TopLeft vs. Moovila Project Management: A Comparative Guide

Picture two MSP teams facing the same challenge: growing ticket queues, busy engineers, and looming project deadlines, constantly juggling priorities, projects running over budget, stressed engineers, and clients left waiting too long.

This article explores how TopLeft and Moovila address these issues by streamlining workflows, improving team coordination, and creating actionable insights.

By the end of the article, you’ll have the tools to decide which solution aligns best with your team’s needs, helping you confidently take the next step to resolve these challenges.

Team One

Meet team one. They chose Moovila because they like the idea of AI helping them plan their work. Here's what they got:

• An AI brain that schedules everything automatically

• Smart alerts that warn about future problems

• A system that predicts project risks

• Automatic resource planning

• Built-in performance tracking

• Complex project mapping

• Risk scoring to spot trouble

For Team One, using Moovila is like having a smart assistant. They feed information into the system and let the AI make suggestions. Team One follows the AI’s recommendations about what to work on and when.

However, one common concern among some MSPs is whether AI tools like Moovila will overcomplicate their workflows or require steep learning curves due to the complexity of Moovila’s software. Although Moovila has the potential to significantly boost MSP team efficiency, some hesitation arises from past experiences with tools that fell short of expectations.

Team Two

Meet Team Two. They take a visual approach with TopLeft. They chose TopLeft because they wanted to see their work clearly and keep using their PSA. Here's what they got:

• Visual boards that show all work in one place

• Real-time connection to their Connectwise, Autotask or HaloPSA

• Drag-and-drop task management

• Team swimlanes to show who’s doing what and who needs to work on what

• Built-in time tracking

• Project timeline views

• Easy workload balancing

• Simplified time entry for everyone

• Actionable PSA data that reduces time spent navigating the PSA

• A single source of truth maintained across departments

TopLeft stands out by enhancing PSA integration across all departments. Managers, executives, technicians and engineers can continue using familiar tools along with TopLeft while gaining added visibility and functionality through TopLeft. Whether you're in service, sales, or leadership, TopLeft simplifies workflows, ensuring all departments operate more cohesively.

Team Two uses TopLeft like a well-organized whiteboard. Everyone can see exactly what needs doing, reducing the need for status meetings because everything is visible at a glance. They can easily log time, update tasks, and access relevant data without leaving their workflow.

Different Ways of Working

The interesting part is how each team adapted to their new tool:

Team 1 with Moovila:

• Spent time learning to work with AI

• Followed the system's suggestions

• Let AI handle scheduling

• Relied on predictions

• Built structured workflows

The AI acted like a weather forecast for projects, helping them identify potential problems early to eventually achieve consistent improvements within their MSPs.

Team 2 with TopLeft:

• Kept working in their PSA

• Managed work visually

• Made quick decisions as a team with TopLeft’s visual boards

• Adapted to changes easily with TopLeft’s visual alerts

• Used real-time updates

Visual management meant fewer interruptions and faster decisions utilizing an Agile process—all while keeping everything in their PSA. For many MSPs, this balance of flexibility and clarity is key to overcoming resistance to change.

Choosing What's Right for You

Think about how your team prefers to work:

• Do you want AI making suggestions, or do you want your team seeing and managing their own work in an agile-like process?

• Would you rather predict problems or spot them visually when they occur?

• Are any of your engineers working a mix of project and service tickets?

• Are all your projects tracked in your PSA’s project module – or are many just service tickets?

We know you're hesitant. With so many tickets and projects running over budget, a new system can feel overwhelming. Many tell us "We don't have time" or "We tried this before and failed."

That's why choosing the right tool makes all the difference. While AI-driven tools like Moovila focus on predictive scheduling, TopLeft focuses on offering immediate clarity and flexibility while working seamlessly with your familiar PSA and existing processes – no complex AI learning curves required.

The results for TopLeft speak for themselves: Teams like Alpha IT already can “see progress from Request-For-Quote all the way through to Close, including task work”.

Why Mindset Matters

When choosing how to manage your work, think about team 1 and team 2. Their success wasn’t just about the tools they picked; it was about how they approached their tasks.

Let’s break down what made each method work for them.

Moovila's Team Mindset:

Moovila users rely heavily on AI-driven insights to guide their daily workflows and strategic choices, which allows teams to focus more on execution rather than deciding what to work on next. The AI offers proactive "early warning systems" for risks like resource conflicts, missed deadlines, and budget overruns.

For decisions not handled by AI, upper- or middle-level management steps in, using the AI’s recommendations as a foundation. This hierarchical model lets leadership maintain control over strategic adjustments. The result is a streamlined system where the AI reduces complexities, and managers and certain team members can refine the broader strategy.

TopLeft's Agile MSP Team Mindset:

• Believe in the power of the whole team seeing the whole picture daily to make decisions

• Use Agile practices to adapt quickly to changing priorities through.

• Use Agile methodology to break complex projects into manageable cycles, enabling rapid iteration and continuous improvement.

• Trusts the judgment of the individual technician, executive, engineer and manager with clear visual information

Even if your team is comfortable with current processes, staying with what's familiar can mean missing opportunities for improvement. This approach works because when everyone can see what's happening, they make better decisions, like having a clear view of the road ahead.

Real Stories, Real Results

TopLeft isn’t just a project management tool—it’s a transformative solution designed specifically for MSPs. Here’s what our clients have experienced:

• Matthew Kaufman, KaufmanIT (Account Management): "With TopLeft, we drastically reduced our ticket backlog. It’s amazing how just visualizing the same data in a clearer way made such a huge difference. In just one week, we closed nearly 300 old or completed tickets out of 450."
• Steve Psaradellis, CEO of TEBA (Leadership):"TopLeft helped us turn project delivery around—from negative efficiency to a positive 33%. Now, we finish projects with an average of 1/3 of the time left over! It’s been a game-changer for us, offering real visibility and improving both efficiency and profitability."

We know what you might be thinking: "We don't have time to implement new tools" or "Our team won't adopt another system." These MSPs had the same concerns. But instead of letting those fears hold them back, they took one small step forward – and the results speak for themselves.

Company-Wide Agile Impact

Before Agile:

Agile helps teams break down complex tasks, prioritize effectively, and continuously improve through feedback. Before implementing Agile practices, organizations often faced these challenges:

• Departments worked in silos with limited visibility in each other’s workflows.

• Service desk teams were overwhelmed with backlogged tickets.

• Sales and service lacked effective handoff processes, leading to delays.

• Leadership spent hours in meetings to identify and resolve bottlenecks.

• Teams were reactive rather than proactive, struggling to meet deadlines.

While these challenges may feel familiar and insurmountable, they're not permanent obstacles to your success.

After Agile with TopLeft:

Agile ideas, like working in steps and letting teams take charge, bring these changes by encouraging clear communication, flexibility, and ongoing improvement:

• Service desk teams: Easily handle ticket flow and cut down on the backlog.
• Sales and Service: Smooth handoffs make starting with new clients easier.
• Leadership: See issues in real-time without needing to micromanage.
• Marketing: Keep track of how campaigns are going with ease.
• Procurement teams: See and simplify the process of tracking orders.
  

Fostering Teamwork and Changing Company Culture with Kanban

Kanban isn’t just a way to visualize work—it’s a game-changer for teamwork and company culture. It breaks down barriers between departments, fosters collaboration, and builds a connected, Agile workplace where efficiency and innovation thrive.

Stronger Teamwork Across Departments

Switching to a new way of managing work can feel daunting for many MSPs. Concerns about unpredictable tasks or team adoption often come up. However, Kanban simplifies collaboration by providing clarity and improving communication. Visual boards play a key role by allowing:

• Smoother Handoffs: They make it easier to pass tasks between teams, keeping work moving without delays or mix-ups.
• Clear Workflows: Everyone can see how tasks are moving, which helps teams understand the big picture and avoid misunderstandings.
• Team Ownership: Teams can organize their own work, decide what’s most important, and take charge of their tasks without needing constant oversight.
• Cross-Department Teamwork: Visual boards act like a shared space, helping teams in different departments work together, avoid repeating tasks, and get better results.

Change can feel challenging, but MSPs like Seitel Systems found that TopLeft’s Kanban boards provided the clarity they needed to improve their operations. Judy Baker, Service Desk Manager, shared, "The visibility within TopLeft is just amazing. We can see tickets that are ready to work, blocked, or scheduled, and track where they are in the process. With this clarity, we respond much quicker, and tickets no longer slip through the cracks. It’s helped us be better at our jobs and deliver a higher level of service to our clients.

Cultural Transformation

Kanban isn’t just about simplifying tasks—it’s about reshaping how your team collaborates. It fosters habits that encourage teamwork, responsibility, and ongoing improvement.

Here’s how Kanban makes this work:

• Quick Daily Check-ins: Short, regular meetings like standups or huddles help the team stay connected, share updates with one another, and make sure everyone is moving toward the same goals.
• Limiting Tasks in Progress: By setting limits on how much work can be done at once, teams stay focused, avoid getting stuck, and finish tasks faster.
• Pulling Tasks as Needed: Instead of being told what to do next, teams choose new tasks when they have the time. This helps teams feel in charge and take ownership of their work.
• Learning From Mistakes and Wins: Teams regularly talk about what went right and what could have gone better. These meetings help them figure out how to improve for the future.
• Taking Responsibility: Kanban gives teams the power to manage their tasks. This leads to more involvement and better results because everyone feels accountable.

Kanban doesn’t just improve how tasks are handled—it changes how teams work together, solve problems, and create great results. It helps teams think in a flexible way and stay focused on getting things done.

Addressing Common Objections

Many MSPs hesitate to try tools like TopLeft because of concerns like these:

• "We’re worried about costs and ROI." TopLeft is priced to give you value right away. Unlike Moovila, which will cost more because of its complicated AI features, TopLeft is a more affordable option. It helps your team save time, work more efficiently, and get more done. This makes it a smart choice for MSPs of all sizes. [See pricing here.]  

• "Our work is too unpredictable for Kanban." TopLeft’s boards and alerts are flexible, so you can easily adjust priorities and handle last-minute changes without losing track of progress.

• "We tried something like this before and it failed." TopLeft isn’t rigid like other systems. It lets you set up workflows that work for your team, helping you succeed where other tools might not have.

Getting Started with TopLeft’s Visual Management

Week 1:

• Set up your first board.
• Train the team on basic Kanban principles.
• Start daily standups.
• Track initial metrics.

Weeks 2–4:

• Expand to more teams.
• Refine workflows.
• Add WIP limits.
• Measure improvements.
• Scale across departments

Month 2+:

• Optimize processes.
• Build team habits.
• Share success stories.

This demo shows how TopLeft streamlines project management, ticket tracking, and task assignments while cutting down on manual updates for better service.

Request a demo