ERP Research Blog

PSA Software Gartner Magic Quadrant Guide | Professional Services Automation

Written by ERP Research | Sep 8, 2022 4:55:46 PM

The Professional Services Automation Gartner Magic Quadrant features some of the best PSA software available on the market and is a great first step when evaluating PSA systems for your organization. The Gartner PSA Magic Quadrant allows you to quickly compare popular PSA solutions such as Netsuite, FinancialForce, Sage Intacct and SAP.

An Introduction to PSA

PSA software is also known as professional services automation and aims to streamline the business processes and activities of professional services firms such as consultancies, engineers, architects, accountancy practices, legal firms and more. 

Professional Services Automation software typically integrates siloed business functions and applications into one solution including project management and portfolio management, human resources, resource management, billing, sales and CRM as well as accounting and financials. 

By integrating most of the functions of a professional services firm, PSA software allows data to flow from one department to another, reducing data errors, human error and enabling automation.

What is the Gartner PSA Magic Quadrant?

The Gartner PSA Software Magic Quadrant ranks professional services automation software to guide software buyers. Typically Gartner classifies software into quadrants known as 'Challengers', 'Leaders', 'Niche Players' and 'Visionaries', however Gartner has delegated the task of ranking professional services automation software to its sister company, Software Advice.

SoftwareAdvice, a Gartner company, ranks PSA software on two principal measures - usability and customer satisfaction.

Usability typically refers to how user-friendly the solution is, which can include how fast the PSA software loads, whether or not it has intuitive mobile applications - or how many clicks it takes to complete a task.

Customer satisfaction on the other hand is typically measured by how effective the PSA solution is in general, how quickly implementation is completed, how responsive and helpful support is, and more.

What is the PSA Magic Quadrant used for?

Gartner produces dozens of Magic Quadrants, including for PSA software which is used to rank and categorize professional services automation to make it easier for buyers to select the right PSA software for their business.

The PSA Gartner Magic Quadrant lets you quickly identify which professional services automation software can streamline your clients' project management, finance, billing and sales activities.

Advantages

  • The PSA Quadrant from Gartner gives you a quick reference point on how professional services automation software compares.

  • Gartner & SoftwareAdvice leverage data from hundreds of user-generated reviews via their platforms to create their PSA analysis.

Disadvantages

  • Every business and every PSA solution is different, so it's hard to definitively say if a PSA solution is good or bad without examining how it could fit your business.

  • Many IT analysts are critical of how independent Gartner is when it comes to recommending software solutions.

Popular Professional Services Automation Software:

So, which PSA software made it onto Gartner's Magic Quadrant - and which ones didn't? Let's look at some of the most popular professional services automation solutions you should consider.

Sage Intacct PSA

Sage Intacct is a Cloud financial management suite that includes some powerful features for consulting firms, accounting practices and other professional services companies looking for PSA features.

Download the full Sage Intacct Guide Here

 

Netsuite PSA

Netsuite gives small and medium sized businesses some fantastic professional services automation capabilities through it's acquisition of OpenAir. Netsuite provides integrated PSA including CRM and sales, project management, resource management, financials, expenses management and more in one Cloud ERP platform.

Download the full NetSuite Guide Here

 

SAP S/4 HANA Cloud PSA

SAP is a recognised as a heavyweight in the ERP and PSA software world by Gartner and various other analysts and it's solution SAP S/4 HANA is built for fast-growing professional services organizations as well as the largest services organizations in the world. S/4 HANA provides some of the most robust professional services automation capabilities in the world, allowing you to streamline commercial projects wherever your business is in the world.

Download the full S/4 HANA Guide Here

 

IFS PSA

IFS Applications provides integrated capabilities for asset-heavy professional services firms and is renowned in industrial services companies. IFS can streamline project management, programme management, field service management, financial management and accounting and more in one Cloud ERP platform.

Download the full IFS Guide Here

 

Workday PSA

Workday started life as a Human Capital Management platform but has since evolved into something much more powerful. Today, Workday provides strong capabilities across the value chain for professional services companies, including financial management and accounting, human resources, project management, purchasing, billing and analytics. Workday is one of the most highly renowned PSA solutions recognised by Gartner in it's Magic Quadrant.

Download the full Workday Guide Here