Experienced people in specialised teams

Symology are known for a strong focus on high quality software development; but we go much, much further.

We have peerless knowledge and experience with asset management and street works, and we stick with what we know.

As such, you can be assured of efficiency and excellence, whether it’s with general disciplines such as project management, technology and training, or specialisms across our industry, from legislation to engineering and many areas of best practice.

When you add in our incredible software solutions, Symology are hard to beat!

Our Professional Services team consists of experts across a wide range of disciplines, many specific to our sector. We are especially equipped to assist with:

  • Street Works
  • Asset Management
  • Customer Service
  • Training
  • Bureau Services
  • Implementation
  • Process Change

Whether your needs are for a little advice or refresher, or when a more significant project is necessary, we will have the right people to plan and deliver work tailored for you.

As a Symology customer, your dedicated Account Manager will learn what you need from us beyond the software solution, from training and efficient operations, through to planning for changes, whether wanted or needed. 

Through regular account meetings they will help you keep the gears oiled, ensuring you are aware of the impact of any changes in the industry, and with our capabilities to support them. In short, your Account Manager is dedicated to helping you get the best out of us.

Every organisation has a different focus and way of working, so our Account Management Team strive to understand these differences and keep the whole of Symology aware of our customers ever-adapting needs.

At Symology we don’t believe in making a mountain out of a molehill – many projects can be run efficiently with minimal overhead.

There are always projects which do require formal planning and management, and our team of dedicated Project Managers work with you and our own Professional Services team to provide the formal relationship required.

The Project Management team has expanded to assist with a significant growth period for Aurora implementation work, as well as assist with larger projects for existing customers.

No need to dread that call for Technical Support!

Our Helpdesk Team are adept with our solutions and provide a high standard of first line assistance, aiming to get you back to work as promptly as possible.

We operate through Service Level Agreements and manage cases and priorities to industry standards, so every call and email is logged and managed in the method you would expect. 

The Team try their best to answer all queries that come there way, and sometimes it becomes clear there is a need for something more, such as training, consultancy, or other services from the Professional Services team. Working with your Account Manager, they’ll make sure you get the right advice and present all the options.

More details on key service areas

Implementing powerful software technology often goes alongside significant organisational change, and we see it as the role of our PRINCE2 accredited Project Managers to help you identify and manage any change and/or risks that may arise from the introduction of new software and or business practices. Along with our implementation consultants, our Project Managers are skilled at working with customer staff to develop and implement methods of operation that will maximise service levels with the minimum of disruption.

To make sure the implementation of Symology’s Insight software is a success, we believe that the most effective approach to a project is one of partnership. Our aim is always to generate a close working relationship with the customer’s staff, with the purpose of maintaining a clear definition of the project tasks, timescales, quality criteria and risks.  Jointly managing these aspects, whilst at the same time defining optimum operational business practices and procedures, ensures that projects are successful and completed on time and within budget.

Symology provide a range of technical services to help you get the greatest productivity from your Insight modules, from the analysis of your requirements at a comprehensive level through a range of services delivered by our product consultants. Each consultant has specialised knowledge and experience of particular technology or business areas, combined with a general capability for the full scope of the entire product range and the functional areas in which it operates.

Our product consultants will assist you in the determination of structural maintenance policy, lifecycle planning, improvement plans, programmes and Whole Life Costing of your assets.

We can offer a bureau service for the loading of your condition data, collected from a variety of visual or machine-based surveys, and assist in their evaluation in conjunction with all other life history data for the assets. The condition of different aspects of the pavement and associated structures is determined and appropriate treatments derived.

Symology Consultants can assist you draft and implement your asset valuation schemes through to delivering all aspects of the Whole Government Accounting submission. They are skilled in using the system to predict future trends and budget scenarios based on condition history and life deterioration models, aiming at achieving the required service levels, and providing advice on investment need. Deterioration modelling techniques and cost/benefit analysis are utilised to evaluate different long-term strategies, and ensure optimum allocation of available funds.

Aurora’s GIS capabilities are at the core of the system. Having a fast, efficient and well structured map provides the user with a positive working experience as well as providing a view of the data which can’t be achieved through standard grids and report.

Symology can provide specialist Mapping Consultancy on a wide range of issues from setting up and maintaining the map documents and layers, Building Plot Templates, Converting mapping to use an RDBMS, Importing 3rd Party layers ranging from background data e.g. Ordnance Survey and Aerial Photography to underground pipelines and administrative boundaries already captured in other data sets.

Symology offer a package of services to help Authorities and Works Promoters deal with the complexities of implementing a permit scheme. Not only can we provide expert advice to help define a scheme, but once a scheme has been approved, Symology can help with the different aspects of its introduction, including defining the internal business processes, configuring systems, establishing testing environments, training and reports.

In many areas, Symology can provide a complete range of services and management to meet specific project requirements. Two examples are:

  • the creation of a complete Level III gazetteer, to BS7666 National Street Gazetteer standards, including setting up a mapping system. O.S. data and Symology tools are used to prepare a complete map-based Level III gazetteer in the form in which it can be used within the Insight range, and in the form for export to NSG.
  • the preparation of a complete asset management plan. This may involve network definition, contracting for survey data collection, processing of data, production of condition evaluation data, and recommending asset management plans to meet specified objectives or service levels. The project may also include presentation of the data and recommendations in sophisticated graphical form, using the full power of GIS technology.

Symology recognise that training is an investment you make in your staff, bringing benefits by helping you become more efficient and productive, and increasing job satisfaction and staff retention levels. Organisations can sometimes fail to realise the full potential of software they already have, but trained staff help you unlock that potential and fully benefit from your software investment.

Symology offer a comprehensive range of formal training options that provide detailed instruction in different functional and technical aspects of the product range. All courses and workshops incorporate extensive practical exercises, and are run in at our training centres, with hands-on facilities for delegates.

Our standard training courses include:

  • Coordination of Street Works
  • EToN 6 for Highway Authorities
  • EToN 6 for Statutory Undertakers
  • Insight Reporting
  • Inspections Using Insight Mobile
  • Introduction to Insight
  • Managing Street Works Inspections
  • Notice Management
  • Street Works Finances
  • Street Works Inspections Using Insight
  • Street Works Noticing
  • Technical Administration
  • TMA Operations for Statutory Undertakers
  • Works for Roads Purposes

In addition, we can provide tailored training to suit your needs. We recognise that sending staff away on a training course can be disruptive and expensive, so we can offer a range of other options for you, including:

  • On-site training at a location convenient to you, for groups of up to 12 people
  • Web-Based training where delegates can attend the course from the comfort of their own desks (or anywhere where they have access to the internet and either a speaker or phone)
  • Video Training where we provide you with video courses, broken down into bite-sized chunks, where your staff can learn at their own time, at their own pace, and repeat sections as required
  • Where extensive training is needed, following, say, a major re-organisation, then we will provide ‘Train the Trainer’ courses for you, along with the supporting material you will need

Highways

CIPFA / HAMFIG Carriageway and Footways Valuation (Whole Government Accounting)
A Carriageway / Footway valuation will be undertaken using the Authorities condition data and associated network to produce the Automatic passes required to calculate the CIPFA / HAMFIG Accumulated Annual Depreciation Reports as defined in the Technical Note 46 Pt1 and Pt2.

The Valuations are compliant to the Transport Infrastructure Assets Code of Practice and corresponding Technical Notes for Auditing Purposes.

Core Reporting (Single data list)
These reports will be processed using Insight’s UKPMS Accredited Software. The statutory reporting is part of the functionality health checked annually and adheres to the Technical Notes as stated in the PCIS website.

  • 130-01 SCANNER A Roads (NI168)
  • 130-02 SCANNER B/C Roads (NI169)
  • 130-03 SCRIM All Roads

Ancillary Reports
The reports listed below are designed to assist the Engineer / Asset Manager on making the best decision for maintenance around the Network. Many of the outputs are mapping based and can target specific Defects if required. Please define in the “Other” section of the form if you have any specific requirements to be met.

  • BV224b Unclassified Roads – Condition Indicator
  • BV187 Footways 1A/1/2 – Condition Indicator
  • Red/Amber/Green Result Maps
  • Observation Maps
  • Prioritised Recommended Treatment Lists
  • Survey Coverage Reports
  • Consultancy Services to interpret reports
  • SCRIM result mapping and SCRIM Network Threshold Mapping

Please access this Link for the Carriageway / Footway Bureau Services Questionnaire

Structures

Structures Asset Valuation
Insight provides the facilities to calculate the Gross Replacement Cost and the Depreciated Replacement Costs of the Bridge Stock as well as utilising the Life Cycle Planning functionality to assist in forecasting your maintenance programme. If the Authority requires BCI values to be calculated or produce a Structures Valuation to the corresponding Transport Infrastructure Assets Code of Practice the bureau services will be able to complete these activities for you.

  • Bridges Condition Indicator
  • Structures Gross Replacement Cost
  • Structures Depreciated Replacement Cost

The Condition Indicators, Gross Replacement Costs and Depreciated Replacement Costs can also be calculated for Retaining Walls and Signal Gantry Assets

The above indicators, output into a spreadsheet displaying the CI Output, CI Critical Graph, CI Average Graph and CI Average Pie charts.

Please access this Link for the Structures Bureau Services Questionnaire

Professional Services Team

Our experts bridge the gaps between industry, project and technical disciplines

In this increasingly complex space we work in, you need experienced, specialist help. Meet some of the team who will be helping you when your requirements move outside of ‘business as usual’ and into the world of implementations, improvements, consultancy, training and advice.

Marc Buxton

Professional Services Manager

Anita Johnson

Professional Services Consultant

Dave Taylor

Asset Management Consultant

Gary Morland

Asset Management Consultant

Gemma Stewart

Professional Services Consultant

James Pattinson

Professional Services Consultant

Jim Peacock

Communications and Learning Consultant

Nick Carey

Professional Services Consultant

Sam Harrison

Professional Services Consultant

Steve Finley

Asset Management Consultant

Get in touch

Why plan to start planning?

Don’t wait until your deadlines are right on top of you, get in touch and let us know what projects are on your mind. If you are already a customer, speak with your Account Manager first, otherwise feel free to reach out – we’ll help consolidate your ideas and assist any way we can.