PARTNER SUCCESS STORY
Boosting Productivity by 40%: Novatech’s Journey with the ConnectWise Partner Program
Novatech is a leading office technology and managed services provider headquartered in the Southeastern United States. With 16 locations and a team of over 650 professionals, Novatech delivers comprehensive IT services, cybersecurity solutions, cloud technologies, and business process optimization. The company serves small to medium businesses (SMBs) and enterprise clients across diverse industries, helping them streamline operations, enhance productivity, and secure their digital environments. Novatech’s mission is to combine cutting-edge technology with expert support to drive sustainable growth for its customers.
Challenge
Novatech faced the challenge of scaling consistent service quality and operational discipline across 16 locations while maintaining strong customer relationships. With a growing managed services and security division, the company needed a framework to align leadership intent with frontline execution. Elevating the Technical Account Manager (TAM) role was critical, as TAMs influence customer perception and renewals. Without a structured approach, Novatech risked inefficiencies, missed growth opportunities, and struggled to sustain performance in a competitive, multi-location environment.
Solution
Novatech is fully engaged in the ConnectWise Partner Program, leveraging its comprehensive resources to transform operations. The company utilized MDF (Marketing Development Funds) to fund impactful training, such as VCIO University, to improve TAM capabilities. Peer groups and advisory councils provided benchmarking and accountability, while ConnectWise University delivered learning paths for daily practice improvements. Events like “Novatech Connect,” supported by ConnectWise sponsorship, amplified momentum. Together, these elements shifted ConnectWise from a vendor to a strategic partner, enabling Novatech to scale with discipline and clarity.
Results
The impact was measurable and significant. TAM productivity surged by 30–40%, driving approximately 25% year-over-year sales growth and improving customer retention by 5%. Novatech also achieved 10–12% net new organic growth by deploying ConnectWise content and resources across marketing and sales motions. MDF-funded training and events accelerated execution, while peer group insights reinforced evidence-based management. These outcomes reflect a cultural shift: ConnectWise became a strategic partner, enabling Novatech to operationalize growth through systems, not one-off activities, and deliver consistent customer value.
In the modern managed services landscape, the gap between intention and outcome is bridged by process, enablement, and the right partnerships. Novatech—a leading office technology and managed services provider—operates across the Southeastern United States with a workforce of roughly 650 employees serving customers from 16 locations. The company’s ability to deliver consistent service quality, scale operational discipline, and sustain growth has been shaped by its long-standing relationship with ConnectWise, and more specifically, by deep engagement in the ConnectWise Partner Program.
Company Snapshot and Strategic Context
Novatech’s Managed Services and Security Division is led by President Brandon Jarrett, who emphasizes the centrality of the Technical Account Manager (TAM) role in the company’s operating model. In a managed services business, the TAM sits at the crossroads of customer service, sales, and operations—keeping the customer’s goals visible while aligning internal teams around roadmaps and outcomes. That connective role directly influences the customer’s perception of value and the company’s ability to win renewals and expansions.
Jarrett’s tenure with ConnectWise spans nearly two decades and multiple organizations. The relationship took on new depth when Novatech formally joined the ConnectWise Partner Program. As he explains, the program consolidated disparate resources—training, funding, content, councils—into a cohesive framework that leaders could use to drive behaviors across the business. “I’ve been using ConnectWise (solutions) for 18 years, through three different companies, including Novatech. And at Novatech, we’ve been part of the ConnectWise Partner Program for six or seven years.”
From Vendor to Strategic Partner
The shift from transactional to strategic is at the heart of Novatech’s experience. For a company with scale, located across numerous markets, it isn’t enough to purchase tools—the organization must deploy consistent practices, sharpen decision-making, and build an operating rhythm that connects leadership intent to frontline execution. The ConnectWise Partner Program became the scaffold for that rhythm.
“Being part of the ConnectWise Partner Program changes the perception of ConnectWise from being just a vendor to being a strategic partner,” Jarrett explains. “For us, it’s probably the most valuable piece of our relationship.”
The program’s value lies in how its parts reinforce one another. ConnectWise University offers learning paths that directly translate into enhanced daily practices. Marketing Development Funds (MDF) eliminate friction when Novatech wants to invest quickly in people or in events that create momentum. Peer groups and advisory councils provide the benchmarking and accountability that keep management disciplined. And content and business development resources help customer-facing teams clarify the value of services in conversations that matter.
Peer Groups and IT Nation: Turning Data into Better Management
Novatech activates the ConnectWise Partner Program through deep participation in IT Nation and the SLI peer group, which Jarrett describes as one of the company’s best investments with ConnectWise. Peer groups create a shared language and bring together operators who are solving similar problems in real time, enabling Novatech’s leaders to test assumptions against data and proven financial models. “Our group is fantastic. It’s very collaborative,” Jarrett notes. “The data that we get from SLI is really what helps us manage and run our business against the financial model.”
This kind of collaboration is not theoretical—it manifests as an operating discipline. Leaders return from peer group sessions with clarity about which metrics matter most, how to structure QBRs to emphasize risk mitigation and progress on the roadmap, and where to focus process improvements for service delivery. Novatech also benefits from participation in the Office Technology Dealer Advisory Council, which facilitates focused discussions and sessions led by industry experts, aligning with current trends. The result is a management cadence that is both responsive and evidence-driven.
MDF as a Growth Engine: Funding What Converts
Novatech treats MDF as a strategic lever, deploying it where outcomes are most likely to compound—such as professional development at IT Nation, targeted coaching for frontline roles, and signature events that strengthen partner and customer relationships. MDF eliminates budgetary hesitation and accelerates execution, allowing Novatech to invest without derailing the operating plan. “We use MDF to fund bringing our staff to the event,” Jarrett says of IT Nation attendance. “It’s a win-win.”
The company also utilizes MDF to sponsor high-impact training engagements, like the VCIO University workshop led by coach Chris Ryan. Novatech met Ryan through the advisory council and quickly identified a fit for elevating the TAM organization. MDF funded a two-day, onsite session in Atlanta for all 11 TAMs, turning the decision into reality with speed and scale.
“We were really searching for somebody to kind of level up our technical account management team,” Jarrett says. “Chris came to us in Atlanta, trained all 11 TAMs, and their productivity went up by about 30 to 40%.”
Operationalizing TAM Improvements: From QBRs to Roadmaps
Training creates value when it changes behavior. Post-VCIO University, Novatech’s TAMs returned to the field with improved habits that made customer conversations more strategic and outcomes-focused. QBRs shifted from backward-looking ticket reviews to forward-looking plans centered around risk, productivity, and measurable business impact. Roadmaps evolved from static documents to living plans that align stakeholders across IT, finance, and line-of-business owners.
“Our QBRs are more effective, our road mapping is more effective,” Jarrett explains, “and we actually turned some technical people into pseudo-salespeople.”
That last point matters because it describes a role evolution rather than a title change. TAMs do not become quota-carrying reps; they become advisors who can articulate the commercial impact of technical decisions. When a TAM frames a security enhancement as reduced risk exposure or a modernization project as productivity gain, the customer sees IT as an investment with returns. That translation skill is a multiplier: it enhances perceived value, facilitates natural expansion conversations, and supports a healthier renewal cycle.
Jarrett also underscores the TAM’s mission in moments when “invisible value” risks being overlooked. “Most of the time, the perceived value that a customer gets can be lost—and that’s the role of the technical account manager.” By keeping the value visible, the TAMs protect retention and reveal logical next steps. The result is stronger relationships and cleaner growth motions embedded in daily operations.
Novatech Connect: Partnership on Stage
Novatech’s flagship event, Novatech Connect, showcases how external programming can amplify internal progress. The event celebrates partnerships—including the team’s collaboration with the Atlanta Falcons—and features ConnectWise as a platinum sponsor for the past two years. That sponsorship extends beyond funding; it includes planning support, keynote participation, and MDF to offset event costs. Jarrett is unequivocal about the combined impact. “ConnectWise has been a platinum sponsor for that event the last two years,” he says. “Outside of the financial contribution, the resource contribution to the event—you can’t really put a dollar figure on that.”
The sponsorship enables Novatech to enhance the attendee experience without diverting the organization from its day-to-day priorities. It deepens relationships, brings thought leadership to the front of the room, and creates a pipeline of conversations that TAMs and sales teams can nurture through improved QBRs and roadmaps. “The availability of MDF to offset the cost of the event, and all of the planning resources that go into it, along with keynote speakers we’ve had from ConnectWise… It’s just a home run all the way around.”
Measurable Outcomes: Growth, Retention, and Organic Expansion
The proof of a ConnectWise Partner Program’s value is in the outcomes. Following the VCIO University engagement and broader ConnectWise Partner Program activation, Novatech reports tangible gains. TAM-led sales increased by approximately 25% year-over-year. Customer retention improved by roughly 5%. And by deploying ConnectWise Partner Program content and resources across marketing and sales motions, Novatech saw 10–12% net new organic growth.
“We’ve seen about a 25% year-over-year growth from sales in our technical account management team, as well as a 5% growth in customer retention,” Jarrett says. “I can correlate that directly back to Chris and his efforts at VCIO University.”
He also emphasizes the broader activation of ConnectWise Partner Program resources across the business. “Along those lines, we’ve seen about a 10–12% net new organic growth, leveraging all of the content that’s available to us in the ConnectWise Partner Program.”
These improvements do not exist in isolation; they reflect the compounding effect of aligned enablement. Better training powers stronger QBRs. Stronger QBRs reveal expansion opportunities. Expansion opportunities convert more consistently when content, playbooks, and event momentum are in place. And peer group insights keep the leadership team accountable to the numbers that matter.
Advice for MSPs: Engage the Program, Get the Leverage
Jarrett is direct when asked what he would tell other ConnectWise partners who haven’t yet joined the program. For Novatech, the decision to engage was as consequential as any tool purchase, as it reshaped the business's operating system.
“That’s probably the best thing you could do for your business,” he says. “There’s so much there from ConnectWise University, MDF, any resources that you need from a biz dev program perspective—content, keynotes, lunch and learns. I mean, the list goes on and on and on.”
And he reinforces which part of the relationship the company values most: “For us, it’s probably the most valuable piece of our relationship with ConnectWise.”
Lessons in Scale: Connecting the Dots Across the Enterprise
Novatech’s experience offers a clear lesson for MSPs operating at scale: the greatest returns come from systems, not one-off activities. Training is most valuable when it rewires daily practice; MDF has the highest ROI when it funds initiatives that already have line-of-sight to outcomes; peer groups make the biggest difference when leaders translate benchmarks into cadence and accountability; and events are most effective when they create momentum that field teams are prepared to capture.
For Novatech, the ConnectWise Partner Program serves as the backbone of their system. It supplies the resources, frameworks, and community that keep the company aligned—even as teams spread across geographies and customers evolve their requirements. The emphasis on TAM enablement illustrates how targeted investment in a pivotal role can drive outsized results. When the people closest to the customer are equipped to frame technology decisions in terms of business impact, growth becomes a function of conversation quality, not just pipeline volume.
Conclusion: A Playbook for Compounding Results
Novatech’s experience demonstrates how the ConnectWise Partner Program is more than a set of benefits—it’s a growth framework. After joining the program, the company actively leveraged its resources: engaging peer groups and advisory councils to refine operations, using MDF to fund impactful training and events, and elevating the TAM role to ensure customer conversations consistently connect technical capabilities to business value.
The results speak for themselves: 30–40% gains in TAM productivity, approximately 25% TAM-driven year-over-year sales growth, a 5% boost in retention, and 10–12% net new organic growth. These outcomes are the natural result of investing in systems designed to compound.
For MSPs evaluating where to place their next bet, Novatech’s experience points the way. Engage the ConnectWise Partner Program fully. Put MDF to work where outcomes are clearest. Focus on training for the roles that embody your value to the customer every day. Use peer groups to keep your strategy grounded in evidence. And design events that bring partners and customers into momentum, you’re ready to capture. Done together, these moves transform a vendor relationship into a strategic partnership—and turn enablement into performance.
Key Takeaways
- ConnectWise Partner Program as a Growth Framework: Novatech shows the ConnectWise Partner Program is an operating system for growth—not just benefits. The company leveraged peer groups, MDF, and advisory councils to refine operations and elevate TAMs, ensuring customer conversations connect technical capabilities to business value.
- TAM Enablement Drives Impact: MDF-funded VCIO University training boosted TAM productivity by 30–40%, turning them into advisors who frame IT decisions in terms of business outcomes. This shift improved QBRs, roadmaps, and opened natural expansion opportunities.
- Peer Groups & IT Nation: Evidence-Based Management - IT Nation and SLI peer groups offer benchmarking and proven financial models, enabling leaders to focus on key metrics and maintain a disciplined operating cadence.
- MDF as a Strategic Lever: MDF accelerates initiatives with clear ROI—training, IT Nation participation, and events like Novatech Connect, which ConnectWise sponsors as a platinum partner. MDF removes budget friction and speeds execution.
- Events Create Momentum: Novatech Connect amplifies internal progress with ConnectWise support for planning, keynotes, and MDF funding—deepening relationships and fueling pipeline conversations.
- Measured Results
- 30–40% TAM productivity gains
- ~25% TAM-driven year-over-year sales growth
- ~5% retention lift
- 10–12% net new organic growth
Advice for MSPs: Engage fully with the program. Use MDF where outcomes are clearest. Train roles that deliver daily customer value. Join peer groups for accountability. Design events that create momentum. Together, these moves enable performance and vendors to become strategic partners.