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Software for Professional Services Companies: What’s in Your Tech Stack?

a woman is typing on a computer

If your professional services company doesn’t yet have a tech stack, you definitely need one. A tech stack is a collection of business tools that work together to help you manage your company processes, and it helps companies work more efficiently.

Of course, different types of businesses use different tech stacks. A professional services company tech stack should include certain tools, and you may not be aware of what those tools are. That’s just what we’re here to talk about.

In this blog post, we’ll go over some of the most valuable types of software for professional services companies like yours, as well as some info on how you can build your professional services tech stack. Keep reading to learn more.

6 types of software to include in your professional services tech stack

Not every business will use the same tech stack. For that reason, you may choose different tools—or even different types of tools—from other businesses in your industry. Having said that, here are six types of professional services software that it’s a good idea to include:

  1. Customer relationship management (CRM) software
  2. Project management software
  3. Time tracking and billing software
  4. Accounting and financial management software
  5. Collaboration and communication software
  6. Document management software

Read on to learn more about each one!

1. Customer relationship management (CRM) software

One of the most fundamental requirements for any tech stack is a customer relationship management (CRM) platform. CRM software exists to gather, store, categorize, and analyze customer data. It does this by integrating with other tools and pulling data from them, which it then centralizes in a single location.

On top of gathering and sorting data, CRMs often come with features like sales automation and email marketing. That makes them an essential tool for learning about your customers and connecting with them.

Nutshell homepage

Some of the best CRM options include:

2. Project management software

Another essential component of a professional services company tech stack is project management software. This type of tool helps you organize various tasks and assignments at your company, noting who’s responsible for each one and when each one is due.

For example, maybe you’re an engineering firm and you have a variety of projects going on at once. You can use project management software to keep them all organized and filter by due date and priority level.

Trello homepage

Some of the best project management software options include:

  • Trello
  • Asana
  • Monday

3. Time tracking and billing software

As you manage your team and track the time spent on different projects, things can quickly get overwhelming. That’s why, alongside your project management software, you should use time tracking and billing software.

This type of tool, as the name suggests, tracks how long your team members spend on different projects. Not only does this allow you to hold your team accountable for their time management, but it also lets you see how long different types of projects take. You can also use this software to pay your employees.

Hubstaff homepage

Some of the best time tracking and billing software include:

  • Harvest
  • FreshBooks
  • Hubstaff

4. Accounting and financial management software

Accounting and financial management software is another crucial element of any professional services tech stack. You can keep up with different types of financial info using this tool, including:

  • Payroll
  • Subscriptions
  • Tax payments
  • Budget
  • And more!

Why is this software so essential? In short, the alternative is to use something far more rudimentary, like Excel spreadsheets. While you could track your finances that way, it’s far from the most secure or efficient way to do so. That’s why you should get an accounting tool.

Some of the best financial management software options include:

  • QuickBooks
  • Xero
  • FreshBooks

5. Collaboration and communication software

Many professional services teams are often spread out across different locations to work on different projects. Others may feature remote workers who aren’t even in the same city as their coworkers. In both of those situations, collaboration and communication software is a must.

This type of tool allows your team to connect and interact with each other in some way. Some are text-based, allowing you to chat via different group channels or through direct messages. Others allow for video calls.

Even if you don’t fit into one of the two situations used as examples above, you can still benefit from this type of software. It’s a great way for your team to stay connected and coordinate on different projects.

Slack homepage

Some of the best collaboration and communication tools include:

  • Slack
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Google Meet

6. Document management software

The last type of professional services software to consider is a document management tool. No matter what specific services you offer, there’s an excellent chance you have lots of different documents and files to keep track of.

You could just store them on a computer, but what if that computer crashes? Furthermore, what if multiple members of your team need to access those documents from different locations? You’ll need to store them in the cloud. And for that, you’ll need some kind of software.

That’s what document management software is. Using it, you can easily organize all your different documents somewhere that all relevant team members can access, regardless of whether or not they’re right there in your office.

Dropbox homepage

A few of the best document management software options include:

  • Google Drive
  • Dropbox
  • Wrike

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Building your professional services company tech stack

Now that we’ve gone over the best tools to include in your tech stack, let’s talk about a couple of guidelines for building that tech stack to begin with.

The best rule of thumb when putting together a tech stack is to think of it like a toolbox. When you load up a toolbox, you want it to include all the tools you’ll need for the job at hand—you don’t want to have to go back for anything later. At the same time, you don’t want to weigh it down with things you don’t need.

Similarly, your tech stack should include all the software you’ll need to run your business. But you should also avoid including multiple tools that do the same thing. You wouldn’t put two of the same hammer in a toolbox—that would make it heavier than it needed to be. Likewise, don’t pay for two different project management tools—just get one.

Nutshell is the ideal CRM solution for your professional services company

Ready to start finding professional services software for your tech stack? The best tool to start with is a CRM—and the best CRM for professional services companies is Nutshell.

Not only does Nutshell gather, store, and categorize your data, but it also automates day-to-day sales tasks and generates in-depth, customized reports. Plus, if you ever have questions or issues, our top-tier customer support team is here to help.

Want to give Nutshell a try? Just check out our 14-day free trial today to see what Nutshell can do for you!

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