Managed service providers (MSPs) often wish to scale quickly. This supports their goal of efficiently finding, securing, and onboarding many new clients. While potential clients ponder the benefits of MSPs, the operator often struggles with excess reactive work, hampering growth opportunities.
In the above scenario, standardisation is key to reducing uncontrolled variability. Particularly for smaller MSPs, deviation from known technology stacks makes it tougher to operate efficiently enough to avoid getting bogged down.
The answer to scaling rapidly and reducing reactive work is a dedicated Standards Alignment Officer (SAO). This simplifies and reduces the workload, allowing MSPs to grow faster.
The Challenge – Why MSPs Struggle to Scale
From a financial perspective, scaling MSP operations is tricky because faster growth increases operating costs. Potential clients want to know whether an MSP is worth the cost; therefore, the company must scale carefully to avoid becoming expensive in a client’s eyes.
Operationally, the growth challenge is different. Variability, reacting to events, and the inconsistent application of standards create various obstacles to overcome.
The Reactive Trap
An MSP can get caught constantly reacting to issues. The need to extinguish new fires is all-consuming. Everything becomes a running battle to keep up, leaving little time for potential growth.
Adopting standardisation eliminates preventable issues at the source, removing them from support desks and reducing the time engineers spend on them.
The Hidden Cost of Inconsistency
A lack of standardisation is noticeable in overworked support teams. This leads to inefficient responses, losing clients, and low customer scores for the remaining ones.
Strong standards provide sufficient guidance to keep projects on track. Otherwise, support teams feel like they are reinventing the wheel daily rather than managing issues predictably, and customer service and accounting suffer.
Why Standardisation is the Game Changer
Standardisation reduces variability and unknowns. Better execution to a standard at the outset removes many queries. For the remaining support requests, staff rely on delivering solutions based on what is already established.
The result is a focused, non-reactive approach to MSP management and response. From this point on, operations become far more predictable, sustainable, and scalable.
The Solution – A Standards Alignment Officer (SAO)
The solution that eludes MSPs is hiring a Standards Alignment Officer (SAO).
Just as complex projects benefit from hiring a project manager, the same applies to MSP operations and an SAO.
What is a Standards Alignment Officer (SAO)?
A dedicated SAO helps ensure clients are brought into alignment with best practices. This includes moving their technology to match your MSP’s infrastructure to reduce uncertainties.
While a full-time, dedicated SAO is best, a shared role is possible. This person must be detail-orientated and adept at role-switching without missing a step.
Why This Role Is Essential
The role of an SAO is vital. Appropriate standardisation benefits all aspects of an MSP, from customer services and support to the completion of special projects.
Adherence to a set of standards encourages durable operations. This applies to the client’s IT infrastructure, support procedures, or other activities.
Limiting variability to best-in-class infrastructure, software, and other elements exponentially increases acquired knowledge. This allows support teams to offer better solutions and reduces random support issues.
Key Responsibilities of an SAO
Alignment checks are essential to verify whether MSP clients still meet prior agreed-upon standards. In some instances, these can be performed remotely. However, on-site checks allow personnel to build client rapport and gain greater insights.
It is important to maintain a structured schedule for SAO alignment checks. The SAO verifies whether any changes were made between the last and latest checks.
The changes are documented and communicated to the leadership team.
How to Execute Standards Alignment Effectively
Below is how we recommend executing and maintaining effective standards alignment with clients.
Structured Site Visits
An SAO should visit each client regularly and on a schedule. For smaller clients, a quarterly visit is usually sufficient. For larger clients, a monthly visit is best.
While an SAO may be tempted to visit mostly remotely via distant admin logins and occasional video calls for fact verifications, these are poor substitutes for in-person visits.
On-site visits encourage a clearer understanding of the complete IT infrastructure and support more complete documentation. Furthermore, they build rapport and establish common ground to develop long-term business relationships.
A Defined Checklist for Network Standards
Network standards are supported by using a checklist. This standardised list of 120–150 questions confirms the current state of play with the client’s technology.
The questions should include:
Security policies – do password policies remain enforced?
Network changes – were there undocumented network changes?
Hardware checks – are switchers, routers, and firewalls still in compliance with established best practices?
Reporting and Action Plan
After a virtual or on-site visit, the SAO confirms their findings and produces a report. This is sent to the Technical Director (VITD) or the Virtual CIO (vCIO) for review.
This report is split into two sections:
Support Corrections (Reactive): fixes for immediate action, typically at no additional client cost.
Project Opportunities (Proactive): changes or suggested upgrades needing further investment.
These help the client better align with the MSP’s technology stack.
Turning Standardisation into a Revenue-Generating System
Rather than being a hassle, adopting a robust standardisation methodology encourages increased revenues and long-term growth outcomes.
Reducing Reactive Workload
When MSPs’ clients use consistent standards, the MSP support teams deal with fewer unexpected support tickets.
Instead, their employees focus on value-added actions, not reactive work.
Driving Project Revenue Predictably
Following an SAO visit, their report includes upgrades and major projects required for the client.
The VITD, or vCIO, then meets to discuss the strategy for the future and the budget for suggested improvements. The roadmap clarifies all improvements, including those requiring new capital investment.
The service provider obtains valuable buy-in for later projects by following MSP best practices.
Creating a Continuous Improvement Cycle
The MSP continuously improves clients' networks by taking a proactive approach and adhering to strong standards. This prevents networks from breaking due to inattention or a lack of proper standards.
By fixing technology missteps before they lead to a major crisis, the MSP helps its clients operate better. This approach improves client retention and makes revenue more predictable.
Positive word of mouth and better brand recognition can also increase market share.
Conclusion – Nail Standardisation and Scale Faster
A lack of standardisation is the primary cause of MSPs failing to scale effectively.
Hiring a Standards Alignment Officer is necessary to establish robust standards, execute scheduled client visits, and complete standardised technology checklists. This will result in closer alignment with the MSP’s technology stack, reducing unexpected support tickets and randomness.
MSPs must embrace standardisation to deliver predictability, move toward proactive operational activity, and make their business more scalable.
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