Microsoft licensing can be complicated. Tools and resources to help with license cost optimization are widely available, yet the process itself remains challenging. That’s because, even just within M365, Microsoft offers a wide range of products with varying cost structures. Worse yet, licensing terms are frequently subject to change, which means what works today may not tomorrow.
That leaves MSPs in a tricky spot. They must continuously update their knowledge and adapt their billing practices to accommodate these changes. This can be inefficient and may lead to client confusion regarding contracts and billing disputes.
Why Microsoft License Tracking is Difficult for MSPs
MSPs typically retrieve license information from 3 primary sources: Microsoft Portals, PSA (professional services automation) tools, or from their Microsoft CSP reseller program. While these tools do provide the needed information, all 3 can contribute to an MSP’s license management challenges.
Here’s why.
Microsoft Portals
Microsoft Portals show your clients’ current number of licenses but don’t track changes over time. This makes it difficult for you to bill clients accurately at the end of the month since you can’t clearly see when modifications occurred.
Without detailed change logs, tracing each license modification is incredibly time-consuming. As a result, many MSPs choose to absorb discrepancy costs rather than spend resources tracking every small change.
PSA Tools
PSA tools include features for billing and contracts. However, these tools are often complex, which means few people update them as frequently as they should. As a result, they aren’t reliable for tracking real-time changes.
CSP Reseller Information
Microsoft’s Cloud Solution Provider programs allow MSPs to buy licenses through vendors. Yet, these vendors don’t make it easy to see what changes have been made over time. Therefore, it’s still difficult to provide accurate, up-to-date billing information to your clients.
How an MSP Can Solve Their Microsoft Licensing Challenges With Augmentt
Accurate End-of-Month License Counts
Augmentt makes it easy to compare current and past data, like how many licenses were assigned last month vs. this month, or if there were any new additions or upgrades. You won’t have to worry about digging through cumbersome resources to find the information you need.
Resolve Billing Disputes
If a client questions a bill, you can use Augmentt to pinpoint when and why changes were made. For example, a client’s bill may be higher this month compared to last because they onboarded a new employee who needed a new license. If your client doesn’t understand the price increase, Augmentt’s data gives you the evidence to show them why.
Identify Unused Licenses
Augmentt can help identify unused licenses to reduce costs for your clients. Additionally, minimizing the number of tools used decreases a client’s attack surface. While O365 has some built in security features, it’s always a best security practice to keep the number of applications used to a minimum.
As an MSP, demonstrating that you helped a client reduce their Microsoft licensing costs makes for a happy customer and a great case study. That’s something you can use in your own branding to attract new leads.
Increase Your Efficiency With Augmentt Today
When you onboard Augmentt, there’s no need to wade through multiple platforms to find the information you need for accurate billing.
Using Augmentt, you’ll gain a comprehensive view of all Microsoft licenses across multiple clients from one centralized dashboard. By providing intelligent insights and actionable data, Augmentt’s license management tools help you optimize license allocation so you can avoid unnecessary costs and enhance client satisfaction.
MSP license management doesn’t need to be difficult. Request a demo from Augmentt to streamline your licensing process.
