NearSync runs a whole business in one place: sales, finance, people, operations, communications and the rest, on one database. That is the thing that makes it different, and it is also why setup has an order.
Two Journeys, Not One
Setup splits in two, and confusing them is the most common early mistake.
Your account is yours. Name, photo, timezone, working hours, your own mailbox connection, your signature, your notifications. Every person does this for themselves, it takes about ten minutes, and it does not depend on anything else. See Your First Hour.
The workspace is the organisation's. Company identity, currency, legal entities, departments, roles, imported data, connected tools. One or two admins do it, it has a strict order, and most of it is set once.
If you have just been invited by a colleague, you almost certainly want the first one. The workspace is probably already built.
The Guided Checklist
The product carries the setup guide itself: Explore, then Get started. It is worth opening before you do anything by hand.
Three things make it more useful than a written list:
- It detects what is done. Each step has a completion signal read from your actual workspace, so the list reflects reality rather than what someone remembered to tick.
- It is split by role. Separate tabs for the owner, HR, IT and Operations, so the HR lead is not reading through voice provider setup.
- It links straight to the surface. Each step opens the exact place it is done.
This help centre explains why and what happens if you get it wrong. The in-app guide tracks where you are. Use both.
The Order, And Why It Exists
Setup runs in dependency order. Each stage needs the one before it, and skipping ahead means redoing work.
| Stage | What it establishes |
|---|---|
| Company basics | Identity, currency, timezone, security, branding |
| Hubs | Each legal entity, with its tax, currency and numbering |
| Departments, roles and access | Who exists, and what they can do |
| People | Employee records, leave, payroll profiles |
| Finance | Accounts, tax rates, payment terms |
| Revenue | Pipelines, catalogue, document templates |
| Integrations | Google or Microsoft, email, voice, AI |
| Comms and operations | Inboxes, bookings, automations |
| Module configuration | Each department's own settings |
| Analytics | Dashboards, which read everything above |
Caution
The two most expensive inversions are importing data before creating custom fields, and building automations before cleaning imported data. Both mean doing the work twice. See Setting Up Your Workspace.
Which Parts Are Yours
| You are | Start with |
|---|---|
| A new employee at a company already using NearSync | Your First Hour |
| The owner setting up a new workspace | Setting Up Your Workspace |
| The HR lead | Departments and roles, then People |
| The IT lead | Connecting Your Tools |
What Not To Do First
- Do not turn everything on. Modules you are not using are surfaces your team has to ignore. Switch on what you need now.
- Do not import until the shape is right. Custom fields, hubs and pipelines first. An import into a workspace that is not ready is an import you run twice.
- Do not skip roles. Everyone as an admin works until the first person deletes something they should not have been able to reach.
Common Questions
How long does the whole thing take? An account is ten minutes. A workspace is a few days of real work spread over a couple of weeks, most of it deciding things rather than typing them.
Can we start using it before setup is finished? Yes. Foundations first, then bring a department live and add the rest as they earn their place. Nothing is gated on finishing.
We are migrating from another system. Read Migrating From Another CRM in the Operations section before importing anything. Preparation is most of the work.
Who can see the setup guide? Everyone sees their own account steps. Workspace steps need the matching admin role.
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