Freshworks
A Fresh and Simple Take On ITSM

The ROI of great UX

Monday, December 04, 2023

Freshworks

Every successful company respects the clear link between great user experience and bottom-line success. Revenue growth at companies considered leaders in customer experience is double that of less experienced peers, according to McKinsey research. Many other studies show how both customer and employee experience improve business performance.

Delivering great experience, of course, depends on great design. Yet it’s an area of expertise that companies have pared back significantly during the economic downturn: For example, the volume of UX job postings has dropped 70% since early 2022. IDEO, the famed product and UX design firm, has been managing cutbacks since 2020 and laid off one-third of its staff in 2023.

Heading into 2024, CIOs and other enterprise leaders might consider rebalancing their UX and design investments. Despite ongoing economic turbulence, business leaders “need to get out of the functional and financial mindset,” says Nathan Shedroff, a longtime design and UX consultant and author. “You have to move into the qualitative and take advantage of good UX where it differentiates products, services, and experiences from competitors.”

Here are three fundamental reasons to consider that shift—and show how expertise in experience design can deliver outsize returns.

Design leaders lead in revenue growth and shareholder return

Companies that share four core characteristics of strong design capability, as defined in another McKinsey study—analytical leadership, cross-functional talent, continuous iteration, and user experience—significantly outperform less advanced competitors. Tracked over a five-year period, corporate design leaders generated 32 percentage points higher revenue growth and 56 points more shareholder return than their industry counterparts.

The value of UX leadership applies equally across industries

The potential for companies to reap the benefits of design-driven growth is enormous in both product- and service-based sectors. In the McKinsey study, design leaders in the top quartile of three very different sectors—consumer packaged goods, medical technology, and retail banking—far outpaced performance of their less-advanced counterparts.

Companies can’t afford the cost of poor design

Even when people love a particular company or product, according to a PwC global study, 32% of those customers will abandon that brand after a single bad experience. That’s a brutal opportunity cost, but if leaders can solve those design and UX issues, they can recoup not just lost revenue but significant profit. The same PwC study showed that customers who were provided a great experience were willing to pay a premium—up to an additional 13%.

Freshworks Report Reveals AI Is Delivering Strong Productivity Gains and Unlocking Higher-Value Work for Employees

Tuesday, July 23, 2024

SAN MATEO, Calif.,-- Freshworks Inc. (NASDAQ: FRSH) released its new Global AI Workplace Report today, revealing how various workplace departments are interacting with AI since the new era of generative AI exploded into the market 18 months ago. The global survey of 7,000+ full-time employees, collected from March 9 to April 4, 2024, revealed how AI has become a tool commonly used among knowledge workers – more than half (55%) of workers surveyed said they are currently using software applications enhanced with AI at work.



Moreover, nearly three in four of all workers surveyed (72%) trust AI to bring value to their work processes – and 81% of employees trust AI because they believe its quality of work is good or it makes their team more productive. The report demonstrates that AI is quickly moving from an experimental pilot tool to an active driver of substantial enterprise efficiency and productivity gains across operations and industries.



“This report exemplifies that AI is delivering tremendous productivity gains at enterprise scale,” said Freshworks Chief Product Officer, Prakash Ramamurthy. “Knowledge workers are also seeing strong productivity gains at work, which in turn is sparking strong employee interest in mastering AI skills. Make no mistake, the AI era is firmly delivering on its promise to free up employees for higher-level work and showcasing compelling returns on AI.”



Return on AI: Productivity gains equivalent to a month each year

Freshworks’ survey found knowledge workers are achieving impressive productivity gains from using AI at work. Employees estimate that using AI helps them reduce their existing workload by 3 hours and 47 minutes in a typical work week, by helping them complete tasks such as summarizing issues and suggesting the next steps to handling repetitive tasks. By freeing up nearly 24 business days – or just over one month of work per year – employees can take on higher-value work that delivers greater engagement.



Nearly all (95%) senior leaders (defined as manager level and above) using AI say their departments are measuring the business impact AI brings to their organization. Many report productivity improvement (52%), better quality of work (47%), and improved customer engagement (34%). Still, 37% of workers admit they don’t have good metrics for measuring productivity in their organization.



Leaders surveyed believe the return on AI will only improve, with 80% of senior leaders saying AI software will provide enough business impact to prove its worth within two years. When all respondents were asked about the value of generative AI, open-ended comments included improving internal and external communication and externally, eliminating redundant email threads and speeding creation of technical reports.



“Leaders across industries perceive AI as a transformative technology capable of delivering significant business impact, from enhanced decision-making and increased operational efficiencies to personalized customer experiences and innovative product development,” said Ramamurthy.



“Surprise AI” is everywhere

Freshworks’ survey also revealed more workers are using – and benefiting from – AI than they even realize. Almost half (40%) of workers surveyed think they use AI at work but don’t know to what extent or how. This sentiment was confirmed by 47% of IT respondents who agreed employees are using software that incorporates AI but don’t realize they’re using it. For instance, AI is often embedded into existing popular software to enable email autocomplete, suggested meeting times or notes from meetings.



Despite a lack of full awareness of AI's role in their work life, many employees professed widespread confidence in their ability to use AI. IT departments are, to no surprise, the most confident and comfortable using the technology, with (75%) saying they’re knowledgeable or an expert, followed by marketing (65%) and finance (52%).



The race to embrace is strong

Workers appreciate that AI is a workplace game-changer, and they’re taking action to embrace its value. More than two in three workers (70%) say they’re looking for ways to develop their AI skill set to stay as marketable as possible. Similarly, more than a third of workers (37%) say their companies are adopting AI software due to a fear of missing out on the next big thing or on innovations that AI could give their competition.



Employees also see clear benefits to the organization; nearly two-thirds of workers (62%) say boosting profitability or staying competitive are the main reasons to adopt AI-enhanced software applications. Nearly half (46%) say any company not using AI is already behind and likely to fail in the future.



While most workers (69%) say AI will never be able to completely replace human workers, they do harbor concerns about how it could hold back the next generation. Nearly half of the workers surveyed (44%) say AI will replace junior roles and create heavier competition for entry-level roles.



The U.S. is a top AI developer – but also ranks last in AI adoption and trust

AI adoption also saw varied uptake, with surprising discrepancies within employees in countries leading in AI development, such as the United States. Of the survey respondents, the U.S. ranks last globally when it comes to AI adoption (50%), trust in workplace AI software bringing value to their work (59%) and comfort in using AI (61%). By comparison, respondents from India and the United Arab Emirates lead in AI adoption (75%), comfort with AI (88%), and trust in workplace AI software bringing value to their work (86%). Complete stack rankings are available in the report.



To download the full report and learn more about AI in the workplace, visit freshworks.com.



Methodology

Freshworks conducted this research using an online survey prepared by Method Research and distributed by PureSpectrum among n=7,000 adults ages 18+ who are full-time salaried employees currently working in a desk job position, with n=1,000 United States, n=1,000 United Kingdom, and n=500 within each of the following countries: Netherlands, Germany, France, Singapore, Australia/New Zealand, India, United Arab Emirates, Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil.



Within each country, the sample included employees working in human resources, IT, customer services/support, finance/accounting, sales, marketing, and legal departments, including a sample of manager or above titles within each department. The sample was balanced by gender, age, and company size, with an internationally representative geographic spread of respondents. Data was collected from March 9 to April 4, 2024.

Freshworks Reports Second Quarter 2024 Results

Wednesday, August 07, 2024

Freshworks Inc. (NASDAQ: FRSH), a leading software company empowering businesses to delight their customers and employees, today announced financial results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2024.



“Freshworks delivered a solid Q2, growing revenue to $174.1 million with a free cash flow margin of 19%,” said Dennis Woodside, CEO & President of Freshworks. “Our results reflect our increasing financial discipline and our ability to meet the needs of customers with our AI-powered solutions. With clear strategic priorities in place, we are well positioned to seize the massive opportunity in front of us.”



Second Quarter 2024 Financial Summary Results



• Revenue: Total revenue was $174.1 million, representing growth of 20% compared to the second quarter of 2023, and 20% adjusting for constant currency.



• GAAP (Loss) from Operations: GAAP (loss) from operations was $(43.8) million, compared to $(43.3) million in the second quarter of 2023.



• Non-GAAP Income from Operations: Non-GAAP income from operations was $13.1 million, compared to $11.7 million in the second quarter of 2023.



• GAAP Net (Loss) Per Share: GAAP basic and diluted net (loss) per share was $(0.07) based on 299.8 million weighted-average shares outstanding, compared to $(0.12) based on 292.0 million weighted-average shares outstanding in the second quarter of 2023.



• Non-GAAP Net Income Per Share: Non-GAAP diluted net income per share was $0.08 based on 302.5 million weighted-average shares outstanding, compared to $0.07 based on 296.6 million weighted average shares outstanding in the second quarter of 2023.



• Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities: Net cash provided by operating activities was $36.3 million, compared to $19.9 million in the second quarter of 2023.



• Free Cash Flow: Free cash flow was $32.8 million, compared to $18.1 million in the second quarter of 2023.



• Cash, Cash Equivalents and Marketable Securities: Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities were $1.02 billion as of June 30, 2024.



All financial numbers for second quarter 2024 include the results of Device42, Inc. for the period after the closing of the acquisition. A description of non-GAAP financial measures is contained in the section titled “Explanation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below and a reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures is contained in the tables below.



Second Quarter Key Metrics and Recent Business Highlights



• Number of customers contributing more than $5,000 in ARR was 21,744, an increase of 14% year-over-year and 14% adjusting for constant currency.



• Net dollar retention rate was 106% (106% adjusting for constant currency), compared to 106% in the first quarter of 2024 and 108% in the second quarter of 2023. Constant currency net dollar retention rate was 106% in the first quarter of 2024 and 107% in the second quarter of 2023.



• Welcomed more customers to the Freshworks community including Kayak, Paul Smith UK, Asian Paints, Tile Mountain, San Diego Unified School District, and many more.



• Ended the quarter with over 1,200 customers using Freddy Copilot and 900 customers using Freddy Self Service capabilities.



• Launched a new data center in the UAE, powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS), to power global expansion and support job creation and digital skills development in the region.



• Introduced new leaders including Ashwin Ballal, Chief Information Officer, Laura Padilla, Senior Vice President, Channels & Alliances, Wes Rudsenske, Senior Vice President, GTM Strategy & Operations, and Ian Tickle, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Europe.



• Announced the completion of the acquisition of Device42 on June 6, 2024, reinforcing Freshworks’ IT offerings for mid-market and enterprise companies with enhanced IT Asset Management (ITAM) solutions. • Won a multitude of product awards, including Business Intelligence Group’s “Excellence in Customer Service”, CRM Magazine’s “Top 100 CRM Vendors”, eWeek’s “Best Generative AI Chatbots”, and KM World’s “AI 100" companies list.



Financial Outlook



We are providing estimates for the third quarter and full year 2024 based on current market conditions and expectations. The revenue growth rates are adjusted for constant currency to provide better visibility into the underlying business trends. We emphasize that these estimates are subject to various important cautionary factors referenced in the section entitled “Forward-Looking Statements” below.

(1) Revenue and non-GAAP income from operations are based on exchange rates as of July 26, 2024 for currencies other than USD.



(2) Non-GAAP net income per share was estimated assuming 304.2 million and 306.4 million weighted-average shares outstanding for the third quarter and full year 2024, respectively.



These statements are forward-looking and actual results may differ materially. Refer to the “Forward-Looking Statements” safe harbor section below for information on the factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements.



Estimates for third quarter 2024 and full year 2024 include the estimates of Device42, Inc. We have not reconciled our estimates for non-GAAP financial measures to GAAP due to the uncertainty and potential variability of expenses that may be incurred in the future. As a result, a reconciliation is not available without unreasonable effort and we are unable to address the probable significance of the unavailable information. We have provided a reconciliation of other GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures in the financial statement tables for our second quarter and first six months of 2024 and 2023 non-GAAP results included in this press release.



Webcast and Conference Call Information



We will host a conference call for investors on July 30, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time / 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time to discuss the company’s financial results and business highlights. Investors are invited to listen to a live audio webcast of the conference call by visiting the investor relations website at ir.freshworks.com. A replay of the audio webcast will be available shortly after the call on the Freshworks Investor Relations website and will be available for twelve months thereafter.



Explanation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures



In addition to financial measures prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), this press release and the accompanying tables contain non-GAAP financial measures, including revenue adjusted for constant currency, non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP sales and marketing expense, non-GAAP research and development expense, non-GAAP general and administrative expense, non GAAP income from operations, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP net income per share, non-GAAP net income attributable to common stockholders, and free cash flow. This press release and the accompanying tables also contain certain non-GAAP metrics, including annual recurring revenue, net dollar retention rates, revenue growth rates, and related presentation thereof adjusted for constant currency.



We adjust revenue and related growth rates for constant currency to provide a framework for assessing business performance excluding the effect of foreign currency rate fluctuations. To present this information, current period results for currencies other than USD are converted into USD at the average exchange rates in effect during the comparison period (for Q2 2023, the average exchange rates in effect for our major currencies were 1 USD to 1.09 EUR and 1 USD to 1.25 GBP), rather than the actual average exchange rates in effect during the current period (for Q2 2024, the average exchange rates in effect for our major currencies were 1 USD to 1.08 EUR and 1 USD to 1.26 GBP).



We use these non-GAAP measures in conjunction with GAAP measures as part of our overall assessment of our performance, including the preparation of our annual operating budget and quarterly forecasts, to evaluate the effectiveness of our business strategies and to communicate with our board of directors concerning our financial performance. We believe these non-GAAP measures provide investors consistency and comparability with our past financial performance and facilitate period-to-period comparisons of our operating results. We believe these non-GAAP measures are useful in evaluating our operating performance compared to that of other companies in our industry, as they generally eliminate the effects of certain items that may vary for different companies for reasons unrelated to overall operating performance.



Investors, however, are cautioned that there are material limitations associated with the use of non-GAAP financial measures as an analytical tool. The non-GAAP measures we use may be different from non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies, limiting their usefulness for comparison purposes. We compensate for these limitations by providing specific information regarding the GAAP items excluded from these non-GAAP financial measures.



We exclude the following items from one or more of our non-GAAP financial measures, including the related income tax effect of these adjustments:



• Stock-based compensation expense. We exclude stock-based compensation, which is a non-cash expense, from certain of our non-GAAP financial measures because we believe that excluding this expense provides meaningful supplemental information regarding operational performance. In particular, stock based compensation expense is not comparable across companies given the variety of valuation methodologies and assumptions.



• Employer payroll taxes on employee stock transactions. We exclude the amount of employer payroll taxes on equity awards from certain of our non-GAAP financial measures because they are dependent on our stock price at the time of vesting or exercise and other factors that are beyond our control and do not believe these expenses have a direct correlation to the operation of our business.



• Amortization of acquired intangibles. We exclude amortization of acquired intangibles, which is a noncash expense, from certain of our non-GAAP financial measures. Our expenses for amortization of acquired intangibles are inconsistent in amount and frequency because they are significantly affected by the timing, size of acquisitions, and the allocation of purchase price. We exclude these amortization expenses because we do not believe these expenses have a direct correlation to the operation of our business.



We define free cash flow as net cash provided by operating activities, less purchases of property and equipment and capitalized internal-use software. We believe that free cash flow is a useful indicator of liquidity as it measures our ability to generate cash from our core operations after purchases of property and equipment. Free cash flow is a measure to determine, among other things, cash available for strategic initiatives, including further investments in our business and potential acquisitions of businesses.



Operating Metrics



Number of Customers Contributing More Than $5,000 in ARR. We define ARR as the sum total of subscription, software license, and maintenance revenue we would contractually expect to recognize over the next 12 months from all customers at a point in time, assuming no increases, reductions or cancellations in their subscriptions, and assuming that revenues are recognized ratably over the term of the contract. We define our total customers contributing more than $5,000 in ARR as of a particular date as the number of business entities or individuals, represented by a unique domain or a unique email address, with one or more paid subscriptions to one or more of our products that contributed more than $5,000 in ARR.



Net Dollar Retention Rate. To calculate net dollar retention rate as of a given date, we first determine Entering ARR, which is ARR from the population of our customers as of 12 months prior to the end of the reporting period. We then calculate the Ending ARR from the same set of customers as of the end of the reporting period. We then divide the Ending ARR by the Entering ARR to arrive at our net dollar retention rate. Ending ARR includes upsells, cross-sells, renewals and expansion as a result of acquisitions during the measurement period and is net of any contraction or attrition over this period.



We also adjust the above operating metrics, growth rates of customers contributing more than $5,000 in ARR and related presentation thereof for constant currency to provide a framework for assessing our business performance excluding the effects of foreign currency rates fluctuations. To present this information, the Ending ARR of the current period in currencies other than USD is converted into USD at the exchange rates in effect at the end of the comparison period (for Q2 2023, the period end exchange rates in effect for our major currencies were 1 USD to 1.08 EUR and 1 USD to 1.26 GBP), rather than the actual exchange rates in effect at the end of the current period (for Q2 2024, the period end exchange rates in effect for our major currencies were 1 USD to 1.07 EUR and 1 USD to 1.26 GBP).



Forward-Looking Statements



This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements relate to, among other things, our GAAP and non-GAAP estimates for the third quarter and full year 2024, our financial outlook, the value of our products to customers, the results of our focus on product innovation efforts and the usefulness of the measures by which we evaluate our business, among other things. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations, estimates and projections about our business and industry, including our financial outlook and macroeconomic uncertainties, management’s beliefs and certain assumptions made by the company, all of which are subject to change. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as, “future,” “believe,” “expect,” “may,” “will,” “intend” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “could,” “would,” “projects,” “plans,” “targets” or similar expressions or the negative of those terms or expressions. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties, many of which involve factors or circumstances that are beyond our control, which could cause actual results to vary materially from those expressed in or indicated by the forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially include our ability to achieve our long-term plans and key initiatives; our ability to sustain or manage any future growth effectively; our ability to attract and retain customers or expand sales to existing customers; delays in product development or deployments or the success of such products; the failure to deliver competitive service offerings and lack of market acceptance of any offerings delivered; the impact to the economy, our customers and our business due to global economic conditions, including market volatility, foreign exchange rates, and impact of inflation; the timeframes for and severity of the impact of any weakened global economic conditions on our customers’ purchasing and renewal decisions, which may extend the length of our sales cycles or adversely affect our industry; our history of net losses and ability to achieve or sustain profitability, as well as the other potential factors described under “Risk Factors” included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 as such factors may be updated from time to time in our periodic and other documents of Freshworks Inc. filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time (available at www.sec.gov).



We caution you not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof and are based on information available to us at the time the statements are made and/or management’s good faith belief as of that time with respect to future events. We assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this release, except as required by law.