{"id":15947,"date":"2019-11-15T15:24:22","date_gmt":"2019-11-15T15:24:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fieldnation.com\/resources\/software-msps-need\/"},"modified":"2023-02-17T08:20:30","modified_gmt":"2023-02-17T08:20:30","slug":"software-msps-need","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fieldnation.com\/resources\/software-msps-need","title":{"rendered":"3 types of software every MSP should have"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As your MSP business grows, the number of moving parts increases almost exponentially. Managing a blended workforce, delivering reliable remote monitoring services, and coordinating on-site projects all become more complex. Without the right tools, you may be spending far too much time putting out fires.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SaaS platforms enable MSPs of all sizes to automate many essential day-to-day operations and stay focused on the big picture. In this guide, we&#8217;ll explore three types of software every MSP should have.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<a name=\"1-remote-monitoring-and-management-rmm\" class=\"fldn-table-of-contents-anchor\"><\/a><h2 id=\"1-remote-monitoring-and-management-rmm\">1. Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM)<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RMM products are the most popular among MSPs. They give you the freedom to handle many types of routine maintenance without traveling to a client\u2019s location. This reduces your labor costs and makes it possible to serve more clients than a traditional break-fix IT provider.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An RMM helps you manage critical activities on a client\u2019s network, workstations, servers, and endpoints.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Administer patches.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Install software and updates.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Detect and resolve issues.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Automate scheduled maintenance tasks.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are a few critical RMM features to be aware of:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Active monitoring for a wide range of systems and devices, including laptops, PCs, and servers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PSA integration to help streamline workflows and cut costs.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A centralized dashboard so you can work from a single screen. This helps reduce employee training costs and speed up service delivery.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">View the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.capterra.com\/msp-software\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0highest-rated RMM platforms according to users on Capterra.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<a name=\"2-professional-services-automation-psa\" class=\"fldn-table-of-contents-anchor\"><\/a><h2 id=\"2-professional-services-automation-psa\">2. Professional Services Automation (PSA)<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PSA software is designed to help you plan, manage, and measure your performance throughout every step of a project.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A PSA improves your team\u2019s productivity by:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Streamlining management of day-to-day operations and client project details, including time tracking, expenses, invoicing, customer relationships, and resource allocation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Providing greater visibility into business intelligence and performance metrics.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Organizing your business around a unified operational platform.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While many PSAs offer similar capabilities, their functionality varies.\u00a0 These differences may affect how well your team is able to integrate the software into their day-to-day workflows.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not sure which PSA to invest in? Channel e2e compiled a list of the best <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.channele2e.com\/technology\/management\/top-psa-software-list\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PSAs for MSPs<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<a name=\"3-field-management-system-fms\" class=\"fldn-table-of-contents-anchor\"><\/a><h2 id=\"3-field-management-system-fms\"><b>3. Field Management System (FMS)<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An FMS can help you deliver an outstanding face-to-face customer experience and run your entire field workforce at scale.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By consolidating employee, contractor, customer, and project data into a single dashboard, an FMS enables you to:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Find high-quality talent by skill set, experience, certifications, and location.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gain pricing insights with real-time visibility into labor costs and regional pricing differences.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shorten onboarding time and ensure that every worker completes security and compliance steps.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Organize talent pools by location, skillset, relationship, responsiveness, and other key criteria.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Assign work orders, receive real-time updates from the field, communicate with customers, and manage every aspect of a project.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Manage contracts and invoices, prepare tax forms, and automatically disburse payments to both contingent and W2 technicians.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unfortunately, there aren\u2019t a large number of Field Management Systems specific to finding <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> managing talent. The most important consideration in choosing an FMS is finding one that integrates with your RMM and PSA solutions.<\/span><\/p>\n<a name=\"picking-the-right-vendor\" class=\"fldn-table-of-contents-anchor\"><\/a><h2 id=\"picking-the-right-vendor\">Picking the right vendor<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To select a software platform that\u2019s the best fit for your unique needs, start by:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Calculating your ratio of break-fix to managed services and long-term to short-term engagements.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Listing your most critical business objectives for the next few quarters.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Identifying the operational challenges that might get in the way of those goals.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Technology review sites like <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/g2.com\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">G2.com<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/capterra.com\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Capterra.com<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can help narrow down your options. If you are a Field Nation user, our platform integrates seamlessly with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.datto.com\/integrations\/field-nation\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Datto RMM<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.datto.com\/blog\/connect-and-automate-service-delivery-with-autotask-psa-and-field-nation\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Autotask PSA<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"\/integrations\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Connectwise, and ServiceNow<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The core purpose of productivity software is to help you run your business more smoothly\u2014not add additional layers of complexity. Some may be better suited for global enterprises, while others are ideal for smaller companies. Take the time to find a solution that\u2019s the right fit for your current needs. It should also be flexible enough to grow with your business.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also, don\u2019t try to automate too much at once. Most software packages come with hundreds of integrations and options to choose from. Trying to incorporate all of them may only overwhelm you further. Start small and take your time integrating each feature.<\/span><\/p>\n<a name=\"conclusion\" class=\"fldn-table-of-contents-anchor\"><\/a><h2 id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Growing your MSP requires the right tools. RMMs, PSAs, and FMS platforms make it easier to keep up with complex day-to-day tasks and build a strong foundation for the future.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) reduces your labor costs while increasing efficiency.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Professional Services Automation (PSA) improves your team\u2019s productivity and performance.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Field Management System (FMS) lets you tap into a blended workforce and merge project data into a single dashboard.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By automating more moving parts, you\u2019ll free up time and energy to focus on the big picture.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>RMM, PSA, and FSM\u2014 these are the types of software every managed service provider (MSP) should have in their back pocket.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":16948,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"xn-wppe-expiration":[],"xn-wppe-expiration-action":[],"xn-wppe-expiration-prefix":[],"footnotes":""},"content-group":[],"class_list":["post-15947","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","fldn_content_type-blog"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>3 types of software every MSP should have | Field Nation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"RMM, PSA, and FMS\u2014 these are the types of software every managed service provider (MSP) should have in their back pocket.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link 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