Bering McKinley Blog

ConnectWise Project Management: MSP Templates, Budgets & Tip

Written by Josh Peterson | Aug 18, 2025 7:00:00 PM

ConnectWise project management didn’t reinvent how managed service providers (MSPs) work. It simply brought everything together in one place.

Before, teams managed timelines in spreadsheets and tracked progress through long email threads. That setup worked until it didn’t.

What ConnectWise PSA offers is simple: visibility, structure, and tools that keep every project on track without pulling your team in five directions.

Built for how MSPs operate, it doesn’t just add features for the sake of it. It makes sure nothing falls through the cracks, from kickoff to delivery and every billing checkpoint in between.

Why Most MSPs Outgrow Spreadsheets and Patchwork Tools

Initially, most MSPs rely on what they have: Google Sheets for timelines, Asana or Trello for task tracking, and email chains to fill the gaps. It works well enough when projects are small, and clients are few.

But as the workload scales, cracks start to show:

  • Tasks fall through the gaps because no one sees the full picture
  • Budget tracking becomes reactive instead of predictive
  • Team handoffs get messy, especially across tech, finance, and support
  • Resourcing gets harder when you don’t have a single view of who’s booked where

Worse, with multiple clients running on different SLAs, your team is forced to juggle priorities with no clear system in place. By the time someone flags an issue, it’s already late.

"With almost 90% of SMBs using MSP for IT or actively considering it, companies need systems like ConnectWise to operate cleanly under pressure."

ConnectWise PSA is built for MSPs that have outgrown patchwork workflows. Everything from projects and budgets to resources and billing is tracked in one system, allowing teams to move forward without backtracking.

What ConnectWise Project Management Gets Right

When your team’s running multiple client projects with shifting scopes, randomized tools won’t cut it.

ConnectWise PSA addresses the areas where most MSPs struggle: visibility, tracking, and collaboration, without turning project management into a second job.

1. Projects that don’t slip through the cracks

Source

A missed task isn’t always obvious. It often begins with a quiet delay, where someone is waiting on something they didn’t realize was their responsibility.

ConnectWise PSA brings structure that sticks. Every task is linked to its real owner, and every project is in full view. That kind of clarity doesn’t just help; it keeps projects alive.

Key features:

  • Centralized dashboards to manage all projects from a single control panel
  • Clear task ownership so nothing gets left in limbo
  • Status visibility for everyone, reducing the need for endless check-ins

2. Budget tracking that doesn’t miss a beat

Most MSPs don’t go over budget because they’re careless. It usually happens because the numbers are hidden in disconnected time logs, vague scopes, or forgotten change requests.

By using credible software for MSPs, organizations can typically reduce their overall IT costs by 20–30% on average. ConnectWise PSA provides a live view of each project's financial status, so you’re never left guessing.

Key features worth highlighting:

  • Set clear budgets per project and track progress in real-time
  • Forecast cost vs. revenue and adjust early if things go off track
  • Trigger alerts when budget thresholds are closed, not after they’re breached
  • Tie time tracking and billing to budget use so nothing gets missed
  • Measure profitability per project or client, not just at the end of the month

You get to manage cash flow with your eyes open without adding another spreadsheet to the mix.

3. Seamless handoff between teams

Sales closes the deal, support starts guessing, and finance waits for someone to send over a scope doc. That’s what the old setup looked like.

ConnectWise automates the transition between teams using triggers and workflows that carry project data from one stage to the next without a single “just checking in” email. 

For instance, when a sales rep closes a new M365 migration deal, a milestone trigger in ConnectWise can auto-launch the implementation plan.

Key features:

  • Sales-to-service handoff is automated using milestone triggers
  • Tech to billing workflows that connect the work to the invoice
  • Integrated workflows that reduce dropped context and duplicated effort

4. Built-in billing and time tracking

Source

MSPs increase productivity by 15–25% through improved efficiency and reduced downtime.

If your team logs hours in one tool and invoices in another, you’re probably leaking revenue. ConnectWise ties billable time directly to the work, so nothing gets missed or questioned. Billing’s faster, cleaner, and doesn’t rely on chasing down timesheets after the fact.

Key features:

  • Link billable hours to tasks, directly from within the project
  • Generate accurate invoices faster using milestones and time entries
  • Avoid billing leakage with complete tracking from start to finish

Templates That Save Hours Every Week

Source

Some MSP work is predictable, including client onboarding, email migrations, and quarterly security audits. But re-planning these from scratch each time is where hours get wasted, and mistakes creep in. ConnectWise project management templates eliminate that from the process.

They let you build once and reuse across clients, with all the steps, timelines, and responsibilities baked in. No more wondering if someone missed a step or if the handoff was done right.

You get:

  • Pre-built templates for common MSP projects
  • Reduced planning time on repeat work
  • Consistency across delivery, regardless of team size
  • Fewer errors thanks to a repeatable structure

Say, if you're an MSP handling client onboarding at scale, you can use ConnectWise templates to standardize every step, from kickoff to handoff, without starting from scratch each time.

Templates are fully customizable, too. You can tweak them based on client size, service level, or internal workflows without overcomplicating things for your team. The result is a setup that runs more smoothly and becomes smarter over time.

Best Practices to Get the Most Out of It

ConnectWise PSA is powerful, but using it well isn’t automatic. Getting the most out of it means setting up the system with intention so it supports your workflow instead of slowing it down.

  • Automate the grunt work: Use automated workflows to reduce manual task assignments and keep projects moving without constant check-ins
  • Build accountability into the template: Assign clear roles in templates so accountability is baked into every project from the start
  • Control spending before it gets out of hand: Set budget thresholds and alerts to stay ahead of overspending instead of reacting to it later
  • Centralize weekly check-ins: Do weekly check-ins inside the tool, not in Slack, so all updates live in the project record, not scattered threads
  • Be selective with integrations: Use integrations smartly, not just for the sake of it; plug in what helps your process, skip what clutters it

What to Watch Out For

No system is flawless, and ConnectWise PSA is no exception. The tool works best when it’s set up deliberately, not just “switched on”.

  • Learning curve for new team members can slow onboarding if training isn’t structured
  • Over-automation that breaks human handoff; not every task should move without a human glance
  • Not every feature is useful; know what to ignore so your team focuses on what adds value

Take Control of Your Projects with the Right Setup

ConnectWise project management can clean up the chaos, but software alone won’t grow your business. That takes a system and the right partner to help shape it.

Bering McKinley works with MSPs at every revenue stage, combining ConnectWise expertise with proven strategies that grow revenue, increase margins, and drive real business value.

Whether you're stuck in reactive mode or scaling fast, BMK helps align your operations, sales, finance, and service delivery, so your projects don’t just run; they perform.

Let’s talk about what’s holding you back.

Schedule a call with us and get expert help aligning your ConnectWise environment with business outcomes that matter!

Key Takeaways

  • ConnectWise PSA centralizes project tracking, budgeting, and task ownership in one place

  • MSPs can reduce budget overruns by tracking costs in real-time and linking time to billing

  • Templates eliminate repetitive planning and create consistency across client projects

  • Workflow automation reduces handoff errors and improves cross-team collaboration

  • Built-in time tracking and billing prevent revenue leakage and speed up invoicing

  • Best practices like structured onboarding, smart integrations, and weekly check-ins make the platform more effective

FAQs