Looking for a Projectworks alternative? Meet the one built only for A&E practices.
Projectworks serves consultancies, software teams and A&E firms. Total Synergy serves one industry: architecture and engineering. That focus shows up in how you bill by stage, control variations and see where every fee stands, without exporting to Excel to find out.
RATED BY A&EÂ FIRMS
Trusted by 18,000+ A&E professionals across Australia, New Zealand and the UK
The short answer
When the report you need isn’t in the library, you shouldn’t have to learn SQL or lodge a ticket. Total Synergy gives directors, PMs and finance live reports by stage, discipline and project manager, ready to use.
In A&E, profit is won or lost in scope changes. Total Synergy tracks fees, variations and WIP by stage, so you always know what’s approved, what’s pending and what’s at risk.
Bill by stage, phase or discipline, using percentage complete, lump sum or hourly, all on one invoice. Lab-works cut invoicing time by 87%.
Head to head
Built only for A&E firms
Invoicing
Reporting
Onboarding & support
Purpose-built for architecture and engineering firms with tools that connect projects, time, and billing in one place.
Invoice by stage, phase, and discipline with the clarity to invoice accurately and confidently, with purchase orders and expense tracking built in.
Analyse financial performance by discipline, project manager, stage, or job type with real-time data and custom reports.
Fast, responsive support with consultative onboarding from A&E specialists who understand your firm.
Designed to serve many industries rather than focusing on how A&E firms really work.Â
Limited flexibility to bill by stage, phase, or discipline without manual exports, spreadsheets, and workarounds.
High-level reports with limited ability to drill into details.
Broad support, with limited focus on A&E-specific workflows.
Customer Story
ARCHITECTURE Practice
AUSTRALIA
Faster Invoicing
Back a Month
âIn hindsight, I should have just started with Total Synergy on day one. I would definitely recommend it. If youâre taking your business seriously, and you want to make sure your projects are performing, then itâs a no brainer.â
TIM HANSEN
Director
âI would definitely recommend Total Synergy. The development thatâs going into it is incredibly good. The user interface is so great. I can find everything I need in a couple of clicks.â
STEPHANIE MOORE
Operations Manager
âThereâs big opportunity for us to be more profitable, and Total Synergy is part of how we get there.â
MATTHEW KING
Managing Director
Switching
Our experienced team is here to guide you through how Total Synergy can transform your project management approach.
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Take the first step toward transforming your practice. In just one demo, our team will show you how Total Synergy simplifies project management, project finances, and project analytics for over 18,000 A&E professionals.
OLIVIA HAMILTON, OFFICE MANAGER
LAB-WORKS ARCHITECTURE
Projectworks is built as professional services automation (PSA) software for a wide range of consulting firms, not specifically for architecture and engineering. Firms searching for Projectworks alternatives are usually after project management software with invoicing, project budgets, and reporting structured around how A&E work actually happens, not a generalist management consulting tool stretched to fit.
Total Synergy lets you invoice by project stage, phase, and discipline, with purchase orders, time and expense, and expense tracking all connected to the same job. ProjectWorks has more limited flexibility to bill this way, which often means manual exports, spreadsheets, and workarounds. That extra admin adds up over every billing cycle, especially for firms juggling multiple project budgets at once.
Yes. Total Synergy gives you custom reports and real-time data on financial performance by discipline, project manager, stage, or job type, all built into project financials rather than bolted on afterwards. Projectworks tends to offer higher-level reports with limited ability to drill down, which makes it harder to see exactly where a project is winning or losing money.
Total Synergy covers time tracking, timesheets, gantt charts, resourcing, and resource planning alongside project management, with the added depth of A&E-specific project budgets and discipline-level resource management. Where ProjectWorks treats these as generic project management features, Total Synergy builds them around how architects and engineers actually structure and staff a project.
Total Synergy’s revenue forecasting connects your sales pipeline to project budgets and financial management, so you can see likely revenue by stage before it lands. Projectworks offers forecasting too, but without the same discipline and stage-level detail, it’s harder to forecast with the accuracy A&E firms need for resource planning.
Yes. Total Synergy is purpose-built for architects and engineers, not adapted from generic PSA software for management consulting or IT services firms. If you’re comparing Projectworks alternatives, or looking at other options like WorkflowMax, Total Synergy is the only one designed end to end around A&E project delivery, from project budgets through to financial performance reporting.
Simplify Product Delivery
Reduce Project Risk
Win the Right Projects
Receive 24/7 Support
Produce Budgets & Quotes
Make budgeting and quoting easier, more accurate, and less stressful.
Manage Projects
Track Time
Track time effortlessly, stay on budget, and improve billing accuracy at every project phase.
Allocate Resources
Easily see whoâs working on what, their availability, and how to best balance workloads.
Process Invoices
Get invoices out faster, reduce delays, and keep cash flowing with clear project finances.
Track Finances
Make budgeting and quoting easier, more accurate, and less stressful.
Decide with Data
Make smarter decisions with real-time dashboards and reports.
Forecast Revenue
Gain crystal-clear visibility into your future revenue, project profitability, and resource needs.
Apply Document Control
Centralize your project information for seamless collaboration, better control, and fewer headaches.