Catalyst, by EBM Software vs. Synoptix

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Catalyst, by EBM Software
Score 7.8 out of 10
N/A
Catalyst from EBM Software in Minneapolis is a cloud-based business performance application suite, designed to provide an environment and workflow for understanding business profitability.N/A
Synoptix
Score 2.8 out of 10
Mid-Size Companies (51-1,000 employees)
Synoptic provides ERP financial reporting tools and analysis. This solution is designed to deliver real-time data. The vendor’s value proposition is that their solution empowers users to create financial and operational reports with spreadsheet ease of use.N/A
Pricing
Catalyst, by EBM SoftwareSynoptix
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Catalyst, by EBM SoftwareSynoptix
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
YesYes
Entry-level Setup FeeOptionalOptional
Additional DetailsFlexible and tiered pricing structures available - monthly, 1-3-5- contracts, and more—
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Catalyst, by EBM SoftwareSynoptix
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
Catalyst, by EBM SoftwareSynoptix
BI Standard Reporting
Comparison of BI Standard Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Catalyst, by EBM Software
7.1
2 Ratings
12% below category average
Synoptix
-
Ratings
Customizable dashboards7.12 Ratings00 Ratings
Report Formatting Templates7.12 Ratings00 Ratings
Ad-hoc Reporting
Comparison of Ad-hoc Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Catalyst, by EBM Software
7.7
2 Ratings
7% below category average
Synoptix
-
Ratings
Drill-down analysis7.12 Ratings00 Ratings
Formatting capabilities8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Report sharing and collaboration8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Report Output and Scheduling
Comparison of Report Output and Scheduling features of Product A and Product B
Catalyst, by EBM Software
8.0
2 Ratings
2% below category average
Synoptix
7.7
1 Ratings
6% below category average
Publish to PDF7.92 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Report Delivery Scheduling8.01 Ratings7.01 Ratings
Publish to Web00 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Data Discovery and Visualization
Comparison of Data Discovery and Visualization features of Product A and Product B
Catalyst, by EBM Software
7.7
1 Ratings
1% above category average
Synoptix
-
Ratings
Pre-built visualization formats (heatmaps, scatter plots etc.)8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Location Analytics / Geographic Visualization7.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Predictive Analytics8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Access Control and Security
Comparison of Access Control and Security features of Product A and Product B
Catalyst, by EBM Software
8.0
2 Ratings
8% below category average
Synoptix
6.0
1 Ratings
37% below category average
Multi-User Support (named login)8.02 Ratings7.01 Ratings
Role-Based Security Model8.02 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Multiple Access Permission Levels (Create, Read, Delete)8.02 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Single Sign-On (SSO)00 Ratings1.01 Ratings
Mobile Capabilities
Comparison of Mobile Capabilities features of Product A and Product B
Catalyst, by EBM Software
8.0
2 Ratings
0% above category average
Synoptix
1.0
1 Ratings
155% below category average
Responsive Design for Web Access8.02 Ratings1.01 Ratings
Dashboard / Report / Visualization Interactivity on Mobile8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Budgeting, Planning, and Forecasting
Comparison of Budgeting, Planning, and Forecasting features of Product A and Product B
Catalyst, by EBM Software
8.0
2 Ratings
4% below category average
Synoptix
6.0
1 Ratings
32% below category average
Long-term financial planning7.01 Ratings5.01 Ratings
Financial budgeting8.01 Ratings5.01 Ratings
Forecasting8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Scenario modeling8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Management reporting8.92 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Consolidation and Close
Comparison of Consolidation and Close features of Product A and Product B
Catalyst, by EBM Software
7.2
1 Ratings
11% below category average
Synoptix
7.0
1 Ratings
13% below category average
Financial data consolidation9.01 Ratings7.01 Ratings
Journal entries and reports8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Multi-currency management6.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Intercompany Eliminations5.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Minority Ownership7.01 Ratings7.01 Ratings
Local and consolidated reporting8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Financial Reporting and Compliance
Comparison of Financial Reporting and Compliance features of Product A and Product B
Catalyst, by EBM Software
8.0
1 Ratings
3% below category average
Synoptix
6.8
1 Ratings
19% below category average
Financial Statement Reporting8.01 Ratings7.01 Ratings
Management Reporting9.01 Ratings7.01 Ratings
Excel-based Reporting7.01 Ratings7.01 Ratings
Automated board and financial reporting8.01 Ratings6.01 Ratings
Analytics and Reporting
Comparison of Analytics and Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Catalyst, by EBM Software
7.2
2 Ratings
11% below category average
Synoptix
3.0
1 Ratings
91% below category average
Personalized dashboards7.12 Ratings3.01 Ratings
Color-coded scorecards6.01 Ratings00 Ratings
KPIs7.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Cost and profitability analysis8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Key Performance Indicator setting8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Benchmarking with external data7.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Integration
Comparison of Integration features of Product A and Product B
Catalyst, by EBM Software
7.4
2 Ratings
11% below category average
Synoptix
3.0
1 Ratings
94% below category average
Flat file integration8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Excel data integration7.12 Ratings00 Ratings
Direct links to 3rd-party data sources7.12 Ratings3.01 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Catalyst, by EBM SoftwareSynoptix
Small Businesses
IBM Planning Analytics
IBM Planning Analytics
Score 8.3 out of 10
IBM Planning Analytics
IBM Planning Analytics
Score 8.3 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Centage
Centage
Score 9.6 out of 10
Centage
Centage
Score 9.6 out of 10
Enterprises
Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP
Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP
Score 8.1 out of 10
Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP
Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP
Score 8.1 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Catalyst, by EBM SoftwareSynoptix
Likelihood to Recommend
7.9
(2 ratings)
2.2
(12 ratings)
Usability
8.8
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
7.8
(2 ratings)
1.0
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
Catalyst, by EBM SoftwareSynoptix
Likelihood to Recommend
EBM Software
[Catalyst, by EBM Software] is well suited to track invoices from vendors to get them paid on time to avoid late fees. [Catalyst, by EBM Software] is less appropriate when paying vendor because that is not a function they currently have. If the system was an all in one system that could track and pay your invoices it would be an amazing software.
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Synoptix
It is excellent if set up well, and users are well trained on how to use it as it is not very user-friendly. But to achieve that, you have to go through the hell of a setup. Support is not knowledgeable in some areas of the software, it is tough to set up and install, and when presented by salespeople, it is all great, but you need to invest a lot to pay it off.
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Pros
EBM Software
  • The GUI is easy to navigate on the iPad mini, which we use for charting.
  • The options are simple so there is very little room for mistakes.
  • Charting is easy and the setup allows for necessary fields that must be completed so charting stays uniform.
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Synoptix
  • Easy report building interface with an query interface that allows financial users the ability to conduct complex queries without difficulty.
  • The ability to create reporting that allows us to review in-depth financial review by drilling down into accounts to find transnational data easily.
  • Easily maintained and monitored with simple upgrade installations and end point installation.
  • Great knowledge base for review and trouble-shooting.
  • Highly knowledgeable and easy to work with staff.
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Cons
EBM Software
  • The browser closes unexpectedly at times when refreshing the page and you get logged out
  • The incorrect vendor is chosen by Catalyst a few times
  • The Catalyst file is occasionally not placed on time in the folder
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Synoptix
  • It has a poor install procedure which is not standard. It almost requires copying folders from an existing computer to the new install.
  • The update process is less than desirable. It seems like Compusoft needs to do a better job of testing before releasing updates.
  • The interface is a bit archaic. It looks more like a program from 20 years ago than one used today.
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Usability
EBM Software
Well.... when it works... it's good. When it doesn't it is very frustrating for our staff.
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Synoptix
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
EBM Software
The support for Catalyst is great and they are usually within the 48 hour response time. There could be a little quicker upload time for invoices that are submitted. They usually show up until the next day on the system and sometimes gives us a stress on time. Overall, the support is quite good
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Synoptix
Support does not know much about software solutions. As an example, I have struggled for weeks just to set up LDAP that should be fairly simple.
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Alternatives Considered
EBM Software
[Catalyst, by EBM Software] is a very easy system to use and is very user friendly. It gives you different ways of researching an invoice and not just one. Catalyst also helps to allow us to research an invoice within seconds and eliminates a lengthy and confusing process. It is a great software for first time users to learn quickly and efficiently.
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Synoptix
Prior to Synoptix we were using the reporting tool that comes with our ERP system. It lacked the drilldown and comparability functions that make Synoptix the top pick. Further, designing reports and maintaining reports was very labor intensive
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Return on Investment
EBM Software
  • Catalyst is better than pencil and paper data analysis. But the app can be very frustrating when it's not working the way it did last week.
  • The GUI is very simple. Sometimes too simple, like there is no way to go back in and edit SOAP note options.
  • New feature roll-outs are mandatory. I understand that no one would opt in to being the guinea pig, but it would be nice if you weren't the first user to try it.
  • The integration with billing software has streamlined the billing notes and saved us money over having two separate systems.
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Synoptix
  • As a reporting tool it has allowed us to make fact based decisions. We have a significant annual cost with relation to our legacy system and Synoptix provides us with the best tool to mine the data that resides in our legacy system.
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