How ConnectWise solutions brought order to one MSP’s chaotic management system

Syrex

Syrex, an ICT and ISP provider based in South Africa, found itself mired in a sea of conflicting systems—managing 50 products and 100+ employees on nine different platforms. Invoices were dropped, employees were overwhelmed, and valuable time was wasted. Clearly, it was time for a change.

Challenge

Without a centralised platform, Syrex used nine different systems to track employee time and manage ticketing and billing. This meant important details were being dropped.

Solution

Syrex implemented ConnectWise Manage and ConnectWise Automate, which allowed them to cut back to four systems, easily track employee time, and set up automatic invoicing.

Results

Syrex is now identifying areas for improvement and growth, forecasting budgets for the next year, and gaining sharp insight into employee time management. They enjoy smooth, accurate billing and minimal customer complaints.

“When we came across ConnectWise, we found that there was a product that could basically consolidate all the interfaces for us. It really spoke to all the elements of what we do as a business.”

Ralph Berndt, Sales Director, Syrex

Enter ConnectWise

When a partner recommended ConnectWise, Ralph Berndt, Syrex’s Sales Director, was intrigued. “At that stage, we were using multiple systems. Then, when we came across ConnectWise, we found that there was a product that could consolidate all the interfaces for us,” Berndt said.

But ConnectWise wasn’t the only solution that Berndt investigated. He and his team tested a number of different software options before settling on ConnectWise. Ultimately, Berndt said, they were convinced by “the complexity yet the ultimate simplicity of ConnectWise.”

Syrex needed a solution with vast capabilities, but also a centralised, easy-to-use platform. ConnectWise had it all. “It really spoke to all the elements of what we do as a business,” Berndt said. Of course, the true test didn’t come until Syrex decided to implement ConnectWise.

Doing more with less

Right away, Berndt noticed an improvement in ticket management. Syrex could now turn around a far greater number of tickets per day. Not only that, client complaints declined dramatically.

Meanwhile, Syrex wasn’t dropping the ball on invoicing anymore. “We’ve seen it increasing around 20-30% in terms of billing that we would have previously potentially lost,” Berndt said.

Consolidating through ConnectWise Manage, Syrex moved from nine management platforms to four. Now, with streamlined management and automatic tracking, no details were missed—and that was just the beginning.

Counting the cost

In the past, Syrex operated on a ten to one rule, where one staff member managed 10 clients. But with a better, simpler management system, that rule is quickly becoming irrelevant. “We’re asking that maybe we could push to 30 or 40 clients before we add a staff member,” Berndt said.

ConnectWise has also provided Berndt and his team with a better big-picture view. They can now forecast the costs and earnings for next year, and budget accordingly. Before, Syrex would just add costs as they went and hope for the best. “Now we can really estimate the true cost of each employee per year, the rental of our own building and associated costs, and internet usage, All the little factors are starting to come together,” Berndt said.

One of those factors is employee time management. With ConnectWise Automate, Berndt sees how many tickets employees complete in a day, how they divide their time, and what the company averages are. “I’m seeing a lot of potential for cost savings,” he said. Looking at the data, Berndt and his team realised they could quickly grow Syrex’s client base—if they just fixed a few inefficiencies.

Facing forward

As a result of the inefficiencies they’ve discovered through ConnectWise Manage and ConnectWise Automate, Syrex now has a shortlist of action items. “We’re revising our managed services portfolio and laying very heavily into the market next year to grow that, because we’re not harnessing it as well as we could,” Berndt said.

And in an effort to bring the same level of efficiency to pipeline management and proposals, Syrex has decided to try ConnectWise Sell. “Without ConnectWise Sell, we’re finding the process to be very manual,” Berndt said. “We’re looking forward to some efficiencies in the product so that we can take the client to a new level of optimisation.”

Meanwhile, Syrex is always searching for ways to dig deeper in ConnectWise and harness the full power of their solutions, which includes training on ConnectWise University at every available opportunity.

In the future, Syrex looks forward to partnering with ConnectWise for more innovations and efficiencies. “We look forward to great new developments and growing with this product,” Berndt said.