The Hidden Reason Your Simpro Setup Isn't Working
You're already on Simpro. You paid for the subscription, you went through the initial onboarding, you showed your team how to use it. And yet - six months later, your admin is still taking too long, your team is still using workarounds, and the visibility you were promised still isn't there.
If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. It's actually one of the most common conversations we have with trades business owners.
Here's the uncomfortable truth: in most cases, the problem isn't Simpro. It's the way Simpro was set up.
Why So Many Simpro Setups Underperform
Simpro is one of the most powerful job management platforms in the market. It's also one of the most complex. Unlike simpler tools that work reasonably well out of the box, Simpro is a highly configurable system that delivers its full value only when it's correctly set up for your specific business.
The problem is that most businesses either set it up themselves with limited guidance, or they go through a basic vendor onboarding that covers the fundamentals but doesn't customise the system to their actual workflow.
The result is a Simpro instance that technically works - but doesn't work for them.
The 6 Most Common Simpro Setup Problems
Security Groups Not Configured
Simpro's security group feature allows you to control exactly what each team member can see and do in the system. When security groups aren't configured, either everyone has access to everything (a data security and liability issue) or no one can do what they need to (a productivity issue). Most out-of-the-box setups leave security groups at default, which is rarely appropriate for a real business.
Pre-Build Kits Not Set Up
Pre-build kits are one of Simpro's most powerful time-saving features - they allow you to create templates for common job types that pre-populate labour, materials, and pricing. When pre-build kits aren't configured, your team is building every quote from scratch, which is slow, inconsistent, and error-prone.
Xero Integration Not Connected or Misconfigured
An enormous number of businesses have Simpro and Xero as separate systems with no connection between them. Their team is manually re-entering invoice data from Simpro into Xero - exactly the double-handling problem Simpro is supposed to eliminate. When the integration is connected but misconfigured, the problems are often worse: tax codes syncing incorrectly, duplicate contacts, invoices failing to appear in Xero.
No Formal Variation Workflow
Simpro has a built-in variation approval process. Most businesses either don't know it exists or haven't taken the time to configure it. Without a formal variation workflow, scope changes continue to happen verbally, get forgotten, and don't make it onto the invoice - exactly the revenue leakage problem Simpro should be solving.
Job Costing Not Configured to Actual Business Structure
The default Simpro job costing configuration doesn't reflect how most businesses actually work. Labour categories, materials markup, overhead allocation - these all need to be set up to match your actual cost structure before the numbers Simpro shows you are meaningful. Businesses that skip this step make decisions based on inaccurate job costing data.
Team Didn't Receive Adequate Training
The most technically perfect Simpro setup in the world delivers zero value if the team using it doesn't know how to use it correctly. We see this constantly - businesses that went through a 2-hour video onboarding and were told they were good to go. Field staff who were never shown the mobile app. Office admin who learned one workflow and built workarounds around everything else.
Signs Your Simpro Setup Needs a Rebuild
Your team uses Simpro for some things but has reverted to spreadsheets or WhatsApp for others
You can't get a job costing report that you actually trust
Invoices have to be manually entered into Xero even though you have the integration
Variations are still being managed informally and getting missed at invoice time
Different team members do the same tasks differently because there's no documented process
You're not using features you know Simpro has because no one set them up
How to Fix It: The Simpro Health Check
The first step is understanding exactly what's configured and what isn't. A proper Simpro Health Check covers:
Security group audit - who has access to what, and is it appropriate?
Integration status - is Xero connected, and is it syncing correctly?
Quote template review - are pre-build kits set up for your most common job types?
Variation workflow check - is there a formal process in place?
Job costing configuration - do the numbers reflect your actual cost structure?
Usage audit - which features are being used and which ones aren't?
Based on the health check findings, a rebuild typically takes 5-10 working days depending on the complexity of the business and the volume of historical data that needs to be cleaned.
What a Correctly Configured Simpro Instance Looks Like
When Simpro is set up correctly for your business, the difference is significant:
Quoting is 70% faster with pre-build kits
All variations are logged and approved before work starts
Invoices sync to Xero automatically - no double-entry
Job costing is accurate and visible in real time
The team actually uses the system because it makes their job easier, not harder
👉 Book a free Simpro Health Check at helpmepropel.com.au - we'll audit your current setup, identify what's misconfigured, and give you a clear plan for fixing it.