blog

PSA Software: The Missing Link in your Service firm’s strategy

By Srikanth PV

|

March 1, 2022

Professional services enterprises are expanding their business potential through the adoption of AI-based automation systems. The leading IT professional services automation software provide a comprehensive view into proposal designing, client onboarding, execution workflows, billing, and archiving. They also help firms focus on optimizing project delivery based on client requirements, while automating routine tasks, scheduled activities, and process updates.

PSA solutions also make milestone achievement less complex, as managers shift their focus from follow-ups and updates to more strategic decision making and agile problem solving. The culture of the enterprise shifts towards a more project management driven approach, as all teams experience a significant boost in productivity and collaboration. A PSA system is a vital tool for scaling up when managing large capital projects.

From planning to setting-up – Streamlining the strategic process

For many service firms, a key missing link has been centralizing and structuring the planning process. With multiple datasets and documents involved in proposals creation and contracting, the pre-sales stage needs to be optimized to ensure quality and consistency. Service firms need a single tool that is flexible enough to manage multiple planning workflows, while offering 24/7 accessibility for multi-stakeholder inputs.

The setting-up of projects, after contract approvals, is also vital to seamless delivery which is why a scalable tool is necessary for strategy development. Setting a revenue and margin plan, ensuring adequate resources, enabling skills matching, developing work structures, and establishing the right controls require an all-in-one tool. By using a professional services automation solution, companies can align teams and reduce inherent project risk through optimized setting-up.

Predictive analytics capabilities for optimizing project vision

The leading PSA software solutions offer firms unparalleled access to data analytics and business intelligence capabilities. With structured workflows and end-to-end tracking of all processes, firms can forecast key trends in revenue, margin, cost outflow, closure rate, schedule adherence, etc. The access to predictive analytics helps managers overcome execution level challenges much faster.

Another important aspect of an IT professional services automation software is the centralization of data within a single solution. This improves data fidelity, consistency, and version control for all aspects including budgeting, personnel management, quality control, and billing. A service firm can focus on delivering projects as designed, without experiencing lag in execution due to data decentralization.

Expand monitoring capabilities for comprehensive overviews

Strategic initiatives may experience challenges along with way, which is why having the right monitoring tools is key. While project planning is a critical process, ensuring that execution is streamlined is essential to quality delivery. Monitoring tools provide on-ground visibility into ongoing tasks and processes, which is why service firms opt for the best PSA software solutions.

With KPI tracking being performed internally across departments, there is a delay in reporting metrics with a potential for errors. A robust PSA system automatically updates KPI trackers with real-time reporting of updated values. Project leaders can perform BI initiatives on the output of their team and provide support on an immediate basis to ensure timely delivery.

PSA software solutions also provide service firms a central dashboard, giving managers the right tools to spot potential emerging risk factors. Key areas, such as daily cost outflows, resource availability, quality lapses, and workflow issues, can be identified and improved in a much faster way through PSA solutions. This ensures that a firm’s strategic vision is sustained across the project portfolio. 

Reorganizing of enterprise resources towards customer success

Service enterprises consistently measure customer success through churn, surveys, and discussions, while tracking that data to improve overall performance. For several firms, managers are focused on execution level challenges, while balancing the strategic vision at the same time. This leads to added complexities in delivery, along with gaps in communication, reporting, and mapping.

PSA solutions provide a comprehensive collaborative environment for all team members to reorganize themselves towards customer success. Key features, including tiered data access, process workflows, PM tools, and integration management, enable all teams to leverage every resource to solve any challenge. By empowering all teams to deliver seamlessly, PSA solutions help lower cost and improve strategic capabilities for service firms.

In conclusion

Service enterprises thrive on strategic excellence, which is why technology is a core integrator for successful delivery. From planning to handover, key elements of project management can be seamlessly driven through IT professional services automation software. With PSA solutions also being easy to integrate with CRM and ERP tools, they unite workflows and boost productivity across project types.

Drive better visibility, accountability, and team connectivity, through our industry leading PSA software. Visit our product page for more information on our software modules that cover all process from opportunity management to data analytics.

Srikanth PV

linkdin

Srikanth PV comes with two decades of global corporate and consulting background across industries with diverse roles including Strategy, Leadership, and Management. Currently, Srikanth is Head, PPM Content Management at Kytes focused on content management strategy aimed to empower customers create and enhance value through its flagship digital solution - Kytes PSA. Srikanth is also a former member of the Board of Directors of PMI Bangalore Chapter.