Does an agency need PSA software as well as an HRIS?
A PSA (professional services automation) tool runs client delivery: projects, time, resourcing and utilisation. An HRIS (human resources information system) runs the people record: employees, leave, attendance and policies. An agency needs both jobs done, and both depend on the same hours. PeopleMuster holds the people record and the delivery work in one database, for $3 per person, per month.
Agencies sell people's time, so the two jobs overlap more than the category names suggest. You need both functions. Whether you need two products is a separate question.
An HRIS answers questions about people. Who works here, who they report to, how much leave they have left, whether they arrived on time, and which policies apply to them. It also runs the moments that change the record, like a new joiner or a leaver.
A PSA answers questions about the work. Which client projects are running, who is booked on them next week, how many hours went where, and how busy each person really is. Many PSA products also add quotes and invoicing on top.
Availability is where the two collide. Your resourcing plan needs to know that a developer is on leave for the second week of the month. In a two-product setup that fact lives in the HRIS, and the PSA only learns it through an integration or a person copying it across.
Vendors handle the overlap in different ways. As of September 2026, Productive.io ships time off and capacity and integrates out to BambooHR, Personio and Rippling for employee records. Keka sells HRMS & Payroll, Hiring and Projects & TimeSheets (PSA) as tabs of one product.
PeopleMuster puts both records in one database. Approved leave marks the capacity grid with an L for that person straight away, and company holidays show as an H. Filter the grid to billable work and you see who has client hours booked and who is free.
Hours close the loop. People log their day against projects, managers approve the week, and utilisation reports break those hours down by project and by department. Each client project also carries Health, Tasks and Setup scores, so delivery problems surface next to the people carrying the work.
Invoices stay in your accounting software. The billable flag on each project shows which approved hours belong on one.
Related questions
What does PSA stand for in software?
PSA stands for professional services automation. It is software for firms that sell time, covering client projects, time tracking, resource scheduling and utilisation. Many PSA products add quotes and invoicing.
Is a PSA the same as project management software?
Not quite. Project management software tracks tasks and deadlines. A PSA adds the people side of delivery: who is booked, how many hours they logged, and how utilised each person is across every client.
What should an agency HRIS hold?
At least five things: the directory with reporting lines, leave quotas and approvals, attendance, company policies, and the checklists for joiners and leavers. PeopleMuster holds all five, plus the device register for laptops and screens.
How much does PeopleMuster cost for an agency?
PeopleMuster costs $3 per person, per month, with every module included. Annual billing is $30 per person per year, which is two months free.