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Professional Services

Drive projects effectively, reduce risk, and deliver services to high levels of customer satisfaction through digitalization.
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The future of professional services: Everything-as-a-service

Digital transformation enables you to offer new, agile business models with flexible pricing based on business outcomes.

Top Trend for Professional Services graphic
Business model innovation

Increasingly, professional services firms are replacing “time and materials” billing with subscription-based business models and everything as a service (XaaS). 

Total talent management for virtual firms

As competition for talent intensifies, consulting firms are tapping into talent marketplaces and networks that match internal and external resources to their needs. 

Power of humans and technology

Next-generation professional services automation is boosting productivity, reducing service delivery costs, and freeing experts to focus on billable work.  

Accenture’s evolving cloud journey

Hear about Accenture’s latest collaborations with SAP in innovating solutions.

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See how professional services customers are succeeding with SAP

What are the leading analysts saying about SAP?

Driving everything as a service in Professional Services

The traditional business model of ‘time and materials’ has given way to bundled, Everything-as-a-Service (XaaS) offerings in the professional services industry. Read about the impact to the industry in this Futurum report.

Uncover keys to success from industry experts

Learn how you can overcome some of your greatest challenges today and in the future by becoming an interconnected company that can collaborate across functions and make better, data-driven decisions.

Explore how we can help your professional services business run better

Marketing and Sales Project and Service Business Total Talent Management Core Financial Processes

A single view of client data and interactions is key to sales effectiveness – and profitable growth. Gain consistency across channels and increase your win-rate. 

  • Better forecast based on project insights
  • Accurate project profitability and revenue tracking
  • Faster business model innovation 
  • Contextual marketing and new revenue streams
  • Best-in-class bid management 

85% decrease in the effort to create a lead.

Source: Kearney

After a rigorous selection process, SAP S/4HANA emerged as the clear favorite across a broad cross-section of stakeholders due to better ROI and its international capabilities. To date, we are tracking well to that business case, with plenty more opportunity remaining in the pipeline.

Christine Laurens, Chief Financial Officer, Kearney

Professional services software helps you streamline the end-to-end engagement delivery process from bid to cash. You can drive non-linear growth by transforming business models to sell, deliver, and bill business solutions that combine usage or subscription services, projects, and products.

  • Integrated solution from a single vendor 
  • Insights into project status
  • Project performance analytics
  • Business process automation
  • Predictive finance technology
  • Process intelligence 

 

25% reduction in customer onboarding and project initiation time.

Source: McGrathNicol Services

 

By using technology to take the pain out of routine tasks, our teams can now focus on delivering high-value work for clients. A number of frustrating administrative tasks can now be done efficiently, anytime and anywhere.

Brendan Tanner, Head of Finance, McGrathNicol Services

With a total workforce management strategy, you can scale quickly. Tap into external talent networks, while maximizing internal talent contributions. 

  • Intelligent workplace experiences across devices 
  • Visibility into talent, workforce impact, and HR costs 
  • Tracking of resource demands for project-based services 
  • Rapid talent sourcing and onboarding 
  • Market-leading talent network 

 

7% increase in performance-related feedback. 

Source: Ernst & Young

 

Fostering a culture of self-driven, continuous development simply wouldn't have been possible without a platform that provides global access to learning.

Natalie Nunn, Director, Asia-Pacific Talent Development, Ernst & Young

How do you control costs and minimize risk? Manage project and engagement
financials – including profitability, revenue recognition, and leakage – in real time. 

  • One central journal to record company-wide financials 
  • Ability to handle multiple revenue recognition methods 
  • Tracking of services and products profitability
  • Monitoring of work in progress
  • In-depth prebuilt localization and compliance 

13 hours saved each month through process automation.

Source: Nagarro ES

 

Our implementation of SAP S/4HANA Cloud has enabled us to gain valuable experience, automate processes, and build a new line of business. This ensures the success of our customer projects and has helped us become the first partner globally to have received the SAP Recognized Expertise designation for SAP S/4HANA Cloud.” 

Carl-Philipp Müller, Director SAP Cloud Services, Nagarro ES

Get started with SAP’s cloud solutions for professional services

SAP can help you start or enhance your professional services digital transformation – no matter where you are in your journey. If you have yet to move to cloud ERP, you can get started with the RISE with SAP solution. If you already have cloud ERP – from SAP or any other vendor – you can enhance your professional services capabilities with our industry cloud solutions.

RISE with SAP

RISE with SAP provides customers with complete business transformation as a service (BTaaS) in a single package. At its core is SAP S/4HANA Cloud, business process intelligence, technology credits, and more. RISE with SAP also includes solutions for:

  • Revenue and cost management
  • Engage-to-cash process enhancements
  • Integrated resource and project management
  • Rapid creation and monetization of offers
  • Process integration
  • Global compliance

Industry cloud solutions

Built by SAP and our partners on an open platform, SAP’s industry cloud solutions address specific industry needs for the professional services sector. Designed to work with your existing SAP and third-party systems, these specialized cloud applications can help you drive cost-effective transformation and sustainable growth.

  • Cloud-based professional services solutions 
  • Innovative technology from SAP and our partners
  • Straightforward integration with existing systems
  • Extension of your current investments

Featured cloud solutions for professional services

SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central

Benefit from individualized experiences and strategic solutions that empower employees to reach their potential.

SAP Subscription Billing

Take a simplified approach to all tasks, from subscription product design to lifecycle management, and automate billing to create and monetize quickly and effectively.

SAP S/4HANA Cloud for projects, resource management

Get a proven framework to adopt industry best practices while attaining operational excellence – specifically across core financial and engagement management processes.

Integrated Project Pricing and Estimating by Twenty5 LLC

Drive efficiency and continuous learning in project-based pricing and estimating. You can use best practices, mine historical data, and improve collaboration to respond to quotation requests faster and more accurately.

Time Tracking for Service Organizations by Replicon

Capture, validate, and transform project time data in a modern user experience across desktop and mobile devices. The solution integrates with SAP S/4HANA and SAP SuccessFactors solutions, supporting global governance.

Enterprise Workforce Optimization Platform By ProFinda Limited

Align the work priorities of your organization with the capabilities and desires of your workforce. This solution helps you find the right person for an assignment or role in seconds. 

Explore your professional services resource center

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E-Book
Success in the new era of professional services

Discover how integrating processes across your midsize business can help you succeed in the new economy.

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White Paper
The intelligent enterprise in professional services

Learn how companies that adopt technical, cultural, and organizational change can provide innovative, value-added services.

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Value Paper
Transforming into an intelligent enterprise

Explore how SAP S/4HANA provides a proven framework for adopting industry best practices while attaining operational excellence.

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Infographic
Five game-changing professional services trends

Find out how the professional services industry is evolving in the face of changing market conditions and client demands. 

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Infographic
Intelligent bids and delivery excellence

Connect the key processes of bid management – execution, delivery, and outcomes – to meet customer expectations.

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Professional services employees working
Report
Shift your focus to innovation and sustainability

Explore research-based insights into how midsize professional services firms are addressing priorities, opportunities, and risks. 

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