# R. David Hofferberth

R. David Hofferberth, also known as Dave Hofferberth, is the Founder of Service Performance Insight, LLC, an industry analyst and trained engineer with a Master's in Business Administration (MBA). His expertise in quantitative analysis and engineering formed the foundation of his career in technology, consulting, and professional services research.

## Career
### Defining the Professional Services Automation (PSA) industry

In late 1997, ChangePoint, a software company specializing in project-based professional services technology, sought out industry analysts to validate a new category of software they'd designed to optimize professional services operations. The company engaged the Aberdeen Group, where Hofferberth was the lead analyst at the time covering professional services technology.
Recognizing a gap in the market, Hofferberth conducted extensive research into the needs of professional services organizations (PSOs), identifying the demand for integrated software solutions that could manage projects, resources, time tracking, and service delivery within a single system. His research and subsequent findings culminated in the first industry white paper on Professional Services Automation (PSA) published in March 1999, titled; "Professional Services Automation: Increasing Service Organizations’ Profitability and Productivity", where the 136 page report effectively defined and formalized PSA as a distinct software category.
This white paper drew widespread industry attention, with numerous firms, including ChangePoint, Niku, Evolve, and other early PSA vendors, seeking validation for their solutions under this emerging framework. The publication of the Aberdeen report established PSA as an essential technology for professional services firms, setting the standard for the category.
In November 1999, Hofferberth defined the term "Professional Services Automation" in his 136-page research report:
   “Professional Services Automation” is the term used to describe a new family of applications designed for professional services organizations that enable service professionals to become more productive and profitable by increasing their efficiency on the job through increased employee utilization and integrated knowledge management. PSA solutions also have the capability to increase client satisfaction by maintaining an updated flow of information to the client.”
This report marked the formalization of PSA as a market category. Attempts were made to rename the industry technology sector to Service Process Optimization (SPO), by researchers at Gartner, however, this failed to gain the traction and ultimately PSA became the industry standard name.
Hofferberth has been referred to as the “Father of PSA” by industry professionals, particularly for his work in naming and defining the category from 1999 onwards. Hofferberth’s role in standardizing PSA functionalities further solidified his reputation, as his expertise was frequently sought after by industry leaders, and from 1999 to 2003, he traveled extensively, particularly to Europe, presenting his research and consulting on PSA development and adoption. Hofferberth’s research outlined the essential components of a PSA solution, including project tracking, time entry, resource management, and automated billing, which helped define the category and standardize market expectations. This standardization contributed to PSA’s rapid adoption by vendors and professional services firms.
Academic research on PSA development emphasizes the role of community entrepreneurship, where vendors, analysts, and professional services firms collaboratively shaped the market. Hofferberth is cited as having played an important role in this process, helping establish the criteria for what constituted a PSA solution, ensuring industry-wide adoption, differentiation from, and integration with existing ERP, CRM, and service management tools.
Hofferberth followed his time at Aberdeen Group with a short stint at Oracle as a Senior Research Director, from Mar 2004 - Jan 2006, following which he decided to found his own research company, Service Performance Insight.

### Founding Service Performance Insight (SPI Research)

In January 2006, Hofferberth founded Service Performance Insight (SPI Research, also known as SPI) to expand his work in professional services research and benchmarking. SPI focused on providing quantitative research on the global professional services industry and professional services organizations (PSOs), using data-driven insights to enhance operational performance.
One of SPI's most significant contributions was the Professional Services Maturity™ Model (PSMM) (also referred to as the PS Maturity™ Model), developed in collaboration with Jeannie Urich in 2007. The PSMM provided a structured approach for professional services firms to assess and improve their operational effectiveness. The framework gained widespread recognition and became a standard for professional services industry benchmarking.
SPI’s annual Professional Services Maturity Benchmark Report, first published in 2008, became a key resource for identifying trends in the market, and for firms seeking to compare their performance against industry peers. Over the years, SPI expanded its research to include performance scorecards, training, consulting, and in-depth analytics for PSA and project-based ERP vendors, as well as professional services organizations.
Hofferberth’s work with SPI also contributed to the standardization of PSA tools, as his research codified what features sat or didn't sit, within the box of PSA, helping software vendors refine and align their offerings to industry needs and trends. His continued focus on data-driven decision-making reinforced SPI’s reputation as a key advisory resource for IT vendors and professional services organizations.

## Industry contributions and impact

Hofferberth’s work has had a lasting impact on the professional services industry. His research and benchmarking reports have been referenced in leading business publications, including the Harvard Business Review.

### His contributions include

* Defining Professional Services Automation (PSA) in 1999 and establishing it as an industry category.
* Developing the Professional Services Maturity™ Model (PSMM) in 2007 to help firms benchmark and improve operations.
* Publishing the first Professional Services Maturity™ Benchmark Report in 2008.
* Advancing the concept of PSA Standardization, community entrepreneurship, and institutional entrepreneurship, helping drive its widespread adoption.
* Authoring industry reports and white papers that provide quantitative insights into professional services performance.
* Advising software vendors on PSA and ERP solutions for almost three decades to enhance industry best practices.

## Recognitions

* Recognized in the PSA industry as the "Father of PSA"
* Referenced in the Harvard Business Review
* Published hundreds of industry reports and white papers
* Speaker at global conferences on professional services automation and benchmarking
* Recognized in academic research for his role in community entrepreneurship in PSA’s market formation

## Publications

2025 PS Maturity™ Benchmark