Finding what makes your business unique is what puts you ahead of your competitors and in a better position to generate monthly recurring revenue (MRR) at the right price. What makes an MSP stand out is its Super Power.
For this Q&A, I chatted with Travis Thom, CEO of Fuse Networks, a Tukwila, WA-based MSP. In July 2019, I interviewed Travis for a previous blog. Now, I check back in to see where his business is today.
“Since joining TruMethods, we’ve retooled our business processes to better define our Super Power, which we refer to as “The Fuse Advantage,” said Travis Thom.
During our one-on-one conversation, he spoke more about The Fuse Advantage, revealed how his business has evolved since joining TruMethods, and what he’s learned from being a TruMethods member.
A lightly edited transcript of our conversation follows.
What type of shape was your business when you first joined TruMethods? What challenges did you face?
We were a company in transition. We had just received notice that our largest client was going to be acquired and they would be leaving. We continually found ourselves needing to adapt to our clients’ requests and react to their needs; baseline standards were set but varied by each client, causing more reactive time be spent by our support staff. This was counter-productive when it came to our service offerings, company culture, and our company way.
How has your business evolved since joining TruMethods?
Leveraging the Technical Alignment Process and IT Strategy process has proven to build more inclusive relationships with the clients we support and as a result the Service Desk’s reactive noise has decreased. It’s awesome seeing continuous positive feedback from clients on how we’re doing via CSAT and NPS submissions as it validates the maturity the TruMethods framework is providing.
What have been some of your biggest takeaways from TruMethods?
First, clearly define the roles and responsibilities when it comes to the different pillars in the TruMethods framework. This allows reactive hours to be measured and compared against proactive activities. Doing this enabled everyone at Fuse to see the leverage we were creating, which played a big part in the shift in culture we experienced. Second, use the standards library and tools that are available within TruMethods and myITprocess. When we were getting started with the TAM process, the team put a lot of emphasis on making it perfect which caused delays in moving forward due to paralysis by analysis. Start with what’s provided and appoint a standards committee to review the process, after you’ve went through the a few cycles it will be easy to identify what should be modified or added.
How would you describe your business today?
Fuse is a rewarding place to work. We have a team that understands customer services is the cornerstone of our success and our IT standards are the pillars that guide the decisions being made. Because of this, everyone at Fuse understands our mission, and we can deliver on the essence of each role being filled. We sell a solution that goes beyond traditional managed IT services or cloud services; we leverage IT systems, so they can be used as an asset for the business instead of the perceived encumbrance associated with IT.