TPSA Members: Simply click on the DataView title to download a copy of the full document in .PDF format.
**NEW RESEARCH FORMAT**
TPSA Audio DataView: 2009 Partner Practices Survey Participant’s Readout
(PPT FILE w/AUDIO)
Thomas Lah, Executive Director, TSIA
This catalyst for this study was the need for the TSIA Professional Services Community of Interest (COI) on Partner Management to collect data current partner management practices beyond information collected in TPSA core benchmark study. The survey was conducted in calendar Q2, 2009 and was open to all TSIA Professional Services members
With forty respondents, the survey results provide key insights on both common practices related to managing services partners as well as common sourcing profiles.
**NEW RESEARCH FORMAT**
TPSA Audio DataView: Member Survey Results—Services Organization and Structure
(PPT FILE w/AUDIO)
Bo Di Muccio, Ph.D., Vice President, Research and Advisory Services, TPSA
**NEW RESEARCH FORMAT**
TPSA Audio DataView: Services Sales—Practices and Results
(PPT FILE w/AUDIO)
Thomas Lah, Executive Director, TPSA
The observations and insights in this deliverable are driven from multiple studies TPSA has conducted over the past two years.
This content can be used to baseline your performance on some key services sales metrics. You will also be able to understand some of the common practices surrounding services sales and identify levers you can pull to improve services sales performance.
Understanding Billable Utilization Benchmarks
for Technology Professional Services Organizations
Bo Di Muccio, Ph.D., Senior Director, Research and Advisory Services, TPSA
There is a reason why billable utilization is easily the most frequently requested topic in the TPSA member inquiry process, and that is because it is the metric that tells professional services (PS) managers how productive their delivery staff is. It is one of the few metrics that virtually every PS organization tracks and cares about. And it is for this reason that so many misconceptions continue to linger not only about how to measure utilization, but also about what level of utilization embedded TPS organizations should be targeting. This TPSA report uses industry data to explode myths and uncover understanding around precisely these topics.
**NEW RESEARCH FORMAT**
TPSA Audio DataView: Education Services Survey Results
(PPT FILE w/AUDIO)
Bo Di Muccio, Ph.D., Senior Director, Research and Advisory Services, TPSA
This study establishes, for the first time, industry benchmarks for embedded technology Education Services. The number of respondents, a record for TPSA, is a clear indication of how starved technology companies are for actual Education Services benchmarks. The large number of respondents (59) has given us essentially a 100% fit with the expected association company profile. This report is just an initial view of the survey data, however much more analysis will be done on this amazing data set.
The Professional Services Charter:
Documenting the Interplay between PS Mission
and PS Practices and Results
Bo Di Muccio, Ph.D., Senior Director, Research and Advisory Services, TPSA
TPSA has devoted considerable energy to understanding the service strategy profiles of PS organizations. White papers, conference presentations, blog entries, and member benchmark assessments are all replete with uses of this incredibly useful and powerful framework. The construct is based on a simple principle, one that has been demonstrated over and over again to be accurate, which is technology product companies generally settle into one of three patterns in terms of the amount of revenue contributed by their professional services organizations: (1) product providers, with less than 10% of revenue coming from PS; (2) product extenders, with 10% to 35% of revenue coming from PS; and (3) solution providers, with 35% or greater revenue contribution from PS. Focusing on this single factor and these three patterns has helped us organize our thinking about the differing roles of PS organizations and has provided us with an extremely useful lexicon that has become embedded in much of what we do.
The Pressure Rises but the Beat Goes On: TPSA Service 50, Q4 08 Highlights
Bo Di Muccio, Ph.D., Senior Director, Research and Advisory Services, TPSA
This TPSA DataView summarizes the Q408 Service 50 results. Continuing a theme that we introduced in the previous Service 50 analysis, we again explore the "Service Stars" for lessons within their ability to achieve high financial performance despite the worsening economy. In the second part of the paper, we take an in-depth look at the primary categories in the Service 50 – Âhardware, software, and services – Âso that we can better understand their performance and trends between Q407 and Q408. This analysis shows, yet again, that the software companies are leading the way in the technology services sector.
Thriving Against the Headwinds: TPSA Service 50 Q308 Highlights
Bo Di Muccio, Ph.D., Senior Director, Research and Advisory Services, TPSA
This TPSA DataView summarizes the Q308 Service 50 results, focusing in particular on a
comparison of Q307 and Q308. Extending the theme of thriving against the
headwinds, we explore a new concept we have developed to recognize companies that
have been especially able to navigate the gales. These are the companies we are calling
Service Stars for their ability to achieve high financial performance. In the second part
of this DataView, we take a first run up the hill at defining this designation and reveal our
initial list of Service Stars.
PMO Best Practices: TPSA Member Survey Highlights
Bo Di Muccio, Ph.D., Senior Director, Research and Advisory Services, TPSA
TPSA Research surveyed member organizations in June and July 2008 regarding policies and practices related to the operation of project management offices (PMOs) for the TPS business. TPS organizations are realizing that success in a project-based business begins with optimizing project performance. To that end, many PS organizations are launching and managing PMOs for the purpose of better managing and delivering PS projects.
This TPSA DataView summarizes the results of the survey and offers guidance for PS organizations. The analysis reveals four recommended PMO practices that have a demonstrable correlation to key PS results.
Analyzing the Profitability High Performers: TPSA Service 50, Q208
Bo Di Muccio, Ph.D., Senior Director, Research and Advisory Services, TPSA
In times of economic uncertainty, technology companies naturally turn their attention to maximizing bottom-line financial results. Toward this end, it is very useful to take a close look at the highest performers to find out what enables their success.
The TPSA Service 50 presents us with an excellent laboratory for just this analysis. This quarterly tracker study offers granular detail and unique insights on the financial performance of 50 of the largest technology companies in the world. In addition, the roughly equal balance of hardware, software and services companies also enables an analysis of a broad range of technology providers.
This TPSA DataView analyzes the most profitable companies in the Q208 Service 50 with a view toward uncovering the key common traits and behaviors that make them tick.
Benchmarking PS Compensation: TPSA 2008 Multi-Member Study Highlights
Bo Di Muccio, Ph.D., Senior Director, Research and Advisory Services, TPSA
TPSA recently completed its second Multi-Member Study on the subject of compensation
in technology professional services. Participating member companies provided thousands
of data points related to compensation and compensation policies for 12 PS positions and
15 countries. The study yielded an unprecedented view of PS compensation in general
and a particularly rich understanding of the drivers of variable compensation.
This TPSA DataView shares just some of the key highlights and general findings of this
study. The full details of the research are available only to the study participants and
subscribers at this time.
PS in Small and Medium Technology Companies:
Mining the TPSA Benchmark Survey
Bo Di Muccio, Ph.D., Senior Director, Research and Advisory Services, TPSA
TPSA’s core data set is a comprehensive survey covering a broad swathe of issues and functions of relevance to virtually all embedded PS organizations. We have mined this data set in a variety of ways over the years, but never with the expressed purpose of understanding the unique characteristics and challenges of the small and medium sized businesses in our member base. This DataView shines a bright light on this segment using the Q108 benchmarks survey snapshot as basis. This new light reveals several surprising findings and yields many important implications for the SMBs in our membership.
PS Professional Development: Member Survey Results
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Bo Di Muccio, Ph.D., Senior Director, Research and Advisory Services, TPSA
TPSA Research surveyed member organizations in February and March 2008 regarding a variety of policies and practices related to the training and development of PS professionals. While commitment to professional development amongst TPSOs is typically rather modest, this study suggests a correlation of commitment to professional development and financial performance in the PS business. This TPSA DataView summarizes the results of the survey and offers guidance for PS organizations on the basis of the results.
PS Market Rates: Focus on Europe
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Bo Di Muccio, Ph.D., Senior Director, Research and Advisory Services, TPSA
In December of 2007, TPSA released a Multi-Member Study on the subject of market rates in technology professional services. Participating member companies provided thousands of data points related to list and realized hourly rates for 6 PS delivery positions across 15 geographies. This DataView shines a light on the European countries that we surveyed in the 2007 Study. This analysis demonstrates unique aspects of PS market rates in Europe and further highlights the need to benchmark rates through a geographic lens.
PS Project Performance: TPSA Multi-Member Benchmarking Study Highlights ![]()
Bo Di Muccio, Ph.D., Senior Director, Research and Advisory Services, TPSA
TPSA recently conducted a Multi-Member Study on the subject of project performance in technology professional services. Participating member companies provided hundreds of data points related to several dimensions of performance metrics for 135 actual PS projects. The study yielded a truly unprecedented view of PS project performance in general and a particularly rich understanding of the drivers of project financial performance. This TPSA DataView shares some of the key highlights and findings of this study.
DataView: PS Pace Setters-Focus on Customer Satisfaction ![]()
Bo Di Muccio, Ph.D, Senior Director, Research and Advisory Services, TPSA
This report focuses on an area of PS that is of great interest to TPSA Members: customer satisfaction metrics. This report shows that the highest performing PS organizations also demonstrate unique behaviors in terms of customer satisfaction metrics and in particular, how these metrics are used to drive the business. The practices of these PS Pace Setters can provide meaningful lessons for almost any TPS organization desiring to improve financial performance.
PS Market Rates Benchmarking Study Highlights ![]()
Bo Di Muccio, Ph.D, Senior Director, Research and Advisory Services, TPSA
TPSA recently conducted a Multi-Member Study on the subject of market rates in technology professional services. Participating member companies provided thousands of data points related to list and realized hourly rates for 6 PS delivery positions across 15 geographies. The study yielded an unprecedented view of PS market rates in general and a particularly rich understanding of discounting tendencies. This TPSA DataView shares some of the key highlights and findings of this study.
Technology Services Organizational Survey Results ![]()
Thomas Lah, Executive Director, TPSA
TPSA and its sister associations AFSMI and SSPA surveyed member organizations in October 2007 regarding the reporting structure for all the various service businesses that can exist within a company providing technology solutions. This DataView summarizes the results of the survey and offers organizational structure guidance on the basis of these results.
Introducing the TPSA PS Pace Setters ![]()
Bo Di Muccio, Ph.D, Senior Director, Research and Advisory Services, TPSA
The TPSA Benchmark Study offers an enormous wealth of data on every aspect and function of technology professional services. This DataView introduces a new research program that leverages the benchmark data, the PS Pace Setters. The purpose of this program is to understand the common traits, tendencies and habits of the TPS organizations that exhibit the highest financial performance. We believe this will provide extremely valuable lessons to any technology firm that wishes to optimize the financial performance of its PS organization.
Compensation in Technology Professional Services: Multi-Member Study Highlights
Bo Di Muccio, Ph.D, Senior Director, Research and Advisory Services, TPSA
TPSA recently conducted a Multi-Member Study on the subject of compensation in technology professional services. Participating member companies provided thousands of data points related to compensation and compensation policies for 12 PS positions. The study yielded an unprecedented view of PS compensation in general and a particularly rich understanding of the drivers of variable compensation. This TPSA DataView shares some of the key highlights and general findings of this study, the full details of which are available only to the study participants at this time.
Sales Compensation in Technology Professional Services: Member Survey Results ![]()
Bo Di Muccio, Ph.D, Senior Director, Research and Advisory Services, TPSA
Based on a request initiated by our PSE Roundtable executive attendees, TPSA recently designed and conducted a survey about PS sales including common practices within the TPSA membership around who sells professional services; how quotas for products and professional services get set; and how sales quotas get retired. This article summarizes provides insight into the survey results and what the implications are for our member companies.
Benchmarking Technology Professional Services: Focus on Marketing ![]()
Bo Di Muccio, Ph.D, Senior Director, Research and Advisory Services, TPSA
The TPSA Benchmark Study offers an enormous wealth of data on every aspect and function of technology professional services. This DataView focuses on the items that deal with service marketing and answers key questions about the nature and role of marketing in TPS and the relationship between this function and PS performance.
PSA Usage: Member Survey Results
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Bo Di Muccio, Ph.D, Senior Director, Research and Advisory Services, TPSA
TPSA Research surveyed member organizations in March and April 2007 regarding their usage of Professional Services Automation (PSA) systems. This TPSA DataView summarizes the results of the survey and offers guidance for PS organizations on the basis of these results.
The Service 50, Q4 2007: Focus on Revenue Mix and Profitability ![]()
Bo DiMuccio,Ph.D., Senior Director, Research and Advisory Services, TPSA
This TPSA MarketView examines revenue mix and profitability trends among the Service 50 with a special emphasis on hardware and software companies. This analysis demonstrates a very interesting relationship between revenue mix and profitability and raises questions about what this mix should be for all companies with blended portfolios.
TPSA Service 50 Q307: Understanding the Principles of Growth and Profitability in IT
Services
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Bo DiMuccio,Ph.D., Senior Director, Research and Advisory Services, TPSA
This report is a companion to the TPSA Service 50 Q307 webcast. This TPSA MarketView examines growth and profitability trends among the largest IT services providers and concludes with insights aimed at helping professional services organizations understand the limitations and advantages for companies with mixed portfolios. For the complete Service 50 Q307 analysis, TPSA members should refer to the original webcast presentation.
The Service 50 Q207: Software Companies Driving the Up-Tick in Performance
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Bo DiMuccio,Ph.D., Senior Director, Research and Advisory Services, TPSA
This MarketView discusses the top fifty of the largest providers of technology professional services that report financial data on their services identified by TPSA for Q1 2007. TPSA presents this data in aggregate and provides insights on industry trends.
The Service 50: Q1 2007 ![]()
Thomas Lah, Executive Director, TPSA
Greg Burnett, Director, Member Programs, TPSA
This MarketView discusses the top fifty of the largest providers of technology professional services that report financial data on their services identified by TPSA for Q1 2007. TPSA presents this data in aggregate and provides insights on industry trends.
Service 50 Trends: Q405–Q406 ![]()
Bo Di Muccio, Ph.D., Senior Director, Research and Advisory Services, TPSA
This report is a companion to the TPSA Service 50 analyses and webcasts. Focusing on a comparison of Q405 and Q406 data, this MarketView investigates key growth trends in the global IT services market. The report places special emphasis on the performance of the Top 10 services providers and concludes with insights aimed at helping professional services organizations understand the opportunities inherent in the current IT services market.
The Service 50, Q2 2006 ![]()
Thomas Lah, Executive Director, TPSA
Greg Burnett, Director, Member Programs, TPSA
In July of 2006, TPSA took its fourth official snapshot of the publicly reported financial data for The Service 50. This document summarizes the results of this fourth snapshot.
The Service 50, Q1 2006 ![]()
Thomas Lah, Executive Director, TPSA
Greg Burnett, Director, Member Programs, TPSA
In April of 2006, TPSA took its third official snapshot of the publicly reported financial data for The Service 50. TPSA then hosted a public Webcast, on April 27th, to review The Service 50 and discuss key metrics TPSA tracks and trends from this public financial data. This document summarizes the results of this third snapshot.
The Service 50: Q4 2005 ![]()
Thomas Lah, Executive Director, TPSA
Greg Burnett, Director, Member Programs, TPSA
In January of 2006, TPSA took its second official snapshot of the publicly reported financial data for The Service 50. TPSA then hosted a public webcast to introduce The Service 50 and discuss key metrics TPSA will be tracking and trending from this public financial data. This document summarizes the results of the second snapshot.
The Service 50: Q3 2005 ![]()
Thomas Lah, Executive Director, TPSA
Greg Burnett, Director, Member Programs, TPSA
In October of 2005, TPSA took its first official snapshot of the publicly reported financial data for The Service 50. TPSA then hosted a public webcast to introduce The Service 50 and discuss key metrics TPSA will be tracking and trending from this public financial data. This document summarizes the results of this first snapshot.