Listen to this articleSherpaDesk is a business management solution for managed service providers (MSP) and IT service providers that integrates key customer services into one platform. Below is our interview with Patrick Clements, CEO of SherpaDesk:
Q: Patrick, tell us about SherpaDesk and the solution’s core competence for users?
A: SherpaDesk is a cloud-hosted platform for professional service organizations who need a better solution to manage customer support issues, log billable time and maintain project profitability. We are changing the way these organizations manage customers, share knowledge, track all billable time while creating transparency throughout the relationship.
We are focused on removing the bloat and complexity found in traditional PSA and business management solutions to make it simple to manage your professional services business.
Q: What need did you see that motivated you to build the SherpaDesk solution?
A: The main need was the ability to manage our customers and the business side of the company. We couldn’t find a solution out there that would allow us the flexibility in creating multiple rates plans across our customer base as well as keep track of our technician’s billable hours.
At the end of every month, we had to pour over spreadsheets to figure out what to invoice and what to pay our technicians. It became a huge pain point for us. Plus, we had no visibility into knowing how profitable some of our projects were. We needed something that was going to be flexible and adapt to our business model.
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Q: What sets SherpaDesk apart from its competitors?
A: SherpaDesk is unique in that it is targeting the smaller to mid-tier companies that need a complete solution to manage their business. Today, these organizations try to integrate a bunch of free or lightweight solutions to help run their business. However, it still falls short of a complete solution.
Take time as an example. Time needs to be allocated across the entire company. A technician’s hour needs to be added to a support ticket, updated to an account, added to a project and eventually calculated as a rate so that it can be invoiced. SherpaDesk solves these issues.
We don’t want businesses spending their time managing their multiple applications, but rather working with their customers. The variable rate calculations, ease of use in capturing time and just the simplicity of the software makes SherpaDesk a great solution for any professional service organization just getting started.
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Q: Tell me how SherpaDesk functionality makes a difference in a customer’s business?
A: We have a lot of essential features that provide immediate impact on a customer’s business. Our extensive email parser allows them to immediately and seamlessly convert support emails into trackable tickets. The parser allows for the technician to update a ticket, add time or send an invoice all over email replies.
This takes the existing process of using email as a communication platform and instantly turns it into a trackable, reportable and billable feature. Our mobile application gives technicians the ability to respond to issues, add time, enter in expenses and monitor projects while out in the field. This helps reduce lost billable time and helps improve response times. Moreover, our time and billing feature offers the flexibility to set up many different rate plans to accommodate different customer needs.
Q: You offer the first tech free to customers, why do that?
A: We look at the first tech-free as the best way to let a new company explore our solution without the friction of paying first. We want to continue to make it simple for businesses to self-signup, self-setup and self-support themselves. As the organization grows and adds on new technicians, then we have the ability to grow with them. Our cost per tech after that is just $39 per month.
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Q: What are your plans for the future – where do you want to take the software and your business?
A: We see SherpaDesk as being the core solution for professional service organizations to easily manage their business. We like to say that if you are a project-based organization or use time as your revenue driver then SherpaDesk can completely manage your business. All you need is email, SherpaDesk, and an accounting package like QuickBooks for FreshBooks.
We will continue to concentrate on the core areas of Customer Support, Project Management, and Time and Billing and make these as flexible to meet any organization’s needs, yet powerful enough to grow with the business. As we grow, we will look to integrate into more 3rd party solutions and marketplaces to expand SherpaDesk’s platform reach.
Just as Salesforce revolutionized the sales automation space for companies selling products, SherpaDesk is providing that same vision for professional services.
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