The Technology Module (also called Flexible Items) is the hub for all client technology and asset lifecycle planning in Strategy Overview. This is where your client's workstations, servers, network devices, software, and any other assets live, whether synced from your PSA, RMM (through your PSA), or documentation tools like IT Glue. Your team uses this module to grade assets, budget for replacements, track lifecycle data, and relate real technology information to your Assessments. It's also one of the most valuable things you can share with clients through the portal, giving them direct visibility into the technology your MSP is managing for them.
How technology data gets into Strategy Overview
Technology data flows in through integrations. Your PSA syncs Configurations (devices and assets), IT Glue syncs Configurations, Flexible Assets, Domains, and SSL Certificates. RMM data flows through your PSA, not directly into Strategy Overview.
This article focuses on how to organize and use your technology data once it's in the platform. Integration setup is covered separately in the Integrations collection.
Flexible Items and Flexible Item Groups
All technology data in Strategy Overview is organized as Flexible Items within Flexible Item Groups. A Flexible Item Group is a category like "Workstations," "Servers," or "Network Devices." Each Group contains the individual Items (the actual devices or assets) that belong to that category.
Your integration maps its data types to Flexible Item Groups automatically. For example, your PSA's "Workstation" Configuration type might map to a "Workstations" Flexible Item Group in Strategy Overview.
Organizing your Groups
Here are six core Groups that work well as a starting point:
User Technology — Workstations, laptops, mobile devices
Infrastructure — Servers, storage systems, ISP connections, file shares
Network — Firewalls, switches, wireless access points, network devices
Software & Licenses — Software licenses, SaaS subscriptions, LOB applications
Security — SSL certificates, backup appliances, antivirus, EDR
Web — Domain registrations, website hosting
You can organize however makes sense for your MSP. Some items could fit in more than one Group (is a firewall Network or Security?), so pick what works for your team and be consistent.
The key principle is less is more. Start with the data your vCIOs actually need for client conversations (workstations, servers, and network devices are usually the essentials) and add more over time. Too much data creates noise and makes it harder to find what matters.
If you want to remove a technology type you no longer need, you can delete it directly from the Edit Groups screen by clicking the trash icon next to the Item type. This removes it from the Technology Module and disconnects it from the integration source at the same time, so you don't have to go back into your integration settings to clean it up separately.
Color coding
Each Flexible Item Group can be assigned a unique color. This is a small thing that makes a big difference, especially when clients are looking at the portal or when you're presenting during a TSM. Using a distinct color for each Group (e.g., blue for User Technology, green for Network, red for Security) makes it easy to visually distinguish between asset categories at a glance.
Customizing columns
Each Flexible Item Group has its own set of columns that you can customize:
Show or hide columns to display only the data that's relevant for that Group
Reorder columns by dragging them into the order that makes sense
Rename column labels so they're clear to your team and clients (the SO Label field)
Set visibility per mode so columns appear in Build, Display, or Presentation Mode as needed
Column customization happens at the Flexible Item Group level, not at the template level. When you configure columns for a Group like "Workstations," those column settings apply everywhere that Group appears, across all companies and Reports. This means you set it up once and it stays consistent.
Special column types
Strategy Overview includes a few special column types that clean up and enhance common asset data:
Age — Automatically calculates how old an asset is based on a date column. To use it, you need to map a Purchase Date field in your integration's Configuration Field Settings so there's a date value for the Age column to calculate from. The Age column updates in real time and is sortable and filterable, making it useful for lifecycle management, budget planning, warranty tracking, and compliance. If the source date field is empty for a particular Item, the Age column will also be empty.
SmartMemory — Provides a cleaned-up display of RAM information. PSA data often stores memory values in inconsistent formats, and SmartMemory normalizes this into a clear, readable value for your team and clients.
SmartOS — Provides a cleaned-up display of Operating System information. Like SmartMemory, it takes the raw OS data from your integration and presents it in a consistent, client-friendly format.
For best results, use these special column types instead of raw data fields for Age, RAM, and Operating System whenever they're available.
Grading and budgeting
Technology Items can be graded and budgeted directly. When working inside a Report, your vCIOs can assign grades to individual Items (reflecting their condition or compliance status) and set budget values for replacements or upgrades. This is where the real lifecycle planning happens. Instead of guessing at what needs to be replaced, your team is working from actual asset data with ages, warranty dates, and current condition all visible in the same view.
Budget values on Technology Items feed into Flexible Budget and Flexible Roadmap Parts, so your replacement timelines and cost projections are built from real data rather than estimates.
Relating Technology to Assessment Items
One of the most valuable features of the Technology Module is the ability to relate Flexible Item Groups to Assessment Items. When you set up a Related Item connection, your vCIOs can see the relevant technology data right alongside the Assessment Item they're evaluating. For example, when grading "Workstation Age," the related Workstations Flexible Item Group shows the actual device data so the grade is backed by real information.
Related Items also feed context to Arya AI, helping it generate more informed insights.
Adding Technology to Reports
Technology data appears in Reports through Flexible Item Parts. You can add a Flexible Item Part at the template level (so it appears in all Reports) or add one to a specific Report. You can also connect Technology data to Flexible Roadmap and Flexible Budget Parts for integrated lifecycle and budget planning.
A note on Settings > Configurations
The Settings > Configurations section (including Configuration Classes) is currently deprecated and will be replaced in a future update. You can disregard this section for now.