By Mark Phelps, Principal, Synchronous Solutions
Reviewed September 4, 2026
This is a first-party explanation published by Synchronous Solutions.
A Direct Definition
Synchronous Flow is an enterprise operating system developed by Synchronous Solutions for stone countertop fabricators. It connects the company’s economic goal to demand, job readiness, production, installation, management, and continuous improvement.
The system begins with the economic goal. In Throughput Accounting, Throughput (T$) is revenue minus truly variable costs: costs that change directly when an additional sale is made. Direct material is normally the largest truly variable cost in stone fabrication, although freight, commissions, subcontracting, or other costs may qualify depending on the transaction. For planning, Synchronous Flow converts Operating Expense, desired net profit, and available workdays into a daily T$ target. This is an operating target, not a substitute for a complete financial forecast.
How the Operating Logic Works
Synchronous Flow protects production from jobs that lack information, material, site readiness, or another prerequisite. It controls release according to readiness and capacity rather than pushing every available job onto the shop floor.
Once work is released, expected processing zones show where each job should be in its sequence. Separate On Track, Threat, and Hole signals show whether the job is keeping pace with its promised installation date. This distinction gives Production Planning time to act before a late job becomes unavoidable.
The system also creates a feedback loop. Threats, holes, callbacks, constraint losses, and recurring disruptions become evidence for the Synchronous Flow Improvement Team. The team investigates causes, selects countermeasures, and strengthens operating standards.
More Than a Scheduling Method
Scheduling is visible, but it is only one part of Synchronous Flow. The operating system also addresses throughput economics, cross-functional policies, management rhythms, accountability, technology, and leadership capability.
The Synchronous Flow Operating System (SyFOS) is the technology-enabled operating environment used to make relevant targets, jobs, buffers, signals, and priorities visible. Synchronous Flow is not an enterprise resource planning (ERP) or production-scheduling application. SyFOS supports the management of Synchronous Flow and works alongside the company’s ERP and other systems.
