Software Advice has talked to hundreds of buyers from architecture firms looking for professional services automation software. This report analyzes those interactions, with information about buyers' pain points and reasons for seeking a new system.

1. Software Advice BuyerView:
Architecture Management Report
Insight into today’s software buyer

2. In 2013, we talked to hundreds of architecture firms considering a purchase of
business management software. We tapped into a subset of the data to
determine two things:
• What are the most popular methods currently employed by architecture firms
seeking business management software solutions?
• Which software features are most popular among prospective purchasers?
Abstract

3. Prospective Buyers’ Current Methods
Number of mentions
Almost half of the buyers we spoke with were currently using manual methods such
as Excel, Outlook and pen and paper to track and store data.
Accounting and billing software
Manual methods
Architecture-specific software
0 50 100 150 200

4. Demographics: Buyer Size by Annual Revenue
The vast majority of buyers we spoke with were small businesses earning $5
million or less in annual revenue.
1%
11%
47%
41% Less than $1 million
$1-$5 million
$6-$25 million
$26-$50 million

5. Demographics: Buyer Size by Number of Employees
The majority of buyers we spoke with had 20 or fewer employees.
1%
4%
12%
27%
24%
28%
4%
1
2-5
6-10
11-20
21-50
51-100
100+

6. Top Reasons for Replacing Manual Methods
Percent of sample
Many buyers said they spent excessive time tracking operations via manual
methods, and needed to streamline the process with specialized software.
Current system no longer supported
Enhance efficiency
Update/modernize
Improve project management
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

7. Time and Expense Tracking Are Most Requested Features
Because the basic source of revenue for architecture firms is hourly billing, it’s
logical that 61 percent of buyers requested time and expense tracking.
19%
21%
26%
35%
Time tracking
Expense tracking
Billing and invoicing
Project management

8. Most Buyers Don’t Have a Deployment Preference
We were surprised that 86 percent of buyers we spoke with didn’t express a
preference for cloud or on-premise systems.
86%
8%
6%
On-premise
Web-based
No preference

9. A Vast Majority of Buyers Want an Integrated Suite
An overwhelming number of buyers we spoke with sought an integrated suite over
best-of-breed applications.
2%
5%
93%
Integrated suite only
Best-of-breed
Multiple products

10. Software Advice™ is a trusted resource for software buyers. The company's
website, www.softwareadvice.com, provides detailed reviews, comparisons and
research to help organizations choose the right software. Meanwhile, the company’s
team of software analysts provide free telephone consultations to help each
software buyer identify systems that best fit their needs. In the process, Software
Advice connects software buyers and sellers, generating high-quality opportunities
for software vendors.
@SoftwareAdvice /company/software-advice
@SoftwareAdvice/SoftwareAdvice

11. Software Advice™ is a trusted resource for software buyers. The company's
website, www.softwareadvice.com, provides detailed reviews, comparisons and
research to help organizations choose the right software. Meanwhile, the company’s
team of software analysts provide free telephone consultations to help each
software buyer identify systems that best fit their needs. In the process, Software
Advice connects software buyers and sellers, generating high-quality opportunities
for software vendors.
@SoftwareAdvice /company/software-advice
@SoftwareAdvice/SoftwareAdvice
Read about our findings in more detail.Read Report