#6 – Don’t Be That Guy - MSP Project Management Playbook (Louis Bagdonas) & (Ryan Alter)

Learn the repeatable habits that make MSP projects profitable—without burning out your team. Josh Peterson is joined by Ryan and Lewis from Mula to unpack timelines, templates, change orders, and how to keep margin intact from quote to close. ✅ Enjoyed this episode?  Like, subscribe, and share your biggest takeaway below.  https://beringmckinley.com/bering-mckinley-podcast-blog Louis — project management lead at Mula (MSP project platform) — joins Josh Peterson and Ryan to demystify project delivery for MSPs. You’ll hear why “set a real end date” is more than a mantra, how to balance fixed-fee vs. T&M, and the simple reviews that stop margin leaks before they spread. The conversation stays practical: org design, who owns profitability, and how to talk change orders without drama. 👉 Lock timelines early: durations + dependencies + work estimates create on-time delivery. 👉 Make reviews routine: lightweight after-action surveys internal + client protect margin. 👉 Price it right: when to choose fixed fee vs. T&M and how to recover PM time often 15–20%. 👉 Template smartly: start and close every project the same way; add detail where it actually helps. 👉 Culture over heroics: teach PMs to handle stress, reset scope, and communicate change orders. If you manage projects inside ConnectWise or similar PSAs, this episode gives you a practical playbook to improve customer satisfaction, hit dates, and raise project margin—consistently. “Visit https://beringmckinley.com for more MSP resources.” 🔗 Resources & Links • Louis Bagdonas - Moovila: https://www.moovila.com  • Ryan Alter - Silverstream: https://www.silverstreamav.com • Bering McKinley MSP Consulting: https://beringmckinley.com ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 – Welcome and why projects feel hard 00:01 – Guest intro: Lewis Mula and MSP context 00:02 – The secret sauce: time entry, ticket hygiene, dispatch 00:04 – After-action reviews that actually get done 00:05 – Deadlines as table stakes and how to set them 00:08 – Fixed fee vs T&M: margin traps and pivots 00:11 – Workstation installs: why 2.5 hours lies 00:12 – Using templates without over administering 00:15 – When customers go dark: holds and cadence 00:19 – Dependencies, durations, estimates the critical path 00:23 – Ticket granularity vs admin burden Goldilocks rule 00:25 – Hire PMs: homegrown vs PMP what works in MSPs 00:27 – We can’t afford a PM — fractional time and org design 00:30 – Can you charge for PM Yes and how 00:33 – Rule of thumb: 15–20 percent PM time and ongoing review 00:34 – Who owns profitability Everyone 00:36 – Change orders equals proactive client communication 00:42 – SOW vs scope human speak plus kickoff 00:48 – Dedicated project techs vs shared pool 00:49 – Daily 15–30 minute huddles to align resources 00:50 – Wrap up and handout mention msp project management, msp profitability, fixed fee vs t&m, change orders connectwise projects, project templates, after action review, project margin #beringmckinley, #bmkvisionpodcast, #msp, #managedservices, #projectmanagement, #connectwise, #changemanagement, #fixedfee, #timeandmaterials, #dispatch, #timeentry, #qbr, #operations, #ticketing, #dependencies, #templates, #customersuccess, #profitability, #mspprofit ✅ Enjoyed this episode Like, subscribe, and share your biggest takeaway below.