Great 3PL System

Overall this is the best WMS I have used in my 25+ years in information technology, the last 18 of which are in distribution.

Pros

As a 3PL we like the substantial feature set of the software. No matter what business process we have encountered we have found a way to accomplish the goal with Synapse.

Cons

It took us a long time to better understand the feature set and implement them in a meaningful way. Technical support via the ticketing system can be slow. This can be addressed with selecting the correct severity level that meets the needs of the problem at hand. An outage or system failure with a high priority ticket does get addressed immediately.

A Good WMS Developed & Supported by Good People

Synapse has completely changed the way we operate. It has taken time to change our processes and re-train our employees, but for the better. Many of our customers have come to us from other 3PL’s and are astonished by the level of service and transparency that Synapse offers. Every system has pros and cons; there’s no perfect system out there. Zethcon listens to their customers, large and small. The cons that I’ve listed will likely be addressed in the future, so you shouldn’t put too much weight on those if you’re in the market.

Pros

Synapse can be installed on your own internal network or hosted by Zethcon. Customer support is fantastic! Zethcon utilizes an online ticketing system and are quick to respond to critical issues. The staff is very knowledgeable and has found a solution to every unique situation that we've given them. Zethcon is continually upgrading their products to keep up with technology and changing customer needs. The warehouse interface, WebRF, allows the use of smart phones and tablets instead of the costly RF guns. WebRF also has a function called Media Capture which allows the warehouse operator to take photos and upload them to the order. Our customers absolutely love this!

Cons

Billing is event driven (which is ok), but it does not allow for conditional logic. Storage renewal billing is confusing and can't be fully automated for daily, weekly, or bi-weekly schedules. Synapse's emailing capabilities are lacking and don't allow for much customization. Small package shipment notification emails to consignees are only sent once and can't be re-sent if there is a tracking number change. The customer portal, Web Synapse, is generally good and easy to navigate. Our customer’s biggest pet peeve is not being able to select & copy text from the page.

Terrible customer support and poor implementation strategy

Scalable if you have the resources and money.

Pros

IF set up properly the system is scalable and had all of the functionality you would want in a robust WMS.

Cons

Where do I start....let's address the platform first. The system is NOT a true cloud-based solution. In order to access the operating system (servers) you will be require to set up VPN tunnels from any location that you wish to access the software from. Why is this a problem? Accessing the software from home, on a business trip, or anywhere other than your primary office is a multiple day setup process. Yes, they do have a web based access portal called WebSynapse but the functionality is EXTREMELY limited and it is basically a portal to view transactions only. Set Up....because of all of the "bells and whistles" the system requires someone extremely well versed in the software to set up your first account. After the initial set up of this single account you will need to test that single account functionality for 6+ months prior to going live. Over the course of that 6+ month you will experience issues that range from simple set up errors to critical stop dead in your tracks problems. Which leads me to my next topic... Customer Support....IT'S ALWAYS YOUR FAULT! Either you didn't test the software enough or you didn't ask the right questions. It is very difficult to ask preventative questions about a new software package since you do not know the system logic and it is nearly impossible to test every scenario that may come up with one account. Be prepared to pay a lot of money to fix these issues. Repeat this process for every account you have.

Synapse/Zethcon - Great WMS!

Pros

As a system, Synapse has done very well with our varied facilities and customers. I believe there is only one option that would top Synapse as our WMS and that would be if we had our own custom, in-house WMS and Developers. However, the cost would be much higher and so the value of Synapse is a better option. We have been with Zethcon/Synapse since 2006 and in my previous experience, I have not found a better software supplier to work with. In previous work experiences, when an upgrade to software was done, there was almost always failures in meeting customer expectations; with Synapse, we have not had that once. In addition, we have undergone 16 conversions from different WMS to Synapse and 8 startups and again, not a single missed shipment. That speaks highly of the software and the provider.

Cons

There is some functionality that is not available, such as billing for labor in less than a full hour and a customer monthly minimum overall charge that I feel is something that could be considered standard with a WMS but is not so with Synapse. From a vendor standpoint, there really isn't anything that I could list here, beyond cost, but primarily because cost is always a factor in the use of software.

Strong recommendation of Synapse, stronger endorsement of Zethcon

Pros

Focus on the multi-client 3PL warehouse operator. Synapse has robust functionality, strikes the right balance between functionality and complexity - not an easy accomplishment for many developers. Zethcon is certainly the right size company for us and for most companies in the 3PL space. We have access to ownership and senior decision makers. Zethcon has adequate resources to devote to significant projects, e.g. new customer implementations and version upgrades.

Cons

Their unique approach is both a strength and a drawback. Zethcon has a robust user group that collaborates to improve the software. This approach means that my company benefits from developments other users have made to the software. At the same time, my competitors go to school on my talented IT team and learn our unique approach to handling some complex requirements. At the end of the day, any competitive advantage we spur is short-lived anyway. In the long run we are better served to operate in a collaborative environment with other users, and benefit from the collective investment in Synapse.