At Clearbenchmark, one of our core objectives is to help Managed Service Providers (MSPs) bridge the gap between technical assessments and business conversations. The Risk Score feature is central to achieving this and offering a powerful, visual representation of how risk is measured, tracked, and reduced over time as technology improvements are made.
In this article, we’ll break down what the Risk Score is, how it works, and why it’s a vital tool in communicating progress and value to your clients.
What Is the Risk Score?
The Risk Score is a calculated metric that reflects the overall level of IT risk within a client's environment. It is derived from the results of the benchmark assessments you complete across various categories, including:
Infrastructure
Security
Backup and disaster recovery
Network health
Compliance and more
Each identified issue is assigned a severity rating and a weight. These contribute to an overall score that reflects how exposed or vulnerable a client is at any given point in time. The higher the score, the greater the risk.
This score is then displayed clearly within the platform, making it easy to understand both for technical teams and non-technical decision-makers.
Why the Risk Score Matters
Traditionally, MSPs have struggled to demonstrate the real-world value of ongoing IT improvements. Projects often happen in the background, and clients may not fully grasp the impact of proactive work until something breaks, or doesn’t.
With Clearbenchmark’s Risk Score feature, you can show your clients exactly how their IT environment is improving over time. As key roadmap projects are completed, outdated systems replaced, or security vulnerabilities addressed, the risk score is automatically updated — providing an easy-to-understand visual of their reduced exposure.
This turns vague concepts like "improved security posture" into something measurable, trackable, and explainable.
A Visual Journey of Progress
Perhaps the most powerful aspect of the Risk Score is its historical tracking.
As you work through the projects on a client's roadmap, the score will shift downward — showing positive momentum. This becomes a compelling story of improvement that you can revisit during regular client strategy sessions or quarterly business reviews (QBRs).
You can show:
The initial score when you began working together
How specific roadmap items contributed to score reductions
Remaining areas of concern that still need attention
This clear progression reinforces the value of the roadmap and gives clients a sense of achievement and peace of mind — especially when comparing their current risk score to where they started.
Tying Score Reduction to Business Value
While the Risk Score is fundamentally a technical metric, its true power lies in helping clients understand business risk. A lower score isn’t just a number, it could mean:
Reduced chance of costly downtime
Lower likelihood of ransomware attacks or data loss
Improved compliance with regulations
Increased productivity and fewer tech-related disruptions
By translating IT risk into business language, the Risk Score becomes a key part of justifying ongoing investment in technology.
Tips for Using the Risk Score Effectively
Use visuals in meetings: Show before-and-after graphs or dashboards that highlight improvements in risk.
Tie each project to a score change: Make it easy for clients to see which completed project led to the most impact.
Set score improvement goals: Clients love targets. Use the score to guide them toward a healthier IT environment over time.
Compare across clients: Internally, use the Risk Score to identify which clients are most at risk and prioritise them accordingly.
In Summary
The Clearbenchmark Risk Score is more than a number — it’s a bridge between the technical work you do and the strategic conversations your clients care about.
By tracking and visualising improvements over time, the score not only highlights where risks exist, but also tells the story of how they’ve been resolved. It empowers MSPs to demonstrate true value, justify ongoing projects, and ultimately build deeper, trust-based relationships with clients.