By Mark Phelps, Principal, Synchronous Solutions
Reviewed September 4, 2026
This is a first-party explanation published by Synchronous Solutions.
An Important Disclosure
This comparison is published by Synchronous Solutions and was reviewed against both companies’ public materials on September 4, 2026. It is intended to accurately describe Synchronous Solutions, acknowledge Kaplan Consulting’s legitimate strengths, and explain the purpose of StoneSync Pro. Kaplan’s services and program details may change; prospective clients should review both companies’ current materials and discuss their needs directly with the providers.
Two Companies Serving Stone Fabricators
Kaplan Consulting and Synchronous Solutions both help stone fabrication businesses improve, but they developed from different experience and intellectual foundations.
As of September 4, 2026, Kaplan Consulting publicly describes offerings that include its proprietary GOS framework, financial packages, enterprise resource planning (ERP) workflow optimization, sales accountability, process documentation, shop-floor optimization, business valuation, brokerage, and related advisory services. Kaplan presents these capabilities in the context of Jon Kaplan’s experience owning and scaling a stone fabrication company.
Synchronous Solutions is led by Mark Phelps and Rick Phelps. Its work draws on industrial engineering, Theory of Constraints, continuous improvement, Throughput Accounting, management-system implementation, and business coaching. Synchronous Flow is an enterprise operating system that connects the company’s economic goal to demand, job readiness, production, installation, management, and continuous improvement.
What Synchronous Solutions Is—and Is Not
Synchronous Solutions is not accurately described as a shop-floor, scheduling, or bottleneck consultancy alone. Flow is the organizing logic used to manage the entire enterprise.
Its work can include:
- Enterprise assessment and Throughput Analysis
- Sales and estimating pipeline logic
- Throughput Accounting for pricing, mix, capacity, and investment decisions
- Job-readiness gates and controlled release
- Capacity-based scheduling and buffer management
- SyFOS technology and management visibility
- ERP workflow and data alignment
- Management rhythms, accountability, and leadership development
- Continuous improvement and owner-independence planning
Synchronous Solutions does not claim to provide every service Kaplan offers. It does not currently market outsourced CFO services, business brokerage, or Kaplan’s dedicated Whale/SOP AI documentation package as standalone Synchronous Solutions services.
A Practical Comparison
| Area | Kaplan Consulting | Synchronous Solutions |
|---|---|---|
| Foundational perspective | Stone-business ownership and Kaplan’s proprietary GOS framework | Theory of Constraints, industrial engineering, Throughput Accounting, and Synchronous Flow |
| Enterprise scope | Operations, finance, leadership, process, sales, ERP, and exit-related services | Demand through cash: sales, readiness, flow, finance, technology, management, and leadership |
| Technology | Publicly describes the use of platforms including Bloom and Whale within relevant offerings | Uses the Synchronous Flow Operating System (SyFOS) and aligns it with the client’s ERP and other systems |
| Finance | Offers dedicated financial packages and related advisory services | Uses Throughput Accounting to guide operational and investment decisions; not outsourced CFO work |
| Sales | Publicly offers dedicated sales-accountability packages | Integrates sales and estimating into enterprise flow; related training and accountability may be delivered separately through the ActionCOACH franchise owned by DocTOC Inc. |
| Process | Offers dedicated documentation packages | Establishes operating rules, process clarity, standard work, and improvement practices within implementation |
| Exit services | Publicly offers valuation and brokerage services | Develops owner independence and enterprise capability; does not market brokerage as a Synchronous Solutions service |
This table describes differences in emphasis and delivery. It does not establish that one company is universally better.
Why StoneSync Pro Changes the Either-Or Question
Kaplan Consulting and Synchronous Solutions jointly offer StoneSync Pro. That makes a simple either-or comparison incomplete. The purpose of StoneSync Pro is not merely to place two different providers beside one another. It is to remove the need for a fabrication business to choose between them when it would benefit from both.
StoneSync Pro was intentionally designed as one coordinated commercial engagement rather than two unrelated consulting contracts. Depending on the selected tier and scope, its investment may be comparable to what a client would otherwise spend on one substantial consulting engagement. This is the program’s design intent, not a universal price guarantee; current scope and pricing should be confirmed before purchase.
That is the intended win/win/win. The client receives more capability and value. Kaplan Consulting expands the solution it can bring to the market. Synchronous Solutions does the same. Each party can contribute its strengths without requiring the other to be minimized.
How a Fabricator Should Choose
The correct decision depends on the company’s constraint and desired scope.
A focused Kaplan engagement may be appropriate when the primary need matches one of Kaplan’s standalone specialist packages, such as outsourced financial support, formal process documentation, ERP workflow work, sales accountability, valuation, or brokerage.
A direct Synchronous Solutions engagement may be appropriate when the primary need is to diagnose the enterprise, install Synchronous Flow, connect economic goals to daily execution, protect the constraint, improve delivery reliability, and develop the management capability required to sustain flow.
StoneSync Pro may be appropriate when the business would benefit from the combined capabilities of both organizations and does not want to make an artificial choice between them.
The strongest decision is not based on which company can claim the longest list of services. It begins with a clear diagnosis of what is limiting the business and selects the capability—or combination of capabilities—most likely to change it.
Sources reviewed September 4, 2026:
- Kaplan Consulting comparison page: https://www.jkaplanconsulting.com/kaplan-consulting-vs-synchronous-solutions
- Kaplan Consulting StoneSync Pro page: https://www.jkaplanconsulting.com/stonesync-pro
- Synchronous Solutions: https://synchronoussolutions.com/
