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Ask any managed service provider (MSP) about their biggest challenge, and they will likely tell you that it’s maintaining efficient workflow and streamlined project management processes. Balancing customer requests and managing multiple projects can quickly become overwhelming, especially without the right tools in place.
That’s where professional services automation (PSA) software comes into play. PSA software offers MSPs a comprehensive solution that automates routine tasks, enhances resource management, tracks time and expenses, and generates reports.
However, with numerous PSA software options in the market today, choosing the best one for your MSP agency can be daunting, especially if you’re just starting out. So we’ve curated a list of the top six PSA software tools for MSPs to simplify decision-making.
What is PSA software?
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PSA software is a cloud-based or on-premise all-in-one solution that helps MSPs automate their project management operations and manage customer relationships. It simplifies the coordination of tasks by providing an integrated workspace for managing projects, tracking billable hours, delegating responsibilities, and creating reports in real time.
MSPs leverage PSA tools to streamline their back office functions, improve service delivery, and boost profitability. Typical functionalities of PSA tools include:
Contract management
Accurate time tracking and expense management
Automated project management, resource planning, and task assignment
Comprehensive customer relationship management (CRM) integrations
Streamlined billing and invoicing processes
Robust reporting capabilities
A 2021 Professional Services Maturity Benchmark study finds that using PSA software increased all key performance metrics for service providers, making PSA tools essential for modern MSPs.
How to choose the right PSA software for MSPs
Running a successful MSP agency requires more than just having the right tools in place — you need a solution that fits your business needs, budget, and team size. After all, investing in enterprise-level software wouldn’t be logical if you’re a small agency with limited resources.
So use these tips to help you choose the right PSA software solution for your agency.
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Define your requirements and workflows
Before diving into the sea of PSA software options, start by identifying your specific needs and workflows. Understanding your requirements will give you a clear picture of what your perfect solution looks like.
What are the key features that are critical to your operations?
Do you need robust project management capabilities?
Is a comprehensive ticketing system important to you?
Do you need accurate time tracking for billing or efficient inventory management?
Your workflows — the day-to-day operations and processes — should guide your PSA software selection. Assess how the software can help you fulfill customer commitments, streamline operations, and enhance productivity. The best PSA software will be flexible enough to fit your specific needs and meet changing demands.
Teamwork.com's professional services project management tools allow users to manage multiple projects, track time and expenses, collaborate with teams in real time, and provide customers with visibility into their project status.
Check integration opportunities
PSA software doesn’t operate in isolation — it needs to cohesively blend with your existing systems to truly drive efficiency. Seamless integration with your current IT infrastructure can eliminate data redundancy, ensure smooth and reliable data exchanges, and reduce the risk of project failure.
Look for a PSA system that integrates with CRM, accounting software, and remote monitoring and management (RMM) tools. This way, you can access real-time customer and project data, without switching between multiple applications. You’ll also save money and time on training and maintenance.
Make sure it has the features you need
While every PSA software provides a general suite of features, the real difference is in the specifics. So it is paramount to thoroughly assess the feature set of any PSA software you are considering. Key features you should look out for include:
Project management features to streamline the project lifecycle, enabling you to assign tasks, manage resources, track budgets, and monitor progress
Ticketing features to help you create, respond to, organize, and manage customer requests
Invoicing capabilities to generate and send invoices accurately and on time
Comprehensive reporting features that provide critical insights into your agency’s performance metrics. These allow you to make informed decisions that improve customer satisfaction, productivity, and profitability
Check the pricing and scalability, too. You don’t want to be stuck with professional services automation software that won’t let you add users or can’t support your expanding agency needs as you grow.
The 6 best PSA software tools for MSPs
Now that we’ve covered what PSA software is, why it’s important for MSPs, and what to look for when choosing a solution, let’s dive into the specifics. In the following section, we’ll introduce you to the six top PSA software tools for MSPs.
Each has been chosen for its unique features, scalability, integrations, and pricing. Whether you’re a small MSP just starting out or a larger entity looking to optimize your processes, something here is bound to fit your needs. Let’s explore these excellent options.
1. Teamwork.com
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Teamwork.com is a highly scalable, robust software solution designed to simplify and streamline MSP operations. It’s the only platform with best-in-class client work operations combined with easy-to-use project management tools that teams love. You can easily manage client operations, including resource management, project delivery, and financial management, all in one place.
The platform has the best time-tracking capabilities of any PM tool, allowing you to accurately track project time and resources. With the retainer management feature, you can easily manage recurring contracts and services, ensuring you’re always on top of your finances.
Its scalable architecture can grow alongside your agency, saving you the hassle of switching to a different tool (or several tools) as your organization grows. The platform also boasts extensive integration capabilities with CRM, RMM, and accounting software, allowing you to access customer, project, and financial data with a single click.
Plus, the Teamwork.com mobile app makes it easy to manage projects on the go, so you’ll never miss a beat.
Key features
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Invoicing/billing functionalities: Quickly create client invoices and track payments in real time.
Customization options: Tailor the platform to fit your specific needs by creating custom fields, workflows, and templates.
Collaboration features: Streamline team collaboration with built-in chat messaging, file sharing, task assignment, and document management in one centralized location.
Time tracking: Accurately track time spent on tasks and projects and easily generate detailed reports for accurate client billing.
Ticketing system: Create, assign, and respond to customer requests quickly and efficiently with the integrated ticketing system.
Project management: Track project status, completion times, and resource utilization to ensure on-time delivery.
Resource allocation for team members: Easily assign tasks and projects to team members based on availability, skill set, and workload.
Pricing
Teamwork.com offers a 30-day free trial (no credit card required) to let you test the platform and its features. You can then choose from four different pricing plans, depending on the size and needs of your agency.
Free Forever: $0 for up to five users
Deliver: $9.99/user/month
Grow: $19.99/user/month, with a three-user minimum
Scale: Custom pricing
2. ConnectWise PSA
ConnectWise PSA (formerly ConnectWise Manage) is another top-tier, end-to-end PSA tool that caters to a wide range of MSP agencies. It helps MSPs increase efficiency and profitability by automating typical business processes.
ConnectWise also provides real-time visibility into project and customer data, streamlines billing and invoicing, and simplifies communication between teams. You can manage and track tickets, projects, resources, timesheets, customer details, and financials in one centralized location.
Key features
Help desk: Organize and standardize customer requests, track progress, and prioritize tasks for timely resolution.
Time tracking and billing: Automate time tracking and billing to eliminate manual entry errors, reduce revenue loss, and accelerate invoicing.
Project management: Monitor project plans, task lists, and timelines to ensure the successful completion of projects.
Reporting and analytics: Gain much-needed insights into project performance, resource utilization, and customer engagement for improved decision-making.
Sales and marketing: Track and nurture leads, create targeted campaigns, and leverage sales data for more efficient customer acquisition.
Pricing
ConnectWise PSA offers three pricing plans — Basic, Standard, and Premium — but you need to contact their support for specific pricing.
3. Atera
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Atera is a turnkey, cloud-based PSA solution that helps MSPs master complex IT environments quickly and easily. It combines remote monitoring, asset management, patch management, help desk ticketing, and billing within a single integrated platform. This eliminates the need for multiple solutions and allows you to run your entire agency from one central location.
Atera’s analytics capabilities, built-in automation tools, and custom reporting help you stay on top of multiple projects. It also has extensive integration capabilities with popular software such as Microsoft Azure, Bitdefender, and ESET.
Key features
Remote monitoring and management: Monitor and manage client devices, networks, and applications from a single dashboard.
Remote access: Allow instant, on-demand access to customer systems with secure remote desktop connections through AnyDesk or Splashtop.
Helpdesk, billing, and reporting: Streamline your service delivery, billing and invoicing, and reporting processes with built-in tools.
Patch management: Ensure airtight network security by automatically deploying the latest updates and patches.
Network discovery: Discover, audit, and manage network assets for improved visibility into client systems.
Pricing
Atera offers a 30-day free trial and four different pricing plans based on your needs.
Pro: $99/technician/month
Growth: $129/technician/month
Power: $169/technician/month
Superpower: custom pricing
4. SuperOps.ai
SuperOps.ai is an AI-powered platform designed to help MSPs maximize operational efficiency, drive profitability, and deliver an outstanding customer experience. It leverages advanced AI algorithms and automation to reduce the time spent on mundane IT services and tasks.
You can use the platform to optimize ticket handling, automate onboarding processes, and generate actionable insights from customer data. As a PSA-RMM solution, SuperOps.ai further reduces cost and complexity by combining the features of a PSA and RMM platform in one solution.
Key features
Service desk: Automate ticketing, onboarding, and incident resolution with AI-powered service desk capabilities to deliver exceptional customer service.
Quote management: Create and manage estimates, quotes, and contracts quickly and easily with the help of built-in templates.
Intelligent automation: Automatically trigger tasks, notifications, and processes to save time and money.
Client management: Gain a 360° view of customer data, assets, and activities for more efficient management.
Project management: Assign and prioritize tasks, track progress, and collaborate with team members in real time.
Pricing
SuperOps.ai offers a 21-day free trial, after which you can choose from four different pricing plans:
Standard (PSA only): $59/technician/month
Standard (RMM only): $79/technician/month
Pro (Unified basic): $99/technician/month
Super (Unified advance): $129/technician/month
5. Syncro
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Syncro streamlines business management for MSPs and IT service providers by offering an integrated platform that combines PSA, RMM, and remote access capabilities. You can capture operational efficiencies with flexible invoicing, automated time tracking, and real-time reporting.
Its integration with 50+ third-party tools allows you to tailor the platform to your specific needs. Syncro also helps you improve customer engagement with features like intelligent ticketing, live chat, and mobile access.
Key features
Contract management and SLA tracking: Create contracts and track service level agreements and performance metrics with automated reminders and notifications.
Billing and invoicing: Automate billing, invoicing, and payment processing to reduce time-consuming administrative tasks.
Reporting and analytics: Use custom reports and real-time dashboards to turn data into actionable insights.
Help desk: Simplify ticketing workflows, build customer loyalty, and resolve issues faster with Syncro’s help desk capabilities.
Pricing
Syncro offers a one per-user fee model for all integrated features with unlimited endpoints for $129/user/month, billed annually.
6. Kaseya BMS
Kaseya BMS is a next-gen, full-stack PSA solution that automates service delivery from beginning to end. The platform helps you manage endpoints, resources, customers, and projects in a modern and intuitive platform.
Its extensive automation capabilities, built-in custom reporting tools, and asset tracking features give you complete visibility into customer networks. In addition, its integration with popular productivity tools, such as QuickBooks, Xero, and CRM applications, further extends its functionality.
Key features
End-to-end automation: Streamline the entire service delivery process with automated workflows and reduce manual intervention.
Time tracking and invoicing: Accurately log time, track activities, and create invoices quickly with built-in time tracking and invoicing tools.
CRM and sales management: Manage contacts, leads, opportunities, campaigns, contracts, and sales in one platform.
Project management: Assign tasks, track progress, and collaborate with team members to efficiently manage projects.
Remote access: Access customer networks, devices, and systems with secure remote desktop connections.
Pricing
Kaseya BMS offers a 14-day trial, after which you need a custom quote for their services.
Let Teamwork.com's features lead the way for MSPs
Finding the right PSA software for your MSP agency is critical for unlocking operational efficiency and delivering an outstanding customer experience. While no one-size-fits-all solution exists, the six tools mentioned above provide a great starting point for finding the perfect PSA solution.
Weigh each platform’s features, pricing plans, and features to determine the best fit for your organization. With the right PSA solution, you can easily streamline and automate core business processes to maximize productivity and profitability.
Unlike other PSA tools that are too complex and clunky, which makes them impossible to use, Teamwork.com offers a much more intuitive interface that's easy for anyone to learn quickly. With Teamwork.com, you can create projects, manage tasks, and collaborate with your team in one place to ensure on-time project delivery.
Sign up for Teamwork.com’s free 30-day trial and experience the power of a streamlined solution firsthand.
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