The ClearStack Clarity Audit

The Audit That Tells You What Your MSP Won't

A fixed-fee, three-week engagement that gives you an independent, outside look at your MSP contract, your software spend, your security posture, and where AI actually fits, before you sign another renewal on faith.

Who This Is Built For

Does this sound familiar?

✓You're relying on an MSP to manage your technology, but you're starting to realize they're grading their own homework.
✓You can't get a straight answer on backup restoration testing, patching schedules, or who actually owns the incident plan if systems go down tomorrow.
✓Your monthly IT invoices and software spend keep climbing, but nobody on your internal team has the technical background to audit them.
✓The board, owners, or cyber insurance provider are asking hard technology and AI questions that your current vendor deflects with jargon.
✓Your organization generates $10M–$20M in revenue, making you a high-value target—yet technology decisions are being made without executive IT leadership in the room.
✓You sign annual MSP renewals on faith because your team lacks the independent data to negotiate price, SLAs, or scope.

If your vendor provides 100% transparent reporting, verified backup audits, and independent strategic oversight, you don't need me. If you have doubts, keep reading.

What You Get

Five deliverables. One clear picture.

Full MSP & Software Vendor Review

Every contract, every license, every recurring charge, checked against what you're actually using and what you actually need.

Security Posture Snapshot

A Zero Trust gap check that tells you where you're exposed, in plain language, not a 40-page compliance document nobody reads.

AI Opportunity Snapshot

What's realistic for your business in the next 12 months, and what's noise. No platform pitch attached.

A Written, Prioritized Roadmap

Prioritized by impact, and yours to keep regardless of what you decide to do next.

Live Findings Presentation

To you and your finance lead. No black box, no jargon, a direct conversation about what I found and what it's worth fixing first.

Price

$2,500, fixed

Timeline

2 to 3 Weeks

Kickoff to findings presentation

Why an Independent Audit

Not your MSP's own report

Most MSPs will happily tell you the relationship is healthy. That's not dishonesty, it's structure. A vendor grading its own performance has an obvious problem, the same reason an auditor doesn't audit their own books. ClearStack has no MSP contract, no software to sell, and no managed services division sitting behind the recommendation. The only outcome I'm optimized for is an accurate picture of what you're actually paying for.

That distinction comes from experience, not theory. Chris McGlasson built and sold an MSP before doing this work. He knows exactly where the corners get cut and the hours get padded, because he used to be the one deciding where to cut them. Now that knowledge works for you instead.

"In the $10M–$20M space, companies are routinely overpaying by 20% to 30% on software and MSP contracts simply because nobody technical enough—and independent enough—is looking at the invoices. The MSP isn't going to point it out. That's usually the first thing I catch."

— Chris McGlasson, President, ClearStack Advisory

What Happens After

The audit stands on its own

The audit stands on its own. You get the roadmap and the findings presentation regardless of what happens next, and you're free to act on it however you choose, with me or without me.

If you decide to move forward with ongoing fractional CIO support, the full audit fee credits toward your first month, as long as you sign within 30 days of the findings presentation. No pressure tactics, no expiring discount games. Just a straightforward reason to decide sooner rather than later if the fit is right.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What if you don't find anything wrong?

Then you'll know that for certain, with an independent report to back it up, instead of hoping it's true. That's still a valuable outcome, and it happens less often than you'd think.

Is this a security audit or a compliance audit?

No. Security is one part of what I review, but this isn't a HIPAA, SOC 2, or CMMC compliance engagement. If you need formal compliance certification work, I can point you to the right resource, and can incorporate compliance-readiness findings into your roadmap either way.

Do I have to sign a retainer afterward?

No. The audit is a complete, standalone engagement. The retainer credit is available if you choose to continue, not a condition of the audit itself.

What do you need from me to get started?

Access to your current MSP contract and invoices, a short conversation with whoever manages the vendor relationship day to day, and about two hours of your time across the engagement. I do the rest.

Ready to see what's actually in your stack?

A 20-minute scoping call to confirm fit, walk through what I'll review, and get the audit on the calendar. No pitch, no obligation.