Professional services automation (PSA) tools help services organizations manage and streamline their business operations by automating tasks and optimizing processes. They provide a centralized platform for service planning and execution, enabling improved efficiency and business performance through better visibility into delivery costs and profitability. PSA tools focused on supporting managed services providers also include integration capabilities for orchestrating and capturing additional service activity delivered through customer accounts via third-party systems and/or service providers. PSA tools provide a centralized platform for collaboration, project planning and tracking, resource allocation, contract management, service management, cost tracking, customer invoicing, and reporting and analytics. Multitenancy is a foundational aspect of PSA tools as users support multiple customers accounts concurrently. With a focus on services delivery activity and cost capture, PSA tools provide organizations insight into profitability overall as well as at the account and service-line level.
PPM software providers covered under this market definition aim to support the selection, planning and execution of a variety of different work packages or containers, including, but not limited to, traditional projects. They often fold in collaboration and communication capabilities and allow work teams and project offices to report, monitor and identify course correction in resource-intensive project and work environments. Providers included in this market offer these capabilities directly through their own products, but frequently recognize that specific integration points may also be needed to connect niche tools or data sources. The PPM capabilities identified as essential or critical include: • Project demand management • Project planning and management • Time management • Resource management • Resource capacity planning • Project portfolio management • Project collaboration • Program management • Reporting services • Security and user management • Integration • Usability