From Custom to Scalable: Benchmarking How B2B Firms Are Getting Productization Right
Productization continues to be a key strategy for B2B services firms looking to scale more effectively, improve margins, and deliver consistent value. But what does the path to successful productization actually look like? To find out, we surveyed leaders across professional services firms—from CEOs to product and innovation heads—and shared the findings in our latest webinar.
See the full data behind the trends. [Access the complete Vecteris 2025 Productization Benchmarking Survey deck here.]
Here’s a breakdown of what we learned and what it means for companies navigating the shift from bespoke to scalable offerings.
Most Firms Are Starting Small—and Seeing Results
Contrary to the belief that productization means building a full SaaS platform, most firms are starting with smaller, more tangible steps. Nearly half of the companies surveyed (45%) launched multiple offerings across different levels of productization. More than half (51%) introduced productized services—standardized versions of what were once custom engagements. Only 17% launched fully tech-enabled, recurring “products as a service.”
Interestingly, 53% still launched at least one offering that remained customized. This reflects what we see with clients every day: the journey is incremental, and many teams are layering productized solutions alongside their core service offerings.
The Top Goal? Growth. And It’s Working.
It’s no surprise that revenue growth was the leading motivator for productization—cited by 74% of respondents. Other key drivers included increasing recurring revenue (52%) and improving gross margins (43%). But motivation is one thing—results are another. So, how did firms actually perform?
The data is encouraging: 95% of firms met or exceeded at least one of their top three goals. On average, 23% of their 2024 revenue came from new productized offerings. That’s a significant return for initiatives launched just a year ago—especially considering many of these companies are still early in their productization journey.
What Sets the High Performers Apart?
Firms that exceeded their goals did three things differently.
First, they moved fast. Companies that launched new offerings in under a year were four times more likely to exceed their productization goals.
Second, they assigned ownership. Those who dedicated at least one full-time employee to the effort were 36% more likely to achieve strong outcomes.
And third, they stayed close to their customers. High performers were significantly more likely to use structured voice-of-the-customer programs to validate ideas and guide development.
These may sound like obvious tactics—but too often, they’re skipped or deprioritized in the rush to build.
Strategic Investment, Not Massive Spend
One of the more reassuring findings from the survey was around investment levels. While most firms are investing in product innovation, the median spend is just 6% of annual revenue (with an average of 11%). In other words, you don’t need a massive budget to get started.
When it comes to selling, most still rely on hybrid teams: consultants and client-facing staff trained to sell both services and productized solutions. Only 15% have fully separate sales structures for products, highlighting that teams can go far without overhauling their commercial model.
Moving Forward with Confidence
If you’re in the midst of a productization effort—or just starting to explore it—the data is clear: you don’t have to make a giant leap to see real progress. Starting with a productized service, validating it through customer feedback, and assigning clear ownership can drive measurable impact.
In fact, firms taking these steps are already generating, on average, nearly a quarter of their revenue from new productized offerings. With a clear plan and the right foundation, you can get there too.
Curious which strategies are driving the biggest results? [Get the full Key Findings from our 2025 Productization Benchmarking Survey here.]
Thinking through your productization roadmap? We’d love to help.
Book a free 30-minute coaching call with a Vecteris productization expert. We’ll help you pinpoint where to focus, what might be holding you back, and what’s working for others in similar positions.