From Frustration to Freedom: RIA WorkSpace’s Proactive IT Solutions for a Growing RIA

Before: Problems with their previous MSP

This RIA was working with a managed IT services provider (MSP) who did not specialize in RIAs.  As a result, the RIA was treated like every other “small” client and no additional security measures were taken to protect the firms data. 

Poor Customer Service Experience with Previous MSP:

• The RIA experienced poor customer service with their previous MSP, including unresponsive teams and persistent issues.
• Limited support and inefficient issue resolution resulted in employee frustration and dissatisfaction.

Time-Consuming Tech Support Management:

• The Director of Operations was practically acting as an in-house IT person, troubleshooting issues due to a lack of confidence in their previous MSP.
• Desired an IT team to free up her time for strategic and operational responsibilities.

Inconsistent Support Team and Lack of Visibility:

• Their previous MSP didn’t provide an assigned team, leading to frustration and inefficiencies when the technician didn’t understand their unique needs or past issues.
• Difficulty tracking open tickets for various employees, critical due to the number of remote workers.

Disorganized and Inefficient IT:

• Microsoft licensing was chaotic and inconsistent.
• They were using OneDrive which didn’t serve their needs and wasn’t managed effectively. Their MSP didn’t recommend alternatives like SharePoint.
• They wanted a streamlined solution for licensing management and a well-organized file management solution like SharePoint.

Missing Single Sign-On (SSO):

• They wanted SSO to enhance security and simplify employee access to systems and applications.
• Their previous MSP didn’t offer this essential feature.

Lack of Confidence in Security and Compliance:

• The RIA needed a comprehensive solution for employee onboarding and offboarding to minimize security risks.
• Lack of clarity on SEC IT requirements and concerns about remote employee security.

After: RIA WorkSpace’s assigned team streamlines and simplifies their IT

Improved Customer Service and Responsiveness

• Employees could now rely on a quick resolution of any issues by the RIA WorkSpace team, freeing the Director of Operations from IT-related tasks.
• RIA WorkSpace provided an assigned team that includes a Technical Account Manager, Primary Support Engineer, IT Manager, and a Helpdesk. This approach led to a significant improvement in customer service, addressing issues promptly and efficiently.
• A client portal was introduced for streamlined communication and easy issue tracking.

Microsoft Licensing, SharePoint, and Single-Sign-On:

• RIA WorkSpace took charge of Microsoft licensing, ensuring accuracy and compliance.
• Migrated to SharePoint for a well-organized and efficient document management system.
• Single-Sign-On (SSO) is standard with RIA WorkSpace packages and was implemented during onboarding.  This enhanced their security and simplifying user access.

Improved Security and IT Compliance:

• RIA WorkSpace streamlined the onboarding and offboarding processes, tying them to Microsoft accounts for swift adjustments.
• In-depth knowledge of SEC IT requirements ensured compliance.
• Features like file, email, and Teams archiving, email encryption, data loss prevention, and advanced threat protection for email were all introduced as part of the standard RIA WorkSpace platform.

A look at their IT support today

RIA WorkSpace uses Smileback to capture feedback on each ticket submitted by clients.  Here’s a snapshot of 28 recent reviews and feedback from this RIA’s employees.