20 Years of Partnership: How Synesis and BPA Solutions Transformed Quality Management

In the world of enterprise technology, partnerships that last two decades are rare. They require shared values, complementary expertise, and a relentless focus on delivering real outcomes for customers. The partnership between Synesis International and BPA Solutions has endured for over 20 years precisely because it has delivered on all three fronts.

When Synesis International first partnered with BPA Solutions in the early 2000s, quality management software was dominated by expensive, monolithic platforms that required dedicated servers, specialized IT staff, and months of implementation. BPA Solutions had a different vision: build quality management on the Microsoft platform that companies already used every day. Synesis recognized the transformative potential of this approach for the manufacturing clients we serve.

The Early Years: SharePoint as a Quality Platform

The partnership began when SharePoint was still emerging as an enterprise collaboration platform. BPA Solutions saw what others missed, that SharePoint's document management, workflow automation, and security framework made it an ideal foundation for quality management. Synesis brought deep knowledge of manufacturing operations, regulatory requirements, and ERP integration.

Together, we deployed some of the first SharePoint-based QMS implementations in the southeastern United States. These early projects focused on document control and audit management for automotive suppliers who needed to comply with ISO/TS 16949 (now IATF 16949). The results were compelling: manufacturers achieved compliance faster, reduced paper-based errors, and gained visibility into quality metrics through integrated reporting.

Evolution Through Microsoft's Cloud Transformation

As Microsoft evolved from on-premises SharePoint to Office 365 and then Microsoft 365, the BPA Solutions platform evolved with it. Each generation brought new capabilities that Synesis could deploy for our manufacturing clients. Power Apps enabled mobile quality data capture on the shop floor. Power Automate replaced manual workflow routing. Power BI transformed quality data into actionable dashboards. Microsoft Teams became the collaboration hub where quality teams coordinate audits, review nonconformances, and manage CAPA activities.

Throughout this evolution, the Synesis-BPA partnership adapted. Our consultants completed advanced certifications on each new platform version. We developed integration frameworks connecting BPA Quality with SAP Business One, enabling closed-loop quality management where ERP and QMS data flow seamlessly. We built deployment methodologies specifically designed for manufacturers, accounting for shift schedules, plant floor connectivity, and the unique change management challenges of production environments.

The AI Chapter: Q-Pilot and Generative Quality Management

The newest chapter in our partnership centers on artificial intelligence. BPA Solutions introduced Q-Pilot, an AI-powered virtual assistant built on generative AI technology, integrated directly into the eQMS platform. Q-Pilot helps quality managers find documents by asking natural language questions, investigate nonconformances using historical data, automate training quiz creation, and ensure compliance content aligns with applicable standards.

Synesis is working with BPA to bring these AI capabilities to our manufacturing clients in a way that addresses the practical concerns plant managers and quality directors raise: data security, accuracy verification, integration with existing workflows, and measurable ROI. Our approach is to deploy AI incrementally, starting with document retrieval and training automation where the risk is low and the productivity gains are immediate, then expanding to more complex use cases like predictive quality and automated root cause analysis.

What 20 Years of Partnership Means for Manufacturers

For manufacturers evaluating eQMS platforms, the longevity of the Synesis-BPA partnership provides practical advantages. Our consultants have seen every version of the platform, every edge case in implementation, and every integration challenge. We know which configurations work best for automotive tier-one suppliers versus food processing plants. We understand the regulatory nuances between IATF 16949 and ISO 13485 and can configure the system accordingly.

More importantly, a 20-year partnership means ongoing support and evolution. Quality management is not a one-time implementation, it is a continuous improvement journey. Synesis provides the long-term relationship manufacturers need to keep their eQMS current, optimize their workflows, and adopt new capabilities like AI as they mature.