Service leadership

Abstract

A method generates actionable recommendations from financial performance gap analysis. The method includes retrieving key performance indicator (KPI) data for a partner organization and benchmark threshold values for a target performance tier derived from historical analysis of aggregated data from partners that achieved the tier. For each KPI, the method computes a gap score between the partner's current value and the corresponding benchmark, ranks gap scores to identify KPIs with the largest deviations, and queries an action-recommendation table using the identified KPI(s) to retrieve candidate actions. The method prioritizes actions based on gap magnitude and historical effectiveness data indicating outcomes achieved by partners that implemented similar actions. The method generates a progression from the partner's current tier to the target tier, produces a path flowchart highlighting a recommended route based on prioritized actions, and displays the prioritized actions and flowchart in a user interface.

Description

CNZ-03725SERVICE LEADERSHIPRELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application. No. 63 / 740,446 filed December 31, 2024, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.BACKGROUND

[0002] Existing computer systems for managing financial data, such as accounting software applications, are limited to processing and storing financial records for individual organizations without the capability to perform cross- organizational data aggregation, normalization, and comparative analysis. These systems lack the technical architecture necessary to collect financial and operational data from multiple disparate sources, transform heterogeneous data formats into standardized metrics, and compute benchmark threshold values derived from aggregated datasets across numerous entities. Furthermore, conventional systems do not implement the data processing pipelines required to calculate gap scores between individual performance indicators and benchmark values, nor do they provide the computational mechanisms to query recommendation databases based on identified performance deficiencies and generate prioritized actionable outputs. The absence of these technical capabilities in existing systems prevents the automated generation of data-driven recommendations based on comparative performance analysis across multiple organizations.BRIEF SUMMARY

[0003] In some embodiments, S-L Index is a financial and operational benchmarking application for IT service providers (TSPs). SL-Index can employ a SaaS application model that provides partners with multiple options for inputting their financial and operational data enables multiple personas online views of all financial benchmark reports and deliverables.CNZ-03725

[0004] Partners (e.g., companies) from all over the world can enter their data into the system, such as balance sheets, income sheet, etc. They can then compare their business data to historical performance and to other companies, such as best-in-class companies. For example, they can view key performance indicator (KPI) data such as Service Multiple of Wages, Sales multiple of Wages. Within each benchmark, a partner can drill down to further details.

[0005] In a first aspect, the technology provides a computer-implemented method for generating actionable recommendations based on financial performance gap analysis. The method comprises retrieving, by one or more processors, financial and operational data for a partner organization from a database, wherein the financial and operational data comprises a plurality of key performance indicators including at least a gross margin percentage, a service multiple of wages, and an operational efficiency metric. The method further comprises retrieving, from the database, benchmark threshold values associated with a target performance tier, wherein the benchmark threshold values are derived from historical analysis of aggregated data from a plurality of partner organizations that have achieved the target performance tier. The method further comprises calculating, for each key performance indicator of the plurality of key performance indicators, a gap score representing a difference between a current value of the key performance indicator for the partner organization and a corresponding benchmark threshold value. The method further comprises ranking each gap scores to identify one or more key performance indicators exhibiting a largest deviation from the benchmark threshold value corresponding to the key performance indicator of that gap score. The method further comprises querying an action recommendation table using the one or more identified key performance indicators to retrieve recommended actions, wherein the action recommendation table stores mappings between gap patterns and corresponding recommended actions. The method further comprises prioritizing the retrieved recommended actions based on at least one of the magnitude of the gap scores and historical effectiveness data indicating outcomes achieved by other partner organizations that previously implemented similar recommended actions. The method furtherCNZ-03725comprises transmitting the prioritized recommended actions to a user interface for display to a user associated with the partner organization.

[0006] In some embodiments, the plurality of key performance indicators may further comprise at least one of: a sales multiple of wages, an EBITDA percentage, a managed services revenue as a percentage of total revenue, tickets per endpoint, and endpoints per engineer. In other embodiments, the target performance tier may comprise an Operational Maturity Level tier, and the benchmark threshold values may represent key performance indicator values typically achieved by partner organizations that have advanced to a next Operational Maturity Level tier. In yet other embodiments, the gap pattern may comprise a combination of two or more gap scores that collectively indicate a specific performance deficiency category, and the action recommendation table may map each specific performance deficiency category to a set of recommended actions addressing the deficiency category. In some embodiments, the gap pattern may further comprise at least one of: a magnitude threshold indicating a minimum gap score required for inclusion in the gap pattern, a temporal component indicating gap persistence across multiple survey periods, and a correlation indicator identifying gap scores that historically cooccur. In other embodiments, the method may further comprise receiving, from the user interface, an indication that the partner organization has implemented a recommended action from the prioritized recommended actions, monitoring subsequent financial and operational data submitted by the partner organization after implementation of the recommended action, calculating updated key performance indicator values based on the subsequent financial and operational data, determining an effectiveness score for the implemented recommended action based on a change in the updated key performance indicator values relative to the current value prior to implementation, and updating the historical effectiveness data in the action recommendation table based on the determined effectiveness score. In some embodiments, updating the historical effectiveness data may comprise adjusting a priority weight associated with the implemented recommended action, wherein the priority weight is increased responsive to the effectiveness score exceeding a positive threshold and decreased responsive to theCNZ-03725effectiveness score falling below a negative threshold. In other embodiments, retrieving financial and operational data for the partner organization may be responsive to a survey status field in the database indicating that a financial survey for the partner organization has been submitted and processed by an extract, transform, and load module. In some embodiments, the method may further comprise determining that the survey status field indicates the financial survey is closed for a specified time period, and including the financial and operational data from the closed financial survey in the aggregated data used to derive benchmark threshold values for subsequent gap analysis operations for other partner organizations. In other embodiments, the method may further comprise determining a user role associated with the user, wherein the user role comprises one of a partner administrator role, a financial input role, an operational input role, and a facilitator role, filtering the prioritized recommended actions based on the determined user role to generate role-specific recommended actions, wherein the role-specific recommended actions comprise a subset of the prioritized recommended actions that are actionable by a user having the determined user role, and transmitting the role- specific recommended actions to the user interface for display. In some embodiments, filtering the prioritized recommended actions may comprise, responsive to the user role being the facilitator role, including recommended actions applicable to a group of partner organizations assigned to the facilitator and excluding recommended actions specific to individual partner financial data, and responsive to the user role being the partner administrator role, including recommended actions specific to the partner organization and excluding recommended actions requiring system administrator privileges. In other embodiments, the action recommendation table may store, for each recommended action, at least: an action identifier, an action description, one or more associated gap patterns, a priority weight derived from historical effectiveness data, and an estimated time to implementation. In some embodiments, calculating the gap score for each key performance indicator may comprise normalizing the current value of the key performance indicator and the corresponding benchmark threshold value to a common scale, computing a signed difference between the normalized current value and the normalized benchmark threshold value, and applying a weighting factor toCNZ-03725the signed difference based on a relative importance of the key performance indicator to overall organizational performance. In other embodiments, the method may further comprise generating a projected path flowchart illustrating a progression from a current performance tier of the partner organization to the target performance tier, highlighting, on the projected path flowchart, a recommended progression route based on the prioritized recommended actions, and displaying the projected path flowchart in the user interface alongside the prioritized recommended actions. In some embodiments, the method may further comprise calculating estimated timeframes for achieving milestones along the recommended progression route based on historical progression data from partner organizations in a comparable cohort, and displaying the estimated timeframes adjacent to corresponding milestone nodes in the projected path flowchart.

[0007] In a second aspect, the technology provides a system for generating actionable recommendations based on financial performance gap analysis. The system comprises one or more processors and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to retrieve financial and operational data for a partner organization from a database, wherein the financial and operational data comprises a plurality of key performance indicators including at least a gross margin percentage, a service multiple of wages, and an operational efficiency metric. The instructions further cause the system to retrieve, from the database, benchmark threshold values associated with a target performance tier, wherein the benchmark threshold values are derived from historical analysis of aggregated data from a plurality of partner organizations that have achieved the target performance tier. The instructions further cause the system to calculate, for each key performance indicator of the plurality of key performance indicators, a gap score representing a difference between a current value of the key performance indicator for the partner organization and a corresponding benchmark threshold value. The instructions further cause the system to rank the gap scores to identify one or more key performance indicators exhibiting a largest deviation from corresponding benchmark threshold values. The instructions further cause the system to query an action recommendation table using the one or more identified key performance indicators to retrieve recommendedCNZ-03725actions, wherein the action recommendation table stores mappings between gap patterns and corresponding recommended actions. The instructions further cause the system to prioritize the retrieved recommended actions based on at least one of the magnitude of the gap scores and historical effectiveness data indicating outcomes achieved by other partner organizations that previously implemented similar recommended actions. The instructions further cause the system to transmit the prioritized recommended actions to a user interface module for display to a user associated with the partner organization.

[0008] In some embodiments, the plurality of key performance indicators may further comprise at least one of: a sales multiple of wages, an EBITDA percentage, a managed services revenue as a percentage of total revenue, tickets per endpoint, and endpoints per engineer. In other embodiments, the target performance tier may comprise an Operational Maturity Level tier, and the benchmark threshold values may represent key performance indicator values typically achieved by partner organizations that have advanced to a next Operational Maturity Level tier. In yet other embodiments, the gap pattern may comprise a combination of two or more gap scores that collectively indicate a specific performance deficiency category, and the action recommendation table may map each specific performance deficiency category to a set of recommended actions addressing the deficiency category. In some embodiments, the instructions may further cause the system to receive, from the user interface module, an indication that the partner organization has implemented a recommended action from the prioritized recommended actions, monitor subsequent financial and operational data submitted by the partner organization after implementation of the recommended action, calculate updated key performance indicator values based on the subsequent financial and operational data, determine an effectiveness score for the implemented recommended action based on a change in the updated key performance indicator values relative to the current value prior to implementation, and update the historical effectiveness data in the action recommendation table based on the determined effectiveness score. In other embodiments, the instructions may further cause the system to retrieve financial and operational data for the partner organization responsive to a survey status field in theCNZ-03725database indicating that a financial survey for the partner organization has been submitted and processed by an extract, transform, and load module. In some embodiments, the instructions may further cause the system to determine a user role associated with the user, wherein the user role comprises one of a partner administrator role, a financial input role, an operational input role, and a facilitator role, filter the prioritized recommended actions based on the determined user role to generate role-specific recommended actions, and transmit the role-specific recommended actions to the user interface module for display. In other embodiments, the system may further comprise a backend module implemented using a programming language and hosted on a container service, wherein the backend module executes the instructions to calculate gap scores, query the action recommendation table, and prioritize recommended actions, the database implemented using a relational database service and storing the financial and operational data, the benchmark threshold values, and the action recommendation table, and the user interface module implemented using a frontend framework and communicating with the backend module through a reverse proxy.

[0009] In a third aspect, the technology provides a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations. The operations comprise retrieving financial and operational data for a partner organization from a database, wherein the financial and operational data comprises a plurality of key performance indicators including at least a gross margin percentage, a service multiple of wages, and an operational efficiency metric. The operations further comprise retrieving, from the database, benchmark threshold values associated with a target performance tier, wherein the benchmark threshold values are derived from historical analysis of aggregated data from a plurality of partner organizations that have achieved the target performance tier. The operations further comprise calculating, for each key performance indicator of the plurality of key performance indicators, a gap score representing a difference between a current value of the key performance indicator for the partner organization and a corresponding benchmark threshold value. The operations further comprise ranking the gapCNZ-03725scores to identify one or more key performance indicators exhibiting a largest deviation from corresponding benchmark threshold values. The operations further comprise querying an action recommendation table using the one or more identified key performance indicators to retrieve recommended actions, wherein the action recommendation table stores mappings between gap patterns and corresponding recommended actions. The operations further comprise prioritizing the retrieved recommended actions based on at least one of the magnitude of the gap scores and historical effectiveness data indicating outcomes achieved by other partner organizations that previously implemented similar recommended actions. The operations further comprise transmitting the prioritized recommended actions to a user interface for display to a user associated with the partner organization.

[0010] In some embodiments, the plurality of key performance indicators may further comprise at least one of: a sales multiple of wages, an EBITDA percentage, a managed services revenue as a percentage of total revenue, tickets per endpoint, and endpoints per engineer. In other embodiments, the gap pattern may comprise a combination of two or more gap scores that collectively indicate a specific performance deficiency category, and the action recommendation table may map each specific performance deficiency category to a set of recommended actions addressing the deficiency category. In some embodiments, the operations may further comprise receiving an indication that the partner organization has implemented a recommended action from the prioritized recommended actions, monitoring subsequent financial and operational data submitted by the partner organization after implementation of the recommended action, determining an effectiveness score for the implemented recommended action based on a change in key performance indicator values after implementation, and updating the historical effectiveness data in the action recommendation table based on the determined effectiveness score. In other embodiments, retrieving financial and operational data for the partner organization may be triggered responsive to a survey status field in the database indicating that a financial survey for the partner organization has been submitted and processed by an extract, transform, and load module. In some embodiments, the operations may further compriseCNZ-03725determining a user role associated with the user, filtering the prioritized recommended actions based on the determined user role to generate role- specific recommended actions, wherein the role-specific recommended actions comprise a subset of the prioritized recommended actions that are actionable by a user having the determined user role, and transmitting the role- specific recommended actions to the user interface for display. In other embodiments, the operations may further comprise generating a projected path flowchart illustrating a progression from a current performance tier of the partner organization to the target performance tier, calculating estimated timeframes for achieving milestones along a recommended progression route based on historical progression data from partner organizations in a comparable cohort, and displaying the projected path flowchart with the estimated timeframes in the user interface alongside the prioritized recommended actions.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Fig. 1 is a block diagram illustrating modules and functions of S-L Index according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0012] Fig. 2A is a hierarchical diagram illustrating user management and permission management according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0013] Fig. 2B is a diagram illustrating user roles in SL-I according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0014] Fig. 2C is a diagram illustrating Users, Roles and User Groups according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0015] Fig. 3A is a diagram illustrating the use of financial surveys according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0016] Fig. 3B is a block diagram illustrating an example embodiment of adding fields to a survey form.

[0017] Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating features of a company dashboard according to embodiments of the present disclosure.CNZ-03725

[0018] Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating features of a group dashboard according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0019] Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating features of an operation dashboard according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0020] Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating features of a BIC module / dashboard according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0021] Fig. 8 is a block diagram illustrating modules implementing Service-Leadership Index (e.g., over a network) according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0022] Fig. 9 is a block diagram illustrating an implementation of SLI according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0023] Fig 10 is a network diagram illustrating provisioning one or more users according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0024] Fig. 11 is a network diagram illustrating an embodiment of administering user roles using Asio according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0025] Fig. 12 is a network diagram illustrating a login process according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0026] Fig. 13 is a network diagram illustrating an example embodiment of Data Entry & Report Viewing according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0027] Fig. 14 is a diagram illustrating data records according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0028] Fig. 15A is a diagram illustrating tables of survey data records according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0029] Fig. 15B is a diagram illustrating a table for managing multiple surveys according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0030] Fig. 16 is a block diagram illustrating an example embodiment of a frontend and / or user interface module according to embodiments of the present disclosure.CNZ-03725

[0031] Fig. 17 is a diagram illustrating user management according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0032] Fig. 18 is a graph illustrating concurrent users for report access and data entry access in S-L Index as a function of days in a calendar quarter according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0033] Fig. 19A-B are user interfaces illustrating setting user permissions for a budgeting module according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0034] Fig. 20 is a user interface illustrating a menu allowing a user to select the budget icon to load the budget module within S-L Index according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figs. 21A-21E are user interfaces illustrating a process for creating a budget according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0036] Figs. 22A-N are user interfaces illustrating reviewing financial data, projected budgets, and reviewing the generated budget according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0037] Figs. 23A-C are user interfaces illustrating the budget module according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0038] Figs. 24A-C are user interfaces illustrating gauges of various budget metrics according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0039] Fig. 25 is a diagram of a user interface of a generated recommendation flowchart according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0040] Fig. 26 is a block diagram of a computing node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] In some embodiments, S-L Index is a financial and operational benchmarking application for IT service providers (TSPs). SL-Index can employ a SaaS application model that provides partners with multiple options for inputting their financial and operational data enables multiple personas online views of all financial benchmark reports and deliverables.CNZ-03725

[0042] As used herein, the term "financial and operational benchmarking application" refers to a software system that collects, processes, and analyzes financial and operational data from multiple entities to enable comparative performance analysis. The application provides standardized metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) that allow users to compare their business performance against historical data, peer companies, industry standards, or best-in-class performers within their sector.

[0043] As used herein, the term "IT service providers" or "TSPs" refers to companies that provide information technology services to other businesses or organizations. These services may include, but are not limited to, managed services, technical support, hardware and software sales, cloud services, cybersecurity services, and other technology-related solutions and support services.

[0044] As used herein, the term "SaaS application model" refers to Software as a Service, which is a cloud-based software delivery model where applications are hosted remotely by a service provider and made available to users over the internet. In this model, users access the application through web browsers or client applications without needing to install, maintain, or manage the software locally on their own computing devices.

[0045] As used herein, the term "partners" refers to the IT service provider companies that utilize the S-L Index system to input their financial and operational data and access benchmarking reports and analysis. These partners are the primary users and data contributors to the benchmarking application.

[0046] As used herein, the term "multiple personas" refers to different user roles or types within the system, each having distinct access permissions, responsibilities, and interface views. These personas may include, but are not limited to, partner administrators, financial input users, operational input users, financial report users, operational report users, facilitators, evangelists, and system administrators.

[0047] As used herein, the term "financial benchmark reports and deliverables" refers to the analytical outputs generated by the system that present comparative financial and operationalCNZ-03725performance data. These reports may include dashboards, charts, graphs, key performance indicators, trend analyses, and other visual or textual presentations that enable users to assess their performance relative to benchmarks such as historical performance, peer companies, or industry best practices.

[0048] Fig. 1 is a block diagram 100 illustrating modules and functions of S-L Index 102 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the S-L Index 102 provides for a home page module 104 displaying a user interface that comprises one or more of system announcements, news, and training resources 106. In some embodiments, the S-L Index 102 provides for a company profile module 108 and a view company profile user interface 110 that is configured to display a profile of a company (e.g., the company associated with the user or partner). In some embodiments, and as further illustrated by Figs. 2A-C, the SL-Index 102 provides for user management via a user management module 112 and an accompanying user interface. In some embodiments, and as further illustrated by Figs. 3A-B, the SL-Index 102 provides for receiving and updated financial surveys via a financial survey module 114.

[0049] In some embodiments, the SL-Index 102 provides for generating various reports 116, such as a reports displayed in a user interface on a company dashboard 118, a group dashboard 120 (e.g., a group of companies in a same industry, class, etc.), operation dashboard 122, and a best-in-class (“BIC”) dashboard 124, which are illustrated further by Figs. 4-7.

[0050] In some embodiments, the SL-Index 102 provides for generating various reports 116, such as a reports displayed in a user interface on a company dashboard 118, a group dashboard 120 (e.g., a group of companies in a same industry, class, etc.), operation dashboard 122, and a best-in-class ("BIC") dashboard 124, which are illustrated further by Figs. 4-7. In some embodiments, the reports 116 may be generated by processing financial and operational data submitted through the financial survey module 114 and applying one or more calculations, aggregations, or transformations to produce key performance indicators and comparative metrics. The system may retrieve survey data from a database, perform extract, transform, and load (ETL) operations to normalize and calculate derived values, and populate report tables that areCNZ-03725then rendered in the respective dashboards. In some aspects, the report generation process may involve comparing a partner's submitted data against historical data for that partner, aggregated data from peer companies within a group, or benchmark data from best-in-class performers. The company dashboard 118 may display reports specific to an individual partner's financial and operational performance, while the group dashboard 120 may aggregate and anonymize data across multiple partners to present comparative group-level metrics. The operation dashboard 122 may focus on service delivery metrics and operational efficiency indicators, and the BIC dashboard 124 may present comparisons against top-performing companies to enable partners to identify performance gaps and improvement opportunities.

[0051] Fig. 2A is a hierarchical diagram 200 illustrating user management and permission management according to embodiments of the present disclosure. To manage users, an administrator can select a user 204 and choose a role for that user, and also review permissions 206. The user can be assigned a partner admin role 208, which provides administrator access.

[0052] In the context of a TSP environment, user management is typically performed by a designated administrator within the IT service provider organization. The administrator accesses the S-L Index system through the user management module 202 and navigates to a user selection interface 204. The user selection interface 204 lists all employees and stakeholders associated with the TSP. The selection process allows the administrator to identify specific individuals based on their roles within the TSP, such as financial analysts, operations managers, service technicians, or executive leadership.

[0053] Once a user is selected, the administrator proceeds to assign appropriate roles based on the individual's responsibilities within the TSP organization. For example, a TSP's chief financial officer may be assigned a financial role 210. The financial role user 210 may be assigned one or more of the financial input role 212 and the financial report role 220 to enable comprehensive access to financial data entry and reporting capabilities.CNZ-03725

[0054] Similarly, a service operations manager can receive an operational role 228. The operational role user 228 may also receive one or more of the operational input role 230 and operational report 238 roles to manage and analyze service delivery metrics. The role assignment process considers the TSP's organizational structure, ensuring that users receive access permissions aligned with their job functions and the company's data security policies.

[0055] The permission review process within a TSP environment involves the administrator examining the specific access rights granted to each user role. This review ensures that TSP employees can access only the data and functionality necessary for their job responsibilities while maintaining appropriate segregation of duties. For instance, a TSP administrator might review permissions to ensure that financial input users can enter revenue and expense data but cannot access sensitive operational reports, while operational report users can view service performance metrics but cannot modify financial survey data. This granular permission management helps TSPs maintain data integrity and comply with internal controls and external regulatory requirements.

[0056] The user can also be assigned a financial role 210, such as a financial input role 212 or a financial report role 220. In some embodiments, default permissions for the financial input role 212 include providing all input permissions 214, disabled report permissions 216, and only input location permissions 218. However, an administrator can override these defaults, or other defaults could be configured. In some embodiments, default permission for the financial report role 220 include disabled input permissions 222, enabled report permissions 224, and report access to locations 226. However, an administrator can override these defaults, or other defaults can be used.

[0057] The user can also be assigned an operational role 228, such as an operational input role 230 and an operational report role 238. In some embodiments, default permissions for the operational input role include input permissions to edit surveys and service operations 232, disabled reporting permissions 234, and input access to locations 236. However, an administrator can override these defaults, or other defaults can be employed. In someCNZ-03725embodiments, default permissions for the operational report 238 is disabled input access 240, enabled operation report permissions 242, and report access to locations 244. However, an administrator can override these defaults, or other defaults can be employed.

[0058] Fig. 2B is a diagram 250 illustrating user roles 252 in SL-I according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, SLI is a financial and operational benchmarking application for IT service providers (TSPs). SLI can be a SaaS application that provides partners with multiple options for inputting their financial and operational data and then enables multiple personas online views of all financial benchmark reports and deliverables whenever partner chooses. SLI provides a streamlined user interface using a single SaaS application hosted on the Asio platform. SLI further provides multiple data entry options, such as file upload, import directly from Accounting system (e.g., QuickBooks, etc.), and manual data entry. SLI can further enable partner aggregators (such as Evolve) that integrate enable coach / facilitator views into managed Groups and Partners. SLI can further provide for selfadministration of moves / adds / changes for their own groups / partners. SLI can further provide for enhanced multi-location, multi-company reporting to attract PE-backed partners. In some embodiments, SLI removes dependency from other software platforms, is provided as a third party service with a shared log-in (SSO), and can have the architecture to handle a larger number of partners. Further, SLI can provide an output via multiple channels requiring multiple credentials (e.g., using user permissions and user management).

[0059] Fig. 2B illustrates the partner level user roles of Partners, Facilitators, Evangelists, Partner Admin, Associate Admin, and System Admin. Embodiments of these roles are described in further detail below. All user classes are given access to at least some training resources, at least some access to in-app messaging, and role-specific features in a menu.

[0060] In some embodiments, a partner user can be assigned a Financial Input Role, Operations Input Role, Financial Reporting Role, or Operations Reporting Role as illustrated by Fig. 2A. Partners are provided access to individual and group views, the BIC-o-meter view, and what-if analysis.CNZ-03725

[0061] In some embodiments, a facilitator (or "Coach") is affiliated with an Association and has the responsibility to lead, coach or facilitate meetings for groups of partners within an association. The Facilitator role can access “groups” of partners (e.g., grouped by industry, company size, etc.) and as such can view the financial data of those partners that belong to the group(s) assigned to the facilitator. Facilitators are provided access to group views, the BIC-o-meter view, and what-if analysis.

[0062] The facilitator role represents a specialized user type within the S-L Index system that serves as an intermediary between individual IT service provider partners and the broader association community. Facilitators typically possess extensive industry experience and expertise in financial management, operational optimization, and business development within the IT services sector.

[0063] The Facilitator role can access "groups" of partners (e.g., grouped by industry, company size, etc.) and as such can view the financial data of those partners that belong to the group(s) assigned to the facilitator. This access is carefully controlled through the system's permission management framework, ensuring that facilitators can only view aggregated and anonymized financial data necessary for their coaching responsibilities while maintaining partner confidentiality. The grouping mechanisms may be based on various criteria including predominant business model (PBM), annual revenue ranges, geographic location, service specializations, operational maturity levels, or specific industry verticals such as healthcare IT, financial services technology, or manufacturing support services. In some embodiments, permissions are granted after partners agree to provide access to the aggregated and / or anonymized financial data.

[0064] Facilitators are provided access to group views, the BIC-o-meter view, and what-if analysis. The group views enable facilitators to present comparative performance metrics during coaching sessions, allowing them to highlight industry trends, identify performance gaps, and recommend improvement strategies without revealing individual partner identities. The BIC-o-meter view provides facilitators with best-in-class benchmarking tools that help them guideCNZ-03725partners toward optimal performance levels by comparing group metrics against top-performing companies in similar categories. The what-if analysis functionality empowers facilitators to work collaboratively with partners during coaching sessions to model different business scenarios, test the potential impact of operational changes, evaluate investment decisions, and develop strategic plans based on data-driven projections and industry benchmarks.

[0065] In some embodiments, the system may implement an anonymization module that processes financial and operational data before presenting aggregated views to facilitator users. The anonymization module may apply one or more anonymization techniques to prevent identification of individual partner organizations while preserving the statistical validity of the aggregated data for benchmarking and coaching purposes.

[0066] In some embodiments, the anonymization module may implement a minimum group size threshold that specifies the minimum number of partner organizations required in a group before aggregated data for that group can be displayed to facilitator users. The minimum group size threshold may be configurable by system administrators and may be set to a value such as five, ten, or another number determined to provide adequate privacy protection. When a facilitator requests aggregated data for a group containing fewer partner organizations than the minimum group size threshold, the system may decline to display the aggregated data and may present a message indicating that insufficient data is available for the requested view.

[0067] In some embodiments, the anonymization module may implement data suppression rules that prevent display of aggregated values when the aggregated value could be used to infer individual partner data. For example, if a group contains ten partner organizations but only two have submitted data for a particular metric, the system may suppress display of the aggregated value for that metric to prevent the two contributing partners from being identified. The data suppression rules may specify minimum contribution thresholds as absolute numbers or as percentages of group membership.

[0068] In some embodiments, the anonymization module may implement value perturbation techniques that add controlled noise to aggregated values to prevent precise inference ofCNZ-03725individual partner data. The perturbation may be calibrated to preserve statistical properties of the aggregated data, such as mean values and standard deviations, while preventing identification of individual contributions. The perturbation magnitude may be inversely proportional to the group size, with larger groups receiving less perturbation due to the inherent anonymity provided by aggregation across many partners.

[0069] In some embodiments, the system may implement configurable aggregation rules that specify how financial and operational data from multiple partner organizations is combined for group-level views. The aggregation rules may include options for calculating mean values, median values, percentile values, sum values, or weighted averages across the partner organizations in a group. Different aggregation rules may be applied to different metrics based on the nature of the metric and the intended use of the aggregated data. For example, revenue metrics may be aggregated using sum or mean calculations, while percentage metrics such as gross margin percentage may be aggregated using mean or median calculations to avoid distortion from outlier values.

[0070] In some embodiments, the configurable aggregation rules may include options for excluding outlier values from aggregated calculations. The system may identify outlier values using statistical techniques such as values exceeding a specified number of standard deviations from the mean, values falling outside specified percentile boundaries, or values identified through interquartile range analysis. Exclusion of outlier values may improve the representativeness of aggregated metrics for typical group performance while preventing individual partners with extreme values from being identifiable through their impact on group aggregates.

[0071] In some embodiments, the system may maintain an audit log of facilitator access to aggregated group data. The audit log may record the facilitator identifier, the group identifier, the metrics accessed, the timestamp of access, and the aggregation rules applied. The audit log may be accessible to system administrators and association administrators for compliance monitoring and security review purposes.CNZ-03725

[0072] In some embodiments, the system may implement consent management functionality that tracks which partner organizations have consented to inclusion of their data in aggregated views accessible to facilitators. The consent status may be stored in the Database 924 and may be checked by the anonymization module before including a partner organization's data in aggregated calculations. Partner organizations that have not provided consent, or that have withdrawn previously granted consent, may be excluded from aggregated calculations for facilitator views while still being included in their own individual reports and dashboards.

[0073] In some embodiments, the group dashboard 120 displayed to facilitator users may present aggregated metrics using visualizations that inherently preserve anonymity, such as box plots showing distribution quartiles without individual data points, histograms showing frequency distributions across value ranges, or trend charts showing group-level changes over time without partner- specific trajectories. The visualizations may be generated by the bright gauge charting library 1628 based on aggregated data retrieved from the Database 924 through the anonymization module.

[0074] In some embodiments, Evangelists are high-level consultants who have responsibility for thought leadership across the TSP industry. This role can access industry, association, and individual partner financial information, but does not have administrative access.

[0075] In some embodiments, Evangelists are high-level consultants who have responsibility for thought leadership across the TSP industry. This role can access industry, association, and individual partner financial information, but does not have administrative access.

[0076] The Evangelist role represents the highest level of analytical and strategic oversight within the S-L Index system, serving as industry thought leaders who possess deep expertise in IT service provider business models, financial optimization, and market trends. Evangelists typically have extensive backgrounds in the IT service industry, often having served as executives, consultants, or advisors to multiple IT service providers across various market segments and geographic regions. Their primary responsibility involves analyzing aggregated financial and operational data across the entire TSP ecosystem to identify industry trends,CNZ-03725develop best practices, and provide strategic insights that benefit the broader IT services community.

[0077] The comprehensive access privileges granted to Evangelists enable them to view financial data at multiple organizational levels within the S-L Index system. At the industry level, Evangelists can analyze macro-economic trends affecting the entire IT services sector, including revenue growth patterns, profitability metrics, operational efficiency indicators, and emerging business model transitions. This industry-wide perspective allows them to identify market shifts, competitive dynamics, and economic factors that impact TSP performance across different geographic markets and service specializations.

[0078] At the association level, Evangelists can examine financial performance data aggregated across different TSP associations and communities, enabling comparative analysis between various industry groups and identification of association-specific trends or challenges. This access supports their role in developing targeted recommendations and strategic guidance tailored to the unique characteristics and needs of different TSP communities, whether they focus on specific vertical markets, geographic regions, or service delivery models.

[0079] The individual partner financial information access, while comprehensive, is subject to strict confidentiality and data protection protocols that ensure partner anonymity while enabling meaningful analysis. Evangelists can examine detailed financial and operational metrics from individual TSPs to understand performance variations, identify success factors among topperforming companies, and develop case studies that illustrate best practices without compromising partner confidentiality. This granular access enables them to validate industrywide trends through individual company analysis and develop more nuanced insights into the factors that drive TSP success or failure.

[0080] Despite their extensive data access privileges, Evangelists operate without administrative access to the S-L Index system, meaning they cannot modify user permissions, alter system configurations, manage partner accounts, or perform other administrative functions. This separation of analytical and administrative responsibilities ensures appropriate systemCNZ-03725security while enabling Evangelists to focus exclusively on their core mission of thought leadership and strategic analysis. The restriction of administrative access also maintains clear boundaries between operational system management and strategic analytical functions, supporting proper governance and risk management within the S-L Index platform.

[0081] In some embodiments, a Partner Administrator can manage users and data within their partner account. The Partner Administrator is given access to accuracy and completion reports, user permissions, and user activity.

[0082] In some embodiments, the Association Administrator role can manage members (partners), facilitators, and groups within the association or community they represent. For example, one association can have 400 partners across more than 50 groups lead by almost 40 facilitators. This role can view adds, moves, and retires of partners within the association.

[0083] In some embodiments, a system admin can be the overall system administrator within S-L Index and can access every aspect of the application. A system admin supports all users.

[0084] In some embodiments, a MPD is the Member Performance Dashboard (MPD), an application used by IT Nation Evolve. Each quarter, an auxiliary table, referred to as MPD, is loaded. SLI can export several financial metrics for each evolve member to be exported via API and ingested into the MPD application. In some embodiments, MPD API functionality is available to the Association Admin role and is represented by the "Aggregate Association Views" box illustrated by Fig. 2B.

[0085] In some embodiments, Trengine a BI Toolkit for the Evangelist role. Trengine can be an spreadsheet based business analytics tool used by the Service Leadership consultants, such as Evangelists. Trengine can provide deep financial analysis across the entire TSP industry. In some embodiments, it can exist within the S-L Index application and outside of a spreadsheet applications.CNZ-03725Table 1 - Partner Level Entities

[0086] In some embodiments, users can be added or migrated by a provisioning process. Existing users can be migrated. An association can also override or manually provision users.

[0087] In some embodiments, multiple users, based on their roles and / or company sites, can perform data entry for a partner.

[0088] In some embodiments, administrator users can perform administrative functions like assigning partners to group (e.g., group management) or run administrative reports (e.g., determine which partners completed quarterly inputs).

[0089] Fig. 2C is a diagram 260 illustrating Users, Roles and User Groups according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0090] In some embodiments, there are three categories of roles. For the three categories of roles, all users have single-sign on accounts. The three categories of roles are partners, users, internal users, and external users, and they are detailed by Table 2, below.CNZ-03725Table 2 - Users, Roles, and User Groups&& >&&>> > &

[0091] In some embodiments, in the case of a retired partner, an SLI number can becollected and attached to historical surveys for that partner. SLI can be purchased from a marketplace or sales organization.

[0092] The system implements the member roles illustrated in Figs. 2A-C through a hierarchical permission management architecture that controls access to financial and operational data across multiple organizational levels. The user permissions system operates through a rolebased access control (RBAC) framework where each user role is assigned specific permissions that determine which system functions, data views, and administrative capabilities the user may access.

[0093] In some embodiments, the authorization tokens mechanism employs single sign-on (SSO) authentication through the ConnectWise authentication service integrated with the Asio platform. When a user initiates a login request, the system generates an SSO token that contains encoded information about the user's assigned roles and associated permissions. The SSO token is transmitted via HTTPS to the authentication service, which validates the user's credentials and returns a JSON Web Token (JWT) containing the user's role assignments. The SLI backendCNZ-03725module receives the JWT and extracts the role information to determine the appropriate access level for the user session.

[0094] In some embodiments, the system implements a two-tier role assignment structure for partner users. The first tier comprises platform-level roles obtained from the ConnectWise user management system, including SLI Partner Admin 264 and SLI Partner User 264 roles. These platform-level roles are encoded in the JWT token returned by the authentication service. The second tier comprises internal application-level roles that provide granular control over specific system functions. For partner users with the SLI Partner User role, the system queries the database to retrieve additional internal role assignments such as Financial Input 212, Financial Report 220, Operational Input 230, or Operational Report 238 roles. The system combines the platform-level and application-level role information to construct a complete permission profile for the user session.

[0095] In some embodiments, access permissions for financial data of partner companies are managed through a location-based access control mechanism. Each partner may have multiple sites or locations, and user permissions may be configured to grant access to specific locations within the partner organization. For users with Financial Input roles 212, the system grants input permissions 214 that allow data entry and modification of financial survey data for assigned locations 218, while report permissions remain disabled 216 by default. For users with Financial Report roles 220, the system grants report permissions 224 that allow viewing of financial reports and dashboards for assigned locations 226, while input permissions remain disabled 222 by default. The system stores location- specific permission assignments in the database and validates these permissions each time a user attempts to access financial data or reports.

[0096] In some embodiments, the system implements distinct authorization pathways for internal users and external users. For internal users such as S-L Admin 270, Evangelist, Association Admin 268, and Facilitator roles 266, the system stores role assignments and permissions entirely within the SLI database. When these users authenticate via SSO, the JWT token may not contain specific SLI permissions, but the system queries the internal database toCNZ-03725retrieve the user's role and associated permissions. This approach allows the system to grant access to internal resources without requiring platform-level role assignments for users who do not need access to other ConnectWise applications.

[0097] In some embodiments, the system implements hierarchical access permissions for group and association management. Facilitator roles 266 are assigned to specific groups within an association, and the system grants these users access to view aggregated financial data for all partners within their assigned groups. The permission framework ensures that facilitators 266 may only access data for groups to which they have been explicitly assigned, preventing unauthorized access to other groups within the same association. Association Admin roles 268 receive broader permissions that allow management of all partners, facilitators, and groups within their association, including the ability to add, modify, or retire partner memberships and facilitator assignments.

[0098] In some embodiments, the system implements permission inheritance and override mechanisms for Partner Admin roles 264. By default, users assigned the Partner Admin role 264 receive comprehensive permissions including all input permissions, all report permissions, and access to user management functions for their partner organization. The system allows Partner Admin users 264 to assign roles and permissions to other users within their organization, subject to constraints that prevent Partner Admin users 264 from granting permissions beyond their own access level. The system validates permission assignments through a hierarchical permission checking algorithm that traverses the role hierarchy to ensure that delegated permissions do not exceed the delegating user's authority.

[0099] In some embodiments, the authorization tokens mechanism includes token refresh and expiration management. The system generates time-limited JWT tokens that expire after a predetermined session duration, requiring users to re-authenticate to obtain new tokens. The system may implement a token refresh mechanism that allows active user sessions to obtain new tokens without requiring full re-authentication, provided the original token has not exceeded itsCNZ-03725maximum lifetime. The system stores token metadata in the database to track active sessions and enable administrative functions such as forced logout or session termination.

[0100] In some embodiments, access permissions for financial data are enforced at multiple system layers. At the API layer, the SLI backend module validates the user's JWT token and queries the database to retrieve the user's complete permission profile before processing any data access request. The system checks whether the requested operation (such as viewing a financial report or editing survey data) is permitted for the user's assigned roles and whether the user has access to the specific partner, group, or association involved in the request. At the database layer, the system implements view-based access control where different database views are configured to return only the data that the requesting user is authorized to access based on their role and location assignments.

[0101] In some embodiments, the system implements audit logging for permission-related operations. Each time a user's permissions are modified, the system records the change in an audit table that includes fields for the user identifier, the modified permission, the user who made the modification, and a timestamp. The system may also log access attempts to sensitive financial data, recording which users accessed which partner's financial information and when the access occurred. These audit logs support compliance requirements and enable administrators to review access patterns and identify potential security issues.

[0102] In some embodiments, the system implements dynamic permission evaluation for survey data access. When multiple users from the same partner organization access survey data concurrently, the system evaluates each user's permissions independently to determine which survey sections they may view or edit. Users with Financial Input roles 212 may access revenue, COGS, and gross margin sections, while users with Operational Input roles 230 may access service operations and organizational sections. The system prevents users from accessing survey sections for which they lack appropriate permissions by rendering those sections as read-only or hiding them entirely from the user interface.CNZ-03725

[0103] Fig.3A is a diagram 300 illustrating the use of financial surveys according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the user can access a financial survey interface (302). The user can select an existing survey (304). The user can view the survey (306), which displays sections of the existing survey (310). In some embodiments, the sections can include, but are not limited to, balance sheet fields, revenue fields, costs of goods sold (COGS) fields, gross margin fields, operating expenses fields, people & organization fields, services operations fields, principal compensation fields, research and development fields, Operational Maturity Level (OML) fields, and a review section. This lists of fields is nonlimiting and merely exemplary. It can be recognized that the fields described in this application can refer to these, and other, fields. The user can also edit the existing survey (308). The user can view and edit fields (312), and then save the survey for later submission (316), or submit the survey (314). When the user submits the survey, the system can run a validity check (318). If the survey is invalid, it can save the survey and set the status to in progress” (322). If the survey is valid, it can submit the survey successfully (320).

[0104] In some embodiments, the user can also create a new survey (324). To begin this process, the user chooses a quarter (326). The system can then determine whether a survey already exists for this quarter (328). If there is no existing survey, the user can be asked to choose a survey creation method (332). If so, the system asks the user whether to override the existing survey (330). If the user selects no, it can be directed to edit that existing survey, per the above. If user does select to override the existing survey, it can choose the survey creation method (332).

[0105] In some embodiments, the survey creation methods can comprise manual data entry (334), uploading from a Microsoft® Excel® or other CSV or table format (336), or importing from an application such as Quickbooks® (338). When the user selects Manual Entry, the user can enter data into fields manually (340). The user can view and edit fields, and then save the survey for later submission (342), or submit the survey (344). When the user submitsCNZ-03725the survey, the system can run a validity check (331). If the survey is invalid, it can save the survey (349). If the survey is valid, it can submit the survey successfully (348).

[0106] The user can further upload the survey from a spreadsheet format (e.g., Excel®, CSV). The user can then download the template (342), add data offline (343), and upload the CSV / spreadsheet file (337). The system can determine whether the survey upload is valid (341). If not, then the system prompts for re-upload (346). If so, the system can import the survey upload (337). Upon import, the system can run a validity check (343). If the survey is invalid, it can save the survey (335). If the survey is valid, the user can submit the survey successfully (333).

[0107] In some embodiments, S-L Index collects financial and operational data from partners. For example, surveys can be employed to collect the financial and operational data from partners. Input forms of the survey (e.g., user interfaces) can be organized into one or more sections (e.g., BalanceSheet, GrossMargin, Revenue etc.) based on the categories of data requested.

[0108] Fig. 3B is a diagram 350 illustrating updating a survey using a survey form description JSON file 352. In some embodiments, an administrator of S-L Index (e.g., Users, Roles and User Groups for role of S-L Admin) updates the contents of the survey form. The updates can comprise adding a new field, changing the descriptions, changing the formulas for calculated fields, etc. The updates can be provided, for example, via a Survey Form Field Description JSON file 352 via a user interface 354. Survey Form Field Description JSON file 352 can comprise a description of the sections, the fields, and corresponding descriptions of each in each of the sections.

[0109] In some embodiments, a user interface 354 (e.g., a computer-generated user interface can display the sections of the survey. A backend module 356 can interface between a database 362 and the user interface 354. The database (DB) 362 can comprise tables 360 andviews 358. The database 362 can be organized per section and can employ the JSON file 352 as the basis to add columns. In some embodiments, a backend SurveyDataEntry DB can beCNZ-03725checked for more details on the tables and views. Any change in the survey input form can be reflected in both the JSON file and the DB (tables and views).

[0110] In some embodiments, the survey form field description JSON file 352 may serve as a single source of truth that simultaneously defines both the user interface structure and the database schema for survey data storage. The JSON file 352 may comprise a hierarchical data structure containing section definitions, field definitions, and metadata that govern both frontend rendering and backend data organization.

[0111] In some embodiments, each section definition within the JSON file 352 may include a section identifier, a section display name, a section display order, and an array of field definitions. Each field definition may include a field identifier, a field display name, a field data type selected from the data types illustrated in Table 3, a field display order within the section, validation rules specifying acceptable value ranges or formats, calculation formulas for derived fields, and display properties such as position, color, and formatting instructions.

[0112] In some embodiments, the system may implement a schema synchronization process that propagates changes from the JSON file 352 to the database 362 structure. When an administrator modifies the JSON file 352 to add a new field to a survey section, the backend module 356 may parse the updated JSON file 352 and generate corresponding database schema modification commands. The schema modification commands may include ALTER TABLE statements to add new columns to the appropriate survey section tables 360, with column data types derived from the field data type specified in the JSON file 352. The backend module 356 may further generate or update database views 358 to include the new fields in read operations.

[0113] In some embodiments, the schema synchronization process may be triggered automatically upon detection of changes to the JSON file 352, or may be initiated manually by an administrator through an administrative interface. The synchronization process may include validation steps to ensure that proposed schema changes are compatible with existing data, suchCNZ-03725as verifying that new required fields have default values specified or that data type changes do not result in data loss.

[0114] In some embodiments, the survey form Tenderer 1624 may parse the JSON file 352 at runtime to dynamically generate the survey input form displayed in the user interface 354. The survey form Tenderer 1624 may iterate through the section definitions in the JSON file 352 and render each section as a collapsible panel or tab within the user interface. For each field definition within a section, the survey form Tenderer 1624 may instantiate an appropriate input control based on the field data type, such as a text input for string fields, a numeric input for currency or percentage fields, or a dropdown selector for enumerated fields. The survey form Tenderer 1624 may apply display properties from the JSON file 352 to control the visual appearance and layout of each field, and may attach validation handlers based on the validation rules specified in the JSON file 352.

[0115] In some embodiments, the correspondence between the JSON file 352 structure and the database 362 schema may be maintained through a naming convention that maps JSON field identifiers to database column names. The backend module 356 may use the field identifiers from the JSON file 352 as column names when creating or modifying database tables 360, ensuring that data submitted through the dynamically rendered form can be stored in the corresponding database columns without requiring explicit mapping configuration.

[0116] The fields in a survey section (e.g., COGS) in the UI can be of the types illustrated in Table 3.Table 3 - Survey Field Data Types

[0117] In some embodiments, existing surveys can be migrated from a previous system to SL-Index. Financial data can be ported from the previous system to SL-Index. An S-L IndexCNZ-03725administrator can map the entity (e.g., company) from the previous system to an entity (e.g., partner) in S-L Index. SLI can then assign an identifier e.g., index, number, customer number, partner number) to the entity in S-L Index.

[0118] In some embodiments, retired members can be migrated after making a purchase. An S-L Admin can attach the partner to historical surveys (e.g., using the SLI number).

[0119] In some embodiments, active members can be migrated with or without accounts. For members without an account, those members can create an account and follow the process to become a CW partner. For members with existing accounts, these members can locate a partner, provision the partner to have S-L Index, configure an SLI number in a partner account, determine which user is assigned benchmarking admin role, and associate historical survey data to the partner.

[0120] Fig. 4 is a diagram 400 illustrating a company dashboard 402 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The company dashboard 402 can display, for example, total revenue 404, total gross margin 404, adjusted EBITDA percentage 406, manage services revenue 408, gross margin 412, multiple of wages 414, additional reports 416, operational maturity level 418, last four survey statuses 420, etc. for a given company. In addition, the system can derive, from one or more of these metrics, and display revenue by line of business 422a and details of the same 422b, gross margin dollars 424a and details of the same 424b, EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA 426a and details of the same 426b, sales in general and administrative expenses 428a and details of the same 428b, managed services revenue breakdown and managed security as a percentage of total revenue 430a and details of the same 430b, quarter over quarter change 432a and managed security as a percentage of total revenue in gross margin dollars and SG&A dollars and details of the same 432b, multiple of wages for service and sales 434a and details of the same 434b, eight quarter income statement 436a and details of the same 436b, etc. It can be recognized that these metrics and derivations of same are non-limiting and other metrics and derivations can be displayed and calculated.CNZ-03725

[0121] Fig. 5 is a diagram 500 illustrating features of a group dashboard 502 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The group dashboard can display, for example, total revenue 504, total gross margin 505, adjusted EBITDA percentage 506, SG&A expenses 508, managed services revenue 510, gross margin 512, multiple of wages 514, additional reports 516 of miscellaneous metrics, and included / excluded partners 518, etc for a group (e.g., of companies in an industry, stage of development, etc.), operational maturity level, and last four survey statuses. In addition, the system can derive, from one or more of these metrics, and display revenue by line of business 522a and details of the same 522b, gross margin dollars 524a and details of the same 524b, EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA 526a and details of the same 526b, sales in general and administrative expenses in dollars 528a and details of the same 528b, managed services revenue breakdown and managed security as a percentage of total revenue 530a and details of the same 530b, quarter over quarter change in gross margin dollars and SG&A dollars 532a and details of the same 532b, eight quarter income statement, etc., multiple of wages for service and sales, 534a and details of the same 534b. The additional reports 516 can include one or more of a risk and reward matrix 536a, gross margin all members compared 536b, EBITDA all members compared 536c, and included partners 538a. The included / excluded partners 518 report can include an included partners view 538a and an excluded partners view 538b. It can be recognized that these metrics and derivations of same are non-limiting and other metrics and derivations can be displayed and calculated.

[0122] Fig. 6 is a diagram 600 illustrating features of an operation dashboard according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The operation dashboard 602 can display, for example, total revenue 604, total gross margin (not shown), adjusted EBITDA percentage (not shown), manage services revenue (not shown), gross margin (not shown), service gross margin 605, tickets per endpoint 608, endpoints per engineer 610, total hours per end user 612, multiple of wages 614, additional reports 616, operational maturity level, last four (not shown), survey status (not shown), etc for an operational group. In addition, the system can derive, from one or more of these metrics, and display revenue by line of business 622a, which can include grossCNZ-03725margin dollars, EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA, sales in general and administrative expenses, managed services revenue breakdown and managed security as a percentage of total revenue and details of the same 622b, infra services revenue and gross margin 624a and details of the same 624b, gross margin percentage by infrastructure services line of business 626a and details of the same 626b, service operations volume detail revenue 628a and details of the same 628b, service operations efficiency 630a and details of same 630b, total reactive hours per endpoint / user 632a and details of same 632b, and multiple of wages for infrastructure and application service and overall with trend 634. In some embodiments, the additional report 616 can include or provide a revenue per ticket / endpoint / user 636a, quarterly recurring revenue 636b, fee per user per month 636c, user per contract 636d, or full detail view 636e. In some embodiments, the metrics can include, for example, quarter over quarter change in gross margin dollars and SG&A dollars, multiple of wages for service and sales, eight quarter income statement, etc. The additional report can further provide a revenue per ticket / endpoint / user, quarterly recurring revenue, fee per user per month, user per contract, or full detail view. It can be recognized that these metrics and derivations of same are non-limiting and other metrics and derivations can be displayed and calculated.

[0123] Fig. 7 is a diagram 700 illustrating features of a BIC module 702 / dashboard according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The BIC dashboard can display P&L planning 704, additional detail 706, financial diagnostics / RX 708, a guide to using the P&L tab 710, and a frequently-asked-questions section 712. In some embodiments, it can be recognized that the P&L planning 704 and financial diagnostics / RX 708 tool can compare a given company to a "best-in-class" company or groups of companies in an industry (e.g., last four surveys), group, association, etc. For example, a company can compare its financial metrics to a top 5% of companies within a given grouping.

[0124] In some embodiments, a flowchart (now shown) can illustrate a projected path for a partner based on the company data. For example, by comparing a company data to historical data of company growth in that company’s field, the flowchart can illustrate a next step for theCNZ-03725company to take. In some embodiments, the user interface can highlight a path along the flowchart that it has determined the company to take. In some embodiments, the flowchart can recommend an action based on whether metrics of the company

[0125] In some embodiments, a flowchart (not shown) can illustrate a projected path for a partner based on the company data. For example, by comparing a company data to historical data of company growth in that company's field, the flowchart can illustrate a next step for the company to take. In some embodiments, the user interface can highlight a path along the flowchart that it has determined the company to take. In some embodiments, the flowchart can recommend an action based on whether metrics of the company meet, exceed, or fall below predetermined thresholds associated with best-in-class performance benchmarks.

[0126] In some embodiments, the projected path flowchart can comprise multiple decision nodes representing key business milestones or operational stages that IT service providers typically progress through as they mature and grow. The flowchart can include nodes representing different Operational Maturity Levels (OMLs), revenue tiers, profitability thresholds, and service delivery capability stages. The system can analyze the partner's current financial and operational metrics submitted through the financial survey module 114 and determine which node on the flowchart most accurately represents the partner's current position within the industry progression model.

[0127] In some embodiments, the system can compare the partner's key performance indicators, such as Service Multiple of Wages, Sales Multiple of Wages, gross margin percentages, EBITDA percentages, and managed services revenue as a percentage of total revenue, against historical data from companies that have successfully progressed along similar growth trajectories. Based on this comparison, the system can identify patterns and correlations between specific metric improvements and successful advancement to subsequent stages of business development.

[0128] In some embodiments, the user interface can visually distinguish the recommended path by rendering the suggested progression route in a highlighted color, increased lineCNZ-03725thickness, or animated visual indicator that draws the user's attention to the recommended next steps. Alternative paths that the partner could potentially take may be displayed in a muted or secondary visual style to provide context while emphasizing the system's primary recommendation.

[0129] In some embodiments, the flowchart can recommend specific actions based on gap analysis between the partner's current metrics and the metrics typically associated with companies at the next stage of development. The computer system can determine the recommended specific actions by executing a gap analysis algorithm that compares the partner's submitted financial and operational data against benchmark thresholds stored in the database. The system can retrieve the partner's current key performance indicators from the survey data tables, including gross margin percentage, service multiple of wages, sales multiple of wages, EBITDA percentage, and operational efficiency metrics such as tickets per endpoint and endpoints per engineer. The system can then query the database to retrieve benchmark threshold values associated with companies that have successfully advanced to the next Operational Maturity Level (OML) tier or revenue tier, where these benchmark values are derived from historical analysis of aggregated partner data. The gap analysis algorithm can calculate the difference between each of the partner's current metrics and the corresponding benchmark threshold, generating a gap score for each metric category. The system can rank the gap scores to identify which metrics exhibit the largest deviation from target benchmarks, and can apply a rules engine that maps specific gap patterns to corresponding recommended actions stored in an action recommendation table. For example, if the partner's gross margin percentage falls below the threshold typically achieved by companies advancing to the next OML tier, the system can query the action recommendation table to retrieve actions associated with gross margin improvement, such as adjusting pricing strategies, reducing cost of goods sold, or shifting revenue mix toward higher-margin service offerings. If the partner's service operations efficiency metrics, such as tickets per endpoint or endpoints per engineer, indicate operational inefficiencies based on comparison against benchmark thresholds, the system can retrieveCNZ-03725corresponding recommendations from the action recommendation table, such as process improvements, technology investments, or staffing adjustments. The system can further prioritize the recommended actions based on the magnitude of the gap scores and the historical effectiveness of each action type as determined from analysis of partners that previously implemented similar actions and achieved metric improvements.

[0130] In some embodiments, the flowchart can incorporate time-based projections indicating estimated timeframes for achieving recommended milestones based on the partner's current trajectory and historical data from similar companies. The system can calculate projected dates for reaching specific revenue targets, profitability goals, or operational maturity levels assuming the partner implements the recommended actions and achieves metric improvements consistent with historical patterns observed in the benchmarking database. The system can generate the estimated timeframes by executing a time projection algorithm that retrieves historical progression data from the database for companies that have previously advanced through similar stages of development. The algorithm can identify a cohort of comparable companies based on matching criteria including Predominant Business Model (PBM), initial revenue tier, starting Operational Maturity Level (OML), and geographic region. For each milestone in the projected path, the system can query the database to retrieve the time intervals that companies in the comparable cohort required to progress from the partner's current stage to the target milestone. The system can calculate statistical measures from the retrieved time intervals, including median progression time, mean progression time, and percentile distributions representing optimistic, expected, and conservative timeframe estimates. The algorithm can further adjust the baseline timeframe estimates based on the partner's current rate of metric improvement as determined from analysis of the partner's submitted quarterly survey data. For example, if the partner's gross margin percentage has improved at a rate exceeding the median improvement rate observed in the comparable cohort, the system can apply a scaling factor to reduce the estimated timeframe proportionally. Conversely, if the partner's metrics indicate slower-than-average improvement rates, the system can extend the estimated timeframesCNZ-03725accordingly. The system can display the projected timeframes in the user interface adjacent to each milestone node in the flowchart, presenting the estimates as date ranges or time intervals with confidence indicators reflecting the variability observed in the historical data.

[0131] In some embodiments, the system may store recommended actions and their associations with performance gaps in an action recommendation table within the Database 924.The action recommendation table may comprise fields including an action identifier that uniquely identifies each recommended action, an action description providing a textual explanation of the recommended action, one or more associated gap patterns that define the performance deficiency conditions under which the action is recommended, a priority weight derived from historical effectiveness data indicating the relative importance or likelihood of success for the action, and an estimated time to implementation indicating the typical duration required to implement the action. The action recommendation table may be structured as a relational database table with foreign key relationships to other tables storing gap pattern definitions, performance deficiency categories, and historical outcome records. In some aspects, the system may query the action recommendation table by matching identified gap patterns against the stored gap pattern associations to retrieve a set of recommended actions applicable to the partner organization's current performance state.

[0132] In some embodiments, the system may implement a feedback mechanism for tracking the implementation and effectiveness of recommended actions. When a user associated with a partner organization indicates through the user interface that a recommended action has been implemented, the system may record the implementation event in the Database 924 along with a timestamp and the key performance indicator values at the time of implementation. The system may subsequently monitor financial and operational data submitted by the partner organization through subsequent survey submissions to track changes in key performance indicator values after implementation. The system may calculate an effectiveness score for each implemented action by comparing the change in relevant key performance indicator valuesCNZ-03725against expected improvement thresholds. In some aspects, the effectiveness score may be calculated as a ratio of actual improvement to expected improvement, or as a percentage change in the gap score for the targeted key performance indicator. The system may update the historical effectiveness data in the action recommendation table based on the calculated effectiveness scores, adjusting the priority weight associated with each action. In some embodiments, the priority weight may be increased when the effectiveness score exceeds a positive threshold indicating successful outcomes, and decreased when the effectiveness score falls below a negative threshold indicating unsuccessful or counterproductive outcomes. This feedback mechanism enables the system to continuously improve recommendation quality based on real-world outcomes observed across the population of partner organizations.

[0133] In some embodiments, the system may calculate gap scores for each key performance indicator using a gap analysis algorithm. The gap analysis algorithm may normalize the current value of each key performance indicator and the corresponding benchmark threshold value to a common scale to enable comparison across metrics with different units and ranges. Normalization may be performed using techniques such as min-max scaling, z-score standardization, or percentile ranking based on the distribution of values observed across the population of partner organizations. The algorithm may compute a signed difference between the normalized current value and the normalized benchmark threshold value, where positive values indicate performance exceeding the benchmark and negative values indicate performance falling below the benchmark. The algorithm may apply a weighting factor to each signed difference based on the relative importance of the key performance indicator to overall organizational performance, where weighting factors may be determined based on correlation analysis between each key performance indicator and measures of organizational success such as profitability, growth rate, or client retention. The system may rank the weighted gap scores to identify the key performance indicators exhibiting the largest deviation from benchmark threshold values,CNZ-03725prioritizing negative deviations that indicate underperformance relative to the target performance tier.

[0134] In some embodiments, a gap pattern may comprise a combination of two or more gap scores that collectively indicate a specific performance deficiency category. Performance deficiency categories may include, but are not limited to, service delivery inefficiency, pricing misalignment, operational overhead excess, revenue concentration risk, and workforce utilization imbalance. The system may define gap patterns using pattern templates that specify which key performance indicators must exhibit gaps, the required direction of each gap (above or below benchmark), and optional magnitude thresholds indicating minimum gap scores required for inclusion in the pattern. In some aspects, gap patterns may include a temporal component indicating gap persistence across multiple survey periods, such that a gap pattern is only matched when the constituent gaps have persisted for a specified number of consecutive quarters. Gap patterns may further include correlation indicators that identify gap scores which historically cooccur based on analysis of historical data from the population of partner organizations. The system may store gap pattern definitions in a gap patterns table within the Database 924, with each pattern definition comprising a pattern identifier, a list of constituent key performance indicators, direction indicators, magnitude thresholds, temporal persistence requirements, and mappings to one or more recommended actions in the action recommendation table.

[0135] In some embodiments, the target performance tier may comprise an Operational Maturity Level (OML) tier. OML tiers may represent stages of organizational development and operational capability for IT service providers, ranging from initial or ad-hoc operations through optimized and industry-leading performance levels. Each OML tier may be associated with characteristic ranges of key performance indicator values that are typically achieved by partner organizations operating at that maturity level. The system may derive benchmark threshold values for each OML tier by analyzing historical financial and operational data from partner organizations that have demonstrated sustained performance at each tier level. In some aspects,CNZ-03725the benchmark threshold values may represent median, mean, or percentile values of key performance indicators observed among partner organizations classified at each OML tier. The system may enable partner organizations to select a target OML tier representing their desired performance level, and the gap analysis may compare the partner organization's current key performance indicator values against the benchmark thresholds associated with the selected target tier. In some embodiments, the system may automatically recommend the next higher OML tier as the target performance tier based on the partner organization's current classification.

[0136] In some embodiments, the plurality of key performance indicators used in gap analysis may include metrics specific to IT service provider operations. These metrics may include, but are not limited to, tickets per endpoint representing the volume of service requests relative to the number of managed endpoints, endpoints per engineer representing the workload distribution across technical staff, total hours per end user representing service delivery intensity, service multiple of wages representing the ratio of service revenue to service labor costs, sales multiple of wages representing the ratio of sales revenue to sales labor costs, gross margin percentage, EBITDA percentage, managed services revenue as a percentage of total revenue, and infrastructure services gross margin percentage. The system may retrieve these key performance indicators from survey data submitted by partner organizations through the financial survey module 114 and processed by the ETL Module 925. The gap analysis algorithm may compare each of these key performance indicators against corresponding benchmark threshold values to identify performance gaps and generate recommendations.

[0137] In some embodiments, the gap analysis and recommendation generation process may be integrated with the survey lifecycle management functionality. The system may trigger gap analysis operations responsive to a survey status field in the Database 924 indicating that a financial survey for a partner organization has been submitted and processed by the ETL Module 925. Upon completion of ETL processing, the SLI Backend 922 may automatically invoke the gap analysis algorithm to calculate gap scores based on the newly submitted surveyCNZ-03725data. In some aspects, the system may perform gap analysis only after the survey status field indicates that the financial survey is closed for a specified time period, ensuring that the analysis is based on finalized data. The system may further incorporate financial and operational data from closed financial surveys into the aggregated data used to derive benchmark threshold values for subsequent gap analysis operations for other partner organizations. This integration ensures that benchmark thresholds remain current and reflect the evolving performance characteristics of the partner organization population.

[0138] In some embodiments, the system may filter recommended actions based on the user role associated with the user viewing the recommendations. The system may determine the user role by querying the partner users table 1410 and partner roles table 1412 in the Database 924 to retrieve role assignments for the authenticated user. For users assigned the facilitator role, the system may filter the prioritized recommended actions to include only recommendations applicable to a group of partner organizations assigned to the facilitator, excluding recommendations specific to individual partner financial data that the facilitator is not authorized to view. For users assigned the partner administrator role, the system may filter the prioritized recommended actions to include recommendations specific to the partner organization and exclude recommendations requiring system administrator privileges. For users assigned financial input or operational input roles, the system may filter recommendations to include only those related to the user's area of responsibility. The filtered role-specific recommended actions may comprise a subset of the full set of prioritized recommended actions, ensuring that each user receives recommendations that are actionable within the scope of their assigned permissions and responsibilities.

[0139] In some embodiments, the gap analysis and recommendation generation functionality may be implemented using the system architecture illustrated in Fig. 9. The SLIBackend 922 may execute the gap analysis algorithm, including retrieving financial and operational data from the Database 924, calculating gap scores, querying the actionCNZ-03725recommendation table, and prioritizing recommended actions based on gap magnitude and historical effectiveness data. The Database 924 may store the financial and operational data submitted through surveys, the benchmark threshold values derived from aggregated partner data, the action recommendation table containing mappings between gap patterns and recommended actions, and the historical effectiveness data tracking outcomes of previously implemented recommendations. The SLI UI 910 may communicate with the SLIBackend 922 through the reverse proxy implemented as the Asio Platform API Gateway to request gap analysis results and display the prioritized recommended actions to users. The SLI UI 910 may render the recommendations using interface components that enable users to view recommendation details, indicate implementation of recommendations, and navigate to related reports and dashboards.

[0140] In some embodiments, the system may generate a projected path flowchart illustrating a progression from a current performance tier of the partner organization to a target performance tier. The projected path flowchart may comprise multiple decision nodes representing key business milestones or operational stages, including nodes representing different Operational Maturity Level tiers, revenue tiers, profitability thresholds, and service delivery capability stages. The system may highlight a recommended progression route on the flowchart by rendering the suggested path in a visually distinctive manner, such as a highlighted color, increased line thickness, or animated visual indicator. Alternative paths that the partner organization could potentially take may be displayed in a muted or secondary visual style to provide context while emphasizing the primary recommendation. The system may calculate estimated timeframes for achieving milestones along the recommended progression route by analyzing historical progression data from partner organizations in a comparable cohort. The comparable cohort may be identified based on matching criteria including Predominant Business Model, initial revenue tier, starting Operational Maturity Level, and geographic region. The system may calculate statistical measures from historical time intervals, including medianCNZ-03725progression time, mean progression time, and percentile distributions representing optimistic, expected, and conservative timeframe estimates. The system may adjust baseline timeframe estimates based on the partner organization's current rate of metric improvement as determined from analysis of submitted quarterly survey data, applying scaling factors to reduce or extend estimates based on whether the partner's improvement rate exceeds or falls below the median rate observed in the comparable cohort.

[0141] In some embodiments, the system may store recommended actions and their associations with performance gaps in an action recommendation table within the Database 924.The action recommendation table may comprise fields including an action identifier that uniquely identifies each recommended action, an action description providing a textual explanation of the recommended action, one or more associated gap patterns that define the performance deficiency conditions under which the action is recommended, a priority weight derived from historical effectiveness data indicating the relative importance or likelihood of success for the action, and an estimated time to implementation indicating the typical duration required to implement the action. The action recommendation table may be structured as a relational database table with foreign key relationships to other tables storing gap pattern definitions, performance deficiency categories, and historical outcome records. In some aspects, the system may query the action recommendation table by matching identified gap patterns against the stored gap pattern associations to retrieve a set of recommended actions applicable to the partner organization's current performance state.

[0142] In some embodiments, the system may implement a feedback mechanism for tracking the implementation and effectiveness of recommended actions. When a user associated with a partner organization indicates through the user interface that a recommended action has been implemented, the system may record the implementation event in the Database 924 along with a timestamp and the key performance indicator values at the time of implementation. The system may subsequently monitor financial and operational data submitted by the partnerCNZ-03725organization through subsequent survey submissions to track changes in key performance indicator values after implementation. The system may calculate an effectiveness score for each implemented action by comparing the change in relevant key performance indicator values against expected improvement thresholds. In some aspects, the effectiveness score may be calculated as a ratio of actual improvement to expected improvement, or as a percentage change in the gap score for the targeted key performance indicator. The system may update the historical effectiveness data in the action recommendation table based on the calculated effectiveness scores, adjusting the priority weight associated with each action. In some embodiments, the priority weight may be increased when the effectiveness score exceeds a positive threshold indicating successful outcomes, and decreased when the effectiveness score falls below a negative threshold indicating unsuccessful or counterproductive outcomes. This feedback mechanism enables the system to continuously improve recommendation quality based on real-world outcomes observed across the population of partner organizations.

[0143] In some embodiments, the system may calculate gap scores for each key performance indicator using a gap analysis algorithm. The gap analysis algorithm may normalize the current value of each key performance indicator and the corresponding benchmark threshold value to a common scale to enable comparison across metrics with different units and ranges. Normalization may be performed using techniques such as min-max scaling, z-score standardization, or percentile ranking based on the distribution of values observed across the population of partner organizations. The algorithm may compute a signed difference between the normalized current value and the normalized benchmark threshold value, where positive values indicate performance exceeding the benchmark and negative values indicate performance falling below the benchmark. The algorithm may apply a weighting factor to each signed difference based on the relative importance of the key performance indicator to overall organizational performance, where weighting factors may be determined based on correlation analysis between each key performance indicator and measures of organizational success such as profitability,CNZ-03725growth rate, or client retention. The system may rank the weighted gap scores to identify the key performance indicators exhibiting the largest deviation from benchmark threshold values, prioritizing negative deviations that indicate underperformance relative to the target performance tier.

[0144] In some embodiments, a gap pattern may comprise a combination of two or more gap scores that collectively indicate a specific performance deficiency category. Performance deficiency categories may include, but are not limited to, service delivery inefficiency, pricing misalignment, operational overhead excess, revenue concentration risk, and workforce utilization imbalance. The system may define gap patterns using pattern templates that specify which key performance indicators must exhibit gaps, the required direction of each gap (above or below benchmark), and optional magnitude thresholds indicating minimum gap scores required for inclusion in the pattern. In some aspects, gap patterns may include a temporal component indicating gap persistence across multiple survey periods, such that a gap pattern is only matched when the constituent gaps have persisted for a specified number of consecutive quarters. Gap patterns may further include correlation indicators that identify gap scores which historically cooccur based on analysis of historical data from the population of partner organizations. The system may store gap pattern definitions in a gap patterns table within the Database 924, with each pattern definition comprising a pattern identifier, a list of constituent key performance indicators, direction indicators, magnitude thresholds, temporal persistence requirements, and mappings to one or more recommended actions in the action recommendation table.

[0145] In some embodiments, the target performance tier may comprise an Operational Maturity Level (OML) tier. OML tiers may represent stages of organizational development and operational capability for IT service providers, ranging from initial or ad-hoc operations through optimized and industry-leading performance levels. Each OML tier may be associated with characteristic ranges of key performance indicator values that are typically achieved by partner organizations operating at that maturity level. The system may derive benchmark thresholdCNZ-03725values for each OML tier by analyzing historical financial and operational data from partner organizations that have demonstrated sustained performance at each tier level. In some aspects, the benchmark threshold values may represent median, mean, or percentile values of key performance indicators observed among partner organizations classified at each OML tier. The system may enable partner organizations to select a target OML tier representing their desired performance level, and the gap analysis may compare the partner organization's current key performance indicator values against the benchmark thresholds associated with the selected target tier. In some embodiments, the system may automatically recommend the next higher OML tier as the target performance tier based on the partner organization's current classification.

[0146] In some embodiments, the plurality of key performance indicators used in gap analysis may include metrics specific to IT service provider operations. These metrics may include, but are not limited to, tickets per endpoint representing the volume of service requests relative to the number of managed endpoints, endpoints per engineer representing the workload distribution across technical staff, total hours per end user representing service delivery intensity, service multiple of wages representing the ratio of service revenue to service labor costs, sales multiple of wages representing the ratio of sales revenue to sales labor costs, gross margin percentage, EBITDA percentage, managed services revenue as a percentage of total revenue, and infrastructure services gross margin percentage. The system may retrieve these key performance indicators from survey data submitted by partner organizations through the financial survey module 114 and processed by the ETL Module 925. The gap analysis algorithm may compare each of these key performance indicators against corresponding benchmark threshold values to identify performance gaps and generate recommendations.

[0147] In some embodiments, the gap analysis and recommendation generation process may be integrated with the survey lifecycle management functionality. The system may trigger gap analysis operations responsive to a survey status field in the Database 924 indicating that a financial survey for a partner organization has been submitted and processed by the ETLCNZ-03725Module 925. Upon completion of ETL processing, the SLI Backend 922 may automatically invoke the gap analysis algorithm to calculate gap scores based on the newly submitted survey data. In some aspects, the system may perform gap analysis only after the survey status field indicates that the financial survey is closed for a specified time period, ensuring that the analysis is based on finalized data. The system may further incorporate financial and operational data from closed financial surveys into the aggregated data used to derive benchmark threshold values for subsequent gap analysis operations for other partner organizations. This integration ensures that benchmark thresholds remain current and reflect the evolving performance characteristics of the partner organization population.

[0148] In some embodiments, the system may filter recommended actions based on the user role associated with the user viewing the recommendations. The system may determine the user role by querying the partner users table 1410 and partner roles table 1412 in the Database 924 to retrieve role assignments for the authenticated user. For users assigned the facilitator role, the system may filter the prioritized recommended actions to include only recommendations applicable to a group of partner organizations assigned to the facilitator, excluding recommendations specific to individual partner financial data that the facilitator is not authorized to view. For users assigned the partner administrator role, the system may filter the prioritized recommended actions to include recommendations specific to the partner organization and exclude recommendations requiring system administrator privileges. For users assigned financial input or operational input roles, the system may filter recommendations to include only those related to the user's area of responsibility. The filtered role-specific recommended actions may comprise a subset of the full set of prioritized recommended actions, ensuring that each user receives recommendations that are actionable within the scope of their assigned permissions and responsibilities.

[0149] In some embodiments, the gap analysis and recommendation generation functionality may be implemented using the system architecture illustrated in Fig. 9. The SLICNZ-03725Backend 922 may execute the gap analysis algorithm, including retrieving financial and operational data from the Database 924, calculating gap scores, querying the action recommendation table, and prioritizing recommended actions based on gap magnitude and historical effectiveness data. The Database 924 may store the financial and operational data submitted through surveys, the benchmark threshold values derived from aggregated partner data, the action recommendation table containing mappings between gap patterns and recommended actions, and the historical effectiveness data tracking outcomes of previously implemented recommendations. The SLI UI 910 may communicate with the SLIBackend 922 through the reverse proxy implemented as the Asio Platform API Gateway to request gap analysis results and display the prioritized recommended actions to users. The SLI UI 910 may render the recommendations using interface components that enable users to view recommendation details, indicate implementation of recommendations, and navigate to related reports and dashboards.

[0150] In some embodiments, the system may generate a projected path flowchart illustrating a progression from a current performance tier of the partner organization to a target performance tier. The projected path flowchart may comprise multiple decision nodes representing key business milestones or operational stages, including nodes representing different Operational Maturity Level tiers, revenue tiers, profitability thresholds, and service delivery capability stages. The system may highlight a recommended progression route on the flowchart by rendering the suggested path in a visually distinctive manner, such as a highlighted color, increased line thickness, or animated visual indicator. Alternative paths that the partner organization could potentially take may be displayed in a muted or secondary visual style to provide context while emphasizing the primary recommendation. The system may calculate estimated timeframes for achieving milestones along the recommended progression route by analyzing historical progression data from partner organizations in a comparable cohort. The comparable cohort may be identified based on matching criteria including Predominant BusinessCNZ-03725Model, initial revenue tier, starting Operational Maturity Level, and geographic region. The system may calculate statistical measures from historical time intervals, including median progression time, mean progression time, and percentile distributions representing optimistic, expected, and conservative timeframe estimates. The system may adjust baseline timeframe estimates based on the partner organization's current rate of metric improvement as determined from analysis of submitted quarterly survey data, applying scaling factors to reduce or extend estimates based on whether the partner's improvement rate exceeds or falls below the median rate observed in the comparable cohort.

[0151] Fig. 8 is a block diagram 800 illustrating modules implementing Service-Leadership Index (e.g., over a network) according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, a partner 802 user (e.g., a person) can access a CW Home 804 module or user interface module via a user device. In some embodiments, the CW Home 804 or user interface module can invoke SLI 810 and display modules within the user interface. In some embodiments, the partner 802 can also access an accounting or financial software system such as QuickBooks 806 to enter financial data, and then SLI 810 can read the financial information from QuickBooks 806. In some embodiments, SLI 810 can employ a charting library, such as Bright Gauge Charting Library 808, to display charts, graphs, and other gauges of data.

[0152] In some embodiments, the system may store recommended actions and their associations with performance gaps in an action recommendation table within the Database 924.The action recommendation table may comprise fields including an action identifier that uniquely identifies each recommended action, an action description providing a textual explanation of the recommended action, one or more associated gap patterns that define the performance deficiency conditions under which the action is recommended, a priority weight derived from historical effectiveness data indicating the relative importance or likelihood of success for the action, and an estimated time to implementation indicating the typical duration required to implement the action. The action recommendation table may be structured as aCNZ-03725relational database table with foreign key relationships to other tables storing gap pattern definitions, performance deficiency categories, and historical outcome records. In some aspects, the system may query the action recommendation table by matching identified gap patterns against the stored gap pattern associations to retrieve a set of recommended actions applicable to the partner organization's current performance state.

[0153] In some embodiments, the system may implement a feedback mechanism for tracking the implementation and effectiveness of recommended actions. When a user associated with a partner organization indicates through the user interface that a recommended action has been implemented, the system may record the implementation event in the Database 924 along with a timestamp and the key performance indicator values at the time of implementation. The system may subsequently monitor financial and operational data submitted by the partner organization through subsequent survey submissions to track changes in key performance indicator values after implementation. The system may calculate an effectiveness score for each implemented action by comparing the change in relevant key performance indicator values against expected improvement thresholds. In some aspects, the effectiveness score may be calculated as a ratio of actual improvement to expected improvement, or as a percentage change in the gap score for the targeted key performance indicator. The system may update the historical effectiveness data in the action recommendation table based on the calculated effectiveness scores, adjusting the priority weight associated with each action. In some embodiments, the priority weight may be increased when the effectiveness score exceeds a positive threshold indicating successful outcomes, and decreased when the effectiveness score falls below a negative threshold indicating unsuccessful or counterproductive outcomes. This feedback mechanism enables the system to continuously improve recommendation quality based on real-world outcomes observed across the population of partner organizations.

[0154] In some embodiments, the system may calculate gap scores for each key performance indicator using a gap analysis algorithm. The gap analysis algorithm may normalizeCNZ-03725the current value of each key performance indicator and the corresponding benchmark threshold value to a common scale to enable comparison across metrics with different units and ranges. Normalization may be performed using techniques such as min-max scaling, z-score standardization, or percentile ranking based on the distribution of values observed across the population of partner organizations. The algorithm may compute a signed difference between the normalized current value and the normalized benchmark threshold value, where positive values indicate performance exceeding the benchmark and negative values indicate performance falling below the benchmark. The algorithm may apply a weighting factor to each signed difference based on the relative importance of the key performance indicator to overall organizational performance, where weighting factors may be determined based on correlation analysis between each key performance indicator and measures of organizational success such as profitability, growth rate, or client retention. The system may rank the weighted gap scores to identify the key performance indicators exhibiting the largest deviation from benchmark threshold values, prioritizing negative deviations that indicate underperformance relative to the target performance tier.

[0155] In some embodiments, a gap pattern may comprise a combination of two or more gap scores that collectively indicate a specific performance deficiency category. Performance deficiency categories may include, but are not limited to, service delivery inefficiency, pricing misalignment, operational overhead excess, revenue concentration risk, and workforce utilization imbalance. The system may define gap patterns using pattern templates that specify which key performance indicators must exhibit gaps, the required direction of each gap (above or below benchmark), and optional magnitude thresholds indicating minimum gap scores required for inclusion in the pattern. In some aspects, gap patterns may include a temporal component indicating gap persistence across multiple survey periods, such that a gap pattern is only matched when the constituent gaps have persisted for a specified number of consecutive quarters. Gap patterns may further include correlation indicators that identify gap scores which historically co-CNZ-03725occur based on analysis of historical data from the population of partner organizations. The system may store gap pattern definitions in a gap patterns table within the Database 924, with each pattern definition comprising a pattern identifier, a list of constituent key performance indicators, direction indicators, magnitude thresholds, temporal persistence requirements, and mappings to one or more recommended actions in the action recommendation table.

[0156] In some embodiments, the target performance tier may comprise an Operational Maturity Level (OML) tier. OML tiers may represent stages of organizational development and operational capability for IT service providers, ranging from initial or ad-hoc operations through optimized and industry-leading performance levels. Each OML tier may be associated with characteristic ranges of key performance indicator values that are typically achieved by partner organizations operating at that maturity level. The system may derive benchmark threshold values for each OML tier by analyzing historical financial and operational data from partner organizations that have demonstrated sustained performance at each tier level. In some aspects, the benchmark threshold values may represent median, mean, or percentile values of key performance indicators observed among partner organizations classified at each OML tier. The system may enable partner organizations to select a target OML tier representing their desired performance level, and the gap analysis may compare the partner organization's current key performance indicator values against the benchmark thresholds associated with the selected target tier. In some embodiments, the system may automatically recommend the next higher OML tier as the target performance tier based on the partner organization's current classification.

[0157] In some embodiments, the plurality of key performance indicators used in gap analysis may include metrics specific to IT service provider operations. These metrics may include, but are not limited to, tickets per endpoint representing the volume of service requests relative to the number of managed endpoints, endpoints per engineer representing the workload distribution across technical staff, total hours per end user representing service delivery intensity, service multiple of wages representing the ratio of service revenue to service labor costs, salesCNZ-03725multiple of wages representing the ratio of sales revenue to sales labor costs, gross margin percentage, EBITDA percentage, managed services revenue as a percentage of total revenue, and infrastructure services gross margin percentage. The system may retrieve these key performance indicators from survey data submitted by partner organizations through the financial survey module 114 and processed by the ETL Module 925. The gap analysis algorithm may compare each of these key performance indicators against corresponding benchmark threshold values to identify performance gaps and generate recommendations.

[0158] In some embodiments, the gap analysis and recommendation generation process may be integrated with the survey lifecycle management functionality. The system may trigger gap analysis operations responsive to a survey status field in the Database 924 indicating that a financial survey for a partner organization has been submitted and processed by the ETL Module 925. Upon completion of ETL processing, the SLI Backend 922 may automatically invoke the gap analysis algorithm to calculate gap scores based on the newly submitted survey data. In some aspects, the system may perform gap analysis only after the survey status field indicates that the financial survey is closed for a specified time period, ensuring that the analysis is based on finalized data. The system may further incorporate financial and operational data from closed financial surveys into the aggregated data used to derive benchmark threshold values for subsequent gap analysis operations for other partner organizations. This integration ensures that benchmark thresholds remain current and reflect the evolving performance characteristics of the partner organization population.

[0159] In some embodiments, the system may filter recommended actions based on the user role associated with the user viewing the recommendations. The system may determine the user role by querying the partner users table 1410 and partner roles table 1412 in the Database 924 to retrieve role assignments for the authenticated user. For users assigned the facilitator role, the system may filter the prioritized recommended actions to include only recommendations applicable to a group of partner organizations assigned to the facilitator, excludingCNZ-03725recommendations specific to individual partner financial data that the facilitator is not authorized to view. For users assigned the partner administrator role, the system may filter the prioritized recommended actions to include recommendations specific to the partner organization and exclude recommendations requiring system administrator privileges. For users assigned financial input or operational input roles, the system may filter recommendations to include only those related to the user's area of responsibility. The filtered role-specific recommended actions may comprise a subset of the full set of prioritized recommended actions, ensuring that each user receives recommendations that are actionable within the scope of their assigned permissions and responsibilities.

[0160] In some embodiments, the gap analysis and recommendation generation functionality may be implemented using the system architecture illustrated in Fig. 9. The SLIBackend 922 may execute the gap analysis algorithm, including retrieving financial and operational data from the Database 924, calculating gap scores, querying the action recommendation table, and prioritizing recommended actions based on gap magnitude and historical effectiveness data. The Database 924 may store the financial and operational data submitted through surveys, the benchmark threshold values derived from aggregated partner data, the action recommendation table containing mappings between gap patterns and recommended actions, and the historical effectiveness data tracking outcomes of previously implemented recommendations. The SLI UI 910 may communicate with the SLIBackend 922 through the reverse proxy implemented as the Asio Platform API Gateway to request gap analysis results and display the prioritized recommended actions to users. The SLI UI 910 may render the recommendations using interface components that enable users to view recommendation details, indicate implementation of recommendations, and navigate to related reports and dashboards.

[0161] In some embodiments, the system may generate a projected path flowchart illustrating a progression from a current performance tier of the partner organization to a targetCNZ-03725performance tier. The projected path flowchart may comprise multiple decision nodes representing key business milestones or operational stages, including nodes representing different Operational Maturity Level tiers, revenue tiers, profitability thresholds, and service delivery capability stages. The system may highlight a recommended progression route on the flowchart by rendering the suggested path in a visually distinctive manner, such as a highlighted color, increased line thickness, or animated visual indicator. Alternative paths that the partner organization could potentially take may be displayed in a muted or secondary visual style to provide context while emphasizing the primary recommendation. The system may calculate estimated timeframes for achieving milestones along the recommended progression route by analyzing historical progression data from partner organizations in a comparable cohort. The comparable cohort may be identified based on matching criteria including Predominant Business Model, initial revenue tier, starting Operational Maturity Level, and geographic region. The system may calculate statistical measures from historical time intervals, including median progression time, mean progression time, and percentile distributions representing optimistic, expected, and conservative timeframe estimates. The system may adjust baseline timeframe estimates based on the partner organization's current rate of metric improvement as determined from analysis of submitted quarterly survey data, applying scaling factors to reduce or extend estimates based on whether the partner's improvement rate exceeds or falls below the median rate observed in the comparable cohort.

[0162] Fig. 8 is a block diagram 800 illustrating modules implementing Service-Leadership Index (e.g., over a network) according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, a partner 802 user (e.g., a person) can access a CW Home 804 module or user interface module via a user device. In some embodiments, the CW Home 804 or user interface module can invoke SLI 810 and display modules within the user interface. In some embodiments, the partner 802 can also access an accounting or financial software system such as QuickBooks 806 to enter financial data, and then SLI 810 can read the financial informationCNZ-03725from QuickBooks 806. In some embodiments, SLI 810 can employ a charting library, such as Bright Gauge Charting Library 808, to display charts, graphs, and other gauges of data.

[0163] In some embodiments, the system may store recommended actions and their associations with performance gaps in an action recommendation table within the Database 924.The action recommendation table may comprise fields including an action identifier that uniquely identifies each recommended action, an action description providing a textual explanation of the recommended action, one or more associated gap patterns that define the performance deficiency conditions under which the action is recommended, a priority weight derived from historical effectiveness data indicating the relative importance or likelihood of success for the action, and an estimated time to implementation indicating the typical duration required to implement the action. The action recommendation table may be structured as a relational database table with foreign key relationships to other tables storing gap pattern definitions, performance deficiency categories, and historical outcome records. In some aspects, the system may query the action recommendation table by matching identified gap patterns against the stored gap pattern associations to retrieve a set of recommended actions applicable to the partner organization's current performance state.

[0164] In some embodiments, the system may implement a feedback mechanism for tracking the implementation and effectiveness of recommended actions. When a user associated with a partner organization indicates through the user interface that a recommended action has been implemented, the system may record the implementation event in the Database 924 along with a timestamp and the key performance indicator values at the time of implementation. The system may subsequently monitor financial and operational data submitted by the partner organization through subsequent survey submissions to track changes in key performance indicator values after implementation. The system may calculate an effectiveness score for each implemented action by comparing the change in relevant key performance indicator values against expected improvement thresholds. In some aspects, the effectiveness score may beCNZ-03725calculated as a ratio of actual improvement to expected improvement, or as a percentage change in the gap score for the targeted key performance indicator. The system may update the historical effectiveness data in the action recommendation table based on the calculated effectiveness scores, adjusting the priority weight associated with each action. In some embodiments, the priority weight may be increased when the effectiveness score exceeds a positive threshold indicating successful outcomes, and decreased when the effectiveness score falls below a negative threshold indicating unsuccessful or counterproductive outcomes. This feedback mechanism enables the system to continuously improve recommendation quality based on real-world outcomes observed across the population of partner organizations.

[0165] In some embodiments, the system may calculate gap scores for each key performance indicator using a gap analysis algorithm. The gap analysis algorithm may normalize the current value of each key performance indicator and the corresponding benchmark threshold value to a common scale to enable comparison across metrics with different units and ranges. Normalization may be performed using techniques such as min-max scaling, z-score standardization, or percentile ranking based on the distribution of values observed across the population of partner organizations. The algorithm may compute a signed difference between the normalized current value and the normalized benchmark threshold value, where positive values indicate performance exceeding the benchmark and negative values indicate performance falling below the benchmark. The algorithm may apply a weighting factor to each signed difference based on the relative importance of the key performance indicator to overall organizational performance, where weighting factors may be determined based on correlation analysis between each key performance indicator and measures of organizational success such as profitability, growth rate, or client retention. The system may rank the weighted gap scores to identify the key performance indicators exhibiting the largest deviation from benchmark threshold values, prioritizing negative deviations that indicate underperformance relative to the target performance tier.CNZ-03725

[0166] In some embodiments, a gap pattern may comprise a combination of two or more gap scores that collectively indicate a specific performance deficiency category. Performance deficiency categories may include, but are not limited to, service delivery inefficiency, pricing misalignment, operational overhead excess, revenue concentration risk, and workforce utilization imbalance. The system may define gap patterns using pattern templates that specify which key performance indicators must exhibit gaps, the required direction of each gap (above or below benchmark), and optional magnitude thresholds indicating minimum gap scores required for inclusion in the pattern. In some aspects, gap patterns may include a temporal component indicating gap persistence across multiple survey periods, such that a gap pattern is only matched when the constituent gaps have persisted for a specified number of consecutive quarters. Gap patterns may further include correlation indicators that identify gap scores which historically cooccur based on analysis of historical data from the population of partner organizations. The system may store gap pattern definitions in a gap patterns table within the Database 924, with each pattern definition comprising a pattern identifier, a list of constituent key performance indicators, direction indicators, magnitude thresholds, temporal persistence requirements, and mappings to one or more recommended actions in the action recommendation table.

[0167] In some embodiments, the target performance tier may comprise an Operational Maturity Level (OML) tier. OML tiers may represent stages of organizational development and operational capability for IT service providers, ranging from initial or ad-hoc operations through optimized and industry-leading performance levels. Each OML tier may be associated with characteristic ranges of key performance indicator values that are typically achieved by partner organizations operating at that maturity level. The system may derive benchmark threshold values for each OML tier by analyzing historical financial and operational data from partner organizations that have demonstrated sustained performance at each tier level. In some aspects, the benchmark threshold values may represent median, mean, or percentile values of key performance indicators observed among partner organizations classified at each OML tier. TheCNZ-03725system may enable partner organizations to select a target OML tier representing their desired performance level, and the gap analysis may compare the partner organization's current key performance indicator values against the benchmark thresholds associated with the selected target tier. In some embodiments, the system may automatically recommend the next higher OML tier as the target performance tier based on the partner organization's current classification.

[0168] In some embodiments, the plurality of key performance indicators used in gap analysis may include metrics specific to IT service provider operations. These metrics may include, but are not limited to, tickets per endpoint representing the volume of service requests relative to the number of managed endpoints, endpoints per engineer representing the workload distribution across technical staff, total hours per end user representing service delivery intensity, service multiple of wages representing the ratio of service revenue to service labor costs, sales multiple of wages representing the ratio of sales revenue to sales labor costs, gross margin percentage, EBITDA percentage, managed services revenue as a percentage of total revenue, and infrastructure services gross margin percentage. The system may retrieve these key performance indicators from survey data submitted by partner organizations through the financial survey module 114 and processed by the ETL Module 925. The gap analysis algorithm may compare each of these key performance indicators against corresponding benchmark threshold values to identify performance gaps and generate recommendations.

[0169] In some embodiments, the gap analysis and recommendation generation process may be integrated with the survey lifecycle management functionality. The system may trigger gap analysis operations responsive to a survey status field in the Database 924 indicating that a financial survey for a partner organization has been submitted and processed by the ETL Module 925. Upon completion of ETL processing, the SLI Backend 922 may automatically invoke the gap analysis algorithm to calculate gap scores based on the newly submitted survey data. In some aspects, the system may perform gap analysis only after the survey status field indicates that the financial survey is closed for a specified time period, ensuring that the analysisCNZ-03725is based on finalized data. The system may further incorporate financial and operational data from closed financial surveys into the aggregated data used to derive benchmark threshold values for subsequent gap analysis operations for other partner organizations. This integration ensures that benchmark thresholds remain current and reflect the evolving performance characteristics of the partner organization population.

[0170] In some embodiments, the system may filter recommended actions based on the user role associated with the user viewing the recommendations. The system may determine the user role by querying the partner users table 1410 and partner roles table 1412 in the Database 924 to retrieve role assignments for the authenticated user. For users assigned the facilitator role, the system may filter the prioritized recommended actions to include only recommendations applicable to a group of partner organizations assigned to the facilitator, excluding recommendations specific to individual partner financial data that the facilitator is not authorized to view. For users assigned the partner administrator role, the system may filter the prioritized recommended actions to include recommendations specific to the partner organization and exclude recommendations requiring system administrator privileges. For users assigned financial input or operational input roles, the system may filter recommendations to include only those related to the user's area of responsibility. The filtered role-specific recommended actions may comprise a subset of the full set of prioritized recommended actions, ensuring that each user receives recommendations that are actionable within the scope of their assigned permissions and responsibilities.

[0171] In some embodiments, the gap analysis and recommendation generation functionality may be implemented using the system architecture illustrated in Fig. 9. The SLIBackend 922 may execute the gap analysis algorithm, including retrieving financial and operational data from the Database 924, calculating gap scores, querying the action recommendation table, and prioritizing recommended actions based on gap magnitude and historical effectiveness data. The Database 924 may store the financial and operational dataCNZ-03725submitted through surveys, the benchmark threshold values derived from aggregated partner data, the action recommendation table containing mappings between gap patterns and recommended actions, and the historical effectiveness data tracking outcomes of previously implemented recommendations. The SLI UI 910 may communicate with the SLIBackend 922 through the reverse proxy implemented as the Asio Platform API Gateway to request gap analysis results and display the prioritized recommended actions to users. The SLI UI 910 may render the recommendations using interface components that enable users to view recommendation details, indicate implementation of recommendations, and navigate to related reports and dashboards.

[0172] In some embodiments, the system may generate a projected path flowchart illustrating a progression from a current performance tier of the partner organization to a target performance tier. The projected path flowchart may comprise multiple decision nodes representing key business milestones or operational stages, including nodes representing different Operational Maturity Level tiers, revenue tiers, profitability thresholds, and service delivery capability stages. The system may highlight a recommended progression route on the flowchart by rendering the suggested path in a visually distinctive manner, such as a highlighted color, increased line thickness, or animated visual indicator. Alternative paths that the partner organization could potentially take may be displayed in a muted or secondary visual style to provide context while emphasizing the primary recommendation. The system may calculate estimated timeframes for achieving milestones along the recommended progression route by analyzing historical progression data from partner organizations in a comparable cohort. The comparable cohort may be identified based on matching criteria including Predominant Business Model, initial revenue tier, starting Operational Maturity Level, and geographic region. The system may calculate statistical measures from historical time intervals, including median progression time, mean progression time, and percentile distributions representing optimistic, expected, and conservative timeframe estimates. The system may adjust baseline timeframeCNZ-03725estimates based on the partner organization's current rate of metric improvement as determined from analysis of submitted quarterly survey data, applying scaling factors to reduce or extend estimates based on whether the partner's improvement rate exceeds or falls below the median rate observed in the comparable cohort.

[0173] Fig. 8 is a block diagram 800 illustrating modules implementing Service-Leadership Index (e.g., over a network) according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, a partner 802 user (e.g., a person) can access a CW Home 804 module or user interface module via a user device. In some embodiments, the CW Home 804 or user interface module can invoke SLI 810 and display modules within the user interface. In some embodiments, the partner 802 can also access an accounting or financial software system such as QuickBooks 806 to enter financial data, and then SLI 810 can read the financial information from QuickBooks 806. In some embodiments, SLI 810 can employ a charting library, such as Bright Gauge Charting Library 808, to display charts, graphs, and other gauges of data.

[0174] Fig. 8 is a block diagram 800 illustrating modules implementing Service-Leadership Index (e.g., over a network) according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, a partner 802 user (e.g., a person) can access a CW Home 804 module or user interface module via a user device. In some embodiments, the CW Home 804 or user interface module can invoke SLI 810 and display modules within the user interface. In some embodiments, the partner 802 can also access an accounting or financial software system such as QuickBooks 806 to enter financial data, and then SLI 810 can read the financial information from QuickBooks 806. In some embodiments, SLI 810 can employ a charting library, such as Bright Gauge Charting Library 808, to display charts, graphs, and other gauges of data.

[0175] In some embodiments, SLI 810 can also interface with modules via the Asio platform 812, such as an Authentication Service 814, an Entitlement Service 816, an Under Investigation service 818, and Core Central Services 820. In some embodiments, the SLI 810 module can access the Authentication Service 814 using a SSO token for authentication andCNZ-03725to access assigned roles and resources. In some embodiments, the SLI 810 module can request and receive entitlements assigned for a partner from the Entitlement Service 816. In some embodiments, the SLI 810 module can read partner's company and sites from the Under Investigation module 818. In some embodiments, the SLI 810 module can read partner and instance information for creating groups and associations from the Core Central Services module 820.

[0176] In some embodiments, a SSO token can provide access to Entitlement Service 816, Company Site, and Provisioning services.

[0177] In some embodiments, the modules described above can include dependencies on other modules. Table 4 below outlines examples of such dependencies.Table 4 - Examples of Module Dependencies& && > <>&<&CNZ-03725

[0178] Fig. 9 is a system architecture diagram 900 illustrating an implementation of SLI according to embodiments of the present disclosure. A partner user 902 can interact with an SLI UI module 910 that is implemented using ReactJS using an Amazon Web Services (AWS) Elastic Container Service (ECS). The SLI UI 910 module can provide administration interface, survey input forms, reports, etc.. The partner user 902 can also access QuickBooks 906 via HTTPS connections for financial data entry and management.

[0179] In some embodiments, an SLI Backend 922 Module can be implemented using Golang using an AWS ECS. The SLI Backend 922 Module can call a platform application programming interface (API), expose the API for provisioning, interact with the Database 924, invoke ETL, and provide for migration of data. In some embodiments, the SLI UI910 communicates with the SLI Backend 922 through a reverse proxy implemented as an Asio Platform API Gateway. The reverse proxy can route requests from the SLI UI 910 to the SLI Backend 922, providing a layer of abstraction and security between the frontend and backend components. The SLI Backend 922 can communicate with the Database 924 using TCP connections and performs CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations to store and retrieve data.

[0180] In some embodiments, an extract, transform, and load (ETL) Module 925 is implemented with Golang using AWS Lambda. The ETL Module 925 can connect to both the SLI Backend 922 and the Database 924. The SLI Backend 922 can invoke the ETL Module 925 to process survey data after submission. The ETL Module 925 can communicate with the Database 924 using TCP connections and performs CRUD operations to read survey input data, transform the data by performing additional calculations and aggregations, and write the processed results to report tables. In some embodiments, once the partner user 902 submits the survey input form, the data from the form can be transformed (e.g., additional calculations are performed) and stored in the reports tables in the Database 924. The Lambda-based implementation of the ETL Module 925 enables serverless execution that scales automatically based on the volume of survey submissions being processed.CNZ-03725

[0181] In some embodiments, the Database 924 is implemented with PostgreSQL using Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS). The Database 924 can store (1) users, roles, and groups (administration data), (2) survey input data, and (3) survey report data. The RDS implementation provides managed database services including automated backups, software patching, and scalability for the PostgreSQL database.

[0182] In some embodiments, the Asio Platform 912 is implemented with an ECS and interfaces with the ConnectWise SSO service, and partner and user information. The SLI UI 910 communicates with the Asio Platform 912 via HTTPS connections for authentication services and access to platform resources. The SLI Backend 922 also communicates with the Asio Platform 912 via HTTPS connections to access authentication services, entitlement services, and partner information. The SLI Backend 922 can also access QuickBooks 906 for financial data entry and management, thereby enabling the partner user 902 to load data such as financial surveys from QuickBooks 906 based on a method and / or in response to a user request. The SLI UI 910 also connects to Pendo / Walkme 920 via HTTPS for user guidance and analytics features.

[0183] In some embodiments, the system may implement a QuickBooks integration module that communicates with the QuickBooks accounting software application via an application programming interface (API) to retrieve financial data for import into survey forms. The QuickBooks integration module may authenticate with the QuickBooks API using OAuth 2.0 credentials associated with the partner organization, enabling secure access to the partner organization's accounting data without requiring the partner to share login credentials with the S-L Index system.

[0184] In some embodiments, the QuickBooks integration module may retrieve a chart of accounts from the QuickBooks API, wherein the chart of accounts comprises a list of account identifiers, account names, account types, and account balances for the partner organization's QuickBooks instance. The QuickBooks integration module may further retrieve transaction data,CNZ-03725including income transactions, expense transactions, and journal entries, for a specified time period corresponding to the survey quarter being completed.

[0185] In some embodiments, the system may implement an automatic field mapping engine that maps QuickBooks accounts to corresponding survey fields based on account type classifications and naming conventions. The field mapping engine may maintain a mapping table that associates QuickBooks account types, such as income accounts, cost of goods sold accounts, expense accounts, asset accounts, and liability accounts, with corresponding survey sections, such as the revenue section, the COGS section, the operating expenses section, and the balance sheet section. The field mapping engine may further analyze account names to identify more specific mappings, such as mapping accounts containing keywords like "hardware" or "equipment" to hardware revenue or hardware COGS fields, or mapping accounts containing keywords like "managed services" or "recurring" to managed services revenue fields.

[0186] In some embodiments, the field mapping engine may present a mapping review interface to the user prior to importing data from QuickBooks. The mapping review interface may display each QuickBooks account alongside the proposed survey field mapping, enabling the user to confirm correct mappings, modify incorrect mappings, or exclude accounts from the import. The user's mapping selections may be stored in the Database 924 and applied to subsequent imports for the same partner organization, reducing the need for repeated manual mapping review.

[0187] In some embodiments, the field mapping engine may implement machine learning techniques to improve mapping accuracy over time. The field mapping engine may analyze mapping corrections made by users across multiple partner organizations to identify patterns and refine the automatic mapping rules. For example, if multiple users correct a mapping from a QuickBooks account named "Cloud Hosting Revenue" to the cloud services revenue survey field, the field mapping engine may update its mapping rules to automatically propose this mapping for similarly named accounts in future imports.CNZ-03725

[0188] In some embodiments, the QuickBooks integration module may aggregate transaction-level data retrieved from QuickBooks to calculate values for survey fields that represent totals or subtotals. The aggregation may sum income transactions for accounts mapped to revenue fields, sum expense transactions for accounts mapped to COGS or operating expense fields, and calculate net values for balance sheet fields based on the difference between debit and credit transactions.

[0189] In some embodiments, the system may implement a validation engine that validates imported data against survey field constraints before populating the survey form. The validation engine may retrieve validation rules from the survey form field description JSON file 352 and apply the rules to each imported value. Validation rules may include data type validation ensuring that imported values are numeric for currency fields, range validation ensuring that imported values fall within acceptable minimum and maximum bounds, consistency validation ensuring that subtotal fields equal the sum of their component fields, and cross-field validation ensuring that related fields have logically consistent values.

[0190] In some embodiments, the validation engine may generate a validation report identifying any imported values that fail validation checks. The validation report may be presented to the user through the user interface, enabling the user to review and correct invalid values before submitting the survey. The validation report may include the field identifier, the imported value, the validation rule that was violated, and a suggested correction or acceptable value range.

[0191] In some embodiments, the system may implement a reconciliation interface that enables users to compare imported QuickBooks data against values entered manually or imported from other sources. The reconciliation interface may display side-by-side comparisons of values from different sources for each survey field, highlight discrepancies exceeding a configurable threshold, and enable users to select which source value to use for each field. The reconciliation interface may assist users in identifying data entry errors, timing differencesCNZ-03725between accounting system updates and survey completion, or classification differences between QuickBooks account structures and survey field definitions.

[0192] In some embodiments, the QuickBooks integration module may support scheduled automatic imports that retrieve updated financial data from QuickBooks at configurable intervals during the survey completion period. The scheduled imports may update survey field values with the most current data from QuickBooks, enabling users to complete surveys with minimal manual data entry while ensuring that submitted data reflects the final accounting values for the survey period. The system may notify users when scheduled imports have completed and may highlight any fields where imported values have changed since the previous import.

[0193] In some embodiments, the QuickBooks integration module may store import history records in the Database 924 that track each import operation, including the import timestamp, the QuickBooks accounts retrieved, the field mappings applied, the validation results, and the user who initiated or approved the import. The import history records may support audit requirements and enable troubleshooting of data discrepancies identified after survey submission.

[0194] Fig 10 is a network diagram 1000 illustrating provisioning one or more users according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, during provisioning of an account, an SLI Partner Admin role can be added to the primary user of Partner. In some embodiments, a new partner 1002 can request a trial 1020 or new account from the provisioning service 1006 via a request trial step 1020. In some embodiments, the provisioning service 1006 can validate the new partner 1002 at S-L Index via a validate new partner step 1022. S-L Index 1012 can validate parameters via a validate parameters step 1024 and respond via an acknowledgement step 1026 that the default user should have a SLI partner administrative role. In some embodiments, the acknowledgment causes the provisioning service to initiate a process to make the new partner can be the SLI Partner Admin. In some embodiments, the provisioning service 1006 can instantiate the new partner (e.g., by providing a new partner ID) to the S-L Index 1012 via an instantiate new partner step 1028. In some embodiments, S-L Index 1012 can then add a partner admin to the database DM 1014 via an add partner admin step 1030,CNZ-03725which responds with an acknowledgment step 1032. In some embodiments, the new SLI Partner Admin 1008 can add partner users via an add users step 1034 and assign them roles ( e.g., SLI Partner Admin, SLI Partner User) via an assign SLI user role to users step 1036 from ConnectWise home 1010 and CW User management 1018 and then login to S-L Index 1012 via a login step 1038.

[0195] In some embodiments, the provisioning process illustrated by Fig. 10 can involve multiple technical components and communication protocols to establish partner accounts within the S-L Index system. The provisioning service 1006 can be implemented as a microservice that exposes RESTful API endpoints for receiving provisioning requests from new partners. When a new partner 1002 initiates a request trial step 1020, the provisioning service 1006 can receive an HTTP POST request containing partner identification information, contact details, and requested service tier parameters. The provisioning service 1006 can validate the request payload against a predefined schema and perform initial data sanitization before forwarding the request to S-L Index 1012.

[0196] In some embodiments, the validate new partner step 1022 can involve the provisioning service 1006 transmitting a validation request to S-L Index 1012 via a secure API call. The S-L Index 1012 can execute the validate parameters step 1024 by querying the Database 924 to determine whether the partner identifier already exists in the system, whether the requested email domain is valid, and whether the partner meets eligibility criteria for the requested service tier. The validation process can include checking against a blocklist of known fraudulent accounts and verifying that the partner's organization information matches records in external business verification services.

[0197] In some embodiments, the acknowledgement step 1026 can comprise S-L Index 1012 returning a JSON response to the provisioning service 1006 that includes a validation status code, a list of default role assignments for the primary user, and configuration parameters for the new partner account. The response can specify that the default user should receive the SLICNZ-03725Partner Admin role, which grants administrative privileges within the partner's organizational scope.

[0198] In some embodiments, the instantiate new partner step 1028 can involve the provisioning service 1006 transmitting a partner creation request to S-L Index 1012 that includes a system-generated partner identifier, organization metadata, and initial configuration settings. The S-L Index 1012 can process this request by creating database records in multiple tables, including entries in the partners table 1408, initial entries in the partner users table 1410, and role assignments in the partner roles table 1412.

[0199] In some embodiments, the add partner admin step 1030 can involve S-L Index 1012 executing a database transaction that atomically creates the partner administrator record and associated role assignments. The transaction can insert a record into the users table 1414 with the primary user's authentication credentials, insert a corresponding record into the partner users table 1410 linking the user to the newly created partner organization, and insert role assignment records into the partner roles table 1412 granting the Partner Admin role 208. The database DM 1014 can return an acknowledgment step 1032 upon successful commit of the transaction, or can return an error response if any constraint violations or database errors occur during the insertion process.

[0200] In some embodiments, the add users step 1034 can be performed by the SLI Partner Admin 1008 through a user management interface provided by the SLI UI 910. The Partner Admin 1008 can navigate to the user management module 112 and submit user creation requests that include email addresses, display names, and initial role assignments for new partner users. The SLI Backend 922 can process these requests by first validating that the requesting user possesses the Partner Admin role and has authority to create users within their partner organization.

[0201] In some embodiments, the assign SLI user role to users step 1036 can involve the SLI Backend 922 communicating with ConnectWise home 1010 and CW 1018 to synchronize user role assignments across the platform. The SLI Backend 922 can transmit role assignmentCNZ-03725requests via HTTPS to the ConnectWise user management API, which can update the user's platform-level role assignments. The system can assign roles such as SLI Partner Admin or SLI Partner User at the platform level, and can subsequently assign internal application-level roles such as Financial Input 212, Financial Report 220, Operational Input 230, or Operational Report 238 within the S-L Index database.

[0202] In some embodiments, the login step 1038 can involve the newly provisioned users authenticating through the ConnectWise SSO service integrated with the Asio Platform 912. Upon successful authentication, the system can generate a JWT token containing the user's platform-level role assignments and transmit this token to the SLI UI 910. The SLI Backend 922 can extract role information from the JWT token and query the Database 924 to retrieve additional internal role assignments, thereby constructing a complete permission profile for the user session.

[0203] Fig. 11 is a network diagram 1100 illustrating an embodiment of administering user roles using Asio according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0204] In some embodiments, an S-L Admin role 1002 is pre-created with S-L Index 1012.This S-L Admin 1002 can create the remaining S-L Admins in S-L Index Application 1012. In CW Home 1018, SLI Partner Admin 1008 and SLI User Roles can be administered. In some embodiments, the S-L Admin 1002 collects an email ID via step 1102. In step 1104, the S-L Admin 1002 verifies with STS if the email ID belongs to a CW Partner. In step 1106, the CW partner user interacts with the system. In step 1109, the S-L Admin 1002 stores the S-L Admin information. In step 1110, an Evangelist is stored. In step 1112, an Association is created. In step 1114, partners are fetched. In step 1116, partner details are obtained. In step 1118, partners are added. In step 1120, the Association is stored. In step 1122, the Association is stored in the database DM 1014.

[0205] In some embodiments, the S-L admins 1002 can create the rest of the System roles -Association Admin 1004, Facilitator, Evangelist in S-L Index 1012. In step 1124, an Association Admin is assigned. In step 1126, an email ID is collected. In step 1128, verification with STS isCNZ-03725performed to determine if the email ID belongs to a CW SSO Account. In step 1130, the CW SSO Account is present. In step 1132, the Association Admin is stored in the database DM 1014. In step 1134, a Facilitator is created. In step 1136, an email ID is collected. In step 1138, verification with STS is performed. In step 1140, the CW SSO Account is present. In step 1142, the Facilitator is created. In step 1144, the Facilitator is stored in the database DM 1014. In step 1146, a Group is created. In step 1148, partners are fetched from the Asio platform 1016. In step 1150, partner details are obtained. In step 1152, partners are added. In step 1154, the Group is stored. In step 1156, the Group is stored in the database DM 1014. In step 1158, a Facilitator is assigned to a Group. In step 1160, Facilitators of the Association are fetched. In step 1162, the Facilitator is added. In step 1164, the Facilitator is stored in the database DM 1014. Further, SLI Partner Admins 1008 can assign the Partner user roles — Survey Input, Survey Submit, View Report etc. — in S-L Index 1012. In step 1166, Partner User Roles are assigned to Users. In step 1168, Users are fetched from CW 1018. In step 1170, Partner User Roles are assigned. In step 1172, Partner User Roles are stored in the database DM 1014. When partner details are needed (e.g., from a Partner Service of Asio platform 1016) for the creation of Associations & Groups, the S-L Index 1012 backend can create a client id with cross_tenant scope.

[0206] In some embodiments, the S-L Index 1012 can be configured to issue data requests to and receive data fulfillments from the Asio platform 1016. For example, the requests can be to load data not stored at S-L Index 1012 but is associated with partner data identified by S-L Index 1012.

[0207] In some embodiments, the technical implementation of the user role administration process illustrated by Fig. 11 can involve multiple interconnected software components and data exchange protocols operating across the S-L Index 1012, the Asio platform 1016, and the ConnectWise authentication infrastructure 1018. The S-L Admin role 1002 can be instantiated during initial system deployment through a bootstrap process that creates a root administrative account with elevated privileges sufficient to establish the organizational hierarchy within the S-L Index application.CNZ-03725

[0208] In some embodiments, the email ID collection performed in step 1102 can involve the S-L Admin 1002 accessing an administrative interface within the SLI UI 910 that provides form fields for entering one or more email addresses associated with users to be granted administrative roles. The SLI Backend 922 can receive the submitted email addresses via an HTTPS POST request and store them temporarily in memory or in a staging table within the Database 924 pending verification.

[0209] In some embodiments, the verification with STS performed in step 1104 can involve the SLI Backend 922 transmitting an API request to a Security Token Service (STS) endpoint exposed by the Asio Platform 912. The API request can include the email addresses collected in step 1102 along with authentication credentials for the S-L Index application. The STS can query its user directory to determine whether each email address corresponds to an existing ConnectWise partner account, and can return a response payload containing verification status codes, partner identifiers, and organization metadata for each verified email address.

[0210] In some embodiments, the CW partner user interaction in step 1106 can involve the system transmitting a notification to the verified email addresses informing the users that they have been designated for administrative role assignment within the S-L Index system. The notification can include a secure link that directs the user to complete an acceptance workflow, during which the user authenticates via the ConnectWise SSO service and confirms their acceptance of the administrative role assignment.

[0211] In some embodiments, the storage of S-L Admin information in step 1109 can involve the SLI Backend 922 executing a database transaction against the Database 924 that inserts records into the system users table 1416 and the system roles table 1418. The transaction can include fields for the user identifier obtained from the STS verification response, a timestamp indicating when the role was assigned, and a reference to the S-L Admin 1002 who initiated the role assignment.

[0212] In some embodiments, the Evangelist storage in step 1110 can involve similar database operations where the SLI Backend 922 creates a record in the system users tableCNZ-037251416 with a role type indicator specifying the Evangelist role. The Evangelist role assignment can include additional metadata fields specifying the scope of the Evangelist's access permissions, such as which industry segments or geographic regions the Evangelist may access for thought leadership and analytical purposes.

[0213] In some embodiments, the Association creation in step 1112 can involve the S-L Admin 1002 accessing an association management interface within the SLI UI 910 and submitting association configuration parameters including an association name, description, geographic scope, and industry focus. The SLI Backend 922 can process the association creation request by generating a unique association identifier and preparing database records for insertion into the associations table 1402.

[0214] In some embodiments, the partner fetching in step 1114 can involve the SLI Backend 922 transmitting an API request to the Asio platform 1016 to retrieve a list of partner organizations that may be eligible for membership in the newly created association. The API request can include filter parameters specifying criteria such as geographic location, industry classification, or service tier that determine which partners should be included in the response. The Asio platform 1016 can query its partner directory and return a paginated response containing partner identifiers, organization names, and summary metadata for each matching partner.

[0215] In some embodiments, the partner details retrieval in step 1116 can involve the SLI Backend 922 transmitting additional API requests to the Asio platform 1016 to obtain detailed information for specific partners selected by the S-L Admin 1002 for inclusion in the association. The detailed information can include contact information, subscription status, service tier, and historical activity metrics that assist the S-L Admin 1002 in determining appropriate association membership.

[0216] In some embodiments, the partner addition in step 1118 can involve the SLI Backend 922 creating records in the group memberships table 1406 that establish relationships between the selected partners and the newly created association. The membership records can includeCNZ-03725fields for the partner identifier, the association identifier, a membership start date, and a membership status indicator.

[0217] In some embodiments, the Association storage in steps 1120 and 1122 can involve the SLI Backend 922 executing a database transaction that atomically commits the association record to the associations table 1402 along with all associated membership records in the group memberships table 1406. The transaction can employ optimistic locking to prevent concurrent modification conflicts and can include rollback logic to restore the database to a consistent state if any insertion operation fails.

[0218] In some embodiments, the Association Admin assignment in step 1124 can involve the S-L Admin 1002 selecting a user from the verified email list to serve as the administrative contact for the newly created association. The SLI Backend 922 can create a role assignment record that grants the selected user permissions to manage members, facilitators, and groups within the association scope.

[0219] In some embodiments, the email ID collection in step 1126 and the STS verification in step 1128 can follow similar technical processes as described for steps 1102 and 1104, with the SLI Backend 922 collecting email addresses for potential Association Admin users and verifying their existence within the ConnectWise SSO infrastructure.

[0220] In some embodiments, the CW SSO Account presence confirmation in step 1130 can involve the STS returning a positive verification response that includes the user's SSO identifier, which the SLI Backend 922 can use to establish a linkage between the S-L Index user record and the ConnectWise authentication system. This linkage can enable the Association Admin to authenticate via SSO when accessing the S-L Index application.

[0221] In some embodiments, the Association Admin storage in step 1132 can involve the SLI Backend 922 inserting records into the system users table 1416 with role type indicators specifying the Association Admin role, along with foreign key references to the associations table 1402 that define the scope of the Association Admin's administrative authority.CNZ-03725

[0222] In some embodiments, the Facilitator creation in step 1134 can involve the S-L Admin 1002 or Association Admin 1004 accessing a facilitator management interface and submitting facilitator profile information including the facilitator's name, contact information, areas of expertise, and preferred group assignments. The SLI Backend 922 can validate the submitted information and prepare database records for the facilitator account.

[0223] In some embodiments, the email ID collection in step 1136 and the STS verification in step 1138 can involve the system collecting the facilitator's email address and verifying that the email corresponds to a valid ConnectWise SSO account. The verification process can include additional checks to confirm that the user has accepted terms of service and privacy policies required for facilitator access to partner financial data.

[0224] In some embodiments, the Facilitator creation confirmation in step 1142 and storage in step 1144 can involve the SLI Backend 922 executing database operations that create the facilitator user record in the system users table 1416 and establish role assignments in the system roles table 1418 that grant the facilitator access to group-level views and coaching tools.

[0225] In some embodiments, the Group creation in step 1146 can involve an Association Admin 1004 or S-L Admin 1002 accessing a group management interface and defining group parameters including a group name, description, meeting schedule, and membership criteria. The SLI Backend 922 can generate a unique group identifier and prepare records for insertion into the groups table 1404.

[0226] In some embodiments, the partner fetching from the Asio platform in step 1148 can involve the SLI Backend 922 transmitting API requests that include the association identifier as a filter parameter, thereby retrieving only partners that are members of the association within which the group is being created. The response can include partner identifiers and summary information that assists the administrator in selecting appropriate group members.

[0227] In some embodiments, the partner details retrieval in step 1150 and partner addition in step 1152 can involve similar technical processes as described for steps 1116 and 1118, withCNZ-03725the SLI Backend 922 obtaining detailed partner information and creating membership records that associate selected partners with the newly created group.

[0228] In some embodiments, the Group storage in steps 1154 and 1156 can involve the SLI Backend 922 executing a database transaction that commits the group record to the groups table 1404 along with membership records in the group memberships table 1406 that establish relationships between the group and its member partners.

[0229] In some embodiments, the Facilitator assignment to a Group in step 1158 can involve the administrator selecting one or more facilitators from a list of available facilitators within the association and assigning them responsibility for the newly created group. The SLI Backend 922 can create assignment records that link facilitator user identifiers to group identifiers, thereby granting the facilitators access to view aggregated financial data for partners within the assigned group.

[0230] In some embodiments, the Facilitator fetching in step 1160 can involve the SLI Backend 922 querying the Database 924 to retrieve a list of facilitators associated with the current association. The query can join the system users table 1416 with the system roles table 1418 to identify users with the Facilitator role type and filter the results based on association membership.

[0231] In some embodiments, the Facilitator addition in step 1162 and storage in step 1164 can involve the SLI Backend 922 creating or updating assignment records that establish the relationship between the selected facilitator and the target group. The assignment records can include fields for the facilitator identifier, the group identifier, an assignment start date, and an assignment status indicator.

[0232] In some embodiments, the Partner User Role assignment in step 1166 can involve the SLI Partner Admin 1008 accessing the user management module 112 within the SLI UI 910 and selecting users within their partner organization to receive specific functional roles such as Financial Input 212, Financial Report 220, Operational Input 230, or Operational Report 238.CNZ-03725

[0233] In some embodiments, the User fetching from CW in step 1168 can involve the SLI Backend 922 transmitting an API request to ConnectWise 1018 to retrieve a list of users associated with the Partner Admin's organization. The API request can include the partner identifier as a filter parameter, and the response can include user identifiers, email addresses, and display names for users within the organization.

[0234] In some embodiments, the Partner User Role assignment in step 1170 can involve the SLI Backend 922 processing role assignment requests submitted by the Partner Admin 1008 and validating that the requested role assignments comply with organizational policies and do not exceed the Partner Admin's delegated authority.

[0235] In some embodiments, the Partner User Role storage in step 1172 can involve the SLI Backend 922 executing database operations that insert or update records in the partner users table 1410 and the partner roles table 1412 to reflect the assigned roles. The database operations can include audit logging that records the identity of the user who made the role assignment, the timestamp of the assignment, and the previous role state for compliance and security monitoring purposes.

[0236] In some embodiments, the cross-tenant scope client identifier creation can involve the SLI Backend 922 registering an OAuth 2.0 client application with the Asio platform 1016 that possesses permissions to access partner data across multiple tenant boundaries. The client registration process can include specifying the scopes of access required, such as read access to partner profiles and organization metadata, and can result in the issuance of client credentials that the SLI Backend 922 can use to authenticate API requests to the Asio platform 1016.

[0237] Fig. 12 is a network diagram 1200 illustrating a login process according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, a user 1202 provides a login request to S-L Index 1206. For example, the user 1202 can click or select on Launch, S-L IndexGo, or go to S-L Index website. S-L Index 1206 issues a SSO request to an authentication service 1204 via Asio via a login step 1220. Asio's framework can then respond via an SSOCNZ-03725response step 1222 and a sign-in successful step 1224 that the sign in is successful. S-L Index 1206 can fetch ConnectWise roles of the user 1202 via the authentication service 1204 via a fetch roles step 1226, and the S-L Index 1206 module can receive those roles via a roles response step 1228. For SLI Partner Admin and SLI Partner Users, S-L Index 1206 can provide relevant access for the received roles for each user via a provide access step 1230. The S-L Index 1206 can then access the database 1208 to fetch an additional internal role of the user via a fetch additional role step 1234. For example, an SLI Partner user can have additional sub-roles, such as financial / operational input / report. In some embodiments, the S-L Index 1206 can allow only the functionality allowed for the role via an allow functionality step 1236. For Partner Users, SLI 1206 gets the first level of roles (SLI Partner Admin and SLI Partner User) from the platform. Over that SLI 1206 applies internal additional roles - Financial / Operational Input / Report, etc..

[0238] In some embodiments, if the role is not SLI Partner Admin or SLI User Role, the internal role of the user 1202 can be fetched via a role check step 1238 and a fetch internal role step 1240 from the database 1208. In some embodiments, the roles can include S-L Admin, Evangelist, Association Admin, Facilitator. For these users, S-L Index 1206 can allow only the functionality allowed for the role via an allow functionality step 1242. In other words, Internal Users & External SSO-based users can login, and SLI 1206 contains the access / provides permissions. The assumption is that these users do not need to access anything from platform. When they login to SLI 1206, the SSO token obtained yields no permissions in JWT token, but SLI 1206 can grant the access to its internal resources.

[0239] In some embodiments, the technical implementation of the login process illustrated by Fig. 12 can involve multiple interconnected software components and communication protocols operating across the S-L Index system, the Asio Platform 912, and the ConnectWise authentication infrastructure. The login process can be initiated when a user 1202 accesses the S-L Index application through a web browser or client application, triggering a sequence ofCNZ-03725authentication and authorization operations that determine the user's access permissions within the system.

[0240] In some embodiments, the login request initiated by the user 1202 can involve the SLI UI 910 detecting that the user does not have a valid session token and redirecting the user's browser to the authentication service 1204 via the Asio Platform 912. The redirect can include parameters such as a client identifier for the S-L Index application, a redirect URI specifying where the authentication service 1204 should return the user after successful authentication, and a state parameter for preventing cross-site request forgery attacks. The SLI UI 910 can store the state parameter in browser session storage to validate the authentication response upon return.

[0241] In some embodiments, the SSO request transmitted during the login step 1220 can employ the OAuth 2.0 authorization code flow or the OpenlD Connect protocol to establish user identity. The authentication service 1204 can present a login interface to the user 1202 requesting credentials such as username and password, or can support alternative authentication methods including multi-factor authentication, biometric verification, or federated identity providers. Upon successful credential validation, the authentication service 1204 can generate an authorization code and redirect the user's browser back to the S-L Index application with the authorization code appended as a query parameter.

[0242] In some embodiments, the SSO response step 1222 can involve the SLI UI910 receiving the authorization code from the redirect and transmitting the code to the SLI Backend 922 for exchange. The SLI Backend 922 can transmit an HTTPS POST request to the authentication service 1204 token endpoint, including the authorization code, the client identifier, the client secret, and the redirect URI. The authentication service 1204 can validate these parameters and respond with an access token, a refresh token, and an ID token encoded as JSON Web Tokens (JWTs).

[0243] In some embodiments, the sign-in successful step 1224 can involve the SLI Backend 922 validating the received tokens by verifying the JWT signatures against public keys published by the authentication service 1204. The validation process can include checking the tokenCNZ-03725expiration time, verifying the issuer claim matches the expected authentication service1204 identifier, and confirming the audience claim includes the S-L Index application client identifier. Upon successful validation, the SLI Backend 922 can extract user identity information from the ID token, including the user's unique identifier, email address, and display name.

[0244] In some embodiments, the fetch roles step 1226 can involve the SLI Backend 922 transmitting an API request to the authentication service 1204 or a separate user management endpoint within the Asio Platform 912 to retrieve the user's platform-level role assignments. The API request can include the access token in an Authorization header using the Bearer token scheme. The authentication service 1204 can query its role assignment database and return a response containing the user's assigned roles, such as SLI Partner Admin or SLI Partner User, along with associated metadata including the partner organization identifier and role assignment timestamps.

[0245] In some embodiments, the roles response step 1228 can involve the SLI Backend 922 receiving a JSON payload containing an array of role objects, where each role object includes fields for the role identifier, role name, scope identifiers indicating which organizations or resources the role applies to, and permission flags indicating specific capabilities granted by the role. The SLI Backend 922 can parse this response and construct an internal representation of the user's platform-level permissions for use in subsequent authorization decisions.

[0246] In some embodiments, the provide access step 1230 can involve the SLI Backend 922 evaluating the user's platform-level roles to determine initial access permissions. For users with the SLI Partner Admin role, the system can grant administrative capabilities including user management, survey submission, and access to all report types for the associated partner organization. For users with the SLI Partner User role, the system can grant baseline access to the application while deferring detailed permission determination to the internal role lookup process.

[0247] In some embodiments, the provide access step 1232 can involve the SLI Backend 922 generating a session token that encapsulates the user's identity and platform-level roleCNZ-03725assignments. The session token can be implemented as a JWT signed with a secret key known only to the SLI Backend 922, containing claims for the user identifier, partner identifier, platform roles, token issuance time, and token expiration time. The SLI Backend 922 can transmit this session token to the SLI UI 910, which can store the token in browser local storage or as an HTTP-only cookie for inclusion in subsequent API requests.

[0248] In some embodiments, the fetch additional role step 1234 can involve the SLI Backend 922 querying the Database 924 to retrieve internal role assignments that supplement the platform-level roles. The database query can join the partner users table 1410 with the partner roles table 1412 using the user identifier and partner identifier as join keys. The query can return records indicating which internal roles, such as Financial Input 212, Financial Report 220, Operational Input 230, or Operational Report 238, have been assigned to the user by the Partner Admin.

[0249] In some embodiments, the allow functionality step 1236 can involve the SLI Backend 922 constructing a comprehensive permission profile that combines the platform-level roles with the internal role assignments. The permission profile can include Boolean flags or permission sets indicating which survey sections the user may view or edit, which report dashboards the user may access, and which administrative functions the user may perform. The SLI Backend 922 can encode this permission profile into the session token or store it in a serverside session cache indexed by the session token identifier.

[0250] In some embodiments, the role check step 1238 can involve the SLI Backend 922 evaluating whether the user's platform-level roles include SLI Partner Admin or SLI Partner User. If the platform-level roles do not include these partner-specific roles, the system can determine that the user may be an internal user such as an S-L Admin, Evangelist, Association Admin, or Facilitator, whose role assignments are stored entirely within the S-L Index database rather than in the platform authentication system.

[0251] In some embodiments, the fetch internal role step 1240 can involve the SLI Backend 922 querying the Database 924 to retrieve the user's internal role assignment from the systemCNZ-03725users table 1416 and the system roles table 1418. The query can use the user's email address or SSO identifier as a lookup key to locate the corresponding record in the system users table 1416.The query can join with the system roles table 1418 to retrieve the role type, such as S-L Admin, Evangelist, Association Admin, or Facilitator, along with scope identifiers indicating which associations, groups, or system-wide resources the user may access.

[0252] In some embodiments, the allow functionality step 1242 can involve the SLI Backend 922 constructing a permission profile for internal users based on the retrieved internal role assignment. For users with the S-E Admin role, the permission profile can grant access to all system functions including user provisioning, survey management, and system configuration. For users with the Evangelist role, the permission profile can grant read access to aggregated financial data across the entire system while restricting administrative functions. For users with the Association Admin role, the permission profile can grant management capabilities for partners, facilitators, and groups within the associated association scope. For users with the Facilitator role, the permission profile can grant access to group-level views and coaching tools for assigned groups.

[0253] In some embodiments, the SLI Backend 922 can implement session management functionality that tracks active user sessions and enforces session timeout policies. The session management can involve storing session metadata in the Database 924 or in an in-memory cache such as Redis, including fields for the session identifier, user identifier, session creation timestamp, last activity timestamp, and client IP address. The SLI Backend 922 can validate incoming requests by checking that the session token has not expired and that the session has not been explicitly terminated by an administrator or by the user logging out.

[0254] In some embodiments, the SLI UI 910 can implement client-side session management that monitors the session token expiration time and initiates token refresh operations before the token expires. The token refresh process can involve the SLI UI910 transmitting a refresh request to the SLI Backend 922, which can use the refresh token obtained during initial authentication to request new access and ID tokens from theCNZ-03725authentication service 1204. Upon receiving new tokens, the SLI Backend 922 can generate an updated session token and transmit it to the SLI UI 910 for storage.

[0255] In some embodiments, the login process can include error handling logic that responds to various failure conditions. If the authentication service 1204 returns an error during the SSO request, the SLI UI 910 can display an error message to the user 1202 indicating that authentication failed and providing guidance for resolving the issue. If the SLI Backend 922 cannot locate the user's internal role assignment in the Database 924, the system can deny access and log the access attempt for security monitoring purposes. If the session token validation fails due to expiration or tampering, the SLI Backend 922 can return an HTTP 401 Unauthorized response, prompting the SLI UI 910 to redirect the user 1202 to the authentication service 1204 for re-authentication.

[0256] Fig. 13 is a network diagram 1300 illustrating an example embodiment of Data Entry & Report Viewing according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Multiple users of a partner can also fill the Survey. However, a user can see only those sections of the survey based on the permissions associated with role. Similarly a user can see only those reports granted by the permissions associated with role.

[0257] In some embodiments, an S-L Admin 1302 can open a survey for editing via step 1320. Partner users 1304 or the S-L Admin 1302 can then edit the survey (e.g., last y surveys, x future surveys) via step 1324. The survey can then be submitted by partner users 1304 via step 1330, and saved in a S-L Index database. S-L can invoke ETL 1308 via step 1332 and complete ETL via step 1334 to produce a DB report 1312. Partner users 1304 can view the report via step 1338, then update the survey via step 1340 and submit it via step 1342. Another round of ETL can be performed via steps 1344 and 1346, and then the S-L Admin 1302 can close the survey for submission via step 1350.

[0258] In some embodiments, the technical implementation of the data entry and report viewing process illustrated by Fig. 13 can involve multiple interconnected software components and data processing pipelines operating across the S-L Index system architecture. The processCNZ-03725can enable collaborative survey completion by multiple users within a partner organization while enforcing role-based access controls that restrict visibility to authorized survey sections and report types.

[0259] In some embodiments, the open survey for editing step 1320 can involve the S-L Admin 1302 accessing an administrative interface within the SLI UI 910 and selecting a survey management function that modifies the survey status in the Database 924. The SLI Backend 922 can receive the request via HTTPS and execute a database transaction that updates the survey status field in the survey management table to indicate that the survey is open for editing. The transaction can also update timestamp fields indicating when the survey was opened and which administrator initiated the action. The system can broadcast a notification to partner users 1304 associated with the survey, informing them that the survey is now available for data entry.

[0260] In some embodiments, the edit survey step 1324 can involve partner users1304 accessing the financial survey module 1612 through the SLI UI 910 and navigating to specific survey sections based on their assigned permissions. The SLI UI 910 can transmit an API request to the SLI Backend 922 to retrieve the survey form structure and any previously entered data. The SLI Backend 922 can query the Database 924 to retrieve the survey form field description JSON 1626 along with existing survey data from the appropriate survey section tables. The SLI Backend 922 can filter the returned data based on the user's permission profile, omitting survey sections for which the user lacks view or edit permissions. The SLI UI 910 can render the survey form using the survey form Tenderer 1624, populating input fields with existing data and enabling or disabling fields based on the user's edit permissions.

[0261] In some embodiments, the system can implement concurrent editing controls that prevent data conflicts when multiple partner users 1304 edit the same survey simultaneously. The SLI Backend 922 can implement optimistic locking by storing a version number or timestamp with each survey record. When a user submits changes, the SLI Backend 922 can compare the version number in the submission against the current version in the Database 924. If the versions match, the system can accept the changes and increment the version number. If theCNZ-03725versions differ, indicating that another user has modified the record, the system can reject the submission and prompt the user to refresh the survey data before resubmitting.

[0262] In some embodiments, the submit survey step 1330 can involve partner users 1304 selecting a submit action within the SLI UI 910 after completing data entry for their assigned survey sections. The SLI UI 910 can transmit the survey data to the SLI Backend 922 via an HTTPS POST request containing a JSON payload with the survey identifier, section identifiers, and field values. The SLI Backend 922 can validate the submitted data against business rules and data type constraints defined in the survey form field description JSON 1626.The validation process can include checking for required fields, verifying numeric values fall within acceptable ranges, and confirming that calculated fields produce consistent results.

[0263] In some embodiments, the SLI Backend 922 can execute a database transaction to persist the submitted survey data to the Database 924. The transaction can insert or update records in the survey section tables corresponding to the submitted sections, such as balance sheet tables, revenue tables, COGS tables, and operating expense tables. The transaction can also update the survey metadata table to reflect the submission status, including fields for the submission timestamp, the user who submitted the data, and a status indicator marking the survey as submitted.

[0264] In some embodiments, the invoke ETL step 1332 can involve the SLI Backend 922 triggering the ETL Module 925 to process the submitted survey data. The SLI Backend 922 can invoke the ETL Module 925 by transmitting an event message to an AWS Lambda function or by calling an internal API endpoint exposed by the ETL Module 925. The invocation message can include parameters identifying the survey to be processed, such as the partner identifier, survey year, and survey quarter.

[0265] In some embodiments, the complete ETL step 1334 can involve the ETL Module 925 executing a series of data transformation and aggregation operations on the submitted survey data. The ETL Module 925 can connect to the Database 924 using TCP and perform read operations to retrieve the raw survey input data from the survey section tables. The ETL ModuleCNZ-03725925 can apply transformation logic that calculates derived metrics, such as gross margin percentages, EBITDA values, service multiples of wages, and sales multiples of wages. The transformation logic can implement formulas defined in the survey form field description JSON 1626 or in a separate calculation rules configuration.

[0266] In some embodiments, the ETL Module 925 can perform aggregation operations that combine data across multiple survey sections to produce summary metrics. The aggregation operations can calculate total revenue by summing revenue values across all revenue categories, calculate total COGS by summing cost values across all cost categories, and calculate total operating expenses by summing expense values across all expense categories. The ETL Module 925 can also calculate comparative metrics by retrieving historical survey data for the same partner and computing quarter-over-quarter or year-over-year changes.

[0267] In some embodiments, the ETL Module 925 can write the transformed and aggregated data to report tables in the Database 924. The report tables can be structured to support efficient retrieval by the various dashboard modules, including the company dashboard 118, group dashboard 120, operation dashboard 122, and best-in-class dashboard 124. The ETL Module 925 can execute insert or update operations to populate the report tables with the calculated metrics, including fields for the partner identifier, survey period, metric identifier, metric value, and calculation timestamp.

[0268] In some embodiments, the produce DB report step can involve the ETL Module 925 completing its processing and updating a status indicator in the Database 924 to signal that the report data is ready for viewing. The ETL Module 925 can transmit a completion notification to the SLI Backend 922, which can update the survey metadata to indicate that reports are available. The system can optionally transmit notifications to partner users 1304 informing them that updated reports are ready for review.

[0269] In some embodiments, the view report step 1338 can involve partner users1304 accessing the reports module 116 through the SLI UI 910 and selecting a specific dashboard or report type. The SLI UI 910 can transmit an API request to the SLI BackendCNZ-03725922 specifying the requested report type, partner identifier, and survey period. The SLI Backend 922 can validate that the requesting user has permission to view the requested report based on the user's permission profile. The SLI Backend 922 can query the report tables in the Database 924 to retrieve the pre-calculated metrics and transmit the data to the SLI UI 910 for rendering.

[0270] In some embodiments, the SLI UI 910 can render the report data using the bright gauge charting library 1628 to display charts, graphs, and gauge visualizations. The rendering process can involve mapping the retrieved metric values to visual elements such as bar heights, line positions, gauge needle angles, and color indicators. The SLI UI 910 can provide interactive features that allow users to drill down into detailed data, filter by time period, or compare metrics across different categories.

[0271] In some embodiments, the update survey step 1340 can involve partner users 1304 identifying corrections or additions to previously submitted survey data and navigating back to the survey input interface. The system can allow updates to submitted surveys while the survey remains in an open status, enabling iterative refinement of the financial data. The SLI UI 910 can display the previously submitted values and allow users to modify specific fields while preserving unchanged data.

[0272] In some embodiments, the submit step 1342 can involve partner users1304 resubmitting the updated survey data following the same validation and persistence process described for step 1330. The SLI Backend 922 can overwrite the previous survey data with the updated values or can maintain a version history that preserves previous submissions for audit purposes.

[0273] In some embodiments, the subsequent ETL steps 1344 and 1346 can involve the system re-executing the ETL process to regenerate report data based on the updated survey submissions. The ETL Module 925 can detect that the source survey data has changed since the last ETL execution and can recalculate all derived metrics and aggregations. The updated report data can replace the previous report data in the report tables, ensuring that users viewing reports see the most current calculations.CNZ-03725

[0274] In some embodiments, the close survey for submission step 1350 can involve the S-L Admin 1302 accessing the administrative interface and selecting a function to close the survey for the current period. The SLI Backend 922 can execute a database transaction that updates the survey status to indicate that the survey is closed and no further submissions are accepted. The system can enforce this status by rejecting any subsequent submission attempts from partner users 1304 and displaying a message indicating that the survey period has ended. The closed status can trigger final report generation processes and can enable the survey data to be included in group-level and industry-level aggregations for benchmarking purposes.

[0275] Fig. 14 is a diagram 1400 illustrating data records 1402, 1404, 1406, 1408, 1410, 1412, 1414, 1416, and 1418 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. A new record being added can include fields such as CreatedAt: CURRENT() (e.g., current time) DeletedAt:NULL|Empty; ModifiedBy: USER (e.g., the user creating the record). For previous records, they can be updated with UpdatedAt: CURRENT(). In some embodiments, records are not deleted permanently, but are marked as deleted by setting DeletedAt: CURRENT(). In some embodiments, tables can inherit from the Audit table using the PostgreSQL inheritance concept.

[0276] In some embodiments, the following data of entities (e.g., users, partners, groups associations, etc.) can be stored in the tables of this schema:1. Associations: Association name and its containment. Associations can comprise one or more groups.2. Groups: Group name and containment. Groups can comprise one or more partners. In some embodiments, a group can be only in 1 association.3. Partners: CW Partners who have SLI assigned and containment (e.g., sites).4. Users: CW Users who (may or not be associated with a CW Partner and) are assigned a SLI Role.5. System Users: Users who are assigned system roles.6. Partner Users: Users who are (associated with a CW Partner and) are assigned partner roles.CNZ-037257. System Roles: Facilitator, Evangelist, Association admin, Group Admin, S-L Admin.8. Partner Roles: Partner Admin, Financial Input, Operations Input, Financial Reports.

[0277] Fig. 15A is a diagram 1500 illustrating tables of survey data records according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, a Survey Table can store metadata of the survey such as Year, Quarter, Partner Id, PostedDate, etc. Each survey entry can include tables and views of the tables, one of each corresponding to or associated with a survey input section. In some embodiments, tables can be created, updated, and deleted. In some embodiments, tables include a one to one mapping to a survey section. In some embodiments, tables can include one field corresponding to a survey section. In some embodiments, views can be read. In some embodiments, views join multiple tables or sections fetched from fields. In some embodiments, the views are sent to the user interface to be displayed in survey sections. In some embodiments, the fields required for calculation are sent individually to the UI, which performs the calculation prior to display. In some embodiments, a survey table can be joined to map the survey ID to year, quarter, and partner ID.

[0278] Fig. 15B is a diagram 1550 illustrating a table for managing multiple surveys according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The table comprises data related to managing open and closed surveys for all or for particular partners. In some embodiments, database indexes can be created for Group, Association, quarter, and / or Partner (Id). In some embodiments, PII is not stored by S-E Index because S-L Index only stores Partner and User IDs. In some embodiments, the Asio Platform stores the actual survey data and any potential PII. In some embodiments, Asio is used as an event bus to access a database where the survey data is stored.

[0279] In some embodiments, GET and POST methods can retrieve and submit information such as surveys. Tables 5A-B provide example REST API calls used by S-L Index.CNZ-03725Table 5A - REST API Calls - Surveys

[0280] In some embodiments, existing user agreements can prevent information linked to a specific partner from being shared on the common ConnectWise data platform. Aggregated information, however, can be provided to the data platform. In some embodiments, data aggregations can include averages or other aggregations, by the follow groupings: total industry, association level, group level, and / or Predominant Business Model (PBM), etc.. The financial data entered in the S-L Index application can be quarterly based, therefore in such scenarios, the data can be synchronized to the data platform quarterly.

[0281] In some embodiments, provided data elements can include revenue, expense, employee headcount, and service operations performance. The S-L Index application can capture and report on the order of several hundred data elements. A subset of these data fields can be provided to the data platform.

[0282] In some embodiments, the data captured by the S-L Index application (e.g., including imported historical data) provides a complete financial and profitability insight into partners of the system. In some examples, it can provide trend information for the industry inCNZ-03725general. Further, it can provide insight to how more profitable Partners configure and utilize various ConnectWise applications.

[0283] Fig. 16 is a block diagram 1600 illustrating an example embodiment of a frontend and / or user interface module according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The frontend user interface module 1600 can present a login screen module 1606, and responsive to valid credentials being presented at that screen and verified with an authentication service (e.g., Fig.8), a home screen module 1608 can be presented. The frontend user interface module 1600 can also display a user module 1610, a financial survey module 1612, a create survey module 1614, and a quarterly survey overview module 1616. In some embodiments, the frontend user interface module 1600 can be enabled through react UI components 1602, such as react JS, react-spreadsheet, react-Vis, etc. In some embodiments, the Asio™ Platform UI components 1604 (e.g., FieldLabel, NavBar, Grid, Card, Checkbox, ToolTip, FormGroup, Search, Alert, Scrollbar, Button) can be used to implement the user interface, thereby providing a similar look and feel of the application close to other platform applications.

[0284] In some embodiments, the frontend user interface module 1600 can import a survey from an excel import module 1618, a QuickBooks import module 1620, or manual input. The surveys are dynamically generated using a survey form field description JSON 1626. The survey form field description JSON 1626 can comprise fields (e.g., type of field, type of input, input format) to be displayed in the form and information on displaying the fields (e.g., sequence, position, color, etc.). In some embodiments, a survey form Tenderer 1624 can therefore read the fields and the information on how the fields are to be displayed and render them appropriately. The frontend user interface module 1600 further comprises a survey section module 1622, a bright gauge charting library 1628, a reports module 1630, a review survey module 1632, and a backend API 1634.

[0285] Fig. 17 is a diagram 1700 illustrating user management according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The S-L Index application can be connected to a ConnectWise® user portal for example. A first user (e.g., Chanchai) can be an administrator user, and a second userCNZ-03725can be a non-administrator user (e.g., Soma). The first user can be a partner admin for a given company. In some embodiments, there can be as many users set as admin from ConnectWise User Management, and at least one administrator must be set. A non-administrator user can have either a financial or an operation role, but not both. The second user cannot be a partner admin because it requires more than user-level access.

[0286] Fig. 18 is a graph 1800 illustrating concurrent users for report access and data entry access in S-L Index as a function of days in a calendar quarter according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0287] In some embodiments, S-L Index can import data originating outside the CW ecosystem, such as financial data imported by users from external accounting systems e.g., QuickBooks, Excel or CSV files). In some embodiments, S-L Index can import data originating inside the CW ecosystem such as financial and operational (SE) data from ConnectWise Manage, Bright Gauge, etc.

[0288] In some embodiments, a Service Leadership Index Budget module can assist with planning and setting a detailed fiscal year budget. A budget can assist manage finances by tracking revenue, cost of goods sold (COGS), operating expenses, gross margins, and overall profitability (EBITDA). The Service Leadership Index Budget module facilitates better financial management and informed decision-making for improved financial performance and increased company value.

[0289] Figs. 19A-B are user interfaces 1900 and 1950 illustrating setting user permissions for a budgeting module according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The Budget module can accessible to any Service Leadership Index user who has been granted permission to use the module in User Management. A user with the Partner Admin role has access by default. All other users with roles other than Partner Admin must be granted input and reporting access individually through the User Management module.

[0290] The Fiscal Year Budgeting ProcessCNZ-03725

[0291] In some embodiments, this budget module utilizes a Percentage Change from Previous Year model or a Manual Input of Fiscal Year Budget Total model. The user can be presented with current / previous year financial data, and the user can enter a full year percentage change (e.g., increase or decrease) for each revenue, COGS, and expense category or bypass the percentage change method and enter full year fiscal year budget totals.

[0292] In some embodiments, the system can calculate the full year budget and allocate the amounts across the upcoming fiscal year quarters based on the user’s input. The system can then process each revenue and COGS category and adjust the percentages for each field in that section of the budget according to the percent changed entered by the user to plan and set target gross margin. Next, the user can view expense categories and adjust the percentages in each field to set the operating expense budget to plan and set overall target profit (EBITDA). When finished, the user can review the full budget. When it is correct, the user can submit the final budget and lock it in for the upcoming year.

[0293] Figs. 20-21E are user interfaces illustrating a process for creating a budget according to embodiments of the present disclosure that are described in further detail below.

[0294] Fig. 20 is a user interface 2000 illustrating a menu allowing a user to select the budget icon to load the budget module within S-L Index according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0295] Fig. 21A is a user interface 2100 illustrating the budget moule displaying a list of active budgets and a control to create a budget according to embodiments of the present disclosure. To create a new budget for the upcoming fiscal year, the user can select (e.g., click on) the “Create Budget” button. A user can edit an existing budget by clicking on the budget name. In some embodiments, a user cannot delete an existing budget. However, a user can overwrite an existing budget by creating a new budget with the same year and starting quarter.

[0296] Fig. 21B is a user interface 2110 illustrating creating a fiscal year budget screen according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The user interface 2110 can provide for input of selecting a fiscal year and a starting calendar quarter for that fiscal year. In someCNZ-03725embodiments, the fields for selecting the fiscal year and starting calendar quarter are dropdown lists, however, other input types can be used.

[0297] Fig. 21C is a user interface 2120 illustrating creating a fiscal year budget screen according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The user interface 2120 shows that, if an existing budget exists for the selected fiscal year, a warning message that a budget exists for that fiscal year exists. The user can select “Cancel” to avoid overwriting the existing budget and be returned to the active budget list or select “Proceed” to overwrite the existing budget with a new, empty budget for that fiscal year.

[0298] Fig. 21D is a user interface 2130 illustrating creating a fiscal year budget screen according to embodiments of the present disclosure. If no budget exists for the selected fiscal year, the user interface can display a message confirming that no budget is found. To create the budget, the user can select “Proceed.”

[0299] Fig. 21E is a user interface 2140 illustrating a prompt of the budget module according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The prompt states that one of the quarterly surveys from a previous year is not submitted, and therefore a budget cannot be created. For example, a budget may not be able to be created when a previous year’s or quarter’s data is incomplete, and therefore a percent change from that previous time period cannot be calculated. In some embodiments, this is referred to as a minimum data entry requirements for creating a fiscal year budget. In some embodiments, to create a budget, the user must enter AND submit the first 3 of the 4 quarterly surveys preceding the starting calendar quarter of the budget. In some embodiments, the user is creating a fiscal year 2024 budget that begins in calendar quarter 1 of 2024 (QI 2024). In some embodiments, for a fiscal year 2024 budget, at a minimum, QI 2023, Q22023, and Q3 2023 financial surveys must be submitted prior to creating the budget. In some embodiments, if those financial surveys have not been submitted, the user interface will generate the message of Fig. 21E when trying to create the budget.

[0300] Figs. 22A-N are user interfaces illustrating reviewing financial data, projected budgets, and reviewing the generated budget according to embodiments of the present disclosure,CNZ-03725as described in further detail below. Once a budget is created, the user can review the current year financials that the budget is based upon. Depending on when the budget process begins, there can be at least two possible scenarios for reviewing the current year financials. In a first example scenario (e.g., Scenario 1), Quarter 4 (e.g., the last quarter before the Fiscal Year budget starts) is not complete and therefore a quarterly financial survey for the quarter is unsubmitted. In a second scenario (e.g., Scenario 2), all previous quarterly surveys (e.g., all prior four quarters before the Fiscal Year budget starts) have been submitted.

[0301] Scenario 1: The previous 04 survey has not been submitted.

[0302] Fig. 22A is a user interface 2200 illustrating the budgeting module according to embodiments of the present disclosure. This user interface 2200 illustrates Scenario 1, where the user has most likely begun next year budget planning before the current fiscal year has ended.

[0303] In this scenario, the last quarter of the current fiscal year is not complete, and the user has not yet submitted the financial survey for the quarter. Since the user does not have actual financials for Quarter 4, the user can provide estimates for each of the revenue, COGS, and expense fields. For example, the user can enter in estimates of all fields, such as the PR9a Hardware Revenue Subtotal. The user can enter the and enter the amount of revenue expected to produce in Quarter 4 for this revenue category. The Tab key can move the cursor to the next field, Clt. Hardware COGS Subtotal. The user can enter the costs expected to incur during Quarter 4 for Hardware. Other methods of navigating the fields can be employed, however.

[0304] As the user enters data into each field, the Fiscal Year Total for each category in the last column can be updated along with the subtotals for Quarter 4 in real time. This allows for a quick check to see if estimates for Quarter 4 are accurate. The user can leave blank through the categories that are not applicable to their company. The user can continue through all relevant input fields in the Revenue and COGS section until the user reaches the Revenue and Cost of Goods Sold Summary. Revenue categories and their corresponding COGS categories can be paired together in this section to make each category easier to estimate.CNZ-03725

[0305] Fig. 22B is a user interface 2210 illustrating the budgeting module according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In this user interface 2210, the user can provide estimates for each of the expense fields. The user can begin with El st - Sales Department Sub Total Expense in the Operating Expenses section and enter the amount of sales expense (labor and non-labor) expected to incur in Quarter 4. As in the Revenue and Cost of Goods Sold section, as the user inputs data into each field, the Fiscal Year Total for each category in the last column is updated in real time along with the subtotals for Quarter 4. This provides the user with a real-time check to see if estimates for Quarter 4 are accurate. The user can skip through the categories that are not applicable to the company.

[0306] Fig. 22C is a user interface 2220 illustrating the budgeting module according to embodiments of the present disclosure. User interface 2220 is a logical continuation of user interface 2210. The user can continue entering data into all the relevant input fields in the Operating Expense section until reaching the Operating Expense Summary on the next page. The user can collapse both sections to see the summaries and check inputs. If the user needs to change one of the estimates, the user can navigate back to the field and update the amount. Once the user has finished the estimate, the user can click the Next button and proceed to the next screen.

[0307] The user can then update past year data once the Quarter 4 financial survey has been submitted. Once the user has completed Quarter 4 and submitted the financial survey, the user can edit the saved Fiscal Year budget and substitute the estimates in Step 1 with actual data from Quarter 4 once it has been completed. To do so, the user can open the “In Progress” budget by clicking on the Budget name. The user interface then presents, in the header of Step 1 -Past / Current year, an “update the budget data with the current financial survey data” button. Upon the user selecting that button, the system can check the most current versions of the quarterly financial surveys and update the data in this step with that data across all of the quarters. If the current budget has Quarter 4 estimates and the user has recently submitted that quarterly survey, the estimates can be replaced with the actual Quarter 4 data. If the user hasCNZ-03725replaced the estimates with actual Quarter 4 data in the budget and the user selects the update button again, the system can switch the Quarter 4 data back to the estimates. Updating the past year data does not affect the percentage change amounts that have been entered in the subsequent steps of the budget process. However, the user should review those percentages carefully to determine whether the projected budget dollars for the next fiscal year are still correct now that the previous fiscal year amounts have been changed.

[0308] Scenario 2: All previous Quarterly Surveys have been submitted

[0309] Fig. 22D is a user interface 2230 illustrating the budgeting module according to embodiments of the present disclosure. User interface 2230 illustrates Scenario 2, where the user has begun next year budget planning after the current fiscal year has ended. In that case, once the user has selected the year and starting calendar quarter for the upcoming budget, the user interface presents with the screen illustrated in user interface 2230.

[0310] In this scenario, all four quarters of the past fiscal year are complete, and the user has submitted financial surveys for the quarters. The user does not need to provide estimates for each of the revenue, COGS, and expense fields because actual financials for quarter 4 exist and are in the system. However, the user can review and confirm accuracy of the last year financials. After confirming the past fiscal year data is correct, the user can select the next button and proceed to the next step. In some embodiments, there can be a slight difference in the IS4. EBITDA value in Step 1 versus reported EBITDA in the financial reports because the Non-Interest Income or Expense that appears in the financial report is not included in the Budget process.

[0311] Fig. 22E is a user interface 2240 illustrating the budgeting module according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The user interface 2240 provides a projected budget, such as recommended projections in revenue and operating expenses based on historical performance and the history of other companies with a similar Predominant Business Model™ (PBM™). The user can also enter initial projected changes for the upcoming fiscal year, andCNZ-03725allocations for total year revenue, COGS, and expenses across each of the four quarters. The user can set an initial full fiscal year projected budget (percentage change from previous year).

[0312] In some embodiments, the user interface 2240 can display a Partner History Model. The system calculates a set of recommended changes to the primary revenue categories and operating expenses for the company and all companies with the same PBM based on a minimum of two years and a maximum of four years of history. These recommendations are provided in the user interface as a reference to set initial projected full year percentage changes. This section can be collapsed by clicking on the up arrow in the upper right-hand corner of the section. If the company do not have two full years of history (e.g., 8 quarters), the system does not be able to provide a history model for the company.

[0313] Fig. 22F is a user interface 2250 illustrating the budgeting module according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Once the user has viewed the system recommendations, the user can enter initial projected budget changes. These values can be used to populate the more detailed changes.

[0314] There are three “Set Projected Budget" checkboxes to the right of the input fields. Checking one of these boxes is optional and can cause loading of the recommended values from the section above. If the user does not desire to use the recommendations, the user can enter their own values for each field. After selecting one of the boxes, the user needs to unselect it before selecting another.

[0315] In some embodiments, each field has the below function:9. Set Projected Budget to your History Model: Populates the input fields with the recommended values based on company history.10. Set Projected Budget to your PBM History Model: Populates the input fields with the recommended values based on the history of companies with the same PBM as company.11. Set Projected Budget to the average of your history and PBM history:Populates the input fields with the average of both recommendedCNZ-03725

[0316] Fig. 22G is a user interface 2260 illustrating the budgeting module according to embodiments of the present disclosure. After selecting the appropriate model, the user can edit the individual values to set a desired percentage change for each field. The user can begin with PR9a. Hardware Revenue Subtotal and enter or update the planned percentage change, increase or decrease (use minus sign), in revenue over the last fiscal year. The user can continue to the next field (e.g., with the tab key), HA1. Hardware as a Service (HAAS). The user can enter or update the planned percentage change for this category and continue through all the fields.

[0317] Note: The percentage change values that were initialized set in this step are carried forward and provide a starting point for the more detailed budget planning in those steps. The user can skip this section and proceed to the Seasonality section. If the user skips this section, the user enters detailed percentage change amounts from scratch.

[0318] Fig. 22H is a user interface 2270 illustrating the budgeting module according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the user interface 2270 is provided to set seasonality e.g., fiscal year quarterly allocations). Allocating the full year projected budget across the four quarters of the fiscal year. In some embodiments, the system analyzes historical financial data and provides a forecasted seasonality model (e.g., average allocation across the four quarters of the year). In some embodiments, the system can employ one of three different allocation models, each one typically having a distinct allocation pattern over time:12. Non-Recurring Revenue - This type of revenue tends to be transaction based and therefore varies from quarter to quarter.13. Recurring Revenue - This type of revenue is typically contract driven and tends to grow quarter over quarter as new contracts come in faster than old contracts are terminated.14. Operating Expenses - Operating expenses are typically allocated fairly evenly across the quarters of the year.CNZ-03725

[0319] Fig. 221 is a user interface 2275 illustrating the budgeting module according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The user interface 2275 can illustrate input fields for the percentage of the full year to be allocated to each quarter for each category. In some embodiments, the user must allocate 100% of the full budget amount across all four quarters in each category. In some embodiments, the input can include 2 decimal points, however, it can be recognized that other degrees of specificity can be used. In some embodiments, the percentages can be used in future calculations and can be edited by returning to this page. In some embodiments, once all three categories have been 100% allocated, the user can click Next to move to Revenue and COGS.

[0320] Fig. 22J is a user interface 2280 illustrating the budgeting module according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, user interface 2280 can illustrate setting detailed revenue and COGS budget. The user can adjust the forecasted percentage change amounts input in step 2 to set the target revenue and COGS amounts (in the local currency). In some embodiments, the starting percentage change amounts are the same for the revenue and corresponding COGS pair. This is being done to reduce the number of adjustments needed in this step. If the user expects revenue and corresponding COGS to increase or decrease by the same amount for one pair, the user can simply move to the next revenue and COGS pair and adjust them accordingly.

[0321] At the top of the page, the user interface 2280 displays a header that displays a summary of the full year’s budget: Total Revenue, Total Gross Margin in currency and percentage, Total Operating Expenses, and EBITDA in currency and percentage. As the user adjusts the percentages for revenue and COGS, the amounts in the header can automatically adjust. Therefore, the user interface 2280 provides quick evaluation of the adjustments the user is making to the overall budget in real time.

[0322] In the main section, titled “Revenue and Costs of Goods Sold,” the user interface 2280 displays multiple columns for each revenue and COGS field. The first column has the input field where the user can edit the full year projected change percentage. The next four columnsCNZ-03725display the amount of revenue or COGS allocated to each quarter based on the quarterly allocations from Step 2. The next column displays the full year budget amount for each revenue or COGS field. The last two columns show the previous year’s amount and percentage increase or decrease from the previous year.

[0323] Fig. 22J is a user interface 2285 illustrating the budgeting module according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the user interface 2285 illustrates a full budget summary of Revenue, COGS, and Gross Margin. The user can begin by reviewing the first revenue and COGS pair, PR9a. Hardware Revenue Subtotal and Clt. Hardware COGS subtotal. Both fields can be set to increase by 5% over last year. The user can adjust either field to set the actual plan for the upcoming fiscal year. For example, the user may have a new distributor with better pricing that can reduce COGS to only a 3% increase. In some embodiments, a first set of fields are all part of the overall Product Resale category. In some embodiments, gross margin amount and percentage adjust as each component is updated. After product resale, the service revenue and COGS pair also show the margin for the pair. Most users can adjust the percentages to deliver a gross margin that meets the plan for next year. Once the user can get through all of the fields, the user see the overall revenue, total COGS, and overall gross margin. The user interface 2285 can also provide a comparison of the Previous Year to the upcoming Fiscal Year. After adjusting the revenue and COGS fields, the user can view the upcoming budget compared to the previous year.

[0324] Fig. 22L is a user interface 2290 illustrating the budgeting module according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The user interface 2290 is provided to set a detailed operating expense budget. The user can adjust the forecasted percentage change amounts previously to set the target operating expense amounts (in the local currency). In some embodiments, the starting percentage change amounts are the same (e.g., they match the percentage entered for total operating expense).

[0325] At the top of the page, the user interface 2290 displays a header that displays a summary of the full year’s budget - Total Revenue, Total Gross Margin in currency andCNZ-03725percentage, Total Operating Expenses, and EBITDA in currency and percentage. As the user interface adjusts the percentages for operating expenses, the expense and EBITDA amounts in the header can automatically adjust.

[0326] In the section titled “Operating Expenses, the user interface 2290 displays multiple columns for each operating expense field. The first column has the input field where the user can edit the full year projected change percentage. The next four columns display the amount of expense allocated to each quarter based on the quarterly allocations from Step 2. The next column displays the full year budget amount for each operating expense field. The last two columns show the previous year’s amount and percentage increase or decrease from the previous year.

[0327] The user can also by reviewing the operating expense field, beginning with El st. Sales Department Sub Total Expense. The user can adjust each field to set the actual plan for the upcoming fiscal year. For example, there may be new hires that require ramp up periods. This might increase sales expenses by more than 3% in the next year.

[0328] Fig. 22M is a user interface 2292 illustrating the budgeting module according to embodiments of the present disclosure. User interface 2292 illustrates Operating Expenses, EBITDA, and Expense as a Percentage of Gross Margin and comparisons to previous year(s).

[0329] Fig. 22N is a user interface 2295 illustrating the budgeting module according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The user interface 2295 displays a final review of the budget. The review includes high-level recap of the fiscal year budget having line items of Total Revenue, Total COGS, Total Gross Margin, Total Operating Expenses, and EBITDA. From here, the user can submit to post the budget to the system. In some embodiments, there are two submit options:

[0330] Option 1: Submit - Working Budget - This posts the budget to the database, but it will remain editable. Use this option if a round of approvals may be needed before the final budget is set.CNZ-03725

[0331] Option 2: Submit - Final Budget - This posts the budget to the database and no changes can be submitted. Use this option to lock in the final budget and enable the Budget vs. Actual reporting to report on performance. Once a final budget is submitted, it cannot be changed. If a change is needed, the entire budget needs to be overwritten.

[0332] Fig. 25 is a diagram of a user interface of a generated recommendation flowchart according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The flowchart illustrates an ordered progression of key performance indicator targets 2512a-e. The progression is generated to guide an organization from a current performance tier to a target performance tier. The progression can be generated separate from the flow chart. The flowchart can be generated based on the progression. The flowchart further includes one or more prioritized recommended actions 2514a-g to achieve each key respective key performance indicator 2512a-e. For example, to achieve key performance indicator 2512b of Overall Gross Margin being greater than a best-in-class (BIC) tier of businesses, recommended actions of reducing overall operational expenses 2514a is illustrated. Further, additional sub-recommended actions of reducing general and administrative expenses and reducing sales cost 2514e are recommended actions as well because it is determined that those costs are not BIC.

[0333] The flowchart can highlight a recommended progression route based on prioritized recommended actions (e.g., by highlighting a recommended action, or highlighting the path to that recommended cation). The flowchart can also display, either automatically or upon selection, benchmark information 2504 on any of the recommended actions or the key performance indicators.

[0334] Fig. 26 is a block diagram of a computing node according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Computing node 10 is only one example of a suitable computing node and is not intended to suggest any limitation as to the scope of use or functionality of embodiments described herein. Regardless, computing node 10 is capable of being implemented and / or performing any of the functionality set forth hereinabove.CNZ-03725

[0335] In computing node 10 there is a computer system / server 12, which is operational with numerous other general purpose or special purpose computing system environments or configurations. Examples of well-known computing systems, environments, and / or configurations that may be suitable for use with computer system / server 12 include, but are not limited to, personal computer systems, server computer systems, thin clients, thick clients, handheld or laptop devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based systems, set top boxes, programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputer systems, mainframe computer systems, and distributed cloud computing environments that include any of the above systems or devices, and the like.

[0336] Computer system / server 12 may be described in the general context of computer system-executable instructions, such as program modules, being executed by a computer system. Generally, program modules may include routines, programs, objects, components, logic, data structures, and so on that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Computer system / server 12 may be practiced in distributed cloud computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed cloud computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote computer system storage media including memory storage devices.

[0337] In some embodiments, the budget metrics can be displayed with gauges from a Bright Gauge system.

[0338] As shown in Fig. 26, computer system / server 12 in computing node 10 is shown in the form of a general-purpose computing device. The components of computer system / server 12 may include, but are not limited to, one or more processors or processing units 16, a system memory 28, and a bus 18 that couples various system components including system memory 28 to processor 16.

[0339] Bus 18 represents one or more of any of several types of bus structures, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, an accelerated graphics port, and aCNZ-03725processor or local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. By way of example, and not limitation, such architectures include Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, Enhanced ISA (EISA) bus, Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) local bus, Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe), and Advanced Microcontroller Bus Architecture (AMBA).

[0340] Computer system / server 12 typically includes a variety of computer system readable media. Such media may be any available media that is accessible by computer system / server 12, and it includes both volatile and non-volatile media, removable and non-removable media.

[0341] System memory 28 can include computer system readable media in the form of volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM) 30 and / or cache memory32. Computer system / server 12 may further include other removable / non-removable, volatile / non- volatile computer system storage media. By way of example only, storage system 34 can be provided for reading from and writing to a non-removable, non-volatile magnetic media (not shown and typically called a "hard drive"). Although not shown, a magnetic disk drive for reading from and writing to a removable, non-volatile magnetic disk (e.g., a "floppy disk"), and an optical disk drive for reading from or writing to a removable, non-volatile optical disk such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or other optical media can be provided. In such instances, each can be connected to bus 18 by one or more data media interfaces. As will be further depicted and described below, memory 28 may include at least one program product having a set (e.g., at least one) of program modules that are configured to carry out the functions of embodiments of the disclosure.

[0342] Program / utility 40, having a set (at least one) of program modules 42, may be stored in memory 28 by way of example, and not limitation, as well as an operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules, and program data. Each of the operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules, and program data or some combination thereof, may include an implementation of a networking environment. ProgramCNZ-03725modules 42 generally carry out the functions and / or methodologies of embodiments as described herein.

[0343] Computer system / server 12 may also communicate with one or more external devices 14 such as a keyboard, a pointing device, a display 24, etc.; one or more devices that enable a user to interact with computer system / server 12; and / or any devices (e.g., network card, modem, etc.) that enable computer system / server 12 to communicate with one or more other computing devices. Such communication can occur via Input / Output (I / O) interfaces 22. Still yet, computer system / server 12 can communicate with one or more networks such as a local area network (LAN), a general wide area network (WAN), and / or a public network (e.g., the Internet) via network adapter 20. As depicted, network adapter 20 communicates with the other components of computer system / server 12 via bus 18. It should be understood that although not shown, other hardware and / or software components could be used in conjunction with computer system / server 12. Examples, include, but are not limited to: microcode, device drivers, redundant processing units, external disk drive arrays, RAID systems, tape drives, and data archival storage systems, etc.

[0344] The present disclosure may be embodied as a system, a method, and / or a computer program product. The computer program product may include a computer readable storage medium (or media) having computer readable program instructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects of the present disclosure.

[0345] The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that can retain and store instructions for use by an instruction execution device. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but is not limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of the computer readable storage medium includes the following: a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a static randomCNZ-03725access memory (SRAM), a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such as punch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructions recorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. A computer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construed as being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagating through a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulses passing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmitted through a wire.

[0346] Computer readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded to respective computing / processing devices from a computer readable storage medium or to an external computer or external storage device via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network and / or a wireless network. The network may comprise copper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and / or edge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in each computing / processing device receives computer readable program instructions from the network and forwards the computer readable program instructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium within the respective computing / processing device.

[0347] Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations of the present disclosure may be assembler instructions, instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state-setting data, or either source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as Smalltalk, C++ or the like, and conventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C” programming language or similar programming languages. The computer readable program instructions may execute entirely on the user’ s computer, partly on the user’ s computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user’s computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may beCNZ-03725connected to the user’s computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example, programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or programmable logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer readable program instructions by utilizing state information of the computer readable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry, in order to perform aspects of the present disclosure.

[0348] Aspects of the present disclosure are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the disclosure. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer readable program instructions.

[0349] These computer readable program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can direct a computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and / or other devices to function in a particular manner, such that the computer readable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises an article of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects of the function / act specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks.

[0350] The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus or other device to produceCNZ-03725a computer implemented process, such that the instructions which execute on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks.

[0351] The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.

[0352] The descriptions of the various embodiments of the present disclosure have been presented for purposes of illustration, but are not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain the principles of the embodiments, the practical application or technical improvement over technologies found in the marketplace, or to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. CNZ-03725CLAIMS1. A computer- implemented method for generating actionable recommendations based on financial performance gap analysis, the method comprising:retrieving, by one or more processors, financial and operational data for a partner organization from a database, wherein the financial and operational data comprises a plurality of key performance indicators including at least a gross margin percentage, a service multiple of wages, and an operational efficiency metric;retrieving, from the database, benchmark threshold values associated with a target performance tier, wherein the benchmark threshold values are derived from historical analysis of aggregated data from a plurality of partner organizations that have achieved the target performance tier;calculating, for each key performance indicator of the plurality of key performance indicators, a gap score representing a difference between a current value of the key performance indicator for the partner organization and a corresponding benchmark threshold value;ranking each gap scores to identify one or more key performance indicators exhibiting a largest deviation from the benchmark threshold value corresponding to the key performance indicator of that gap score;querying an action recommendation table using the one or more identified key performance indicators to retrieve recommended actions, wherein the action recommendation table stores mappings between gap patterns and corresponding recommended actions;prioritizing the retrieved recommended actions based on at least one of the magnitude of the gap scores and historical effectiveness data indicating outcomes achieved by other partner organizations that previously implemented similar recommended actions;CNZ-03725generating a progression from a current performance tier of the partner organization to the target performance tier, the progression comprising a plurality of key performance indicator targets;generating a projected path flowchart illustrating the progression; highlighting, on the projected path flowchart, a recommended progression route based on the prioritized recommended actions; andtransmitting the prioritized recommended actions to a user interface for display to a user associated with the partner organization; anddisplaying the projected path flowchart in the user interface alongside the prioritized recommended actions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of key performance indicators further comprises at least one of: a sales multiple of wages, an EBITDA percentage, a managed services revenue as a percentage of total revenue, tickets per endpoint, and endpoints per engineer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the target performance tier comprises an Operational Maturity Level tier, and wherein the benchmark threshold values represent key performance indicator values typically achieved by partner organizations that have advanced to a next Operational Maturity Level tier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the gap pattern comprises a combination of two or more gap scores that collectively indicate a specific performance deficiency category, and wherein the action recommendation table maps each specific performance deficiency category to a set of recommended actions addressing the deficiency category.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the gap pattern further comprises at least one of: a magnitude threshold indicating a minimum gap score required for inclusion in the gap pattern, a temporal component indicating gap persistence across multiple survey periods, and a correlation indicator identifying gap scores that historically co-occur.CNZ-037256. The method of claim 1, further comprising:receiving, from the user interface, an indication that the partner organization has implemented a recommended action from the prioritized recommended actions;monitoring subsequent financial and operational data submitted by the partner organization after implementation of the recommended action;calculating updated key performance indicator values based on the subsequent financial and operational data;determining an effectiveness score for the implemented recommended action based on a change in the updated key performance indicator values relative to the current value prior to implementation; andupdating the historical effectiveness data in the action recommendation table based on the determined effectiveness score.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein updating the historical effectiveness data comprises adjusting a priority weight associated with the implemented recommended action, wherein the priority weight is increased responsive to the effectiveness score exceeding a positive threshold and decreased responsive to the effectiveness score falling below a negative threshold.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving financial and operational data for the partner organization is responsive to a survey status field in the database indicating that a financial survey for the partner organization has been submitted and processed by an extract, transform, and load module.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:determining that the survey status field indicates the financial survey is closed for a specified time period; andCNZ-03725including the financial and operational data from the closed financial survey in the aggregated data used to derive benchmark threshold values for subsequent gap analysis operations for other partner organizations.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:determining a user role associated with the user, wherein the user role comprises one of a partner administrator role, a financial input role, an operational input role, and a facilitator role;filtering the prioritized recommended actions based on the determined user role to generate role- specific recommended actions, wherein the role- specific recommended actions comprise a subset of the prioritized recommended actions that are actionable by a user having the determined user role; andtransmitting the role-specific recommended actions to the user interface for display.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein filtering the prioritized recommended actions comprises:responsive to the user role being the facilitator role, including recommended actions applicable to a group of partner organizations assigned to the facilitator and excluding recommended actions specific to individual partner financial data; and responsive to the user role being the partner administrator role, including recommended actions specific to the partner organization and excluding recommended actions requiring system administrator privileges.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the action recommendation table stores, for each recommended action, at least: an action identifier, an action description, one or more associated gap patterns, a priority weight derived from historical effectiveness data, and an estimated time to implementation.CNZ-0372513. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the gap score for each key performance indicator comprises:normalizing the current value of the key performance indicator and the corresponding benchmark threshold value to a common scale;computing a signed difference between the normalized current value and the normalized benchmark threshold value; andapplying a weighting factor to the signed difference based on a relative importance of the key performance indicator to overall organizational performance.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:calculating estimated timeframes for achieving milestones along the recommended progression route based on historical progression data from partner organizations in a comparable cohort; anddisplaying the estimated timeframes adjacent to corresponding milestone nodes in the projected path flowchart.

15. A system for generating actionable recommendations based on financial performance gap analysis, the system comprising:one or more processors; anda memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:retrieve financial and operational data for a partner organization from a database, wherein the financial and operational data comprises a plurality of key performance indicators including at least a gross margin percentage, a service multiple of wages, and an operational efficiency metric;retrieve, from the database, benchmark threshold values associated with a target performance tier, wherein the benchmark threshold values are derived from historicalCNZ-03725analysis of aggregated data from a plurality of partner organizations that have achieved the target performance tier;calculate, for each key performance indicator of the plurality of key performance indicators, a gap score representing a difference between a current value of the key performance indicator for the partner organization and a corresponding benchmark threshold value;rank the gap scores to identify one or more key performance indicators exhibiting a largest deviation from corresponding benchmark threshold values;query an action recommendation table using the one or more identified key performance indicators to retrieve recommended actions, wherein the action recommendation table stores mappings between gap patterns and corresponding recommended actions;prioritize the retrieved recommended actions based on at least one of the magnitude of the gap scores and historical effectiveness data indicating outcomes achieved by other partner organizations that previously implemented similar recommended actions;generating a progression from a current performance tier of the partner organization to the target performance tier, the progression comprising a plurality of key performance indicator targets;generate a projected path flowchart illustrating the progression;highlight, on the projected path flowchart, a recommended progression route based on the prioritized recommended actions;transmit the prioritized recommended actions to a user interface module for display to a user associated with the partner organization; anddisplay the projected path flowchart in the user interface alongside the prioritized recommended actions.CNZ-0372516. The system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of key performance indicators further comprises at least one of: a sales multiple of wages, an EBITDA percentage, a managed services revenue as a percentage of total revenue, tickets per endpoint, and endpoints per engineer.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the target performance tier comprises an Operational Maturity Level tier, and wherein the benchmark threshold values represent key performance indicator values typically achieved by partner organizations that have advanced to a next Operational Maturity Level tier.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the gap pattern comprises a combination of two or more gap scores that collectively indicate a specific performance deficiency category, and wherein the action recommendation table maps each specific performance deficiency category to a set of recommended actions addressing the deficiency category.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the system to:receive, from the user interface module, an indication that the partner organization has implemented a recommended action from the prioritized recommended actions;monitor subsequent financial and operational data submitted by the partner organization after implementation of the recommended action;calculate updated key performance indicator values based on the subsequent financial and operational data;determine an effectiveness score for the implemented recommended action based on a change in the updated key performance indicator values relative to the current value prior to implementation; andupdate the historical effectiveness data in the action recommendation table based on the determined effectiveness score.CNZ-0372520. The system of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the system to retrieve financial and operational data for the partner organization responsive to a survey status field in the database indicating that a financial survey for the partner organization has been submitted and processed by an extract, transform, and load module.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the system to:determine a user role associated with the user, wherein the user role comprises one of a partner administrator role, a financial input role, an operational input role, and a facilitator role;filter the prioritized recommended actions based on the determined user role to generate role-specific recommended actions; andtransmit the role- specific recommended actions to the user interface module for display.

22. The system of claim 15, further comprising:a backend module implemented using a programming language and hosted on a container service, wherein the backend module executes the instructions to calculate gap scores, query the action recommendation table, and prioritize recommended actions; the database implemented using a relational database service and storing the financial and operational data, the benchmark threshold values, and the action recommendation table; andthe user interface module implemented using a frontend framework and communicating with the backend module through a reverse proxy.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:retrieving financial and operational data for a partner organization from a database, wherein the financial and operational data comprises a plurality of keyCNZ-03725performance indicators including at least a gross margin percentage, a service multiple of wages, and an operational efficiency metric;retrieving, from the database, benchmark threshold values associated with a target performance tier, wherein the benchmark threshold values are derived from historical analysis of aggregated data from a plurality of partner organizations that have achieved the target performance tier;calculating, for each key performance indicator of the plurality of key performance indicators, a gap score representing a difference between a current value of the key performance indicator for the partner organization and a corresponding benchmark threshold value;ranking the gap scores to identify one or more key performance indicators exhibiting a largest deviation from corresponding benchmark threshold values;querying an action recommendation table using the one or more identified key performance indicators to retrieve recommended actions, wherein the action recommendation table stores mappings between gap patterns and corresponding recommended actions;prioritizing the retrieved recommended actions based on at least one of the magnitude of the gap scores and historical effectiveness data indicating outcomes achieved by other partner organizations that previously implemented similar recommended actions;generating a progression from a current performance tier of the partner organization to the target performance tier, the progression comprising a plurality of key performance indicator targets;generating a projected path flowchart illustrating the progression; highlighting, on the projected path flowchart, a recommended progression route based on the prioritized recommended actions;CNZ-03725transmitting the prioritized recommended actions to a user interface for display to a user associated with the partner organization; anddisplaying the projected path flowchart in the user interface alongside the prioritized recommended actions.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the plurality of key performance indicators further comprises at least one of: a sales multiple of wages, an EBITDA percentage, a managed services revenue as a percentage of total revenue, tickets per endpoint, and endpoints per engineer.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the gap pattern comprises a combination of two or more gap scores that collectively indicate a specific performance deficiency category, and wherein the action recommendation table maps each specific performance deficiency category to a set of recommended actions addressing the deficiency category.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the operations further comprise:receiving an indication that the partner organization has implemented a recommended action from the prioritized recommended actions;monitoring subsequent financial and operational data submitted by the partner organization after implementation of the recommended action;determining an effectiveness score for the implemented recommended action based on a change in key performance indicator values after implementation; and updating the historical effectiveness data in the action recommendation table based on the determined effectiveness score.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein retrieving financial and operational data for the partner organization is triggered responsive to a survey status field inCNZ-03725the database indicating that a financial survey for the partner organization has been submitted and processed by an extract, transform, and load module.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the operations further comprise:determining a user role associated with the user;filtering the prioritized recommended actions based on the determined user role to generate role- specific recommended actions, wherein the role- specific recommended actions comprise a subset of the prioritized recommended actions that are actionable by a user having the determined user role; andtransmitting the role-specific recommended actions to the user interface for display.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the operations further comprise:generating a projected path flowchart illustrating a progression from a current performance tier of the partner organization to the target performance tier;calculating estimated timeframes for achieving milestones along a recommended progression route based on historical progression data from partner organizations in a comparable cohort; anddisplaying the projected path flowchart with the estimated timeframes in the user interface alongside the prioritized recommended actions.

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