The estimation revolution: Why PSOs are embracing automation & accuracy
Debarati Mukherjee is the Director of Marketing at A5, a leading Certinia partner specializing in helping services organizations tackle complex project management challenges and streamline operations. In this post, she shares five key questions to assess whether service delivery gaps are costing your business time, revenue, and customer satisfaction.
The professional services sector is in the midst of a digital overhaul. Forrester notes that global IT services spending will hit $2 trillion by 2028, even as firms grapple with talent shortages and margin pressure. IDC similarly forecasts $3.4 trillion in digital transformation spending by 2026, with Professional Services one of the top industries investing in back-office automation and analytics. Leading firms report that cloud-based tools, CRM platforms, and AI-driven automation are now essential for agility and efficiency.
Why PSOs matter more than ever
Once seen as support functions, Professional Services Organizations (PSOs) are now strategic drivers—99% of services leaders say their PSO is critical to company strategy, and over 60% view them as engines of growth, not cost centers (according to the 2024 Global Service Dynamics Report).
But with greater influence comes new challenges. 60% of PSOs still rely on spreadsheets, leading to inefficiencies just as they face major shifts like AI adoption and economic uncertainty. The real challenge? Adapting fast enough to stay ahead.
Legacy challenges: Slow quotes, fragmented data, hidden costs
Historically many services firms have relied on spreadsheets and siloed systems to scope and price engagements. This fragmentation creates slow quote turnaround and margin blind spots.
At Classy Llama, a fast-growing digital agency, siloed operations across sales, delivery, and finance led to delayed planning, reactive resourcing, and profitability insights that came only after projects ended. Time tracking was manual, invoicing was slow, and quote cycles were bogged down by back-and-forth reviews. This isn’t unique to smaller firms; even Salesforce’s own Professional Services team faced similar challenges.
By implementing Certinia’s Services Estimator, they cut scoping steps by 84% and review and approval steps by 72%, dramatically reducing manual work and accelerating deal closures and revenue recognition. Without automation and unified data, service providers risk missed bids, underpriced projects, and shrinking margins
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The case for integrated services estimation
Given these pressures, leading firms are moving away from DIY solutions toward integrated platforms. IDC finds Professional Services is pouring investment into back-office and project automation, and Forrester research shows 89% of PS leaders now favor vertical SaaS built for services (not generic ERP).
A modern estimation solution empowers sales teams with real-time delivery capacity and cost visibility, while giving delivery leaders early insight into pipeline demands. This is where Certinia shines.
Natively built on Salesforce, Certinia’s Services Estimator streamlines service quoting by eliminating silos and enabling fast, accurate estimates—right inside the CRM.
Key highlights of Certinia’s Services Estimator:
- Smart Quoting: Auto-apply costs, margins, and discounts using templates, not spreadsheets. Instantly convert estimates into staffed projects.
- Margin Visibility: Model roles, rates, and expenses in real time. Built-in controls ensure pricing accuracy and compliance.
- Resource-Aware Planning: Flag capacity gaps before bidding by syncing with delivery plans. No more reactive resourcing!
- Speed to Win: Estimates that took days now take minutes, helping teams quote faster, smarter, and more competitively.
Customer success stories: Classy Llama and Mythics
As a trusted Certinia partner, A5 brings the implementation expertise to turn transformation goals into measurable outcomes.
For Classy Llama and Mythics, A5 led seamless transitions to Certinia’s Services Estimator, and Financial Management solutions, replacing fragmented systems with unified platforms on Salesforce. Aligning sales, delivery, and finance enabled both organizations to achieve faster quoting, clearer margin visibility, and streamlined project execution.
A5’s proven approach ensured successful adoption, unlocking smarter decisions, operational efficiency, and tangible ROI.
Improved margins and growth
Certinia customers report significant gains in profitability and efficiency, with project gross margins increasing by up to 32%. Automating estimation cuts scoping steps by 84% and approvals by 72%, accelerating revenue recognition.
Aligning estimates with delivery capacity speeds up bids and protects margins, turning estimation into a strategic advantage. It’s clear: firms investing in connected PSA solutions gain a significant competitive edge.
Certinia’s Services Estimator unifies sales, resourcing, and finance to automate quoting, improve margin visibility, and reduce time-to-bid. With expert partners like A5, companies are turning digital strategies into measurable ROI.
Ready to unlock faster, smarter estimation? Join our webinar to see how Certinia and A5 are transforming services quoting for real results.
