Strategy Overview helps MSPs build and scale a mature vCIO process. A consistent, well-run vCIO practice is one of the highest-impact investments an MSP can make, and the benefits go well beyond the meeting itself:
Stack standardization. A standardized stack is easier for your engineers to support, more efficient to sell and procure, simpler to monitor centrally, and gives your clients a far more stable IT experience.
Project engine. A consistent vCIO process becomes a project engine that generates valuable projects to reduce outage and security risks and enhances your client operations with technology.
Client success. Clients that execute on digital transformation consistently grow faster, have smoother operations, have happier teams, serve their clients better, and achieve bigger profits.
Attract mature clients. A proactive, consistent vCIO process and a clean client-facing experience will help you attract better clients and retain your overall client base.
Efficient client leadership. A mature vCIO process using Strategy Overview will dramatically reduce the time your vCIOs spend preparing for meetings and providing client leadership.
Strategy Overview was built to support all of this. The platform pulls data from your PSA, documentation tools, and Office 365, then brings it all together into strategic Reports you can walk through with your clients. Instead of spending hours gathering information, you spend your time where it matters: having meaningful conversations with clients about their business and technology direction.
A note on terminology:
We use the term Technology Strategy Meeting (TSM) instead of QBR. Not every strategic meeting needs to happen quarterly. Some clients benefit from monthly check-ins, others from semi-annual deep dives. TSM better describes what these meetings actually are: structured conversations about your client's technology strategy. If your team uses a different term (QBR, TBR, strategic review), the process and tools are the same. Think of TSM as a placeholder for whatever works for your MSP.
This video recaps the setup process. You can watch it and then follow along.
Your goal: deliver your first TSM
Everything in this article gets you to one outcome: a Report built and ready to present to a client. Here's the path:
Connect your data so client information flows into the platform (or add it manually)
Add your first client and confirm their data looks right
Build your first Report: covered in the next article, Create Your First Report
You don't need to turn on every integration, customize every column, or perfect your template before you get started. Start simple, deliver your first TSM, and refine from there.
Get onboarding help
We strongly recommend scheduling an onboarding session to walk through your setup with our team. It's the fastest way to get up and running, and you'll avoid common missteps that slow people down.
1-on-1 Onboarding is available for Starter subscribers and above. Schedule your onboarding session here.
vCIO Mastery Training is available for Emerging subscribers and above. This is a 12-session program that covers Strategy Overview implementation, building a vCIO team, delivering elite TSMs, and scaling your process. Learn more and enroll here.
Tip: Even if you plan to schedule an onboarding session, connect your integrations (or add a client manually) beforehand. That way you can use the session time to ask questions and get strategic guidance instead of watching setup steps.
Where things are in the platform
A quick orientation to the main areas you'll work in:
Strategy Module is your main workspace where you create and manage Reports for each client. You'll spend most of your time here.
Plan Module is where you build IT Plans and strategic initiatives for your clients. Plans get added as parts of your TSM Reports.
Technology Module shows all client technology data (assets, Configurations, and flexible items) synced from your PSA and documentation tools.
Companies Module is where you manage your client list, company details, and contacts.
Schedule Module lets you track your TSM cadence and target meeting frequency for each client.
You'll also find Settings in the left navigation. That's where you'll configure integrations, branding, templates, and user access.
What you'll need before you start
Have these ready before you begin setup:
Integration credentials (if applicable). If you're connecting a PSA, you'll need admin or API-level credentials. If you're connecting IT Glue or another data source, you'll need API access to those tools. If you're starting without integrations, you can skip this.
One client to start with: pick a client you know well and use them for your first TSM
About 30 to 60 minutes: that's enough time to connect your data, add a client, and start building your first Report
On a free trial? You can explore the full platform and build Reports using manual data entry. Connecting PSA and data integrations requires the Backer plan or above. If you'd like to test with integrations during your trial, reach out to our team about a trial code.
Connect your data
Strategy Overview's Technology Module is where all of your client technology data lives. This data feeds into the Technology section of your TSM Reports and gives you the foundation for strategic conversations with clients.
There are three ways to get data into the platform. Choose the path that fits your toolset:
Connect a PSA (most common). If you use ConnectWise Manage, Autotask, HaloPSA, Kaseya BMS, Syncro, or ServiceNow, a PSA integration is the fastest way to get started. It syncs your client companies, contacts, and Configurations automatically.
Connect a Data Integration. If you don't have a supported PSA (or prefer to pull technology data from a documentation tool), you can connect IT Glue directly. It syncs Configurations, flexible assets, domains, and other technology data into the Technology Module. You'll add companies manually, but your technology data flows in automatically.
Start with manual entry. You can use Strategy Overview without any integrations. Add companies by hand through the Companies Module and enter technology data manually. This works well for trials, evaluations, or MSPs that want to explore the platform before connecting tools.
You can also combine approaches. For example, connect your PSA for companies and contacts, then add IT Glue for richer documentation data. Or start manual and connect integrations later.
Before you connect: start small with Configurations
This applies to every integration, not just PSAs. Whether you're connecting ConnectWise, IT Glue, or any other source, the same rule holds.
Your tools probably track dozens of Configuration types: workstations, servers, printers, phones, monitors, software licenses, warranties, and more. Strategy Overview imports these as Flexible Items in the Technology Module, and they feed into your TSM Reports.
Do not enable every Configuration type. If you import everything at once, you'll end up with hundreds or thousands of items per client and spend days organizing data before you've ever delivered a TSM. That's the number one way new users stall out.
For your first TSM, you only need a few Configuration types, typically workstations, servers, and network devices. These give you enough to build a meaningful Technology section. You can always enable more Configuration types later once you've been through the process and know exactly what data you want to present to clients.
When you get to the Configuration settings in any integration setup, be selective. Less is more.
Path A: Connect a PSA
A PSA integration is the most complete starting point because it brings in companies, contacts, and Configurations all at once. Your PSA becomes the source of truth for company information, and changes you make there sync into Strategy Overview.
Go to Settings > Integrations in Strategy Overview
Select your PSA from the list
Enter your API credentials (you'll need admin or API-level access in your PSA. If you're not the PSA admin, ask them to generate API credentials for you)
Choose which companies to sync. Your full client list is fine here, or start with a subset if you prefer
Choose which Configuration types to enable. Start with just workstations, servers, and network devices
Each PSA has its own setup steps for generating API credentials and configuring the connection. See the detailed guide for your PSA:
Tip: When following your PSA's setup guide, remember the rule above. Be selective with Configuration types. The guides show you how to enable them, but that doesn't mean you should enable them all right away.
What your PSA sync brings in:
Companies: your client list with names, types, markets, and statuses
Contacts: client contacts associated with each company
Configurations: devices and assets you enabled (these appear as Flexible Items in the Technology Module)
Company Types, Markets, and Statuses: these map between your PSA and Strategy Overview so your data stays consistent
Note: If you're using ConnectWise Manage, ticket syncing is also available. Other PSA ticket integrations are coming soon.
Path B: Connect a Data Integration
If you don't have a supported PSA, or if you want to pull technology data from a documentation tool, you can connect a Data Integration as your primary source. Data Integrations feed the Technology Module directly with Configurations, assets, and documentation data.
IT Glue: syncs Configurations, flexible assets, domains, and SSL certificates. Setup guide.
Unlike a PSA, a Data Integration won't create companies for you. You'll add companies manually through the Companies Module (see "Add your first client" below). Once a company exists in Strategy Overview, the integration maps technology data to it automatically — just like a PSA does. If a company name doesn't match between systems, you may need to adjust the mapping under Settings > Integrations > [Your Data Integration].
Path C: Start with manual entry
You can use Strategy Overview without any integrations. Add companies through the Companies Module and enter technology data by hand. This is a good option if you're on a trial plan, if your PSA isn't on the supported list, or if you want to explore the platform before committing to an integration.
To add a company manually, go to the Companies Module and click Add Company. You can also import companies from a spreadsheet using the Excel import option.
Additional integrations
Regardless of which path you chose above, you can connect these additional data sources to enrich your TSM data. These aren't required for your first TSM, but they add value over time:
Office 365: syncs license data, MFA status, and associates licenses with contacts. Setup guide.
Warranty Service: enriches your asset data with warranty expiration dates, purchase dates, and manufacturer information. Setup guide.
Tip: If you're connecting both a PSA and IT Glue, you may have overlapping data (like workstation Configurations in both). Pick one as your source of truth for each data type. Your PSA is usually better for physical assets with warranty and lifecycle data. IT Glue is usually better for logical documentation like domains, SSL certificates, and software licenses.
Verify your data is flowing
After connecting any integration, verify that data is showing up:
Go to the Companies Module and confirm your companies appear (PSA users) or add a company manually (Data Integration or manual users)
Visit the Technology Module and confirm that the Configuration types you enabled are showing up as Flexible Items
If you connected a PSA, open a company and check that contacts are populated
If Configurations aren't showing up, check your integration settings under Settings > Integrations > [Your Integration] > Configurations to make sure the types you want are enabled.
For PSA sync timing details, see Sync Regularity Rules for PSA Integrations.
Add your first client and review their data
Pick a client you know well, ideally one you already have a strong relationship with and a good feel for their IT environment. You'll use this client to build your first Report, so familiarity makes the process faster.
If you connected a PSA, that client's company should already be in your Companies Module. If they aren't showing yet, go to Settings > Integrations > [Your PSA] > Companies and make sure they're selected for sync.
If you're using a Data Integration or manual entry, add the company now:
Go to the Companies Module
Click Add Company
Fill in the required fields: company name, type, market, primary market, and status
Add their primary site information (address, time zone)
You can also bulk import companies from a spreadsheet using the Excel Import option in the Companies Module.
Review your client's data
Open your client's company and take a quick look at what's there. You're not trying to clean or organize everything right now, just confirm that data is available.
Check the company profile: Open the company from the Companies Module. You should see their basic information, including company name, type, market, and contacts (if you connected a PSA, contacts sync automatically; otherwise you can add them manually).
Check their technology data: Go to the Technology Module and find your client. If you connected any integrations, you should see Configurations showing up as Flexible Items. These are the technology assets that will feed into the Technology section of your TSM Report. If you're working without integrations, this section will be empty until you add data manually.
If the list feels overwhelming, that's normal. Strategy Overview calls all synced technology data "Flexible Items" regardless of where it came from: your PSA, IT Glue, or other sources.
Don't worry about organizing or filtering this data yet. You don't need to grade every asset, clean up every Configuration, or customize columns to deliver your first TSM. You'll refine your technology data over time as you get more comfortable with the platform.
What if data isn't showing up?
If your company appears but Configurations don't, check these things:
Integration settings: Go to Settings > Integrations > [Your Integration] > Configurations and confirm the Configuration types you want are enabled
Sync timing: Initial syncs can take a few minutes to several hours depending on the volume of data. See Sync Regularity Rules for details
Company mapping: Make sure the company name matches between your integration and Strategy Overview. Mapping happens automatically when names match, but if the names differ you may need to adjust the mapping under Settings > Integrations > [Your Integration]
A note on "less is more"
It's tempting to start turning on every data source, importing every Configuration type, and trying to get everything perfect before moving forward. Resist that urge.
The most common mistake new users make is spending days organizing data and customizing columns before they've ever built a Report. You can deliver an excellent first TSM with basic data. You'll get a much better sense of what you actually want from the technology data after you've been through the TSM process once.
Start with what you have. Refine later.