MSPs: Help Your End-Users Profit from the Coming Productivity Boom

They say necessity is the mother of invention, and the pandemic has proven that to be true. In order to survive, companies had to create leaner, more creative, and more technologically sophisticated ways to do business. Now, economists are seeing a silver lining from these shut-down conditions: They’re predicting a productivity boom — one that stands to benefit both end-users and the MSPs that serve them in a major way.

Understanding the Potential for a Productivity Boom

Having been forced to become more streamlined and effective, companies are now finding themselves to be finely-tuned productivity engines. And the results are profound: Research from McKinsey Global Institute says the U.S. “has a chance to near the high productivity levels of the 1990s.”

Companies had to adjust their criteria for the type of technology they needed to deploy, and for the staff they would be able to retain. Many organizations turned away from unproductive systems and focused their resources on cloud-based infrastructures and collaborative platforms. Companies had to readjust headcount just to survive. When those remaining employees shifted to work-from-home environments, they had no choice but to rely on—even learn to master—remote tools and collaboration technologies that were considered niceties before. Tools like videoconferencing, messaging, and persistent chat became a saving grace during this period. 

“COVID caused us to shut down labor-intensive businesses which were inherently less productive,” noted market strategist David Zervos, from the global investment banking firm Jefferies, in a segment by CNBC. “It then forced the rapid adoption of automation in nearly every sector of the economy. Deep down we actually had the ability to produce so much more per worker than anyone would have thought possible a year ago.”

A More Productive Workforce Through Technology

In this way, the pandemic played out a kind of commercial Darwinism. The most efficient and flexible companies endured. What’s more, the most versatile and productive employees have been able to negotiate for permanent work-from-home status, putting even more emphasis on remote technologies and collaboration solutions. The business community learned that, given the right tools and motivation, employees could be at least as productive as they were in a centralized office location—or even more so. And more opportunities continued to open for strategic MSPs as they equipped their customers with technology to facilitate this ongoing shift.

According to the CNBC report, output from the U.S. economy has already rebounded to above pre-pandemic levels—yet with a considerably smaller workforce. As markets continue to expand, companies are looking to hire new staff and grow, taking advantage of technologies that proved their ability to work seamlessly and efficiently from anywhere. This includes cloud-based business communications technology, and collaboration platforms with integrated features like always-on virtual rooms, electronic whiteboards, and multiple screen-sharing capabilities to enhance workflows and better approximate “normal,” in-person environments.

Opportunities for the Savvy Partner

As an MSP in a competitive market, you want your customers to capitalize on the forthcoming boom. MSPs must make sure they’re bringing the most innovative productivity solutions to the table, including unified communications technology with embedded characteristics that allow for integrated, feature-rich collaboration. These technologies are what kept teams unified and generating positive outcomes even under strict lock-downs—and they’re always evolving to include new capabilities.

Opportunities will continue to arise to deploy new, hybrid videoconferencing solutions that accommodate virtual and on-site attendees. Features like rooms, presence management, mobility tools, intelligent call routing, and workforce management support the new hybrid workplace, giving MSPs the opportunity to help their customer transform their productivity levels (while transforming the Partner’s bottom line at the same time). 

Your clients need to reap the benefits of a more vibrant economy. You want them to succeed as efficient and evolved, thriving in the wake of the pandemic. As a strategic IT advisor, you can help them reach these goals, making sure they’re armed with the right tools to deliver streamlined workflows, productive employees, and more fluid, effective communications.

To find out more about how all-in-one voice, video, messaging and collaboration tools can supercharge productivity for remote and hybrid workforces, download our exclusive guide.