This is where it all comes together. A Strategy Overview Report is the deliverable you walk through with your client during a TSM. It combines an Executive Summary, an IT health Assessment, an IT Plan, and a Technology view into one place.
Your first Report doesn't need to be perfect. It needs to be good enough to sit down with a client and have a meaningful strategic conversation. You'll improve with every TSM you deliver.
Create the Report
Go to the Strategy Module in the left navigation
Find your client company in the list
Click the new file icon next to the company name to create a new Report
Select your template: the preloaded "Strategy Overview" template works for the vast majority of MSP clients
Set the date to your planned meeting date or the start of the current quarter
Assign the user (the vCIO doing the work)
Your Report is now open with several tabs and parts. Here's how to work through the key sections.
The Cover Page
Your Report template includes a Cover Page, and it's worth taking a few minutes to make it look great. This is the first thing your client sees when you open the Report or send them a PDF, so it sets the tone for the entire TSM.
The Cover Page uses template macros to automatically fill in the client's company name, the Report date, and the preparer's name. You design it once at the template level and it populates for every client.
To customize your Cover Page, go to Settings > Templates > [Your Template] > Parts, find the Cover Page part, and click the gear icon to open the editor. Add your logo, adjust the layout, and make sure it reflects your MSP's brand. If you've already uploaded your Company Logo in branding settings, you can pull it in using the available macros.
A clean Cover Page with your logo, the client's name, and the meeting date is all you need. Don't overthink it, but don't skip it either. First impressions matter, and a polished Cover Page tells your client you take this seriously.
The Executive Summary
The Executive Summary is a brief overview of the client's IT health and strategic direction. Think of it as what a CEO or CFO would read to get a snapshot without diving into the details.
Keep it short for your first Report. 2 to 4 sentences covering the overall state of their technology and any major priorities. You can always make it more detailed as you refine your process.
The Assessment
The Assessment is where you evaluate and grade different areas of your client's IT environment. Each item in the Assessment represents a topic you're evaluating, things like backup strategy, email security, endpoint management, server hosting, and more.
Use Foundational tags to get started
The Assessment template comes preloaded with many items, which can feel overwhelming at first. To focus on what matters, use the tag filter to show only items tagged as "1. Fundamentals". These are the core items that are valuable for most MSPs to assess with their clients.
Foundational items cover the essential areas of IT health, the things you'd want to discuss in any TSM regardless of client size or maturity. There are approximately 79 items tagged as Fundamentals.
As you get more comfortable, you can expand to items tagged "2. Operating" and "3. Scaling" which add more depth for more mature vCIO processes.
Filling out the Assessment
For each Assessment item, you can set:
Grade: your evaluation of how the client is doing on this item (healthy, needs attention, at risk, etc.)
Status: the current state (needs review, needs discussion, in progress, etc.)
Risk: the risk level if this item isn't addressed
Solution: your recommended approach
Tips for your first Assessment:
You don't need to fill out every item. Focus on the Fundamentals and leave the rest for later.
If you don't know the answer to something, set the status to "Needs Review" or "Needs Discussion", the TSM meeting itself is a great place to fill in gaps with your client.
Use Arya AI to help fill out the Assessment faster. Arya can analyze connected data and suggest grades, statuses, and solutions. It's not perfect, but it gives you a strong starting point to edit rather than starting from scratch.
Hide any items that don't apply to this client rather than deleting them, so they're available for future use.
The IT Plan
The IT Plan is one of the most important parts of your TSM. It lays out the strategic initiatives and projects you're recommending for the client, organized by timeline. A well-built IT Plan can carry an entire TSM conversation on its own.
Adding an IT Plan to your Report
If your Report doesn't already have a Plan part:
Click Settings at the top of the Report
Click Add Part
Set the Label to "IT Plan"
Set the Type to "Plan"
Choose an Icon (List works well)
Under Select Plan, click Add Plan to create a new one
Choose a plan template (the marketplace includes a ready-made IT Plan template that's also loaded into new accounts automatically), or start from scratch
Give access to the appropriate users
Building out your plan
Your IT Plan should lay out what needs to happen for this client and roughly when. Think about it from their perspective, what are the projects and initiatives that will improve their IT environment over the next year or two?
For each plan item, you can set:
Item name: a clear, client-friendly description of the project or initiative (e.g., "Server Migration," "Email Security Overhaul," "Laptop Refresh Program")
Status: where this item stands (Open, In Progress, Scheduled, Discussion Needed, Proposal Needed, Paused)
Year and Quarter: when you're targeting this work
Budget: estimated cost if known
Next Steps: what needs to happen next
Notes: additional details, scope, or context
Tips for your first IT Plan:
Bundle related work together. Instead of listing 5 separate email security tasks, create one item called "Email Security Overhaul" and use the notes field to list the scope (implement DMARC, set up security awareness training, etc.).
Organize items by quarter so the client can see a logical sequence of work.
You don't need exact budgets for everything. Even rough estimates help frame the conversation. Items without budgets will show as "Unscheduled" on the Roadmap.
Start with 5 to 10 items for a first TSM. You can add more as you learn more about the client's needs.
Technology
The Technology part of your Report shows your client's assets with lifecycle and health data. If you connected your PSA, this is populated automatically from the Configurations that synced.
For your first Report, keep it simple:
Set filters to show Active items only
Group by Type so workstations, servers, and network devices are organized
Review and spot any obvious aging or at-risk assets
You don't need to grade every asset or customize columns for your first TSM. The value here is showing clients a clear view of what they have and what's aging out. You can refine columns and add more detail over time.
The Roadmap and Budget
The Roadmap part pulls from your Assessment items and plan items to show a projected timeline and Budget. If you've filled in Budgets and year/quarter targets on your plan items and Assessment items, the Roadmap will build itself.
For your first Report, the Roadmap is optional. If you have budget estimates in your plan, it will show something useful. If you don't have budget numbers yet, you can skip the Roadmap for now and focus on the Executive Summary, Assessment, IT Plan, and Technology. You can always add the Roadmap once you have more financial data.
Review your Report
Before moving on, do a quick review:
Switch to Present Mode: this is the clean, client-facing view. Click the Display toggle at the top of the Report to see what your client will see.
Check that key parts are visible: make sure the Executive Summary, Assessment, IT Plan, and Technology parts are all enabled and showing content.
Review for obvious gaps: are there Assessment items still set to "Needs Review" that you should address? Any plan items missing a timeline?
Your Report is ready to build on. You don't need it to be perfect, you just need enough to have a good conversation with your client.