The BrightGauge Blog

We’d like to quickly let you know of an update we’ve made to our Webroot integration. If you’re using Webroot, we presume that you’re serious about data protection and cybersecurity. By integrating Webroot and BrightGauge, you’re able to manage and monitor devices that need attention, infection status, shield status, sites, and more. With our latest update, the level of protection you experience through proactive monitoring is taken one step further. Webroot DNS Protection Webroot recently introduced DNS Protection, and we’re now sharing KPIs for that functionality. A lot of you have requested this, so we’re happy to now offer it. With Webroot DNS Protection, you can monitor and report on blocked sites, see who was trying to access them, and get a summary of DNS traffic including risky and blocked traffic. This opens up an opportunity for you to offer your clients better services and show how you’re being proactive in preventing incidents from happening. BrightGauge KPIs for Webroot DNS Protection We’ve launched two datasets, from which multiple KPIs are available as default gauges. To make it easy for you to start monitoring this data, we’ve pre-built two dashboards that bring these KPIs together: DNS Protection Blocked Traffic - This dashboard allows you to see blocked requests by category, domain, and hostname for the last 30 days. DNSP Traffic Last 24 Hours - On this dashboard, a number of gauges show you total blocked and total risky requests in the last 24 hours, blocked and risky requests by site, and the percentage of risky and blocked requests by site. If you use Webroot DNS Protection already, then you should have access to these datasets and KPIs. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to our Support Team!

New BrightGauge users (or anyone looking for a quick refresher): this one's for you! Recently, we've had customers asking us why they should create client reports and how they can set them up. Let's take a quick look at the 4 W's of Client Reporting and How to pull them together. Who should I send executive reports to? - Based on our research and experience, we see our customers sending reports to their main point of contact who manages the relationship, but we also see many of them sending the report to that person’s manager (if they have one). When we probed about why reports are sent doubly, our users all said it's because this way if the contact person changes, a history of communication with their manager still exists. If asking yourself, "Who should I send this report to?", we think it's better to be safe than sorry. What should I include in client reports? - Choosing the right metrics for your client reports will depend on your integration (like Connectwise, Webroot, IT Glue, Autotask, Quickbooks, etc) and what is laid out in your SLA. A large portion of our users integrate with ConnectWise and use BrightGauge to create impactful ConnectWise reports based on their metrics. When creating client reports, use one of our pre-built templates or easily start from scratch; either way, reports are customizable. When should I send client reports? - We see 30,000+ reports that get sent out each month, and the standard default is for our customers to send reports on a monthly basis to their clients. This seems to be a natural rhythm when it comes to reporting, however, we also see a large number of our partners sending out weekly or even daily reports that are hyper-focused on whatever key metrics they care about. Perhaps they are interested in patch status for their workstations or a specific type of support request. The flexibility of our client reporting allows you to customize when to send them the information they want. Why should I send client reports? - You want to start building trust with clients as soon as possible because it’s the foundation of a long-term business relationship. Client reporting holds you accountable and keeps you transparent, both reputable qualities in client's eyes. So, “How” do you start earning their trust? How do I create a client report? - That’s the easy part! Below, we quickly outline the steps to get started with Client Reports. Step 1: Create a new report Step 2: Select your clients Step 3: Choose to start from scratch or use a template Step 4: Populate your report with gauges, a title, and your logo (or your client's) Step 5: Set the schedule and send it off! Yes, it is really that simple. To learn how Client Reporting can make a huge impact on your business, download our free webinar where we share why Client Reporting is a key pillar in the area of Customer Success.

In business since 2000, Cards Technology started out as a computer repair shop and system builder. As the years went on and the IT industry continued to evolve, they made the switch to full IT Services provider. Today, they focus on infrastructures and database management. Joining BrightGauge Cards Technology first came across BrightGauge when they were looking for a way to supplement the work they started in Connectsmart. Within 30 minutes of getting connected, Sam Card, the CEO of Cards Technology, was able to create his first custom dashboard in BrightGauge. “When we first tried BrightGauge, our goal was to see our metrics in one place and to get our KPIs in front of our team. We were able to get started up with BrightGauge pretty quickly, and with ease. I have other employees who know nothing about database queries and they got in there with no trouble.“ After learning of BrightGauge’s connection to Kaseya and Quickbooks integrations, lots of lightbulbs went off for Sam and his team. They went deeper in their Advanced account, working with the data mashup between gauge layers to make their metrics and data do the work for them. They also use Smileback quite a bit. Each week, they run an analysis of service tickets and how much time they're spending on each. For example - 4 hrs on printer issues and 10hrs on workstations. They then ask themselves how to get those numbers down, and then measure the actions taken vs results of such. Cards Tech has 6 TVs spread across the office to track their KPIs and monitor tech performance. Each tech gets an extra boost in compensation based on their performance. Customizing BrightGauge for the Customer Since launching back in 2012, BrightGauge has mainly served IT and MSP companies. In recent years, some of our customers have started to ask, “how can we extend BrightGauge to our own customers?” Sam came to us to see how we could create a BrightGauge account for one of his clients who was using a datasource that had yet to be added to our list: Aptora. A software used by HVAC companies for tracking techs and managing their business, Aptora has a couple of products. BrightGauge integrates with Aptora’s Total Office Manager. Both Sam and his customer instantly saw the benefits of taking two otherwise disconnected systems, and creating dashboards and metrics to bridge the data points across their tech stacks. “With BrightGauge, we get better reporting and metrics out of PSA software that otherwise you can't easily filter for in other programs. It's great that you have filled that need.” Their Go-to Tracked Metrics Number of endpoints in Kaseya and divided by revenue logged in Quickbooks Measure agreement efficiency -- measure breakdown of agreement by client

Do you know about the FUD factor? This is a common term that means fear, uncertainty, doubt and is often used as a popular sales tactic by some companies to put down their competitors. Recently we’ve been hearing some FUD noise in our sales process and we thought it might help if we cleared up the confusion around some inaccurate statements regarding our product. Most of these are inaccurate because they are outdated, not because of any malicious intent. We'd like our prospective buyers to have the right information handy, so they can make an informed decision that will help them run their business better. So here goes… BrightGauge Only Has 15 Min Sync Times (FALSE) – The standard dashboard sync time is every 5 minutes. For customers who want to bring that down even more, we also offer 2 minute sync times for those critical datasets that need to be monitored in more real time. As soon as a user logs into BrightGauge, it automatically kicks off a complete sync so that you have the freshest data. But don’t worry, if nobody logs in for a few days, we’ll still sync your data at least once a day to make sure we’re ready for you when you do log in. Read more about Dataset Syncing. BrightGauge Does Not Allow Deep Linking Back To Datasource (FALSE) - Wherever you've activated deep linking within the app, you can click the link and it will take you directly to your datasource and log you in (if you have set up the automatic log-in properly). For instance, you can drill into a gauge that pulls data from ConnectWise, click the activated link, and instantly be logged into your ConnectWise account. Here’s a link where you can learn more about the feature: Deep Linking Overview. BrightGauge Only Allows You To Pull 120 Days Worth Of Data (FALSE) – Did you know that 96% of our customers use BrightGauge as an operational tool to provide insights into today, yesterday, last week, last month, and even last quarter? Very rarely do customers need to have 12 months worth of data, and even less rare is the need to sync that data regularly. For our most commonly used datasets, we have a default limit of 120 days, but that’s just a starting point. If you'd like to increase that limit to longer, we can look into that for you, but be aware that the exact amount of history we can pull does depend on your datasource and amount of data. BrightGauge Does Not Have Advanced Calculations Functions (FALSE) – Many of our customers use our Calculated Metrics Feature which allows you to do basic formula operations with your data, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. This allows you to see your data with cool metrics like Kill Rate and 1st Touch Resolution %. No Audible Alerts On Dashboard (FALSE) – Audible alerts can be set up only on number gauges and progress gauges. When you have a gauge with a threshold on a dashboard and that threshold is met, a DING will sound, alerting you to an issue that needs your attention. Just make sure you've selected 'Play Dashboard Alert' when you set up the threshold. Read more about Dashboard Sound Alerts. No Dashboard Background Customization Available (FALSE) – A lot of our customers have requested dashboard customization, so we recently made this feature available. Now, in any dashboard, you can add text and image modules to your liking. For example, if you have a client coming in for an office visit, put their logo on the dashboard where you monitor their metrics and watch how impressed they'll be. Read more about Dashboard Images. No Integration with Maps or Weather Data (True) – This is something we hear from time to time and we have discussed including in our future dashboards. Hopefully this helps clear up some of the confusion out there and offers a more accurate picture of where our product stands today. We're constantly updating our features, so stay tuned. If you've got a question or want to see BrightGauge in action, please contact us today.

Client reports are a must for building long-term relationships founded on trust and for tracking whether or not you are adhering to your service level agreements (SLAs). If you’re a BrightGauge user, then you know how easy it is to create custom, interactive client reports in just a few steps. While the task is simple, the payoff is huge. Full transparency in the form of client reports is always a business best practice. Did you know that you can use client reports to track goals? Implementing this process can lead to great rewards, such as higher productivity and efficiency. With BrightGauge, it’s a no-brainer. Why should I track goals? If you aren’t setting goals with your internal teams or with your clients, how do you know which direction to go in to achieve success? Goals help you determine an endpoint and figure out the steps needed to get there. Goal-setting is also a really powerful way to establish a culture of accountability and motivation within your team. When individuals are assigned goals and encouraged to track them on a regular basis, there’s no hiding from their responsibility. Either they are working towards their goal or they aren’t. As humans, we inherently dislike failure, so having an established goal sparks a motivation to want to do our best work and do it efficiently. Converting data into goals Let’s use a common scenario. You are an MSP tasked with monitoring the networks and devices of a trusted client. You likely use an RMM such as ConnectWise Automate (formerly LabTech), integrated with BrightGauge. Through BrightGauge dashboards and reports, you’re tracking ConnectWise metrics like drive disk space used, machine patch status, workstation AV protection status, and more. Based on your SLAs with each individual client, you set up custom client reports that show progress on important tasks. You make it a point to walk your clients through their custom ConnectWise reports every week because you believe in the power of full transparency. In one of your conversations, your client mentions that they’d love to see their overall server health score above 65% on a weekly basis. Right there, you’ve had a new goal conveniently placed in your lap. Using BrightGauge Goals, you can convert your ConnectWise gauge data (overall server health percentage) into visibly trackable goals. Here’s how: From your BrightGauge homepage, click on ‘New Goal List’ under Goal Management Name your goal list Select ‘Create New Goal’ Choose between an Outcome Goal or a Process Goal (an overall server health score above 65% would be an Outcome Goal; something like ‘monitor servers twice daily’ would be a Process Goal) Opt to power your goal through a ConnectWise gauge; in this instance ‘Overall Server Health %’ (doing this will show you a drop down menu of available gauges based on datasources you’re integrating with; your goal will actually be connected to the data being pulled in to that specific gauge) Input your target number - per your client, this would be >65% Assign your goal to an individual or a team Click ‘Add Goal’ Now, you have a goal that is tied to your ConnectWise gauge. Each week, this goal will be populated with data that is being pulled from that gauge, so there’s no room for manipulating the number or not being accountable to your target. This is great for internal visibility. How do you show your clients that you’re working hard to meet their desired target? In your weekly client reporting, be sure to always include the ConnectWise Automate gauge ‘Overall Health Score %’ so your client can see a weekly snapshot of this metric. Reports sync 10 minutes prior to being sent out, so they’ll always be viewing up-to-date data. You can reinforce this by adding your client as a BrightGauge Viewer (all BrightGauge subscriptions allow for unlimited Viewer licenses at no additional cost; Viewers have read-only access to BrightGauge data but can’t build gauges or make edits), adding them to your goal list, and scheduling a summary email to be sent at a certain date and time each week. Your clients will appreciate that you’re serious about adhering to goals and are proactive in making sure that you’re working towards your target. For internal teams The BrightGauge client reporting feature allows you to create reports for your own company, too. Ideally, you are already setting and tracking goals for each of your team members. Sending them regular reports with data tied to each goal ensures that everyone is aligned and feels a sense of ownership over your business. Give it a shot and see how productivity increases over time. Automated tasks, big results It may seem daunting to think about adding another task to your daily list of to-dos, but it’s a lot simpler than you may think. With BrightGauge client reports, you can set up a custom report template and then schedule it to go out on a recurring basis on the date and time you choose. As mentioned earlier, reports sync 10 minutes prior to going out, so they’ll always be up to date. This means that you’ll just have to spend a few minutes setting up your goals-based reports one time, but you’ll reap the benefits each and every week. Tracking goals and sending custom client reports will help your business in the long run. Your clients will notice your transparency, their sense of trust in you will grow stronger, they’ll be happier with your work, and your risk of churn will decrease. In our opinion, not putting in this effort is a risk we’re unwilling to take! To learn more the importance of goal-setting, check out our free whitepaper, ‘The Right Way to Set Business Goals’.

BrightGauge is looking for a rockstar outbound Sales Development Rep to join our rapidly growing team! As a Sales Development Rep (SDR), you will be part of our Sales Team. At BrightGauge, we make an awesome Software as a Service (SaaS) product that helps customers grow their business by understanding their data. You can also describe our product as a business intelligence platform that focuses on the global IT Service Provider and Managed Service Provider (MSP) industry. It’s important to also understand our office environment. We’re not the type of company to dictate a buttoned-up dress code, throw around busy work or put up with overbearing personalities. But we are the type of company where you’ll have hands-on access to the whole team – including the folks who manage our marketing, sales, software development, data customization, customer success, and everything in between. You’ll not only play your specific part on our team but we’ll also expect you to contribute to anything that can be improved. No egos here, we’re all learners and hard workers. We pride ourselves on being a very close-knit team. We spend a lot of time having fun at weekly happy hours (if you’re 21 or older, of course), team lunches, brewing beer together, visiting food festivals, and exploring all that South Florida has to offer. Need more proof? Check us out on Twitter, and Insta, We love to let loose just as much as we love growing the incredible software platform we build each day. The right candidate will: Absorb the onboarding manual and be ready to start contacting new prospects 10 days from start date. Become an expert at using lead generation tools to routinely extract contacts and create accurate and targeted lists of prospects. Conduct sales development best practices with email, phone, and social drips using Hubspot CRM to connect with new prospects. Utilize smart, targeted questions to speak knowledgeably with decision makers. Skillfully build interest and create opportunities with new prospects. Coordinate consultations on account executive’s calendar and log activities in our CRM. Make 50 dials a day. Exceed quota of qualified appointments on second full-time month. Top characteristics and traits consistent with success in this position: Sincere customer empathy Strong written communication, phone, presentation, and interpersonal skills Experience selling technology and/or software Highly organized and strong time management skills Ability to work in fast paced, changing environment with minimal direction Hustle and persistence Here’s what we can offer: Awesome commission structure with no cap (based on performance) Competitive salary based on experience with full benefits / 401K / etc A beautiful office in the heart of downtown Coral Gables A strong support system of passionate co-workers who are driven to succeed Tremendous opportunity to expand your role and grow within the most innovative movement in Business Intelligence Are you ready to join our team and help take our company to the next level? Apply now. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and are committed to a workplace environment that encourages growth and respect for all current and prospective employees based upon job-related factors such as their educational background, work experience, and ability to perform the essential functions of a particular job. It is our policy and practice to prohibit any form of discrimination or harassment based on race, color, age, national origin, religion, sex, military or veteran status, disability, pregnancy, pregnancy-related condition, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or any other status protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Today, we released a major facelift to the way you use BrightGauge's client mappings tool. For those who work deep in putting together BrightGauge Client Reports, the client mapping tool is a huge time saver. When to use client mappings You may wish to use client mapping when you have multiple datasources where a clients name may appear slightly different across each of them. Client mappings help tell your data how to parse your information based on each client. This is especially helpful for when you're putting together client reports and need to dictate who receives what reports. How to set up client mappings Once logged into BrightGauge, click on "Data" on the top right corner and select "Client Mappings" from the drop down menu. Adding Client mapping To add a new client, click “Add a Client" Use the auto mapping search bar The client mapping process now happens in 1 modal instead of 3 separate screens. When the modal opens, you can name the mapping and search for the client using the search input. This will search through your featured integrations. Single mappings (client pill) If the search finds a match, it will show as a client pill similar to the linked filter pill. If it matches incorrectly you can remove the pill by clicking the "x" icon. Single Datasource Search If the auto mapping search does not provide a result or an incorrect mapping click the "+" icon on the datasource row. In the search bar, proceed to enter the name for this client EXACTLY as it appears in the corresponding datasource database. It will search again and you can select the appropriate one from the drop down list. If a client has multiple names for the same datasource (bundling child accounts into a parent account or multiple sites into one account), you can use this method to combine all of them. Make sure to check the names across all datasources. If you are mapping multiple accounts into the same client, you’ll have to search in each datasource. Once all selections are made, make sure to save the edits by clicking on the "Save" button at the bottom. Editing/Deleting Once a client mapping is created you can edit or delete it using the 3 ellipses (more options) menu on the right. Add new or existing client recipients The next step is to assign recipients (contacts) for this client. This is only needed in order to have reports emailed directly to them. Use the ellipses (more options) menu on the right and click on "Client recipients" to launch the modal. Start by typing the client’s name or email address. If you already have them as a recipient or contact in your account, then it will show those results. If you want to add a user that's not listed, use the form below the user listing window. You can add as many recipients as you would like. You have unlimited viewer licenses that may be used. If you'd like more help setting up client mappings for your BrightGauge and clients, send us a note here.

If you’ve got direct reports, you likely have regular check-ins to discuss projects, strategies, and goals. It can be challenging to maximize time and productivity during these 1:1s and you might find that you’re spending too many hours each week prepping for these meetings or keeping them within a 30-minute or 1-hour constraint. Data dashboards can help. This simple work hack can help you stay focused and get the most out of your scheduled time with each of your team members. Creating customizable data dashboards through BrightGauge is really easy to do and the payoff is great. Creating data dashboards in just a few steps BrightGauge connects with plenty of popular business tools that you’re likely already using, like ConnectWise Manage and Automate, Webroot, IT Glue, Quickbooks, Salesforce, and more. Based on the data you’re monitoring through your PSA, RMM, or other tools, BrightGauge creates impactful data dashboards and client reports that provide insights needed to make smart business decisions. We want every BrightGauge customer to start using their data as soon as they become a customer, so we’ve spoken to many business leaders like you to determine the common KPIs that matter most. Armed with that knowledge, we’ve pre-built default gauges, dashboards, and reports for each of the integrations we connect with. That means you can start using data dashboards on day one. Of course, there’s always the option to create completely customizable dashboards, too. Here are the steps you need to take: On your BrightGauge homepage, select ‘New Dashboard’ Name your dashboard and select the users you’d like to grant access to Start choosing gauges from your sidebar on the right side of your screen Add image or text modules for personalization and context That’s all it takes! If an existing gauge doesn’t contain the data you need, just create a new gauge by selecting the appropriate datasource and then build the gauge to your liking. You can add your new gauge to your desired dashboard once it’s complete. If you’ve got any questions or need some help, you can always turn to our support team for guidance. Turning data dashboards into 1:1 tools At a recent Data-Driven Workshop, our customer, Natalie, told us she was having trouble managing eight 1:1 meetings per week that often ran over their 30-minute block. She leads a Support Team responsible for responding to tickets, entering billable hours, sending out customer surveys, and managing service level agreements (SLAs). When meeting with each of her direct reports, she wanted to review their performance and the feedback they get from clients. Scrambling to find those numbers or generate reports for each team member was frankly taking too much time that Natalie can never get back. This got us to thinking about how exactly BrightGauge can drive productivity during 1:1 meetings. So what we recommend to all our business managers is to create a unique dashboard for each team member (i.e., Joe’s Dashboard, Jane’s Dashboard, etc.). Remember the pre-built default gauges we talked about? They’re going to help you out here. With ConnectWise Manage, for example, two pre-built gauges are Hours This Week by Engineer and Open Tickets by Technician. This makes it easy to see exactly who is doing what. Remember that you can also apply filters to your gauges, dashboards, and reports so you customize the data displayed to your specific needs. Once you’ve created a data dashboard per each team member, you’ll have the metrics needed to hit the ground running with each 1:1 meeting. BrightGauge dashboards sync often so you’ll be looking at real-time data. We like the idea of starting off each meeting by pulling up your direct report’s custom dashboard and talking through the data together. If there are any glaring issues, this gives an opportunity to have an honest and productive conversation about how to course correct. Because you’re looking at factual data that’s being pulled in through various business tools, there’s no room for manipulation of information or skirting any issues. This creates a culture of accountability that is quite powerful. After reviewing the previous week’s or month’s data with your team member, it’s also a good idea to create short-term or long-term goals for upcoming months based on past performance. BrightGauge Goals can help you do that by allowing you to assign a goal to each team member and having them mark whether they are on or off track each week (designated by green or red tiles, respectively). This is another win for accountability. If you’re up for encouraging a little healthy competition, you can create leaderboards that track each of your team member’s performance against one another (like who answered the most tickets in one week). Include this leaderboard gauge in each of your individual data dashboards and use the numbers during your 1:1 to keep employees motivated. With complete visibility into the metrics that matter for each of your direct reports, you’ll have the guidance you need to have really productive and efficient conversations with your team. The data will keep you focused on what matters so that you can avoid wasting time digging for information or having employees wonder how to get a conversation started. Plus, because our custom dashboards are automated and pull in data in real-time, you’ll need to spend less time prepping for each meeting, which gives you the freedom to work on revenue-driving tasks and strategies. Not yet a customer but want to see BrightGauge in action? No problem. Request a live one-on-one demo today!

You’ve just signed on a new client and are strategizing ways to keep them happy in the long-run. If sending client reports is not part of your strategy, think again. Few things build a solid foundation of trust the way transparency does and it’s no secret that our favorite way to be transparent is by creating custom client reports. Doing this one thing on a regular basis can have a lasting, positive impact on your business. But how do you choose the right metrics to include in your client reports? In our years of experience, we’ve picked up a few tips along the way. Creating custom client reports using BrightGauge Executive summary reports are important because they paint a factual picture of the work that’s being done at any given time - quite literally, they summarize metrics that executives might care about. As a business leader, you want to avoid clients asking, “Why am I paying you?”. Showing your value and holding yourself accountable can have significant rewards down the line. We’ve seen hesitation in creating client reports because it’s generally a time-consuming task. BrightGauge solves that issue by automating client reports in just a few minutes. Regardless of the datasource you connect with in BrightGauge, we provide pre-built templates to get you started on day one. Let’s use ConnectWise as an example. When you integrate with ConnectWise Manage, you’ll get 303 pre-built gauges, 14 pre-built dashboards, and 9 ConnectWise reports automatically available in your account. To access your ConnectWise reports, you just visit your homepage, click on ‘New Report’, opt to select from a template versus starting from scratch, and choose from the dropdown. Voila! In just a few moments, you’ve generated a ConnectWise Executive Report Summary. Of course, you always have the option to create a report from scratch. Regardless of which route you choose to take, you can customize your ConnectWise reports by adding a company logo and a cover page, and by including context around the metrics displayed. Now that you see how easy it is to actually generate a ConnectWise report, it’s time to focus on the data. Choosing the right metrics for ConnectWise reports How do you go about choosing the right metrics? The most important thing to remember when creating a ConnectWise report, or any client report for that matter, is to keep it concise. Your clients are busy people and they don’t have a ton of time to dedicate to deciphering a load of metrics in a lengthy report. Stick to the most impactful numbers that will help your client make data-driven decisions. Remember that you can always turn to your service level agreement (SLA) for guidance. In your SLA, you and your client set forth expectations for your working relationship, and you likely even set benchmarks for success. The parameters outlined in your SLA should give you an idea of the KPIs and metrics your client cares most about. If it’s not clear, there’s nothing wrong with being direct and asking your client what she would like to see in a report, and how often she’d like to see it. BrightGauge simplifies the process because the data for your ConnectWise report is pulled directly from the gauges and dashboards you’re already monitoring. Going back to our ConnectWise Manage example, you’re probably tracking hours by engineer, open tickets by tech, ticket response time, projects over budget, SLA stats, and sales activities. You may be doing this per gauge or on ConnectWise dashboards like Service Ticket KPIs or Project Management. When it comes time to generate a ConnectWise report, you can simply pull data from your Service Ticket KPIs dashboard and be on your way. When in doubt, keep these tips in mind: Include metrics that drive business-growth decisions Leave out any fluff If sending daily reports, consider summarizing work done across all departments For more granular departmental reports, keep it to once a month minimum Report on the good AND the bad; the whole point of reports is to hold yourself accountable Make sure your ConnectWise reports align with overall company KPIs; here are 59 metrics that most MSPs can use Less is more! As your relationship with your client progresses, your ConnectWise reports will evolve based on feedback you’re receiving. Over time, you’ll present streamlined, reliable metrics that your client will come to depend on. For more on selecting the best KPls to focus on, check out our free webinar, ‘Establishing and Managing your Key Performance Indicators for MSPs’.

NetworkDR is a Managed Service Provider (MSP) based out of New Jersey and a BrightGauge user since 2013. We spoke with Cenon Hipolito, Service Desk Manager, to find out what NetworkDr does, why they do it, and how BrightGauge has helped along the way. Starting an MSP business Similar to BrightGauge, NetworkDR began as a side business in 2003 when one of the partners felt he could help his community figure out how to set up their at-home wifi. From there, the business grew thanks to customers asking for help with other IT-related issues. Before long, a full-fledged company had been established. Cenon tells us that he believes NetworkDR’s success is partially owed to the fact that their mission has remained the same since day one: to create raving clients. To do that, it starts from within. “We zeroed in on ourselves first and focused on developing a really great work culture so that our superstars and superstars in the making would want to stick around,” explains Cenon. “Familiarity is key to great customer service, so those employees who have been around for a long time have a better sense of how our customers operate. I think that’s helped our clients spread the word about us.” Great customers deserve great customer support NetworkDR prides itself on word-of-mouth being their strongest marketing tool, never taking for granted how important a client relationship is. Ideally, they want their clients to think of NetworkDR as a trusted partner, not just a third-party service provider. “We try to look for customers that don’t look at us as just another vendor,” says Cenon. “Someone who feels confident enough to tell us what they need when faced with a problem.” NetworkDR’s commitment to customer service is what keeps customers coming back for more. Their technicians spend time listening to each customer’s unique issue and patiently work to find a solution, even using FaceTime when necessary to get a first-hand look at what the customer is dealing with. For NetworkDR, customer service goes beyond just solving problems. It also means nurturing client relationships and making sure team members go above and beyond to adhere to service level agreements (SLAs). This is where BrightGauge comes in. How BrightGauge fosters NetworkDR’s relationships When a NetworkDR partner attended IT Nation one year, they were introduced to BrightGauge at a time when they were seeking a client reporting solution. “We were looking for something that could automate reports in a nice format,” says Cenon. “BrightGauge said, ‘We can easily do that and we integrate with ConnectWise,’ so it was just a no-brainer for us.” The impact has been significant. Since signing up, NetworkDR has sent their clients monthly reports outlining their SLAs, tickets, alerts, and a number of other metrics. “We’re trying to make ourselves as transparent as possible; we don’t have anything to hide,” says Cenon. “With BrightGauge, our clients are getting these automated reports that don’t come from an excel spreadsheet or a specific individual, so they know we’re not manipulating any numbers.” Plus, Cenon loves that you don’t need to have specific SQL knowledge in order to easily create powerful BrightGauge reports. Cenon and NetworkDR have also discovered the power of BrightGauge dashboards. With 6 TVs around the office displaying rotating dashboards, it’s easy for them to immediately jump on any issues that pops up. Clients who visit the office are amazed at what NetworkDR can monitor through BrightGauge. Unique ways to use BrightGauge Cenon makes it a point to have full visibility of all the office’s TVs displaying dashboards so that if an issue arises, he can see it right away and get the appropriate parties involved as soon as possible. Cenon found a way to take that visibility even one step further. “Two of our TVs are actually 50-inch touchscreens,” says Cenon. “If we have a gauge with an alert, we can touch that gauge to drilldown further and find out what the alert is all about and then take necessary action.” This type of visibility has resulted in improved response times and SLAs, a true win-win for all parties involved. To keep his team motivated, Cenon uses leaderboards to monitor how many tickets an individual has worked on, how many alerts were resolved, billable time versus non billable time, and more. As Cenon puts it, nobody likes to be on the bottom, so the leaderboard situation has publicized the need to stay productive. Finally, Cenon has started implementing BrightGauge goals with his team in an effort to place accountability back into individual team members' hands. “We’re all busy,” says Cenon. “When my team members have the opportunity to check in on themselves and see how far they’ve gotten in a goal, it takes a lot of pressure off of me and lets everyone work at their own pace. Having the simplicity to see how much work has been done or needs to be done on a goal is key.” Cenon talks more about great customer support and team-building practices in this month’s podcast. Check it out to learn more about how they're growing their business through team input and mentorship.