Professional Services Automation (PSA) Software

Professional services automation (PSA) software is used by businesses to gain visibility into project performance, improve employee productivity, and manage customer relationships. 

The tool cuts across departmental silos and can be used by different teams and departments. For instance, the customer service and sales team can use the tool when engaging with clients or handling support tickets, and the project delivery team can use it to improve operational efficiency by monitoring project expenses or tracking task deadlines.

In this buyers guide, we'll explore what exactly PSA software is, it's key features, and deployment options.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

• What is PSA software?

• Deployment options for PSA software

• What are the common features of PSA software?

What is PSA software?

PSA software is a tool that helps companies manage different processes, such as tracking new business opportunities, planning resource allocation in projects, creating project budgets, and billing clients.  

The tool is used by different kinds of service companies, such as architectural businesses, law firms, marketing agencies, and accounting firms. 

Deployment options for PSA software

PSA software comes with two kinds of deployment options: cloud-based or on-premise. 

• Cloud-based: The vendor changes you a monthly/annual subscription fee for using the solution, and takes care of the software’s maintenance, data backup, and upgrades. Since the software is hosted on the vendor's servers, your business data will be accessible to them.   

• On-premise: The vendor sells the software to you, typically for a one-time license fee. You will have full control over the data but will also have to take care of data storage and software upgrades.  

Key questions to ask SaaS vendors:

• What kind of security measures do you have in place to protect my organization’s data?   

Key questions to ask on-premise solution vendors:

• Are there additional costs for software installation, set up, and training?

What are some common features of PSA software?

PSA software comes with wide-ranging capabilities, such as project management, time and expense tracking, resource management, and invoicing.   

Below are the most common features of these solutions:

Project management: Plan projects and track tasks by using built-in tools, such as Gantt charts and calendars, and create and visualize task timelines and understand the status of your projects.

Project planning and management in NetSuite SRP 

Timesheet tracking: Create timesheets, allow employees to update their work hours, and mark managers for approval from different devices, including iOS and Android smartphones.

Timesheet tracking in Mavenlink

Expense tracking: Allow employees to put in reimbursement requests for project-related expenses by uploading receipts and assigning managers for review and approval.

Expense tracking in BigTime

Invoice management: Create invoices using built-in templates to bill clients for a project; maintain a repository of invoices for different projects.

Invoice management in BQE Core 

Resource management: Plan and schedule tasks for employees based on their availability and skill set; monitor employee utilization and workload on visual dashboards.

Resource management in VOGSY

Customer account management: Organize and capture details of new and existing customers, such as their names, addresses, telephone numbers, service agreements, and interactions in a single system.

Customer account management in OfficeTools

Helpdesk: Capture the inquiries and requests made by customers and track the actions taken by the service team.

Helpdesk management in Zoho Desk

Back to PSA software directory 

*Note: The applications selected in this article are examples to show a feature in context, and are not intended as endorsements or recommendations. They’re obtained from sources believed to be reliable at the time of publication.