N-able’s MSP Maturity Model
Reactive service: 100% of billable technical resource time is dedicated to reactively correcting failures discovered by the customer.
Problems with the Chaotic Service Provider Model The Chaotic service provider has the least amount of process maturity. This environment is problematic at best and presents a number of business issues that will seriously impede an organization‟s ability to grow, evolve and ultimately, even exist.
Chaotic service providers are restricted in their ability to attract and retain anything other than a Chaotic customer. Higher margin customers are looking for a level of service that the Chaotic service provider can‟t provide.
Chaotic customers are costly to manage and are the worst investment for a service provider.
Competitive service providers who have achieved a higher level of process maturity are attractive alternatives for the Chaotic customer (or higher level customers) looking to achieve a higher level of service and can‟t retain those services from their existing service provider.
Chaotic service providers tend to achieve the lowest technical utilization rate as all of their time is spent reactively dealing with network issues – an impossible activity to predict or schedule.
Chaotic service providers will not be able to charge premium billing rates, as they are not providing a premium service. In fact, lower cost tends to be the primary differentiator for a Chaotic service provider.
Chaotic Customers Chaotic customers are organizations that place the least value on IT as a business enabler. Generally small, technologically unsophisticated organizations, these companies can operate effectively for extended periods even if their IT infrastructure is not available. Chaotic customers are defined by the following criteria:
Unstable Infrastructure: The Chaotic customer‟s existing IT infrastructure can be highly unstable – usually due to neglect.
Unconvinced of the value of maintenance: Many of the IT instabilities found in a Chaotic customer are avoidable through proper maintenance. The Chaotic customer generally doesn‟t believe the cost of preventative maintenance is justifiable.
Unrealistic expectations: Chaotic customers will expect high levels of support and stability without the associated cost of that level of service delivery.
Low value placed on IT: Usually due to a minimal reliance on IT, the Chaotic customer does not see a high value in open maintenance and management of IT.
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