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Strategy Overview - Template
Strategy Overview - Template
Updated this week

This is the main template to use for your clients. This has 100+ points and includes some vertical market specific items.
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Template Overview

  • Strategy Overview Template
    The Strategy Overview template is what started it all and why the app is called "Strategy Overview". This is the method our MSP developed to analyze a total client's technology strategy and stack.
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  • Use for Managed Clients or Paid Assessments
    Use this template for every managed client, for prospects who buy paid assessments or use the "New Client" tag filter to do simple assessments on new clients.
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  • Use the Template
    The best practice is to not spend a lot of time in excel or trying to recreate the wheel with the template. We spent 100s of hours on this template and it has been used since 2009 to do thousands of assessments by thousands of MSPs across the world. Every item on that list is something that our MSP dealt with and caused us to add it. You can always edit things on the fly over time in the software.
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  • Use and Evolve One Template
    We recommend only having one type of template in the system and just making edits to it and not making new versions. You can customize templates for different clients with Tags. You can make different templates for different unique purposes. Examples of other templates you can make are:

    • EOS/Company goals strategic planning template

    • Security assessment template if you sell the assessment as a separate service.

    • Specific compliance templates if you sell the assessment as a separate service (HIPAA, GDPR, etc)
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Edit the Template

There are 3 ways to edit the template:
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  1. Individual Items
    Manually edit template items on a report by clicking the pencil icon on an item.
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  2. Online Editor
    Edit all items under Settings>Templates>Selected Template>Parts>Assessment
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  3. Excel Editor
    You can edit the template by exporting it into excel under Settings>Templates>Selected Template>Parts>Assessment and then importing it back in. Please read excel logic next.

Excel Template Logic

  1. Semicolon for Options
    Use the semicolon to identify different options under Status, Risk, Solution and Budget. (Ideally limit options to around 10 max)
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  2. Default Options
    Use * to set items as default
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  3. Keep Columns Exact
    You have to keep the columns exact and not add any into Excel or the upload will fail.
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  4. Edit Columns
    You can edit columns to use in the excel export/import under Templates>Selected Template>Parts>Assessment>Columns
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  5. Default Grade Options
    For the default grade options please use the exact grade name. (Example: Question, Healthy, etc)
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  6. Markets to Show Group For
    For "Markets to show group for" column, you can either pick "All" or a specific vertical market. Whatever markets you put in there must match to your markets in Settings.
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  7. Importing will Overwrite or Inject
    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.
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Latest Version

To download our latest version of the Strategy Overview Template please click here
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Download: Strategy Overview Template


Template Changelog

Please note the following:

  • The items in this template do not receive frequent updates because items in this template have been refined since we started doing IT assessments at scale in 2009. Today this template structure has been used on many thousand assessments worldwide.

  • This template is always a work in progress and things may not always fit everyone. We encourage you refine it and update it for your style assessments in your systems
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3.1 - 8/24/2023

Many primarily focused on moving items under collaboration and security, added health weights, adding tags and adding multiple other items.

  • Health Weights
    We launched an ability to add a health weight to each item for more accurate health scoring. All items have been updated to new health weights.
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  • Lots of Tag changes
    We refined the tag strategy and now break items up by these tags:

    • Basic - Just basic clients.

    • Foundational - Critical for the healthy foundation of any client.

    • RMM - Found in RMM

    • Documentation - Found in documentation.

    • Onsite - Found during onsite inspection

    • Security - Related to cybersecurity

    • Efficiency - Related to overall company efficiency

    • New Client - Important to identify during new client interviews

    • Business Continuity - Related to anything that can affect business dealing with a disaster

    • Growth - Items that are associated with companies that want efficient growth

    • Client Conversation - Items that are usually only understood during a client conversation
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  • Lots of Status changes
    Please do not import this template if you have customized your statuses, risks, solutions. Just look at items for inspirations.
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  • Backup, Disaster Recovery and Permission Strategy moved
    Moved "Backup", "Disaster Recovery" and "Permission Strategy" has been moved under the "Security" group. We recommend moving these items there in the UI assessment template settings and not in excel. If you move the item in the UI the item should carry over into new reports because the item IDs are linked.
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  • Cloud Server Hosting
    Added this item because many companies have a traditional Server Host and a Cloud Server Host at the same time.
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  • Phone system & Headsets
    Moved to collaboration
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  • HR Software
    Added under software
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  • Customer Portal Software
    Added under software
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  • Planning software
    Added under software
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  • Vendor Management Software
    Added under software
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  • Spam filter
    Moved under security and renamed to Email Protection
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  • Website SSL
    Added under web
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  • DMARC/DKIM/SPF Protection

    Added under security
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  • MFA split into many items

    • MFA for Office 365 users

    • MFA for Office 365 Service Accounts

    • MFA for Office 365 Tenant

    • MFA for other critical apps

    • MFA not through SMS

    • MFA for Endpoints

  • Office 365 Conditional Access for Endpoints

    Added under security
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  • IT Changes Approval Process

    Added under strategies
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  • RPO and RTO
    Added under security
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  • Estimating Software
    Added under construction
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  • Project pictures app
    Added under construction
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  • Fleet Maintenance tracking
    Added under construction
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  • All servers backed up

    Added under Security


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3.0 - 2/1/2021

  • IT Partner Payment History
    Added to the Strategies group to have conversations with clients that have bad payment and AR practices with their MSPs

  • Website Photography
    Added to the Website group because websites with real photography and nice team portraits make companies more successful.

  • Security Operations Center (SOC)
    Added to the security group for clients that need a SOC for compliance

  • Penetration Tests
    Added to the security group for clients that are mandated to have penetration testing.

  • Password Policy
    Removed password policy under policies because this group was primarily around client policies. Added Password Policy under security to make sure complex passwords are enforced.

  • Remote Desktop Gateway
    Added Remote Desktop Gateway under security for clients that are running RDS and RDP without a gateway with MFA which is a massive risk.

  • Home Office Setups
    Added to the network group because during the pandemic companies with proper home setups that mirror their office can perform better.

  • Tags on many items
    Added numerous tags on many items

  • Mobile Device Management
    Added to the network group for companies that have fleets of iphones and ipads.

  • Single Sign On (SSO)
    Added SSO under security for clients that can benefit and security requirements for true SSO.

  • Backup and Disaster Recovery Testing
    Added to the security group because its not enough to think you have backups, you need to have a regular testing process.

  • Incident Response Protocol
    Added to the security group because every MSP should have one written and documented

  • Social Media Strategy
    Added to the web group for companies that might benefit from it.

  • Business Continuity Plan
    Added to security for companies that need a more comprehensive business continuity plan

2.4 - 8/28/2018

  • Added "Needs discussion" and "Needs review" to every status

  • Moved "Password Manager" below "Knowledge Base Software"

  • Updated solution for Password Management as "Implement MyGlue"

  • Updated solution for Hiring Software - "Applicant Stack" and "Fountain"

  • Updated status for GDPR - "Not applicable"

  • Under Construction, renamed "Estimating Software" to "Takeoff Software" (You will manually have to delete "Estimating Software" if you did an import onto a template. Or you can just change it in the web template editor)

  • Added "Application Control" item under "Security"

  • Renamed "Knowledgebase" into "Knowledge Base Software" (If you import the template on top of a template it will duplicate because the name is different)

  • Added Status and Solutions under "Knowledgebase" - "Zendesk" "Sharepoint" "Intercom"

  • Added "Support Software" under software group

  • Added "SentinelOne" Status and Solution under "Antivirus"

  • Added Status under "Web Hosting" - "AWS Managed by Pronto Marketing"

  • Changed "Web Management Vendor" to "Website Management Partner"

  • Added Solution under "Web Management Partner" - "Setup relationship with Pronto Marketing"

  • Added item under "Secondary Internet" to "Internet Failover Configured"

  • Added item "Scanners" under "Printers" item

  • Added "Conference Room Software" item under "Digital Conference Room"

  • Added "Forms Software" under software group

  • Removed "Business Forms" from "Strategies"

  • Added "eSignature Software" under software group

  • Added "Marketing Automation Software" under software group

  • Change "Integration Strategy" into "Integration Software" and added new statuses and solutions 

  • Added "File Share Software" under software group

  • Added "Quoting & Proposal Software" under software group

  • Added "Company Contacts" under collaboration group

  • Added "Payment Processing Software" under software

  • Updated "Windows Server 2008" to "Windows Server 2008 - End of life"

2.3 - 3/21/2018

  • Updated all Item entries with proper capitalization and renamed certain Items

  • Added "Wire Transfer Protocol" under Security/Compliance

  • Added "GPDR Compliance" under Security/Compliance

  • Added "Multi-Factor Authentication" under Strategies

  • Added "Dark Web Research" under Security/Compliance

  • Added "Database Server" under Servers

  • Added "Primary Contact" under Strategies

  • Added "Business Forms" under Strategies

  • Added "Equipment Tracking Software" under Construction-Specific

  • Added a Non-Profit Specific Group

  • Added "Donor Tracking Software" under Non-Profit Specific

  • Added "Volunteer Tracking Software" under Non-Profit Specific

  • Added "Member Tracking Software" under Non-Profit Specific

  • Added "Entity Governance" under Non-Profit Specific

  • Added "Email Marketing Software" under Non-Profit Specific

  • Added "Social Media Strategy" under Non-Profit Specific

  • Added a Financial Specific Group

  • Added "PCI Compliance" under Financial Specific

  • Added "Regulatory Compliance" under Financial Specific

  • Added "Contractual Compliance" under Financial Specific

  • Added "Log File Retention" under Financial Specific

  • Added "Log File Review" under Financial Specific

  • Added "Breach Protocol" under Financial Specific

  • Added "Business Continuity Plan" under Financial Specific

  • Added a Professional Services Specific Group

  • Added "Professional Services Automation Software" under Professional Services Specific

  • Added "Project Management Software" under Professional Services Specific

  • Added a Retail Specific Group

  • Added "PCI Compliance" under Retail Specific

  • Added "POS Software" under Retail Specific

  • Added "Main Wireless Network" under Retail Specific

  • Added "Guest Wireless Network" under Retail Specific

  • Updated items under "Business Intelligence"

  • Updated items under "Power Monitoring"


2.2 - 1/1/2018

  • Added "Mileage tracking software" under Software

  • Added "Security Training" under Security/Compliance

  • Updated items under "Spam filter"

  • Updated items under "SAN"

  • Updated items under "Cabling"

  • Updated items under "Domain"

  • Updated items under "CRM"

  • Updated items under "Power monitoring"

  • Updated items under "Web Filtering"

2.1 - 12/20/2017

  • Added 'To be decided' to each Budget category

2.0 - 12/10/2017

  • Added "Manufacturing Specific" category

  • Added "Permission strategy" under Server

  • Added "Team onboarding software" under Software

  • Added "Team engagement software" under Software

  • Added "Team objectives software" under Software

  • Edited File Server, App Server and Print Server Statuses to remove erroneous RDS references

  • Removed "Install AOL" from Internet Solutions

1.9 - 12/05/2017

  • Fixed SAN status and solutions

  • Updated solution for cabling

  • Added cisco spark under chat status and solution

  • Changed battery backup solution

1.8 - 12/01/2017

1.7 - 11/15/2017

  • Fixed solutions for Backup and Disaster recovery. Set both to: "Install Datto backup system; Install cloud backup and disaster recovery system"

1.6 - 11/1/2017

  • Renamed Communication to Collaboration

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