Analyst Relations · Enterprise Technology

Every enterprise deal starts with an analyst conversation.

Daymark AR helps enterprise software companies build the analyst standing that earns shortlists, advances evaluations, and shapes how buyers see you — before the RFI arrives.

Now accepting Q3 2026 engagements
ProcurementSource-to-Pay Accounts PayableContract Management Supplier ManagementSpend Analytics Sustainability Tech ProcurementSource-to-Pay Accounts PayableContract Management Supplier ManagementSpend Analytics Sustainability Tech
13+
Years in enterprise tech analyst relations
8+
Analyst firms engaged directly
7+
Enterprise software categories covered
1
Senior practitioner on every engagement. No delegation.
Selected Outcomes

Multiple categories.
One consistent outcome.

These outcomes were not won in evaluation windows. They were built through year-round analyst engagement, consistent briefing cadences, and category-specific positioning. Every movement started long before the RFI arrived.

Gartner Magic Quadrant
Niche Player
Leader
Sourcing Application Suites
Gartner Magic Quadrant
Visionary
Leader
Source-to-Pay Suites
Forrester Wave
Strong Performer
Leader
Supplier Value Management Platforms
First-Time Entry IDC MarketScape: Worldwide AI-Enabled Source-to-Pay 2025 Vendor Assessment — Entered the evaluation for the first time and placed as a Leader. Leader
Analyst Firms Engaged
Global Research
Gartner Forrester IDC
Procurement & Finance
The Hackett Group Spend Matters Ardent Partners
Services & Sustainability
Everest Group ISG Verdantix

The evaluation is the last chapter. Not the first.

Analyst views are built slowly — through dozens of briefings, inquiry conversations, and reference checks over months and years. By the time a Wave or MQ opens, those views are already crystallised.

The AR programmes that produce Leader positions run between evaluations, not just in the weeks before an RFI. Consistent briefings. Tracked analyst relationships. A story told and retold until it lands.

Daymark AR works the full year, not just the evaluation window.

Why the dot stays put

Why Strong Products Still Underperform in Evaluations

01

The Visibility Gap

Most vendors brief analysts twice a year. Leaders maintain consistent contact year-round — and those ongoing conversations are where category positions are shaped, not in the evaluation.

02

The Coverage Gap

Most vendors qualify across four or five analyst sub-categories simultaneously. Most AR programmes cover one or two well. The uncovered categories produce weak positions — quietly, and in time for the next report.

03

The Positioning Gap

Analysts answer questions about your company on private buyer calls year-round. Most vendors have no presence in those conversations between cycles — so the narrative forms without them.

The Practice

Analyst Relations, End to End

Four areas covering the full scope of analyst relations. Each can run independently or as part of a wider programme.

I

Programme Architecture

  • Full AR programme management
  • Annual strategy and landscape mapping
  • Analyst subscription guidance
  • Fractional advisory retainer
  • AR audit and 90-day reset
II

Evaluation Support

  • End-to-end Wave and MQ support
  • RFI strategy and response management
  • Briefing readiness sprint
  • Customer reference planning
  • C-suite coaching and stakeholder alignment
  • Post-evaluation analysis and recovery
III

Strategic Intelligence

  • Analyst perception audit
  • Competitive intelligence
  • Win and loss analysis
  • Product roadmap validation
  • New market intelligence
  • Pricing and commercial benchmarking
IV

Analyst Influence and Content

  • Briefing narrative and deck design
  • Executive spokesperson coaching
  • Analyst-aligned thought leadership and content
  • Event and speaking programme with analysts
  • Analyst-commissioned research
  • Sales enablement from analyst research
Who This Is For

Where Daymark AR Fits

Building

The Scale-Up with No AR Function

Series B to D companies that have appeared in a Gartner Market Guide or Forrester Landscape but haven't yet made it into a Wave or MQ. Daymark AR builds the programme that changes that — without the cost of a full-time hire who still needs to learn the category.

Repositioning

The Vendor Stuck Below Leader

For vendors in evaluations where the dot does not move. The difference between Challenger and Leader is almost never the product. It is the analyst story, the reference quality, and the continuity of engagement between cycles.

Augmenting

The In-House Team Needing Depth

For internal AR teams that need category-specific support, additional bandwidth during evaluation cycles, or an objective outside view on what analysts are likely thinking. Augmentation rather than replacement.

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Engagement Options

Ways to Work Together

An ongoing retainer for year-round programmes, four named project engagements for specific needs, and on-demand advisory for in-house teams.

Ongoing
Strategic Retainer

Year-round senior AR programme management, tied to your GTM calendar and evaluation cycle. The right model for teams that want dedicated enterprise-tech AR without full-time headcount.

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Flexible
On-Demand Advisory

Block hours for in-house AR teams needing senior category expertise on specific decisions. No retainer, no commitment. A second opinion when you need it.

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Project Engagements — Fixed Scope, Clear Outcomes
2 to 3 Weeks

AR Readiness Audit

No programme exists. Where do we stand, which analysts matter, and what should we do in the next 90 days.

What you get
  • Full analyst landscape map for your category
  • Gap analysis against Wave and MQ eligibility
  • Assessment of current positioning and briefing materials
  • Analyst subscription buying guidance
  • Prioritised analyst engagement list
  • 90-day action plan with clear next steps
Start a conversation
3 to 4 Weeks

Analyst Perception Audit

Programme exists but the dot is not moving. What do analysts actually think, and where is the gap between current and desired positioning.

What you get
  • Direct analyst outreach and structured perception research
  • Perception gap analysis vs. target positioning
  • Identification of narrative, reference, or briefing gaps
  • Competitive perception benchmarking
  • Prioritised recommendations for the next evaluation cycle
Start a conversation
6 to 8 Weeks

Wave & MQ Sprint

An active evaluation is on the calendar. Full support from RFI through to publication, with category-specific preparation at every stage.

What you get
  • RFI strategy and response management
  • Analyst briefing narrative and deck development
  • Cross-functional stakeholder coordination across product, marketing, and leadership
  • Customer reference planning and coordination
  • C-suite coaching and spokesperson rehearsal
  • Post-publication sales activation plan
Start a conversation
3 to 4 Weeks

Post-Evaluation Recovery

The result came in below expectations. What went wrong, what changed in the analyst view, and what needs to be different before the next cycle opens.

What you get
  • Structured debrief of evaluation inputs and outcomes
  • Identification of specific scoring gaps and weaknesses
  • Analyst perception research on current standing
  • Competitive positioning comparison
  • 12-month recovery roadmap for next evaluation
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The Principal

Rahul Awtaney

Founder, Daymark AR

13+ years of enterprise analyst relations experience across some of the most analyst-evaluated categories in B2B software. Rahul built and ran the AR function through multiple Gartner and Forrester evaluation cycles, earning recognition across Source-to-Pay, Supplier Value Management, and Contract Lifecycle Management.

Daymark AR is focused on enterprise software companies that need that same depth of category knowledge and analyst understanding applied from day one.

Gartner MQ and Forrester Wave management across Source-to-Pay, Procure-to-Pay, CLM, and Supplier Value Management
Analyst firms engaged: Gartner, Forrester, IDC, The Hackett Group, Everest Group, ISG, Ardent Partners, Spend Matters
Thought leadership development and analyst-aligned content programmes for enterprise audiences
Industry event strategy, analyst participation programmes, and speaking engagement management
13+
Years enterprise tech AR
10+
Evaluation cycles, end to end
8+
Analyst firms engaged directly
1
Principal on every engagement
Common Questions

What most clients ask first.

Analyst relations shapes how firms like Gartner, Forrester, and IDC understand your company, your category, and your differentiation. That perception influences shortlist access, Wave and MQ positioning, and what analysts say on private advisory calls to your prospects — often before your sales team is ever in the room.
Most PR agencies add analyst relations as a service line because clients ask for it. The result is a team that knows PR well and learns your analyst ecosystem on the job, on your budget. Daymark AR does only analyst relations. The network, the instincts, and the attention are in one discipline, not spread across several.
Yes. Most engagements are augmentation rather than replacement. An in-house AR professional supported by Daymark AR for evaluation cycles, perception audits, or category-specific advisory is often a stronger combination than either alone.
No. Analyst subscriptions and analyst relations are separate decisions. Daymark AR advises on whether and when to purchase subscriptions as part of the programme, but a subscription is not a prerequisite to starting.
Meaningful shifts in Wave or MQ positioning typically take 6 to 12 months of consistent work. Improvements in briefing quality and analyst interaction frequency start showing within the first 90 days.
A typical evaluation runs 6 to 8 months from vendor invitation to publication. It involves an RFI questionnaire, analyst briefings, a product demonstration, and customer reference checks. Preparation for each stage — not just the submission — is where the AR work happens.
No. The practice covers procurement, AP automation, contract lifecycle management, supplier value management, spend analytics, and sustainability technology. These categories share analyst ecosystems and evaluation logic, and Daymark AR has direct experience across all of them.
A fractional engagement means a senior practitioner works on your programme for a defined number of days each month, without the overhead of a full-time hire. The analyst relationships, category knowledge, and strategic direction are fully senior. The model scales with your programme needs.
A Post-Evaluation Recovery engagement is specifically designed for this. It identifies where the gap sat, surfaces what analysts currently think, and produces a clear 12-month plan to close both before the next cycle opens.
The Hackett Group, Everest Group, and ISG carry significant weight in services-adjacent technology. Spend Matters and Ardent Partners are essential in procurement. Verdantix matters in sustainability tech. The analyst footprint is mapped by relevance to your specific GTM, not by convention.
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Discuss Your Analyst Positioning

A direct conversation about where you are, what analysts are likely seeing, and whether Daymark AR is the right fit.

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Engagements are intentionally limited to ensure senior attention on every client.