Why CSP billing is a game changer for IT owners
In the past, businesses bought the software they needed from multiple providers. It was easy but inefficient. Companies had to manage multiple bills and manage large numbers of licenses. Today, CSPs can make billing stress-free and straightforward.
In this blog, we explain why CSP is a game-changer for IT owners and provide three reasons you should consider making the shift today.
Why not buy direct from a vendor?
Many businesses, perhaps including yours, buy directly from vendors. Sure, you’re keeping control, but this comes at a cost.
The first pain point is having to manage the monotony of billing. Your finance team will have to process and pay all invoices, which means:
- Bills are due at different times, multiplying processing time
- Difficulties in managing cash flow and meeting payment terms
- Multiple bills and multiple dates
The biggest headache this causes is deciding when is the right time to bill your customers.
Bill too early, and it could be inaccurate. Too late, and you could run into cash flow problems that jeopardise your business.
On top of that, you’re also going to be paying too much.
CSPs can access significant discounts that we pass on to customers. That’s lower software licensing costs across the board.
In addition, as a trusted partner that buys in bulk, we’re able to access advanced technical support and call upon the insight and advice of a dedicated account management team that business customers can’t.
Working with a CSP can streamline the process, providing significant benefits to your business and your customers. Here are three.
1. Streamlined billing
Working with the right CSP means you will receive a single bill, broken down by your customers, detailing all the services they have paid for. It’s a no-fuss, no-hassle approach to simple pay-as-you-go monthly billing.
We offer solutions from the world’s leading cloud software providers, including Microsoft, Acronis and Bitdefender. Provisioning is quick and simple, leaving you and your clients to get on with the job.
Your customers benefit from clarity and simplicity, and so do you. It’s straightforward to track customer spend, providing insights you can use to power profitability and growth.
By freeing your staff from the monthly management and manual processing of invoices, they can focus on client care that improves satisfaction.
To make life even simpler, we offer secure integration with Azure Billing to help monitor daily spend and PSA (Professional Service Automation) tools such as Autotask or ConnectWise to deliver a faster billing cycle to your customers.
So, what’s the catch? There isn’t one. There are no contracts, no tie-ins and no minimum numbers.
2. API integration
Many companies still use manual billing, but today, it’s unnecessary. We’ve developed innovative APIs that plug directly into the most popularly used business accounting or PSA platforms to simplify and speed up the billing process.
Businesses can ditch the slow spreadsheet and instead enjoy 100% accurate, automated billing.
The benefits are massive. Instead of wasting time coding, staff can focus on customer contact and crucial tasks that will help grow your business.
In many businesses, MDs still get their hands dirty with the business of billing. Our APIs provide peace of mind and protection, giving leaders confidence that everything is correct, as well as a dramatically decreased workload.
They also offer total transparency, enabling leaders to see a breakdown of the accounts for each business.
3. License management
Manually managing licenses is a chore. Every additional deletion or change needs to be checked, recorded and reported to ensure accurate billing. Thankfully, there is another way.
CSPs enable you to add or remove users and products instantly. Customers only pay for the licenses they need and are using. This freedom and flexibility can be critical for fast-growing clients who want to add capacity quickly.
The flexibility of choosing a CSP with a no tie-in contract contrasts to buying directly, where you’re caught up in a contract with fixed terms and license numbers. Adding additional users can even be expensive.
As well as better billing, CSPs ensure each client is operating according to the license conditions. This keeps them on the right side of the law.
Built for your business
The rise of software as a service means it’s easier than ever to get the software you need, but it’s crucial that you work with experts who actively help you be more efficient and more profitable.
The best CSPs build their services and cloud solution market around you. At Giacom, we’re established and experienced with an unrivalled reputation for providing cloud-support services to our clients.
We can partner with you to unlock efficiencies that can streamline operations and save miles while improving customer satisfaction.