How Strategy Templates Work
Strategy templates define the complete structure of client reports. When you create a report for a client, that report is an instance of your strategy template.
How template updates work - Different types of changes flow to reports differently:
Assessment items update automatically: Changes to assessment items (adding items, editing options, changing risks or solutions, modifying tags) automatically update all client reports, including existing drafts. This is one of the main benefits of Strategy Overview - refine your assessment methodology once and every client report reflects those improvements.
Structural changes update with control: Changes to report structure (which modules to include, column layouts, dashboard configurations) apply to new reports automatically. For existing draft reports, you can manually push these structural updates when ready.
Text customizations stay local: Changes to template text (executive summary content, cover page text) don't overwrite customized text in existing client reports. This protects the custom content you've written for specific clients.
This approach ensures your assessment methodology stays consistent across all clients while giving you control over when structural changes apply and protecting client-specific customizations.
Strategy Overview Template
The Strategy Overview template is the primary pre-built template in the platform. It includes 100+ assessment points covering infrastructure, security, software, collaboration tools, and vertical-specific items.
What It's For
This template provides a comprehensive framework for evaluating client technology environments. It covers the technology elements that typically impact business operations, security posture, and strategic planning. The template has been refined since 2009 and used for thousands of assessments worldwide by MSPs of all sizes.
Use the Strategy Overview template to:
Conduct quarterly business reviews with managed clients
Perform paid technology assessments for prospects
Evaluate new client environments during onboarding
Create consistent strategic planning conversations across your client base
Why One Template Works Best
We recommend maintaining a single primary template rather than creating multiple versions. Here's why:
Consistency across clients: Your team follows the same assessment methodology regardless of client size or industry. This creates predictable processes and reduces training complexity.
Easier updates: Changes to your assessment methodology only need to happen once. When you refine an item or add new technology categories, every client benefits immediately.
Comparable data: Health scores and technology maturity comparisons work across your entire client base when everyone uses the same assessment framework.
Less maintenance: Multiple templates create version control problems and duplicate effort when making improvements.
Using Tags to Customize
Not every item applies to every client. Tags let you show or hide specific assessment items based on client characteristics without creating separate templates.
The template includes tags for:
Basic - Standard items for all clients
Foundational - Critical infrastructure items
RMM - Items tracked in RMM tools
Documentation - Items found in documentation platforms
Onsite - Items requiring physical inspection
Security - Cybersecurity-related items
New Client - Key discovery items for new relationships
Business Continuity - Disaster recovery items
Growth - Items for scaling organizations
And more
Filter by tags during assessments to focus on what matters for each specific client or review type. This lets you run a comprehensive 100+ item assessment for mature clients or a focused 30-item assessment for new clients, all from the same template.
How Unanswered Items Work
You don't need to answer every question on every assessment. Unanswered items don't negatively impact health scoring and can be hidden from reports and client views.
This means you can:
Skip or hide items that don't apply to a specific client's technology stack
Leave items unanswered until you gather the necessary information
Focus on the most relevant areas during each review cycle
Build out comprehensive assessments over time rather than all at once
Items marked as "Hidden" or left unanswered won't appear in client-facing reports or dashboards. This keeps your strategic reviews focused on actionable technology decisions rather than irrelevant checklist items.
Best Practices
Start with the provided template: Don't spend time rebuilding the template from scratch. Every item represents a technology issue that has impacted real MSP clients.
Customize over time: Make adjustments as you use the template rather than trying to perfect it before your first assessment.
Use tags strategically: Create filtered views for different client types or review scenarios instead of creating new templates.
Focus on what matters: Answer the items relevant to each client and hide the rest. Comprehensive coverage is available when you need it.
Latest Version: Follow the Marketplace guide to download the latest version of the Strategy Overview template.
Technology Checkup Template (Legacy)
The Technology Checkup template contains 70+ items for manual infrastructure reviews. Network administrators use this template to inspect elements that automated monitoring tools cannot track.
Note: Most MSPs are moving these manual inspection steps into automation and centralized services teams. We don't generally recommend using this template, but it remains available for specific use cases.
When to use it: Consider this template as supplemental to your core strategic template, and only when conducting hands-on technical audits that require physical inspection or manual verification that cannot be automated.
Latest Version: Follow the Marketplace guide to download the latest version of the Technology Checkup template.
Customizing Strategy Templates
Strategy templates can be customized to match your methodology. There are three ways to edit template content:
1) Individual Items
Edit individual assessment items while directly in a client's report by clicking the Gear ⚙️ icon next to any item. This is a great way to make small, iterative adjustments to your template every time you fill out a report!
2) Online Editor
Access the full template editor at Settings > Templates > [Selected Template] > Parts > Assessment. This interface allows you to modify all template content without leaving the platform.
3) Excel Editor
Export templates to Excel for bulk editing, then import them back into the system.
To use Excel editing:
Navigate to Settings > Templates > [Selected Template] > Parts > Assessment
Export the template to Excel
Make your changes following the guidelines below
Import the updated file
Excel editing guidelines:
Column structure: Keep all columns exactly as exported. Adding or removing columns will cause import failures.
Semicolons for options: Use semicolons to separate different options under Status, Risk, Solution, and Budget. Limit options to around 10 maximum per field.
Default options: Use an asterisk (*) to set items as default.
Keep columns exact: You must keep the columns exact and not add any into Excel or the upload will fail.
Edit available columns: You can edit which columns to use in the Excel export/import under Templates > [Selected Template] > Parts > Assessment > Columns.
Default grade options: Use the exact grade name (example: Question, Healthy, etc.).
Markets to show group for: In this column, you can either pick "All" or a specific vertical market. Whatever markets you put in there must match your markets in Settings.
Importing behavior: You can import a template on top of a template. Any new Groups or Items will be added. Existing Items or Options will not be touched.