FAQs

How does Synergist differ from competitors

Here are just three of the main ways Synergist differs from its competitors.

Synergist offers a complete solution - replacing endless spreadsheets and disjointed systems.  All information is in one place, information doesn’t need to be re-entered and you’ll always enjoy excellent visibility of what’s really happening in your business.

Synergist offers extensive background configuration to match the variety of environments we specialise in. This ensures that as your business develops and requirements change, Synergist will have the flexibility, functionality and scalability to meet your future needs.

Synergist enjoys exceptional levels of client retention and one of the keys to this is the level of service we deliver. From initial sales contact through implementation to on-going support and maintenance, we pride ourselves on exceeding our clients expectations.  Our helpdesk for example is staffed by experienced senior staff which ensures over 95% of calls are dealt with during this first contact.

I’m not sure our business can afford such a system

Synergist has been developed specifically to save you money and assist you in generating additional revenue. By centralising all your key project information in one coherent system, your entire team can work more efficiently and focus on chargeable activities. Our subscription offering means each user needs to achieve just 1/2 an hour of additional chargeable time per month for Synergist to deliver a positive ROI. In addition there are many other benefits to running your business on Synergist including improved new business management, estimating, live job health tracking, quick billing of all chargeable elements and reduced over-servicing.

Does Synergist run on Macs as well as PCs?

Yes, Synergist is fully cross-platform as well as offering a browser interface and app. This gives users of the on-premises version of Synergist access via an installed piece of client software for either Windows or Mac, a web browser or our app for iOS or Android. Users of the Synergist Cloud can use either the web browser interface or our app for iOS or Android.

Does Synergist have an interface to our existing accounts system?

Synergist links to all leading accounts systems. This lets you keep a familiar back office system and still benefit from a leading job management solution - without having to re-enter information. Please see our accounts links feature for more information.

Can I use Synergist when I’m not in the the office?

The Synergist browser interface is designed for use over a variety of internet connections. So whether your Synergist server is in your office or in the Cloud, you should have access from any internet-enabled device. There’s also an app for iPhone, iPad and Android users that works either in or out of the office via wi-fi or 3G too.

Can Synergist replace our existing CRM system?

Synergist incorporates the core CRM functionality that most companies actually use. This includes the tools needed for successful management of opportunities to convert them into live work, along with the forecasting of this to track likely levels of business and the corresponding impact on resourcing.

I have data in an existing job management system. Can I transfer it into Synergist?

Synergist lets you import data from any standard format. So if it’s possible to export the data from your previous system - and there is a corresponding field for it in Synergist - it can be imported.

We also have an automated import tool for new clients migrating from the Traffic Live system. This enables us to import Clients, Suppliers, Jobs, Tasks and Quotes from this system into Synergist, allowing sites that migrate across to be up and running very quickly with Synergist.

How much disruption will there be to our business from implementing Synergist?

It depends which approach you choose. As detailed below, a fast track implementation of our Synergist Cloud system offers a short implementation with very quick results. A consultative implementation takes longer but can deliver a system that maps very closely to your existing working practices. Whichever approach you choose, our experienced implementation partner will ensure any disruption is minimised through their experience of working with hundreds of similar businesses.

  1. Fast track implementations

Based on best-practice methods. Ideal for businesses that:

      • want quick wins and the fastest return on investment
      • are happy to accept best-practice advice as guidance
      • want to avoid a process of analysing their current working methods in detail, preferring to get started and consider incremental changes later
      • are not very interested in examining multiple approaches, preferring to get on with the implementation and enjoy the benefits quickly
      • appreciate that best practice may well raise efficiencies in themselves
      • want quick benefits to give early encouragement to users & management
      • want implementation timescales to be accurately scheduled at the outset
      • prefer easy solutions that increase confidence in the resulting system
      • want the lowest cost

2.    Consultative implementations

In this approach, the configuration of Synergist is very closely mapped to your existing processes and procedures, via close consultation. Ideal for firms that:

      • want to take the opportunity to investigate their own methods and see which can be improved
      • want to compare their ideas with best-practice approaches in order to see which is best for them
      • are keen to make sure that when the system is up and running it will deliver the maximum possible return
      • want a system that embraces their firm’s unique methods and hard-won competitive uniqueness
      • see that investigating their current methods may well uncover valuable scope for efficiencies and even increase departmental collaboration

What are the typical timescales from placing an order to going live with Synergist?

Once an order is placed there is typically a 3-6 week lead time for system consultants to begin the system configuration and training. In this time, any data transfer work will be done. We will also give you a list of any other information we need, so this can be ready before the system configuration work begins. Once the configuration and training is done we recommend going live on the system immediately. Typically the whole process from placing an order to going live is 8 – 10 weeks.

Can Synergist handle multi-currency jobs and projects.

Yes. As well as specifying a base currency for each trading business you have on your Synergist system, you can also pick a default currency for each client. When you raise a job for them it automatically inherits this currency and this will be used for quotes and invoices.  You can also make purchases or enter expenses in any currency.

How secure is the Synergist Cloud?

Each Synergist Cloud customer has their own Synergist Cloud Instance hosted within the AWS (Amazon Web Services) environment. This means that there is a fundamental isolation of each customer's data within their own virtual operating system. This has numerous security benefits such as the timing of Software version upgrades can be specific to each customer and there is no risk of customer data being exposed to other Synergist customers even in the event of a bug in the Synergist software. These individual Synergist instances are not directly exposed to the internet and all access is via high availability reverse proxy. Each Synergist Cloud customer is allocated their own domain e.g. https://customername.synergist.cloud and all communications utilise the latest SSL encryption technology and when last tested achieved an A+ rating from SSL labs. User access is controlled by username and password. Password complexity rules can be set by each Synergist customer. These include minimum length, number of upper case characters, number of lower case characters, number of numeric characters, number of punctuation characters and validation in days before it must be changed, as well as a store of previous passwords to prevent reuse. There is also a feature for forgotten username and password that makes use of the email address that is stored for that user. In addition Synergist Express Ltd is certified to ISO 27001, the internationally-recognised Information Security Management Standard. It exhibits Synergist’s ongoing engagement and resolve in dealing with the security of customer information.

How is Synergist implemented?

You can learn more about the onboarding process by visiting our Migrating to Synergist page. If you still have questions or want to learn more about your personal implementation, give us a call  +44 1625 572 690  or email us enquiries@synergist.co.uk