Professional services automation (PSA)

Software that brings together the running of a services firm - projects, resourcing, time tracking, billing and reporting - so they share one set of data.

For example, a consultancy might use a PSA to plan who works on which project next month, log time against each project and turn that time into invoices. Where the PSA doesn't connect to the CRM or the accounts software, someone still copies data across by hand.

Why it matters to your firm: a PSA can remove a lot of manual work, but only if your people use it the way it expects. If they have to bend their work to fit it, the hours come back in workarounds. Start with an ops audit to see whether you need a PSA, a few connections, or a tool shaped to how you work.