Glossary

Professional Services Automation (PSA)

Professional services automation (PSA) is software that runs the delivery side of a services business end to end: projects, resourcing, time tracking, billable hours, invoicing, and financial reporting in one platform.

What it usually covers

  • Project and resource planning.
  • Time and expense capture.
  • Billing, revenue, and margin reporting.
  • Utilization and profitability analytics.

When it fits - and when it is too much

PSA suits larger consulting, engineering, and IT-services firms that need one operating system for delivery. For a team whose real need is complete, approved timesheets, a full PSA can be heavier and pricier than the job requires.

How Sandtime.io fits

Sandtime.io focuses on the record at the heart of PSA - accurate time, approvals, and reports - without the weight of a full suite, and exports clean data when finance needs it.

PSA is built around time tracking and timesheets, turns billable hours into revenue, and reports on utilization.

Related Terms

Explore other time tracking and workforce management definitions.

Time Tracking

The process of recording how employees spend their working hours. Enables payroll, billing, and productivity analysis.

Read more →

Timesheet

A record of hours worked by an employee over a specific period. Used for payroll, billing, and compliance.

Read more →

Billable Hours

Work hours that can be charged to a client or project. Essential for professional services firms to track revenue.

Read more →

Utilization Rate

The percentage of available work hours spent on billable activities. A key metric for professional services profitability.

Read more →