Synergy2016 – How the South Australia user group works together (and what we've learned) - Rosanna Palumbo, URPS
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The document discusses how the SA user group for Synergy software works together to share knowledge and get the most out of the software. It describes how the group shares information on using Synergy for tasks like monthly performance reports, applying credits, and staff reviews. Members provide feedback to help improve how Synergy is used and get comfortable asking questions to help each other learn. The overall goal is networking and ensuring they are utilizing all of Synergy's capabilities.
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Synergy2016 – How the South Australia user group works together (and what we've learned) - Rosanna Palumbo, URPS
- 1. HOW THE SA USER GROUP WORKS TOGETHER (AND WHAT WE’VE LEARNED) ROSANNA PALUMBO OFFICE MANAGER, URPS
- 3. Directors Senior associates Associates Planners Office Manager Finance Reception
- 5. Contacts: client details, newsletters, marketing, etc. Phases and budgets Invoices and monthly statements Monthly performance results (produced from a number of reports) Annual performance results for performance reviews Forecasting and report/submission templates – still developing HOW WE USE SYNERGY - WHAT URPS GETS OUT OF IT
- 7. Ensure we’re getting the most out of Synergy Learn from each other’s capabilities and experiences Get comfortable asking ‘dumb’ questions Networking – we all come from similar industries SA USER GROUP OBJECTIVES – WHY WE GET TOGETHER
- 9. WHAT I SHARED TO GET THE BALL ROLLING How we report on individual performance on a monthly and yearly basis with Synergy reports
- 10. WHAT I SHARED: MONTHLY PERFORMANCE REPORT – STAFF REVIEWS
- 11. WHAT I SHARED: APPLYING A CREDIT/DISCOUNT: USING PRE-BILL FEATURE TO UNSELECT AND WRITE-OFF WIP RATHER THAN ‘DEVALUING’ THE HOURLY RATE FOR ACCURATE REPORTING
- 12. WHAT OTHERS SHARE Staff reviews Step 1 – adjust the filter on the main sheet to suit projects worked on between specific dates. Have set up on excel template Staff reviews Step 3 – projects invoiced between specific dates. Enter the project numbers into the invoice report. This runs to the same Excel template but have told Synergy to populate the second tab, which is then copied and pasted to the MAIN SHEET
- 13. RECENT RESOLUTION DUE TO PROVIDING CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK
- 14. THANKS. SEE YOU AT DRINKS!
Editor's Notes
- I made the mistake on the feedback form at last year’s conference - suggesting a guest female speaker would be nice – so be wary what you write because they do actually read them.
- Passion for Administration – always loved working at a desk, shuffling papers, sending invoices for my dad 1st full time job out of school was at Adelaide University in the Elder Conservatorium of Music – as soon as I said that people use to ask me – so what instrument do you play – I go so sick of telling them, no I’m in admin, that ended up saying I played the keyboard When I was 25 I moved to Melbourne. Worked at a private photography college at Southbank, which was interesting. A year later I moved back to Adelaide and worked at a city hotel as the Personal Assistant to the General Manager. Did that for a few years, and then the General Manager moved me into sales for 3 years. Then I moved into events and sold and coordinated events for next 5 years. Always within the same hotel. Until the General Manager of the NWC made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. After a few years there as Human Resources /Administration Manager, I moved on to the role as Office Manager with URPS where I have been ever since. Close to 6 years now. My role has evolved dramatically in the 6 years I’ve been there – consequently so have my responsibilities, capabilities and use of Synergy. The company has grown from 11, when I started to 18 at the moment. Over these years I have developed a very close relationship with our Synergy database. We spend lots of time together and everyone in the office knows how much I enjoy working in it. Speaking of our office…..
- This is my team: we’re Town Planners At my interview I had no idea what Town Planners did or that they even existed. I Googled it and all it told me was that it was a noun for Town Planning. Even google doesn’t know what we do. We have 5 Directors – each who specialise in various fields such as: Development Assessment Community Engagement Climate Change and Tourism Planning We also have GIS Mapping specialist, a Graphics Designer, and of course the back bone of the company – the Administration team.
- Graffiti under the Morphett St Bridge, in the city – once in a life time experience
- I spend the majority of my day using Synergy – over 6 years this is a lot of time. Reports, filters drive me insane – but deep down I completely love it The challenge when people question the reports, checking filters, what's the report capturing or not capturing. Have I missed a filter? Or when someone questions the results and I know my reports so well I know the exact answer.
- My enthusiasm in the office for Synergy sparked a conversation with Marcus, my Managing Director. Who said “wouldn’t it be great to get all Adelaide Synergy Users in a room together and share ideas” With that statement was the rise of our SA Synergy Users Group.
- Our objectives were simple: Ensure we’re getting the most out of Synergy Learn from each other’s capabilities and experiences Get comfortable asking ‘dumb’ questions Networking – as we all come from similar industries Last year’s conference chatted to other Adelaide users as well as Scott and Katie from Synergy – everyone expressed an interest. That very day Scott made me a promise – he said “if you get it started, I’ll come to your first meeting” and he did! I did not anticipate he’d show – to come all that way for a 2 hour chat about Synergy. But you know what, he did, and we were thrilled.
- To date we’ve had 3 meetings. The meetings have had approximately 12 people at each meeting with 16 people in the group in total. Next one in a couple of weeks so we can chat about the conference and share with those who couldn’t be here. What I really enjoy, is being able to talk Synergy with people who actually understand and know what I’m talking about. A bit like being here. It’s definitely not a bagging session – not about what we hate about Synergy – but to share how we use it, the challenges we face. We share/discover how others deal with a similar situation Meetings are is extremely uplifting and rewarding. I proudly say every person in the group has a positive mind set –it’s how we get the most out of our group. We are all willing to share and contribute to conversations and they end up being excellent, interesting conversations. It’s still early days but has been extremely positive. Feedback from the group, I feel going forward is something we’ll continue well into the future. We have some fellow SA Synergy Group Users here today and I’d like them to share how they feel our about our group: Catherine - what has been the most interesting part for you as part of the user group? Would you encourage other states to do a similar thing? Why? Colette – how do you feel about the group? You just need one person in each state to take the lead. I strongly encourage you – if you enjoy using Synergy as much as I do, get in touch with Katie at Total Synergy Set up your first meeting. It’s easy, and so rewarding.
- To get the ball rolling at the first meeting I shared: A challenge I am facing when distributing disbursements against budgets & not being able to see the budget. And how we pull together our financials with a combination of Synergy reports.
- This is our monthly staff performance report. The aim of this report is to see how we performed in the month and to advise the team how they’re tracking compared to their budget. It gives the them their monthly and YTD target, the WIP they produced that month, invoiced amount for the month, hours worked etc etc…….. Admittedly this report has taken years for my managing director and I to get to this point. Lots of adding of columns, removing columns, tweaking of filters etc etc At one point we also had a trainer from Synergy come over to Adelaide and help us tweak the filters. We discovered we were doing things the long way round – telling the report the things we didn’t want rather than just telling the report what we did want – that was a a-ha moment for us. A number of people in the user group found it interesting and would like to produce a similar report. After the meeting we got in touch and shared filters, layouts etc – that’s what the group is all about.
- The other feature I shared which has been extremely beneficial to us is the PreBill feature. In the monthly report we also report on Write offs and Discounts. The PreBill feature allows me to reallocate funds, change dollar values, Write Off a transaction or 2 rather than devaluing (discounting) a number of transactions. We feel by being able to write off a transaction it makes it clearer in reporting.
- Sam from Lucid Consulting who chaired our last meeting shared: She was having trouble with Staff Reviews –producing a numerous reports, exporting them to excel, having to enter formula’s to get the result she was after. She said it was taking her hours After discussions with the group we discovered that Transaction Reports would probably help achieve the same. We discussed the filters that may help her get the results she was looking for….
- Following each meeting I recap in an email what was discussed and what was shared as a group for future reference for each of us and I cc this email to Scott and Katie – just so they can see what we’ve discussed and what we’re doing. The feedback provides information to Synergy about how we feel about certain features or possibly/may be improved and Synergy are always happy to listen and take note. In the soon to be released update there are certain features which were issues the group raised as challenges. For example Phases, we love the new feature of adding Phases to a project, but expressed how good it would be if they appeared across all the tabs in a project. Synergy took note and it will be available in the next update - it’s great to see such suggestions come to fruition. Gives the group an additional sense of purpose and that our feedback is not falling on deaf ears. Also reiterates how good it is to be part of an Australian company who are accessible and responsive. Who make you feel like you’re part of the extended family ultimately, which ultimately ends up benefiting our own work/company.
- To sum up – the User Group has become a tool and support base for anyone in SA who needs assistance, guidance, or a soundboard on all matters Synergy. It’s rewarding, interesting and effective. I encourage you to think about doing the same in your state. If you have any questions, queries or concerns about starting up your own group please do not hesitate to come chat to any one of us from Adelaide. We’re be more than happy to chat.