Design Flex typical implementation process:
Subscription and account activation: Organizations start by purchasing a subscription and receiving an activation email. The company admin enables access for all users through the Design Flex portal. This process is typically completed in a matter of hours.
Software setup and user onboarding: Users log in via web browser and complete profile setup. Teams may review onboarding resources or access the Elite Success Plan for guided setup, support, and training. Initial orientation can be accomplished in a day.
System requirements and IT preparation: Users must verify hardware compatibility (Windows 10/11, 64-bit, modern CPU, sufficient RAM, dedicated GPU). IT departments may need to install or update system prerequisites, which generally takes a few hours to a day for most organizations.
Catalogs and content configuration: Access and sync manufacturer catalogs, product collections, and pricing via Cyncly Cloud. Optionally, customize catalogs, decor libraries, or integrate SketchUp content. This can take a few hours to several days depending on catalog scope and customization needs.
Integration with business systems: (Optional) Connect to ERP, CRM, or pricing/order management tools. IT or system integrators configure API connections and test data flows as per the integration roadmap. This step's duration varies by business complexity, usually 1–2 days for standard connectors, or longer for custom integrations.
Design Flex can be customized to fit specific business needs, offering a wide range of configuration and integration options ideal for enterprises, retailers, and manufacturers specializing in kitchens and bathrooms.
Catalog Customization: Businesses can tailor the platform with access to extensive manufacturer catalogs, or configure which brands, products, and finishes are visible to align with their own product offerings and supply chain needs.
Decor and Library Personalization: Users can personalize the decor library with a vast collection of decorative items, native cloud-based options, and seamless SketchUp integration for custom assets and unique branding.
Business Process Integration: Design Flex connects seamlessly with internal business applications such as ERP, CRM, pricing, and ordering systems. This allows automated data exchange, order creation, product pricing synchronization, and real-time updates between design and back-office operations.
Document Management: Teams can centralize all project documents, technical drawings, invoices, and approvals in one platform, supporting custom business workflows, approval permissions, and document retention policies.
Role-Based Access and Collaboration: Organizations can configure user permissions, enable company-wide collaboration, and structure access controls for installers, designers, sales personnel, and managers—to suit any internal workflow or approval path.
Custom Presentation Templates: The platform supports generating company-branded, client-ready presentations with flexible layouts and templates, adapting to unique business communication styles and client requirements.
Installation Planning & Scheduling: Installation workflows, task scheduling, and materials planning can be tailored to match each business’s process, ensuring smooth project execution and installer coordination.
Project Management Dashboards: Real-time tracking, business activity monitoring, time tracking, and custom analytics dashboards can be configured to help managers optimize workflows and make data-driven decisions.
Secure Cloud Deployment: Businesses can scale operations across locations with secure, cloud-powered access and company-specific policies for backup, recovery, and project archiving.
Integration with Existing Ecosystems: Through its API and data connectors, Design Flex supports bespoke integration scenarios or single sign-on with corporate identity solutions.
Multi-site and Multi-brand Support: The platform adapts to multi-site retailers, franchises, or distributed workforces, supporting hierarchical access, catalog rules, and location-specific setups.
Onboarding and Training: The Elite Success Plan and onboarding services can be customized to each business’s skill gaps, workflow needs, and operational objectives.
Design Flex offers training and support to ensure new users achieve rapid onboarding and effective use of the platform, particularly through its Elite Success Plan and various in-product resources.
Elite Success Plan: This premium support package provides specialized onboarding, hands-on training sessions, and ongoing support to help businesses streamline user adoption and master all features. The plan includes access to support personnel, customized training for teams, and assistance with platform setup and integrations.
Guided Onboarding: All new users and admins receive a step-by-step activation guide via email when their company is registered. Administrators can access setup and management tools directly through the platform, with clear instructions for activating users and organizing teams.
Self-Service Resources: In-app tooltips, quick-start guides, and user documentation provide immediate answers to common questions, helping users get started, build projects, and utilize advanced features efficiently.
On-demand Training Materials: The platform offers online tutorials, workflow demonstrations, video guides, and a knowledge base so users can learn at their own pace and revisit training as needed.
Ongoing Support: Direct customer support is available for troubleshooting, workflow optimization, feature clarification, and technical issues. Businesses can submit tickets or contact support through dedicated channels tied to their subscription plan.
Workshops and Webinars: Design Flex offers periodic live or recorded events such as webinars, product update briefings, and user workshops to boost ongoing learning and share best practices among the user community.
Design Flex implements robust, enterprise-grade security measures to protect user, project, and business data in its cloud-powered platform:
Secure Cloud Infrastructure: Projects, designs, documents, and catalog data are stored on secure, industry-standard cloud services managed by Cyncly, with physical and logical safeguards ensuring high availability and protection against unauthorized access.
Account Authentication and Access Control: User access to Design Flex is tightly managed via login credentials, with role-based permissions that enable organizations to restrict staff, collaborators, or third-party access to only relevant projects or tools.
Encrypted Data Transmission: All exchanges between end users and Design Flex servers—including uploads, downloads, and collaboration activities—are protected by HTTPS/TLS encryption, preventing data interception or tampering in transit.
Regular Backups and Disaster Recovery: Project data and documents are regularly backed up, enabling recovery in the event of accidental deletion, hardware failure, or other disruptions, thus protecting against data loss.
Automated Updates and Patch Management: Security updates, bug fixes, and performance enhancements are deployed automatically in the cloud, ensuring all users are running the most secure version without manual updates or IT intervention.
Granular Collaboration Controls: Project collaboration uses tokenized, controlled sharing links and defined user roles to prevent unauthorized viewing or editing, supporting enterprise demands for project confidentiality.
Compliance and Privacy Policies: Cyncly maintains a transparent privacy policy, outlining how data is used, stored, and processed, and adheres to regional compliance standards for data handling and privacy.
Centralized Document Management: All files—such as technical drawings, invoices, schedules, and design approvals—are stored in a unified, access-controlled repository, reducing risks of document sprawl and data leakage.
Design Flex releases updates on a regular and proactive schedule to ensure users benefit from the newest features, catalog additions, performance improvements, and security enhancements.
Cloud-Based Instant Updates: As a cloud-driven platform, Design Flex deploys updates server-side. Users always access the latest version when they log in, with no manual downloads or patching required for the web experience.
Recurring Feature and Catalog Releases: Product features, manufacturer catalog additions, decor library expansions, and real-world product updates are released frequently—often every few weeks or months—reflecting industry trends and client feedback. Catalog and pricing data are updated in real time via the Cyncly Cloud.
Automated Security and Performance Patching: Security patches, bug fixes, and backend improvements are applied automatically, reducing risk and ensuring consistent, high-quality operation without user intervention.
User Communication: Major releases are typically communicated through in-product notifications, email alerts, and user dashboards, highlighting what’s new and guiding users to new workflows.
Version Rollouts: For desktop companion tools or integrations, users may need to update their local client via prompts provided in the app or through administrative instructions, but cloud deployment ensures all users on the main platform are always on the latest version.
Design Flex’s policy on data ownership and portability prioritizes customer control, clarity, and operational freedom—key to supporting enterprise workflows and compliance needs.
Data Ownership: All project files, designs, documents, and customer information created or uploaded by users on Design Flex remain the intellectual property of the subscribing business or user. Cyncly (the platform’s provider) does not claim ownership of user-generated content; the platform simply acts as a secure hosting and facilitation environment.
Portability of Designs and Data: Users can export designs, high-quality renders, presentations, technical plans, and relevant documents in standard formats for use with external contractors, clients, or other business systems. This ensures that businesses retain continuous access to their critical data even if they move away from the platform or need to archive projects long-term.
Customer Data Rights and Control: Design Flex provides administrative tools for organizations to manage user accounts, revoke access, export project data, and respond to customer information requests. Data can be deleted or transferred upon legitimate request, supporting privacy and data lifecycle management.
Platform Switch and Migration: Design Flex supports migration/import of existing projects from previous platforms (notably from 2020 Design Live), allowing organizations to port operational data and design history without workflow disruption.
Integration and API Access: For advanced business needs, organizations can set up integrations so that project and catalog data move securely between Design Flex and external ERP, CRM, or supply chain platforms, further enhancing data mobility and avoiding lock-in.
Subscription Clarity: When a subscription is canceled or expires, businesses are typically able to export or archive their project data before service termination, ensuring intellectual property and project records are preserved.
Design Flex is built for flexible scaling to accommodate changing organizational needs, enabling both small and large businesses to adjust resources, users, and capabilities as project volume or team size fluctuates.
Cloud-Based Licensing and Access: Design Flex uses cloud-based licensing, allowing organizations to easily add or remove user accounts and grant or revoke access to the platform as teams grow or downsize. New users can be onboarded quickly, and deactivations reflect instantly for cost and access control.
Subscription Management: Subscriptions are managed centrally, so businesses can upgrade, downgrade, or adjust license counts directly with Cyncly or via their admin console. This lets organizations pay for only the seats they need, scaling up for new projects or peak periods, and scaling down during quieter intervals.
No IT Infrastructure Limits: The cloud architecture means that scaling doesn’t require hardware investment or local IT changes, eliminating delays or sunk costs from unused capacity—ideal for dynamic project teams or distributed workforces.
Multi-Site and Multi-Team Flexibility: For larger organizations, Design Flex supports multi-site deployment, regional permissions, and team hierarchies, making it possible to reorganize, split, or merge teams without complex migration.
Instant Feature and Catalog Updates: All functional updates, product catalogs, and decor content are delivered instantly via the cloud, allowing access to the latest tools and assets with no incremental rollout delays, regardless of organization size.
Integration Adjustment: API limits, connectivity to ERP/CRM, and other integration points can be scaled up or down as business system needs change, ensuring a tailored, efficient workflow at all times.
Professional Support for Scaling: Design Flex’s Elite Success Plan and customer support can advise and assist with large-scale upscaling or downscaling, ensuring optimal configuration and minimal operational disruption.
Design Flex, like most enterprise SaaS solutions, operates with clear, customer-centric terms for contract renewal and cancellation, often formalized in a service agreement or subscription contract:
Auto-Renewal: Most subscriptions are set to auto-renew at the end of the contract or billing period unless the customer provides notice of non-renewal. Renewal can occur on a monthly or annual basis, as stipulated in the contract.
Cancellation Notice: Customers are typically required to provide advance written notice (e.g., 30 days) if they wish to cancel or not renew their subscription, allowing Cyncly to process the request and prepare for service termination without disruption.
Early Termination: Contracts may specify any applicable early termination fees if a customer cancels before the agreed term ends, though terms can vary based on the plan, negotiation, and regional laws.
Refunds and Proration: Once a billing period has begun or a renewal has been processed, refunds are generally not offered for unused time unless required by law or as part of negotiated terms. Prorated refunds may be possible in specific circumstances or for service-level failures.
Data Access and Export: Before cancellation or at the end of a term, customers are encouraged to export their designs, project documents, and other critical data. Cyncly provides tools and support for data extraction; once the account is closed, user project data may be archived or deleted per the data retention policy.
Downgrade to Limited Access: If a paid or enterprise plan is canceled, user accounts may revert to a free or limited-access mode, restricting advanced features but preserving access to basic design functions and prior projects where permitted.
Service Termination: After cancellation (and any applicable notice period), access to the cloud platform, catalogs, and collaboration tools ends. Extended access or transition assistance may be negotiable in enterprise contracts.
Legal Agreements and Support: Terms regarding renewal, cancellation, and transition are laid out in the master service agreement or enterprise contract, clarifying obligations, timelines, and user rights—especially for large businesses.
Account Reactivation: Should a customer return after cancellation, account reactivation procedures and potential reinstatement fees or onboarding processes may apply.
Design Flex aligns with widely adopted data security and privacy compliance standards typical of enterprise-grade SaaS solutions for the design and construction sectors.
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation): The platform follows GDPR guidelines for data processing, retention, privacy rights, and user data export/deletion. This ensures that users in the European Union and those handling personal data of EU citizens are provided with all legally required protections.
Data Ownership and Portability Principles: Design Flex maintains clear policies that users retain ownership of their design data and can export it in accessible formats, supporting regulatory requirements for data access, transfer, and deletion.
Cloud Security Best Practices: All communications are encrypted via HTTPS/TLS, and cloud deployments adhere to industry best practices for secure storage, backup, and access control. While not publicly branded as ISO 27001, SOC 2, HIPAA, or similar, Design Flex’s infrastructure, automated updates, and document controls reflect standards for secure SaaS operations.
Regional Compliance Readiness: Cyncly (the provider) tailors legal agreements and privacy policies for various global markets, including North America and Europe, ensuring regional regulatory alignment. This includes policies on cookie consent, opt-outs, and lawful data use.
Enterprise Readiness and Due Diligence: For organizations with industry-specific needs (retailers, manufacturers, etc.), Cyncly offers detailed privacy, compliance, and IT documentation and supports due diligence processes for procurement or regulatory review.