How to Create a Unified Glossary to Bridge the Gap Between MSPs and Clients

Successful partnerships start with clear communication. This can be a challenge in today’s increasingly blended business landscape, where different industries come together. For MSPs, a glossary of terms comes in handy when doing business with their clients.

In this guide, we explain how to create a unified glossary that helps MSPs empower their technicians, educate their clients, and bridge the tech gap between two partners.

How to create a business glossary

The steps below focus on creating a clear, accurate, and cohesive business glossary for both MSPs and clients.

Identifying critical terms (e.g., SLA, RMM, BDR, patching, uptime)

The first step is to identify and list down critical terms. These are the terms that you will be frequently using. Critical terms may differ, depending on the scope of services.

🥷TIP: Not sure what your critical terms are? Check out NinjaOne’s list of important IT acronyms for 2025.

Step 1: Choose a document format

The best glossary format is the one that’s easily accessible for your client. Some organizations use a web-based wiki, while others have a SharePoint. You can even opt for a simple PDF with client access.

Step 2: Create and organize your glossary entries

The most important parts of your glossary are your entries. When creating an entry, avoid using too technical or complicated definitions. Remember that you are creating a document for business partners, not necessarily IT professionals.

Here’s a sample glossary entry that you can use:

You should also decide on a logical glossary structure, so your clients can easily find relevant terms. The most common glossary structures are alphabetical and by category (e.g., all terms related to a specific topic, such as security, cloud, and network, are in one section).

💡 Tip: To confirm accuracy and consistency, you can always refer to industry experts for guidance. Tech blogs, review sites such as G2 and Capterra, and NinjaOne’s blog are great starting points.

Step 3: Validate terms with internal teams and client feedback

A working glossary, first and foremost, provides clarity. A review from your internal team ensures that the technical information you provide is correct, while client feedback is crucial for alignment.

Shared glossaries should also be regularly reviewed and updated. Since tech is an ever-changing industry, terms can become obsolete. An updated glossary showcases your expertise.

💡 Tip: Automate your glossary maintenance with PowerShell

You can use PowerShell to log term additions into a CSV for history tracking. Use the script:

$term = @{
Term = "RMM"
Definition = "Remote Monitoring & Management tool used by your managed service provider"
DateAdded = (Get-Date).ToString("u")
}
$term | Export-Csv "C:\GlossaryAudit.csv" -Append -NoTypeInformation
Launch the glossary automatically for techs via a GPO login script:
Start-Process "https://yourmsp.internal/glossary"

Why should MSPs create a glossary?

A glossary of common tech definitions is a valuable document for both MSPs and clients. It reduces confusion and builds clarity between you and your client. It also helps onboard your technicians. Additionally, a glossary with shared ownership helps maintain consistency across client communication, documentation, and reporting.

Enhancing day-to-day communication: Best practices for maintaining your business glossary

Establish a governance and review process

An MSP’s glossary of terms evolves with the industry. To ensure that your document is correct and up-to-date, it’s recommended to:

• Appoint a glossary editor responsible for updates
• Conduct quarterly or biannual reviews to maintain relevance
• Leverage version control (wiki edits, logs) for change transparency
• Allow contribution requests to evolve definitions as needed

Integrate the use of your glossary in operations

The value of a glossary comes from its use. Integrating the document in your operations, from onboarding to reporting, minimizes chances of miscommunication. MSPs can seamlessly integrate the document in their client interactions by:

• Linking glossary terms within ticket descriptions and client-facing docs
• Featuring a “Term of the Week” in newsletters, emails, or regular updates
• Creating a culture where clarifying unclear terms is encouraged

Integrating your glossary of terms with NinjaOne

If you’re already using NinjaOne, you can tweak the platform to explain processes, steps, or concepts to your client. With NinjaOne, you can:

• Use dashboards to directly link to glossary entries from policies or alert names
• Record script-triggered term additions or definition changes in endpoint metadata
• Embed glossary links in ticket templates or in-client dashboards for easy reference

Establish clear client communications with an effective business glossary of MSP terms

A shared glossary is a communication asset that promotes clarity, trust, and understanding between MSPs and clients. Through structured creation, collaborative input, and automated governance, you ensure that terms stay accurate, relevant, and effective.

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