The CSIA Pulse Report for the quarter ending June 30, 2026, indicates a systems integration industry that remains stable overall, but with a widening gap between top-performing firms and the rest of the market. Median utilization based on hours worked held steady at 52%, while top-quartile firms improved to approximately 58% utilization and bottom-quartile firms declined to about 45%. Despite a slight decrease in utilization measured by revenue, productivity improved, with median revenue per billable employee rising to nearly $60,000 and median revenue per employee increasing to approximately $48,400. These gains suggest that many firms are becoming more effective at converting labor resources into revenue, even as pricing dynamics and project mix continue to influence overall performance. 

Financial metrics point to a generally healthy business environment, although some indicators warrant attention. Median days cash on hand increased from 64.2 to 69.9 days, strengthening liquidity and providing firms with greater flexibility to manage uncertainty. Median labor multipliers also improved to 3.13, reflecting continued pricing discipline and solid revenue generation relative to labor costs. However, median backlog declined from 134.9 to 125.4 days, potentially signaling a moderation in new bookings or shorter project pipelines. The report also highlights significant differences between top- and bottom-quartile performers, particularly in cash reserves and operational efficiency. As the industry entered the second quarter of 2026, the data suggest that firms with strong project execution, workforce utilization, and business development processes are increasingly distinguishing themselves from their peers. 

Want to better understand your business’s financial performance?  The financial benchmarking program, CSIA Pulse, is designed to give members ready access to relevant member-wide metrics to help business owners and management set realistic targets for their efforts to improve company operations. 

As a member of CSIA, you will be automatically enrolled in the CSIA Pulse and can start uploading your data right away, at no cost. For a small annual subscription, members can also benchmark themselves against anonymized and aggregated data from other system integration firms.  The larger the representation, the better the data! This program is administered by CSIA, and the data are managed by a third party, iLumen, in a secure and confidential repository. 
 

Learn more here.