MSP KPI Definition
MSP Open-Ticket Aging: Definition & Formula
Open-ticket aging measures how long unresolved tickets have remained open at a specific reporting time. Use age buckets and priority groups to make stalled work visible. Illustrative example: 12 of 60 open tickets older than five business days represent 20% of the open queue. Five days is an example cutoff, not a universal service target.
By MSP Fuel · Examples are illustrative.
Target interpretation
Context matters
Set the target against your service scope and company plan.
Formula
Ticket age = reporting timestamp − ticket creation timestamp; bucket share % = tickets in age bucket ÷ all open tickets × 100
Why it matters
Completed-ticket reports omit the work clients are still waiting for.
Age by status reveals waiting on clients, vendors, decisions or internal handoffs.
Common mistakes
Resetting the apparent age by moving a ticket to a new board.
Using calendar days in one report and business days in another.
Closing old tickets to improve the number without resolving the issue.
What moves the number
Review the oldest high-impact tickets with a named next-action owner.
Separate legitimate waiting states from work that has stalled.
Trend new arrivals and closures alongside the aged queue.
Related MSP Fuel resources
Your company plan sets the target, priority and timing for improving this number from your current position.