quite MSP. Our intentions and uniqueness is that we never want our clients, (SMB) to ever have to login, enter a ticket, and feel like a "number". Instead designated individuals for the businesses we provide support for can contact us by phone or e-mail, whichever is more convenient for them, and proceed with ticketing/logging requests in the background on our end.

The trouble is that, while we have a "stack" for the various types of services, (Antivirus, Network management, Office, E-mail, Webhosting, etc.) things are still done in a very manual way and we do not have a stream lined process.

Currently it looks like this,
1. Clients contacts us, (By phone or e-mail, entered into a Outlook calendar event template noting client, date, time, request, any purchases. Client not always notified of "scheduled appointments" as confirmed by phone or brief e-mail.)
2. "Ticketing" (I say that lightly as it is added to an Outlook task with no real priority other than, get it done asap),
3. Documenting information manually, (Various Word templates that are filled and stored on our internal server in a client folder)
4. Extracting the ticketing information to QuickBooks Online, (End of the week manually copying the calendar event details into a txt document for bookkeeper to enter into QBO)
5. Only sometimes following up with clients. (If remembered, client is e-mailed probably a week later to see how things are going.)

Solarwinds, IT Glue, Zendesk, Repairshopr, NinjaRMM all look appealing individually, but fail to be truly a fit, knowing that a CRM geared towards the blend of not just break-fix, nor MSP would be best. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated.


TLDR; Successful IT management business, encountering growing woes of still doing things manually.

 

[fastremotehelp.com]

Wow, by avoiding ticketing you are creating additional and complicated workflows. Just because you don't make clients fill out the tickets doesn't mean you don't need a ticketing system. If you do work for a client, you need to document it, so you know what's been done. Try SyncroMSP, and you will begin to see how piecemeal all your systems are. Documenting stuff using Word templates is just silly, unsearchable, and wrong when you can enter info in a PHREAKING DATABASE and pull it up any way you want. Your business clients should have a database for their work, so should you...I am a one man army doing mostly MSP but I still have plenty of clients that are break-fix.

All of my clients go into my client database in syncromsp, and I have learned the hard way that all the work I do for them needs to be on a ticket. I don't chase word docs or pieces of paper, it's all in the cloud and available on whatever PC I happen to be working out of.

 

[CaliZ]

Wow, by avoiding ticketing you are creating additional and complicated workflows. Just because you don't make clients fill out the tickets doesn't mean you don't need a ticketing system.

Hi fastremotehelp?

First, thank you for the reply. By no means is it that we do not do "ticketing", just not in the traditional sense that the customer does not login/submit one. We just do it on our end.

I was just looking into SyncroMSP as it appears to be RepairShopr's variant for industry specific type. https://www.repairshopr.com/psa-software
While I'm researching more on the solution, it is pretty high entry at $99/month/user (USD only) and the notice on their website that pricing is still going to increase is a big downside as a prospective new customer.

From just the name, and features, it seems to be geared exclusively at MSP/RMM, not a fit at all. Guess we will keep looking.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

After being on N-Central for over 12 years, we moved to SyncroMSP last year.

Ticketing system can be good for clients, and it's beneficial to you...built a history of tickets, notes, work done, track hours, automate billing, etc.

SyncroMSP is 3x things in one...plus more. RMM. Helpdesk ticket system. PSA. Plus a little more...can do mailing campaigns, and do some documentation and password vaulting.

If you don't want that and insist of manual notes, maybe look at how to leverage 365 Teams for client documentation.

 

[pcservices]

We are similar to you in the sense that we are a repair shop as well as supporting business clients (some with monitoring, some with backups, etc...) We use RepairShopr for running the shop, tickets (we create the tickets upon drop off), invoicing, etc... and have been using a different company for the managed services side. We looked into SyncroMSP just recently and might make the move to that by migrating our repairshopr account into Syncro. Right now we would like to get more business clients onto managed services to get the monthly income coming in so we wanted to find a MSP solution that would give us more to offer our clients as well as an easier to use system. Syncro does a free 30 day trial- might be something that you could look into

 

[phaZed]

I also came from a break-fix base and started doing MSP(and break-fix) some 7 or 8 years ago. Started out with GFI(Solarwinds, now N-Able) but have switched to SyncroMSP a little over a year ago. So, I run SyncroMSP for the MSP side of the biz and I still use PC Repair Tracker for our Break-Fix side. We're slowly moving off of PCRT, if I can help it... but it just works really well for printing labels and tracking in-shop assets.

 

[Nathan Igo]

I started with Repairshopr 7 years ago when I started my company after using it with a previous employer so I was used to it and even then I counted the cost as a "my time" vs hassle fee. I have switched now to Syncro which is basically the upgraded Reapairshopr with some MSP stuff. Even if you never touch the MSP sides of things it still shouldn't be a real deal breaker for you just for the benefits based on your points:

1. You can configure Synco to automatically make a ticket when a client either calls or emails

2. Having a ticket assigned helps you track correspondence and keeps notes on what needs done

3. Details on a job kept in word that is not searchable and most likely deleted end of month? I have found old tickets with details extremely useful in certain situations when a client you haven't worked with in over a year has a question about something which is easily looked up in Syncro.

4. Manually extracting billing info to QB? Syncro syncs it automatically once the invoice is made and paid. The time saved on this alone should easily pay for the license

5. Only sometimes follows up "if remembered". Syncro adds that functionality with an automatic setting.

I used Syncro as an example as that is what I use now and know but I would assume just about any paid PSA system would have those features built in as well.

 

[fastremotehelp.com]

I guessed I recognized a little of my earlier self when you mentioned word docs and excel spreadsheets and failing to follow-up on some client matters. I was guilty of all of the above until I finally got a PSA (repairshopr) and then an RMM (Atera) and then FINALLY GOT SYNCROMSP which allowed me to integrate everything. As several people have mentioned, you don't have to use all the features of Syncro to make that a good choice for you. For instance, I don't sell or inventory hardware, have employees on commission, so I don't use Syncro for that. I also have Teamviewer, which I use mostly instead of Syncro's built in remote access tool But the structure that comes with a ticketing system is hard to ignore, and it actually improves customer relationships. It also shows you which clients are wasting your time without compensating you, by making requests that just don't seem to be billable!

 

[CaliZ]

Thank you everyone that has replied to the topic. It has certainly been valuable information and surprising in just even the small sample of people that use Syncro. I see all the points and do agree, it is likely the PSA component of it that will be most beneficial to us right off the bat.

I'll have to just jump in and run through a trial/demo to see how many of the check boxes there is in making things more time efficient and turn into more profit. $$$ Still a bit unfortunately of the strict USD pricing (About $125 CAD/user/month that fluctuates depending on the signup contract) I'll do my best to update the topic with my thoughts following the trial.

 

[fastremotehelp.com]

Glad to help. I recommend the book Managed Services in a Month by Karl Palachuk. It's dated but the basic concept is 100% true today. It's only when you get the tools (PSA, RMM, and remote support tool) do you realize how primitively you are ( and I was) doing things! I would have been much further ahead if I had gotten the tools earlier and USED THEM.

As for the cost of Syncro, it's about one billable hour per month. You don't have to get additional users for additional employees unless you really want to track the productivity of each technician individually. My wife helps with a lot of things and uses my user id. There's only one technician and that's me. But we work from at least 4 workstations and laptops.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

I second Karls books....in addition to Managed Services in a Month, pick up his Cloud Services in a Month, and..another author...Nigel Moore, his book Package Price Profit.

 

[CaliZ]

Well, unfortunately the trial/demo did not go well. (Not at all actually) There was quite the run around of contact with their sales team. Difficult to try and get a walk through booked in, incomplete conversation in their chat wanting more information than necessary.

Also I received their long distance call explaining that CAD$ pricing is not available, and that RepairShopr would be better suited, yet ultimately cost more than even Syncro with the MSP and RMM components. (Was told they previously offered the PSA separately, but no longer)

As much as I try to allow for options that may be a bit tough to get into (whether it be initial cost, learning curve/training, or complexity) this one is a miss for now.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

You may have gotten some of the "new sales peeps" which aren't fully trained yet. If you'd like a revisit to Syncro from their top sales peeps...let me know. I'm not sure of their rules for Canada...but can find out for sure.

 

[mmerry]

You could take a look at BusyBench. I am using it currently but have to admit I am considering changing as there does not seem to be a lot of integration with anything else. I am just using the free tier right now since I only do this on the side.

BusyBench – Simplifying IT

 

[onestepcomputer]

You could take a look at BusyBench. I am using it currently but have to admit I am considering changing as there does not seem to be a lot of integration with anything else. I am just using the free tier right now since I only do this on the side.

BusyBench – Simplifying IT

I used Busy Bench for years and for Shops it is a great software even at the $59 per month.

 

[NviGate Systems]

I would love to point out that if you feel that none of these solutions works for you, there are ways to develop your own solution. For example, back in the day, I used to create complex FileMaker Pro databases that would create tickets, assign groups and allow you to audit and search and so much more.

My last ticketing system was designed for a cellphone diagnosis and repair system and had probably 20 layouts with well over 100 fields that tracked IMEI, repair and diagnostic status and more with the ability for tickets to be audited and flags for various codes or colors, as in if a ticket was red alert portions of the ticket would be red. It was easy to create pop up menus so selecting pre defined values or entering custom ones was possible.

That last system was about a week's worth of programming time for the initial build. It includes professional layouts to print PDF to send to clients and more. So, if you just can't seem to find something that fits, FM Pro may have the flexibility you need, but it will cost more due to the software and programming costs.