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QuickBooks + Zoho CRM Integration User Guide & FAQ

Published on: March 14, 2019Category: Last Updated: October 21, 2024

Welcome to the QuickBooks + Zoho CRM Integration User Guide

quickbooks zoho integration user guide

Use this reference guide to navigate your way around the QuickBooks + Zoho CRM integration.  Note that this integration is not a DIY product.  Instead of implementing yourself, we’re happy to consult with you on integration versions, sync directions, and pricing, so you can be sure you’re getting the proper integration for your business before you ever purchase services.

This integration works for both QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online.  You can see the integration-specific pages on our site here:

Table of Contents

  1. The Purpose of the Integration
  2. Modules the Integration Can Work With
  3. Pricing and Timeline for Delivery
  4. First step: Discovery Phase
  5. Before Beginning, Back Up Your Systems
  6. How the Integration is Deployed
  7. The AgilitySync Dashboard
  8. Data Migration
  9. Ongoing Support
  10. QuickBooks + Zoho Integration FAQ

quickbooks zoho integration user guide

The Purpose of the Integration

In business, separate systems are pretty normal, and it’s common to need to enter information from one platform into another.  For example, this happens frequently with transferring information from Zoho CRM to QuickBooks, or from QuickBooks to Zoho CRM. Some people like to be able to see common information like accounts or customers in both platforms. Sometimes, they like to see transactions like invoices, orders, or quotes across platforms, too.

Double-entering information may be standard, but that doesn’t mean it’s advisable.  Having two separate entry points for any information means there’s a chance it will look different from one system to the next, whether by design or by accident.  Entering the information twice also takes time out of your day.  So, the integration helps standardize data. It also helps save time that would otherwise be spent manually keying information into two different systems.

A typical use case for the integration might be:

  1. Salesperson enters a Sales Order into Zoho CRM
    • Integration syncs this Sales Order to QuickBooks
  2. Order is fulfilled by production team. The accounting department coverts the order to an Invoice and sends it to the customer
    • Integration syncs this Invoice to Zoho CRM so the salesperson can reference it again in the future

Without the integration, this process would involve information being entered across two platforms a total of three times: once by the salesperson (the order), once by the accountant (the order again), and once more by the salesperson (the invoice).  With an integration in place, only the salesperson needs to enter the information; the software manipulates the order, changes the record’s type, and syncs the information back to the original system by itself.

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quickbooks zoho integration user guide

Modules the Integration Can Work With

The integration can sync essential modules, transactional modules, and other kinds of modules.  Essential modules are like “root” modules; other modules depend on them to sync, or else they themselves cannot sync.  So, essentials come first, then transactions, every step of the way.  Transactional modules are associated with sales transactions.  Other modules may not necessarily be tied to transactions, but still require essential modules to sync.

Note: Essential modules can sync from Zoho to QuickBooks, QuickBooks to Zoho, or both ways.  Other modules can sync either from Zoho to QuickBooks or QuickBooks to Zoho, but not both ways.  This is due to a limitation in the QuickBooks API and is not something ZBrains can change.

Essential modules the integration can sync include:

  1. Zoho Accounts <> QuickBooks Customers
  2. Zoho Contacts <> QuickBooks Customers
  3. Zoho Products <> QuickBooks Items
  4. Zoho Vendors <> QuickBooks Vendors

Transactional modules the integration can sync include:

  1. Zoho Invoices <> QuickBooks Invoices
  2. Zoho Sales Orders <> QuickBooks Sales Orders
  3. Zoho Quotes <> QuickBooks Estimates
  4. Zoho Purchase Orders <> QuickBooks Purchase Orders

Other modules include but are not limited to:

  • QuickBooks Jobs <> Zoho Deals
  • QuickBooks Payments <> Zoho Payments (requires custom Payments module)

If you have a need that the integration does not cover, please let us know about it and we will do our best to accommodate you.

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quickbooks zoho integration user guide

Pricing and Timeline for Delivery

Pricing for licensing the integration can be either monthly (with a one-time setup fee) or annual (with no setup fee).  Setup and licensing fees vary considerably depending on the functionality you need, so please contact us for a direct quote.

Timeline for delivery of an integration between your two systems is usually around 45 days.  15 days of this goes to planning, and 30 days is used for actual deployment.

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quickbooks zoho integration user guide

First step: Discovery Phase

If you’re interested in this integration, we’d love to speak to you first in order to ensure it will work for your business.  Contact us using the button in the upper right portion of this page and we’ll get back to you in 24 hours or less.

When we come to an agreement with you on pricing and timeline, we’ll have a planning session with you.  We’ll use the results of the planning to write the specifications for your integration, which our engineers will then use to deploy the integration and the appropriate settings for you.  We will then put these specifications onto a formal proposal for you to sign off on before we do any work.

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quickbooks zoho integration user guide

Before Beginning, Back Up Your Systems

It’s a great idea to create test instances of both Zoho and QuickBooks before we begin deploying your integration.  This is because creating test records can sometimes bog down your systems, and cleaning up data that isn’t correct at first can be a hassle.  ZBrains staff will usually recommend creating test environments on the first integration deployment call, but you can be more ready when it comes time for this call by completing this step beforehand.

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quickbooks zoho integration user guide

How the QuickBooks + Zoho Integration is Deployed

Whether you use QuickBooks Desktop or QuickBooks Online, we deploy all integrations by using screen-sharing sessions like Zoom or Zoho Meeting.  Before deploying anything, we will gather the appropriate credentials from you so we can access your system unencumbered.  You can change these credentials once we are finished deploying the integration.

Deploying the integration requires about 4 hours of time on your end.  Some of this time is for meeting directly with ZBrains engineers for deployment, and some of this time is for creating test records and verifying data looks good in your own systems.

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quickbooks zoho integration user guide

The AgilitySync Dashboard

Once we begin setting up your QuickBooks + Zoho CRM integration, we’ll create an account for you on AgilitySync.  AgilitySync is our proprietary ETL (extract, transform, load) platform that hosts the QuickBooks integration, so it’s not a standard part of Zoho.

During your integration deployment process, we will configure the integration’s settings for you, with your supervision.  These include, but are not limited to:

  • Field mapping in each module to be synced
  • Sync conditions for each module
  • Sales rep mapping
  • Item type mapping in QuickBooks
  • QuickBooks Income, COGS, and Asset account mapping (for QBD)
  • QuickBooks company file path mapping (for QBD only)
  • Data migration

After your deployment is complete, we may ask you to create test records to verify they sync correctly.  Any testing you do will be additional to testing we perform ourselves in the background.

Note that it may not be possible to modify settings yourself without our assistance.  Please contact us if you need us to change any settings or mappings for you.

Connect with a Consultant

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quickbooks zoho integration user guide

Data Migration for QuickBooks + Zoho Integration

ZBrains can migrate data from Zoho to QuickBooks or QuickBooks to Zoho as part of your integration services for an additional project fee.  Data can be migrated from as far back as 2012.  Adding data migration to your integration project usually increases the timeline by between 15-30 days, as data migration tends to be labor-intensive.

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quickbooks zoho integration user guideOngoing Support

All of our paid integrations come with unlimited support, which includes mapping or settings changes, answering questions, and bug fixes.  It does not include adding new modules to the integration, nor does it include data migration, though we can address both of those needs regardless.

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quickbooks zoho integration user guide

QuickBooks + Zoho Integration Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  • Does this integration work for hosted versions of QuickBooks Desktop?
    • Yes.  The integration will work no matter if your version of QuickBooks is on-site or hosted on a third-party network like RightNetworks.  We can deploy the integration for you. All we need is remote access to the computer where your QuickBooks is hosted.
  • How often will the integration sync data?
    • For QuickBooks Desktop, the sync interval can be modified according to your need.  We recommend syncing every 3-5 minutes maximum, but you can run the sync as infrequently as once per day if you’d like.
    • For QuickBooks Online, the sync interval is every 3-5 minutes.  At the moment, we are not able to let users modify this interval.
  • What happens if naming conventions across platforms aren’t the same?
    • This happens frequently. Don’t be alarmed if you’re in this boat. Unfortunately, this will necessitate a bit of data cleanup, as the integration will create duplicate records if naming conventions aren’t the same.  You can get ahead in this process by doing some data cleanup before having us deploy the integration for you.
  • Which naming conventions have to be the same for the integration to work?
    • The account/customer name, the product/item name, and the transaction subject line must be the same across platforms for the syncs in those modules to work, and for the system to not create duplicate records.  This is called a key field for the integration.
  • Can the integration work with both Parent and Child Accounts, as well as Customers and Sub-Customers?
    • Yes, it can.
  • Does the integration sync Jobs and Sub-Jobs?
    • Yes, it can do this.
  • Can the integration sync data in custom fields from Zoho or QuickBooks?
    • Yes, custom fields are fine.
  • Why can’t the integration sync transactions bi-directionally?
    • The QuickBooks API prevents us from allowing bi-directional syncing of transactions.  Usually, the need to sync individual types of transactions (for example, invoices) bi-directionally indicates an opportunity for optimizing accounting practices, as data should not need to transfer more than once (or at least more than one way) between systems.  It is likely a different module in your systems exists as a holding area for the transaction until it is truly ready to sync.  Your ZBrains consultant will be able to give a more precise suggestion to you based on your exact situation.
  • Can the integration connect QuickBooks to any other Zoho app aside from the CRM?
    • Yes, it can.  We can connect to Zoho Books as well.
  • Is there a free trial available?
    • Every integration we build is customized for your business. For this reason, we are unable to provide a free trial of the integration to you. It’s possible for the integration to do much more than is possible with a trial version of the integration, and we wouldn’t want you to get the wrong idea about the product by exposing you to a trial edition instead of a fully-functioning version.
  • How do I get support for my integration if I am a paying customer?
    • Please contact us at support@zbrains.net.

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If you have any other questions for us or you’d like to speak to a Zoho consultant about the integration, please contact us any time.

Thank you!

Connect with a Consultant

QuickBooks Online & Zoho CRM Integrations

Published on: November 17, 2015Category: Last Updated: May 17, 2023

QuickBooks Online & Zoho CRM Integrations: Streamlining Business Operations for Enhanced Efficiency

Businesses in today’s fast-paced digital era are continuously looking for methods to streamline their processes and boost productivity. Integrating accounting and customer relationship management (CRM) system is an effective method that has grown in favor. Businesses may reap major benefits from merging the features of two premier platforms, QuickBooks Online, and Zoho CRM, such as faster workflows, greater data accuracy, and enhanced collaboration. In this post, we will look at the benefits and features of connecting QuickBooks Online with Zoho CRM, as well as how this integration may transform your business processes.

Getting to Know QuickBooks Online with Zoho CRM:

  • QuickBooks Online is a powerful cloud-based accounting software built for small and medium-sized enterprises. It provides a comprehensive range of financial administration capabilities, including invoicing, spending monitoring, payroll management, and financial reporting.
  • Zoho CRM is a comprehensive customer relationship management software that enables organizations to successfully manage and nurture their client relationships. It includes lead management, sales automation, contact management, and customer analytics capabilities.

The Integration Effect:

  • Streamlined Workflows: Integrating QuickBooks Online and Zoho CRM provides for easy data flow between the two systems, removing the need for manual data entry and lowering the likelihood of errors. This link allows for the automatic synchronization of customer and financial data, ensuring that all departments have real-time, correct information.
  • Sales and marketing teams can receive greater insights into client purchasing habits, payment histories, and outstanding balances by linking the CRM and accounting systems. This information enables them to make data-driven decisions, customize sales methods, and more effectively target certain consumer categories.
  • Efficient Financial Management: The QuickBooks Online and Zoho CRM interface optimizes the financial management process. Zoho CRM sales orders, invoices, and payments can be seamlessly integrated with QuickBooks Online, making processes like producing invoices, tracking payments, and managing accounts receivable easier.

QuickBooks Online and Zoho CRM Integration Highlights:

  • Customer and Contact Sync: Sync customer and contact information between QuickBooks Online and Zoho CRM automatically, ensuring consistent data across systems.
  • Sync bills and payments from Zoho CRM to QuickBooks Online, removing the need for duplicate entries and lowering the chance of errors.
  • Transfer sales orders from Zoho CRM to QuickBooks Online, facilitating order fulfillment and improving inventory management.
  • Financial Reporting: Create comprehensive financial reports by combining data from both systems, giving you a complete picture of your company’s financial health.

A QuickBooks Integration for Zoho CRM

zoho invoice quickbooks

Ever since Zoho deprecated their own QuickBooks integration for Zoho CRM, business owners looking to integrate the two programs have had a little difficulty finding a solution that works properly and is cost-effective.  The QuickBooks integration from ZBrains combines the two with a bi-directional sync, utilizing the QuickBooks Web Connector.  It isn’t a Zoho Invoice QuickBooks integration; we think it’s even better, as it connects your QuickBooks directly to your CRM.

zoho invoice quickbooks

Rather than a Zoho Invoice QuickBooks integration, we provide a plugin for QuickBooks that connects the program directly to Zoho.  This comes complete with custom data mapping, so everything you want synchronized goes to the right place in each system.  This eliminates the usual need for double entry, and in so doing can eliminate data entry errors.  This leads to time savings every single day, which ultimately equals more money back in your pocket via increased productivity.

See how it works in this video:

Is a Zoho Invoice QuickBooks integration possible?

Good question.  It’s possible by way of integrating with Zoho Books, which uses the same data table as Zoho Invoice.  Connecting to Books means you should be able to sync data between QuickBooks and Zoho Invoice.  And, you get the very same data flow by connecting to Zoho Books that you’d be able to get in Zoho Invoice.  Or in Zoho CRM, for that matter.

Possible data flows:

  • Accounts & Contacts: Bi-directional
  • Products & Items: Bi-directional
  • Invoices: Bi-directional

Syncing through Books means you can also sync extra modules like Estimates, Purchase Orders, and Vendors.  Regardless, you can also sync other objects like Jobs/Deals, Classes, Sales Tax, and individual payments.  Let us know if you have special syncing needs like these.

How the Zoho QuickBooks integration works:

  • We employ a bi-directional data sync, which data can go from QuickBooks to Zoho or from Zoho to QuickBooks.
  • The sync can update Accounts, Customers, Products, Invoices, Quotes, Sales Orders, Vendors, and Purchase Orders between QuickBooks and Zoho CRM, but, you can choose to have the plugin sync less data if you don’t need all of it synced.  (Click here for full pricing structure.)
  • The plugin works through the QuickBooks web connector and also uses web hooks.
  • ZBrains handles all installation and service

With the integration, you get:

  • A team of experts – Our team of Zoho consultants are here to guide you through the installation process, ensure everything works exactly how it’s supposed to, and offer as much service as you need throughout the life of the integration.
  • Custom workflow – We’ll make the integration do exactly what you want it to do, and nothing you don’t.  For example, you can choose to have the integration sync only active products as opposed to all products.
  • Custom mapping – Rather than use predefined data fields and invoice numbers, you may substitute your own custom fields, invoice numbers, and other variables as you see fit.
  • Record batching – To minimize API calls (and thus waiting time) we batch records 200 at a time for scheduled sync activities.
  • Data back-filling – We can also migrate older legacy data to your QuickBooks as you see fit – just let us know at the onset of installation.
  • US-based customer support – Rather than outsource our support, we keep everything in-house, so you’ll know you’re always talking to a ZBrains Zoho consultant.

Better than a Zoho Invoice QuickBooks integration, this integration can be modified and customized to your exact specifications because we developed it right here.

Get started today with QuickBooks Zoho integration

Integrating QuickBooks Online and Zoho CRM combines the power of accounting and customer relationship management, changing business operations. This interface improves efficiency, accuracy, and collaboration by reducing manual data entry, optimizing workflows, and offering a comprehensive view of client interactions and financial health. Accept the potential of QuickBooks Online and Zoho CRM integration to alter your business procedures and create new prospects for growth.

Give us a call at (888) 207-4111 to get a free introductory consultation on the QuickBooks integration.  Or contact us anytime to get started.

Start Your QuickBooks Desktop Integration

Sales meeting about CRM

How to Create a Sales Pipeline with Zoho CRM

Published on: October 26, 2024Category: Zoho CRM, Zoho CRMLast Updated: November 6, 2024 Comments: 0

How to Create a Sales Pipeline with Zoho CRM

All business leaders have at one time or another felt the pain of missed opportunity. The difference between maximizing potential and letting some of them get away is in the details. Zoho CRM, a powerful tool for businesses of all sizes, can help you create a sales pipeline that ensures no potential opportunity falls through the cracks. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to build and customize a sales pipeline using Zoho CRM.

Understanding the Sales Pipeline

migrate quickbooks to zoho books

 

Before diving into the practical steps, it’s essential to understand what a sales pipeline is and why it’s critical for managing your sales process. A sales pipeline is a visual representation of where prospects are in the sales process, from lead generation to closing a deal.

The power of a well-defined sales pipeline cannot be overstated. It allows you to track prospects, forecast revenue, and allocate resources effectively. Typically, sales pipelines consist of stages such as:

  • Lead Generation: The initial stage where leads are captured.
  • Qualification: Determining whether a lead is a good fit for your product or service.
  • Proposal: Presenting an offer to the lead.
  • Negotiation: Finalizing the terms of the deal.
  • Closing: Sealing the deal and converting the prospect into a customer.

One of the key advantages of Zoho CRM is the ability to customize the pipeline to suit your business’s unique needs. Different companies have different sales processes, and your CRM should reflect that. At ZBrains, we help businesses tailor their sales pipeline to their specific workflows, whether they need multiple sales pipelines or specific customization.

Customizing the Sales Pipeline

Customization is the heart of making Zoho CRM work for your business. From customizing lead data capture, to a strong, tailored dashboard within Zoho CRM that provides you with real-time insights into your sales process, a properly customized pipeline ensures that nothing is missed. Below are the key steps to set up and customize your sales pipeline:

Setting Up Pipeline Stages

  1. Assess Business Requirements: Begin by identifying your unique sales stages. For some businesses, this might mean only three or four stages, while others might have many more.
  2. Define Stages: Clearly define each stage based on the steps your sales reps typically follow to convert a lead to a customer.
  3. Customize Stages in Zoho CRM: 
    1. Within Zoho CRM navigate to Setup > Customization > Module and Fields
    2. Hover over the three dots (…) next to the Deals module and select  Stage-Probability Mapping.
    3. From here, you can add, modify, or remove stages to match your sales process.
    4. As you create stages be sure to attribute a probability and a contract category. These settings help the system know if a deal is open or won and what revenue percentage to use in sales forecasting.
    5. You can also drag and drop stages to ensure they are represented in the proper order.

Custom Fields and Modules

In many cases, you’ll need to collect specific information about your leads and deals that standard CRM setups don’t cover. Zoho CRM allows for extensive customization through custom fields and modules.

  1. Identify Necessary Data: Determine which key data points your team needs to track to ensure effective sales management.
  2. Create Custom Fields: Zoho CRM makes it easy to create custom fields that capture this information. 
    1. Within Zoho CRM navigate to Setup > Customization > Module and Fields
    2. Select the module within which you’d like to add or modify fields.
    3. Select the layout within which you’d like to modify fields
      1. Generally modules only have one “Standard” layout but if your CRM has been in service for some time other admins may have added other layouts.
  3. Modify Existing Modules: In addition to adding fields, you can also modify existing modules or create new ones if your business requires more complex tracking.

Mapping Your Sales Process

zoho crm shopify integration

Once you’ve customized your pipeline and modules, it’s time to map out your entire sales process:

  1. Analyze Your Sales Process: Break your sales process into actionable steps. This is the foundation of an effective pipeline.
  2. Establish Workflows: Use Zoho CRM’s automation features to create workflows. These workflows will help automate repetitive tasks, such as sending follow-up emails or assigning leads to sales reps.
    1. Within Zoho CRM navigate to Setup > Automation > Workflow Rules
    2. Click Create New Rule
      1. Select the module your rule will operate within and give your rule a name.
      2. Select a trigger for your rule (Creation, Editing, Date/Time, etc).
      3. Set the criteria for your rule.
      4. Select an action that your rule will trigger (Email Notification, Create a Task, Assign a New Owner, etc)
      5. Test your rule 
  3. Integration: One of the most powerful features of Zoho CRM is its ability to integrate with other apps, such as email marketing platforms, invoicing systems, or customer service tools. This ensures seamless data flow across different business functions.

Sales Pipeline Management Automation

Once your pipeline is built, automation becomes key in managing it effectively. Zoho CRM offers several features to help you automate and optimize your sales process.

Lead Generation and Capture

Zoho CRM simplifies the process of capturing leads from multiple channels and automatically assigning them to sales reps based on predefined criteria. This ensures that no lead goes unassigned or ignored.

Lead Scoring

To help prioritize which leads to focus on, Zoho CRM allows for lead scoring based on various factors such as interaction with your brand or fit with your target customer profile. This helps your sales reps focus their efforts on leads most likely to convert.

Sales Activity Tracking

Tracking sales activities is essential for accountability and performance evaluation. Zoho CRM’s logging capabilities make it easy to track calls, meetings, and emails. The system keeps a record of all interactions, so your team stays aligned and you can easily monitor progress.

Sales Rep Performance

With all activities logged, Zoho CRM provides reports and insights into individual and team performance. This allows you to track key metrics and make data-driven decisions to improve your overall sales strategy.

Forecasting and Deal Closure

With your sales pipeline in place, Zoho CRM gives you the tools to track deal progress and create sales forecasts based on real-time data. You’ll know where each deal stands and can predict future revenue more accurately.

Zoho CRM also fosters better communication and collaboration among team members, so everyone is on the same page when it comes to deal management and customer relationships.

Conclusion

Building an effective sales pipeline is crucial for growing your business and streamlining your sales process. With Zoho CRM’s robust customization options, workflow automation, and reporting features, you can create a tailored sales pipeline that reflects your business’s unique processes. At ZBrains, we specialize in helping businesses unlock the full potential of Zoho CRM through custom solutions that enhance productivity and drive results.

Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to optimize your current setup, Zoho CRM has the tools to help you succeed.

zoho crm

 

ZBrains Zoho Dashboards for Sales

How to Set Up a Custom Zoho CRM Integration

Published on: October 7, 2024Category: Zoho CRM, Zoho CRMLast Updated: November 6, 2024 Comments: 0

Custom Zoho CRM integrations with other apps and services give new meaning to the term “empowerment” by allowing organizations to streamline operations and maximize the value of their technology solutions.

Integration requirements can vary widely and may include business applications for marketing, collaboration, telephony, messaging, customer support, finance, events, social media, storage, live chat, and more. 

What is a Custom Zoho CRM Integration?

Zoho crm logo.

In simplest terms, a Custom Zoho CRM Integration is a project that results in Zoho CRM being able to fluidly communicate with other applications and vice-versa. The integration lets you take advantage of the best features of both software applications and eliminates any need for duplicated data entry or processes.

If there is no pre-existing integration tool available for the software you want to integrate with Zoho CRM, or the tool doesn’t handle the modules or datasets you want to sync, custom integration is the answer.

What are the benefits of Custom Zoho CRM Integrations?

Zoho CRM is designed to address the primary needs of companies across countless industries including education, finance, insurance, life sciences, non-profits, real estate, software, technology, and start-ups. With such a wide scope, it’s not possible to meet the needs of all customers.

By integrating with other tools in your workflow, or building custom applications that expand the basic Zoho CRM functionality, you can maximize the value of Zoho CRM for your business.

Why would I want to pursue a Custom Zoho CRM Integration?

The Zoho suite of products can do just about anything, but in some cases, companies need to continue using legacy software for business purposes. 

Zoho recognized this when building its product and created several ways to integrate its CRM with other applications, including built-in integrations, the Zoho Flow migration tool, and other pre-built integration engines like Zapier. 

Common applications to integrate with Zoho CRM include:

  • Google Workspace  
  • PandaDoc
  • Microsoft 365 
  • RingCentral
  • Twilio 
  • Knowlarity
  • SMS-Magic 
  • BurstSMS 
  • Klenty
  • GoToWebinar
  • GoToMeeting 
  • Eventbrite 
  • Zoom 
  • Quickbooks 
  • Zero
  • Saasu 
  • Proposify
  • QuoteWerks 
  • iQuoteXpress 
  • DocuSign 
  • Adobe Sign 
  • Leadfeeder
  • Address Locator 
  • Google Ads
  • MailChimp 
  • ActiveCampaign 
  • Facebook Ad Manager 
  • Dropbox 
  • Google Drive 
  • Box 
  • Google Sheets 
  • Slack
  • Kanban Board 
  • Mail Parser 
  • Front 
  • Idle Deal Alert 
  • Lead Queue 
  • Get Response 
  • Pie Sync 
  • Zapier 
  • SurveyMonkey
  • Chatbot

Don’t see yours on that list? Don’t worry. Using ZBrains’ expertise, experience, and integration tools, practically any third-party legacy software or system can be integrated with Zoho CRM.

Preparing for Your Custom Zoho CRM Integration

A group of people preparing for Zoho Integration.

  • Identify pain points

Why do you need a custom integration? What functionality are you missing that you’d like to build? Understanding these “requirements” is essential to determining the integration tools and processes best suited to achieving the outcome you’re investing in.

  • Define business needs

Determine your scope, defining which modules or data needs to be synced, the sync direction, and the sync interval (Is it enough to sync once per day in batches, or do you need immediate sync every time data is undated?). 

This information is necessary to determine which type and how many API calls will be needed (REST APIs, Bulk APIs, Notification APIs, and Query APIs). The number and type of API calls needed directly impacts the project budget.

  • Define goals and objectives

Set and define goals and the objectives needed to reach them regarding the integration timeline and budget. 

Steps To Setting Up a Custom Zoho CRM Integration

  1. Set up and enable basic CRM features, including organizational details, user roles and profiles, data security, and data visibility rules
  2. Customize fields and modules, creating a detailed mapping plan for the two applications
  3. Establish workflow automation processes, including email notifications, field updates, record creation, actions defined through functions, and webhooks.
  4. Decide on an integration method, including Zoho Flow, built-in CRM integrations, or another pre-built integration engine such as Zapier. 
  5. Execute the integration
  6. Troubleshoot any problems encountered
  7. Test to confirm accurate migration and syncing
  8. Refine and optimize, an ongoing process post-integration

How ZBrains Can Help with Custom Zoho CRM Integration

Zbrains Logo 10.

Zbrains is a top Zoho Premium Partner for business solutions. Since 2012, we’ve built end-to-end solutions to transform organizations through technology. 

Advantages of working with ZBrains

  • Expertise/experience

Simply stated, our experience and expertise save our clients time and money. We provide consulting, training, customization, development, and other services related to the Zoho suite of apps. Our clients include organizations of all sizes in practically all industries, although we primarily serve companies in field services, construction, manufacturing, distribution, technology, and SaaS.

  • Tailored solutions

Zbrains is not your “normal” Zoho consulting shop. We offer tailored solutions.

AgilitySync is our proprietary ETL (extract-transform-load) platform for connecting Zoho apps to third-party ERP apps, connecting Zoho CRM, Finance, and Creator to programs like QuickBooks and Sage 100 ERP, among others.

Conclusion

Organizations don’t have to forego the benefits of Zoho CRM because they aren’t ready to let go of their other systems. Custom Zoho CRM integrations with other apps and services allow you to streamline operations and maximize the value of your technology solutions.

Ready to explore a custom Zoho CRM integration? Reach out to Zbrains, a trusted partner, to understand what will be the fastest, most reliable, and most economical way to integrate your third-party application with Zoho CRM.

At ZBrains, we understand what it takes to get your system up and running, and we know how to save you time and money. Contact our team for guidance and support. 

A woman using Zoho Expense to manage her business

How to Use Zoho Expense to Manage Your Business Expenses

Published on: November 28, 2023Category: Zoho ExpenseLast Updated: October 21, 2024 Comments: 0

Zoho Expense is an expense reporting software from Zoho’s suite of powerful cloud-based business apps. It enables businesses to quickly capture, track, and report on the expenses of their employees for tax, accounting, and budgeting purposes.

It integrates with Zoho Books, allowing businesses to manage their travel and business expenses more efficiently. When used in conjunction with Zoho Books, business owners can set up their account and start using Zoho Expense right away.

Zoho Expense also offers a streamlined experience that saves time and effort. One noteworthy feature is its OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology, which scans receipts and automatically creates expenses. While the accuracy of OCR-generated data may vary (and requires human review), it significantly reduces the time spent on manual data entry and speeds up the expense reporting process.

How to Get Started with Zoho Expense

It’s easy to get started with Zoho Expense—all you need to do is sign up. Once you’ve done that, your 14-day free trial will begin automatically.

Like most expense management software, Zoho Expense can integrate directly with your bank and identify expenses. Setting up custom criteria for automated expense classifications and categorizations saves you from having to enter each expense manually.

Here’s a brief overview of Zoho Expense’s main interface:

  1. A left-hand side Navigation panel provides an organized overview of all Zoho Expense modules.
  2. To easily create new transactions, use the Quick Create button near each respective module.
  3. Use the Search bar feature to locate a particular expense, report, or additional information.
  4. Manage your Organization Profile, subscriptions, and more by clicking the Settings icon.
  5. Contact Zoho Expense regarding any issues via the Support option.

Once you familiarize yourself with its main interface, you can begin creating expense reports and managing your company spending.

Step 1: Creating Expense Reports

Create and Manage Expense Reports

Follow these steps to create and manage your expense reports:

  1. Create a new expense report by clicking the “+” icon next to “Reports.” Fill in the required information on the New Report screen, such as:
    1. Report title
    2. Length of time
    3. Business purpose (optional)
    4. Submit to (select an approver, if applicable)
  1. Incorporate previously created expenses into the report, as needed.
  2. To add a new expense directly to the report, simply create it on the same page.
  3. Click “Save and Submit” to save your progress and immediately send the report to your designated approver.

Zoho Expense also offers customers an automated expense report generator they can use for free with the software.

Approve Expense Reports

Follow these steps to approve, reject, or reimburse expense reports effectively:

  1. Click on “My Approvals” located on the left-hand side of the screen.
  2. Choose an expense report that requires approval or rejection.
  3. Decide whether to approve or reject the report based on its content and accuracy.
  4. If necessary, send the report to another stakeholder instead of approving or rejecting it yourself.
  5. Leave a comment for clarification or additional information, or send an email to the reporter.
  6. Reimburse expenses after approval from all stakeholders involved.

Configure Expense Preferences

Establish essential preferences and company policies for expenses by following these steps:

  1. Click on “Settings” located on the left-hand side (LHS) of the screen.
  2. Choose “Expenses” from the Preferences section to access expense-related settings.
  3. Define the currencies to be used for recording expenses.
  4. Add custom fields to the expense creation page, allowing for more detailed and organized records.
  5. Set up Notifications for expenses to stay informed about important updates and changes.

Step 2: Managing Business Expenses

Zoho Expense offers numerous features, such as Mileage Tracking and Expense Reporting Automation, to help you efficiently monitor your business expenses for different activities and events. Depending on your business and its expense types, you can use these features to get better insights into your spending and manage it more effectively.

To analyze expenses and gain better visibility into your spending, follow these steps:

  1. Select “Analytics” from the left-hand side of the screen to access expense analytics.
  2. Choose a specific report from the left pane that fits your needs.
  3. Customize the report according to your requirements for a more detailed analysis.
  4. Print or export the report as a PDF for easy sharing and review if needed.

Zoho Expense integrates natively with other Zoho products, including Zoho Books, Zoho CRM, and Zoho People. It also integrates with Quickbooks for a more comprehensive view of your finances.

Integrate with other systems using the Zoho Expense API or Zapier to automate and streamline expense processes.

How to Best Manage Business Expenses

Managing business expenses is straightforward, and automating the process makes it less error-prone. Still, there are a few issues you can run into if you don’t follow these best practices:

  • Ensure that all company policies and preferences are set up correctly to maintain consistency across expense reports.
  • Regularly review and update expense categories to reflect your business’s evolving needs.
  • Utilize the Analytics feature to monitor spending patterns and identify areas for cost reduction.
  • Set up expense rules to automate categorization and streamline the approval process.
  • Integrate Zoho Expense with other business applications for seamless data sharing and improved efficiency.

Tips to Improve Expense Management Efforts

Failing to establish clear expense policies can lead to compliance issues. And neglecting to consistently update and maintain expense categories results in inaccurate data and analysis.

To improve your expense tracking efforts with Zoho Expense, use the following tips:

  1. Encourage employees to submit expenses on time and attach receipts for accurate documentation.
  2. Set up automated notifications to remind employees and approvers of pending tasks and deadlines.
  3. Regularly review expense reports to identify trends, anomalies, or potential fraud.
  4. Train employees on how to use Zoho Expense effectively, and work with a reputable third-party consultant for insights and help.

Zoho Expense Mobile App

Zoho Expense is available on both Android and iOS devices, allowing users to manage expenses on the go. The mobile app enables employees to quickly capture receipts, create and submit expense reports, and even track mileage, ensuring that expense management is convenient and efficient, no matter where they are.

Conclusion

Zoho Expense is a powerful and easy-to-use expense management platform for businesses of all sizes. Automated expense tracking and robust analytics help organizations control costs and get better insights into their spending.

For more on Zoho Expense setup, API integration, and company-wide deployment, contact our team for help.

How EBizCharge enables businesses to accept payments in Zoho CRM, Books, Inventory, and Invoice

Published on: November 7, 2023Category:

In the ever-changing digital payments landscape, businesses must constantly use innovative and efficient software solutions to keep up with competitors and yield long-term success. 

Fortunately, EBizCharge and Zoho provide two powerful systems with robust A/R options for businesses to streamline their payment processing and stay at the forefront of their industry.

What is EBizCharge?

EBizCharge is an all-in-one payment platform equipped with a payment gateway, software integrations, and merchant services, so businesses can securely accept various forms of payments like credit cards, debit cards, and ACH payments. 

With EBizCharge, businesses can take advantage of these features, including:

  • Seamless payment processing
  • Real-time transaction reporting
  • Recurring billing options
  • Level 3 payment processing 
  • Secure tokenization and encryption for enhanced data security
  • 24/7, in-house customer support

In addition to the Zoho suite, EBizCharge integrates with over 100 other accounting, ERP, CRM, and eCommerce software systems, including QuickBooks, Salesforce, Sage, and Magento.

EBizCharge’s Integrations with Zoho

EBizCharge’s integrations with various Zoho apps greatly simplify how businesses handle payment processing and customer relationship management. 

EBizCharge’s integration into Zoho CRM allows sales teams to easily accept customer payments on sales calls, directly inside the Zoho CRM software. 

EBizCharge provides three separate integrations with the Zoho Finance platform: Zoho Books, Zoho Inventory, and even Zoho Invoice.  These integrations allow for finance and fulfillment staff to collect and process payments at any point in your process.

With these integrations, merchants can quickly process transactions, allow customers to pay by email, automate payment collections, and more. 

EBizCharge’s Zoho integrations allow businesses the flexibility to enhance their operations to promote more cash flow and long-term success. 

Aside from the features mentioned in this section, EBizCharge and Zoho provide innovative software that significantly benefits merchants.

What problems do these integrations solve?  3 benefits of integrating EBizCharge with Zoho

The integration between your business software and payment processing system eliminates double-entry, but it also brings departments closer together by speeding operations, and even improves customer service:

  • Improved customer experience. EBizCharge allows Zoho users to provide their customers with a secure and user-friendly online payment portal. Customers can easily pay invoices, view their transaction history, and manage billing preferences, leading to a positive and convenient payment experience.
  • Enhanced payment reconciliation. EBizCharge and Zoho automate the payment reconciliation process by automatically matching payments with corresponding invoices, reducing human error and discrepancies.
  • Increased efficiency. EBizCharge for Zoho eliminates manual data entry and repetitive tasks, saving time and effort for business teams. This increased efficiency allows them to focus on core business activities.

Streamline your business with EBizCharge and Zoho

Integrating EBizCharge with Zoho provides a robust payment solution for merchants to stay ahead of the competition and meet the evolving demands of their customers. 

If you want to alleviate the stress felt from tedious financial tasks, increase overall efficiency, and even make your customers happier, integrating EBizCharge with Zoho will help save you time, energy, and valuable resources.

Zoho Quickbooks Integration

Zoho CRM Integration: Benefits and Process

Published on: August 23, 2023Category: Zoho CRMLast Updated: December 6, 2023 Comments: 0

With more than 80 percent of the SMB market share, QuickBooks is by far the world’s most popular accounting software. Businesses use QuickBooks to track income and expenses, pay bills, send invoices, and produce files and reports for their accountants. Integrating Quickbooks with Zoho CRM takes account management capabilities even further, automating repetitive data entry processes and enabling more agile interactions with customers.

Simplify Sales and Order Process: QuickBooks Integration with Zoho CRM

Integrating QuickBooks with Zoho CRM saves businesses a lot of time by eliminating the need for duplicated, manual data entry. Integration helps to lessen errors in the sales and order process and eliminate data conflicts by synchronizing contacts, quotes, products, vendors, sales orders, invoices, and other data fields.zoho crm

Following integration, the salesperson can enter the order in CRM and the software manipulates the record type as the order is processed, filled, and invoiced. Once the order has been filled and invoiced, the software syncs the information back to the original system.

The process of integrating QuickBooks differs depending on whether you use QuickBooks Online or QuickBooks Desktop. Here’s an overview of the integration process for each.

QuickBooks Online <> Zoho CRM Integration

For QuickBooks Online, there are two integration alternatives – using Zoho’s integration platform, Zoho Flow, or using a service provider to allow custom syncs.

Zoho Flow is Zoho’s DIY tool for connecting cloud applications and automating complex business workflows without needing to write any code. The platform works with over 400 business applications (including QuickBooks Online) and offers over 500 ready-to-use integrations. Its drag-and-drop integration builder can also accommodate a degree of custom integration. If you need deeper integration or run into problems using Zoho Flow, reach out to us at ZBrains.

Companies that need custom synchronizations or don’t feel comfortable undertaking such an important task on their own should work with an experienced service provider like ZBrains. We’ve done hundreds of QuickBooks Online <> Zoho CRM integrations.

Modules That Can Be Synced

Essential modules that can be synced in a QuickBooks <> Zoho CRM integration include:

  • QuickBooks Customers with Zoho CRM Accounts
  • QuickBooks Customers with Zoho CRM Contacts
  • QuickBooks Items with Zoho CRM Products
  • QuickBooks Vendors with Zoho CRM Vendors

Transactional modules that can be synced include:

  • QuickBooks Invoices with Zoho CRM Invoices
  • QuickBooks Sales Orders with Zoho CRM Sales Orders
  • QuickBooks Estimates with Zoho CRM Quotes
  • QuickBooks Purchase Orders with Zoho CRM Purchase Orders

Other modules that can be synced include but are not limited to:

  • QuickBooks Jobs <> Zoho Deals
  • QuickBooks Payments <> Zoho Payments

Major Steps in the Integration Process

All integrations include at least seven major steps, starting with the discovery phase and continuing through ongoing support post-integration.

Discovery

Before any work begins, there should be one or more planning sessions to develop the information needed to create integration specifications. These specifications will be followed in field mapping, deploying the integration, and establishing the appropriate settings.

Systems backup

Next, test environments and data backups of both QuickBooks and Zoho CRM should be created before the integration deploys.

Deployment and Testing

The deployment process, which includes integration planning, data cleanup, and field mapping, is typically completed in less than one day. That includes time spent meeting with the deployment engineers, creating test records, and verifying data.

This process typically incorporates screen-sharing sessions and involves the use of a tool such as ZBrains AgilitySync.

Sync and migrate data between systems

Data from Zoho CRM to QuickBooks or QuickBooks to Zoho CRM can be migrated from as far back as 2012. This is a labor-intensive process that normally adds 2-4 weeks to the integration timeline.

Ongoing support

However your integration is undertaken, you will need ongoing support for tasks such as mapping and settings changes, bug fixes, and answers to any questions you may have along the way.

Efficient QuickBooks Desktop Integration: Expert Guidance

Since QuickBooks Desktop is locally hosted, integrations are more complicated and there is no ready-made integration option.

You will need to use a service provider who can help you decide whether integrating directly to Zoho CRM or migrating first to Zoho Books is the best option for you. ZBrains has extensive experience working with companies on their QuickBooks Desktop integrations, with or without a Zoho Books migration.

Conclusion

Any business can reap the benefits of a QuickBooks <> Zoho CRM integration, from saving time and eliminating data conflicts, to strengthening the sales cycle and enhancing the overall customer experience. ZBrains provides total deployment assistance for QuickBooks <> Zoho CRM integrations, including standard and custom field mappings, data migration, conditional syncing, and more.

Reach out today for more information.

zoho vs hubspot crm

Zoho vs Hubspot: Which CRM for Field Service Companies?

Published on: February 26, 2023Category: Job Costing, Zoho CRM, Zoho OneLast Updated: December 6, 2023 Comments: 0

Zoho vs Hubspot CRM – which one is the better choice for your business needs? Field service companies face several unique challenges—from measuring and tracking job performance to scheduling and routing technicians to customer sites, numerous moving parts go into running a successful business.

With customer relationships at the core of any service-based business, field service companies need CRM software to manage leads, scheduling, invoicing, and other nuanced customer relations tasks.

Zoho and HubSpot are two popular CRM systems that make it easy for field service companies to streamline operations and grow their business while nurturing their most important asset—their customers. Here, we’ll take a look at the features, benefits, and costs of both Zoho CRM and HubSpot to help you decide which system is right for your business.

Zoho CRM vs. HubSpot: A Comparison of CRM Features

Zoho CRM and HubSpot are both comprehensive customer relationship management (CRM) systems that help field service companies manage their accounts and contact information, automate sales processes like quoting and invoicing, and track customer interactions.

Each has an impressive reputation in the marketplace. But while Zoho offers a full range of apps and comparable features, Hubspot has doubled down on its marketing and email capabilities.

  • Zoho CRM is one of the many applications included in the Zoho ONE platform, an end-to-end platform that offers powerful features like marketing automation, sales tracking, customer service tools, a full finance suite, and more. It also integrates with popular programs like Xero, Dropbox, and QuickBooks.
  • HubSpot, on the other hand, is better known for its sales, marketing automation, and customer service tools. It also offers a marketplace of third-party apps that extend the system’s functionality.

How Zoho CRM and HubSpot Stack Up

Let’s take a look at how Zoho CRM and HubSpot compare when it comes to features, benefits, and costs.

Contact and Lead Management

HubSpot and Zoho CRM are not only easy to use for organizing contact and lead information, but also for managing sales data, such as call logs and sales signals. With the paid versions of both software programs, you can also score leads to determine which ones should receive priority outreach.

However, there are a few differences to be aware of. HubSpot’s duplicate management feature, for example, is only available on the company’s Professional and Enterprise plans, which can be costly. Zoho CRM de-duplicates data on its top three-tier plans for a lower price, potentially making it a better option for smaller field service businesses.

Lead Generation and Sales Quoting

Another significant benefit to Zoho CRM is its end-to-end software. While HubSpot has many integrators, keeping everything on the same platform reduces data silos and supports processes like marketing lead gen; ‘configure, price, quote’ (CPQ) task management; job scheduling and work order management; and billing, invoicing, and job costing.

Since field services companies often have complex pricing models, automated lead funnels and CPQ software that can quickly generate automated quotes is invaluable. Zoho CRM, with its CPQ capabilities, makes this task simple and efficient. While HubSpot can handle these tasks, most require the use of add-ons that must be purchased separately.

Field Service Processes

When it comes to managing field service processes, Zoho CRM simply offers more features than HubSpot. For example, Zoho’s capabilities can support job scheduling and dispatching, billing and invoicing, job costing, and an offline mode built-in for reps who travel to places with low cell reception.

With Zoho ONE, you can reduce data silos, the number of vendors you use, support and maintenance costs, implementation time, integration points, and risk of system failure—all while keeping your costs low.

HubSpot doesn’t have a dedicated, integrated field service app, but it does offer some features that can support field service companies, such as a robust task management application, customer support ticketing, and contact tracking.

Pricing

Generally speaking, Zoho is much cheaper than Hubspot—especially if you go with their all-inclusive Zoho ONE package, which includes access to several integrated applications (including CRM and field service) for one low monthly price.

HubSpot’s lowest-tier plan is significantly more expensive than Zoho ONE, but it does offer a more traditional email marketing platform compared to Zoho’s email marketing solution. The Professional and Enterprise tiers of HubSpot also offer features like lead scoring, contact segmentation, and more that aren’t available on the company’s Basic plan, but which are offered by Zoho’s ONE’s competitively priced plan.

Reporting

With HubSpot, you can have three free dashboards with 10 reports each. If you upgrade to a paid plan, you can store up to 50 dashboards, each of which can have 10-30 reports at a time. The Professional and Enterprise plans let you create 100 and 500 custom reports, respectively—a feature unavailable on any other plan.

All paid plans of Zoho CRM come with standard reports, as well as the ability to schedule these reports. Zoho’s Standard plan offers 100 custom reports, while the three higher-tier plans offer an unlimited number for any KPIs you want to track.

Zoho CRM vs. HubSpot: Which Should You Choose?

Ultimately, when evaluating the features of each program, Zoho CRM is the clear winner for service companies. With more features tailored to field services, a lower price tag, and more comprehensive reporting capabilities, Zoho is the logical choice for most field service businesses.

That said, HubSpot’s email marketing platform is one of the best out there. If you’re looking for a traditional email marketing platform—or if you’re only interested in sales and marketing tools and can get what you need from the company’s lowest-tier plan—HubSpot could be a good fit for you.

Consider your business needs carefully before making a decision. Or, if you need help comparing the two programs, reach out to ZBrains. Our expert team can support you in evaluating both options to determine which solution will best meet your needs going forward.

Zoho Administrator Outsourcing

Outsourcing Your Zoho Administrator: Pros, Cons, and Considerations

Published on: July 23, 2021Category: Certified Zoho ConsultantsLast Updated: July 1, 2024 Comments: 1

How to Find the Right Zoho Partner for Outsourcing Administrative Work

Should you be outsourcing your Zoho administrator duties? The pros and cons of outsourcing have been discussed for years, some of the benefits being you don’t have to hire, onboard, or train; you get the advantages of a larger pool of knowledge; and you can potentially save in terms of labor costs paying only for the time you’re truly using. We would also add that in the case of highly specialized tasks, your organization benefits by being able to keep its focus on the things it does best – without having to ensure that internal resources have proper training, sufficient time, and the desire to take on new and different responsibilities. 

The cons of outsourcing can include losing some control, or that needs may get lost in translation. Although, more often than not, the benefits of outsourcing the tasks involved with Zoho administration far outweigh them. Let’s talk about it a little more so you can see if it’s the right move for your business.

What is outsourcing in Zoho administration?

[caption id="attachment_5260" align="alignright" width="400"]Zoho Administrator Help ZBrains has helped clients like you build a strategy for digital transformation and growth with Zoho since 2012.[/caption]

In this case, outsourcing is the practice in which designated company tasks or functions are given to service providers outside of your company. This support is provided to your company by an external resource instead of an internal one. Some tasks handled by a Zoho administrator can include:

  1. Assisting with best practices and implementations for user credentials and permissions.
  2. Ensuring that application updates are timely, and testing them to ensure that all integrations work as required prior to roll out.
  3. Responding to incidents as reported, and helping you with remediation.
  4. Helping to identify and notify you of opportunities to improve, enhance, or get more out of your system.
  5. And of course, many other tasks as they arise. Just ask!

We know as well as anyone that Zoho is definitely simple to pick up and use. But  customizing it to your needs, and correctly integrating and maintaining systems can be confusing for the uninitiated!

The Benefits of Combining Zoho and Administrative Outsourcing

We scratched the surface of this just a bit in the intro, but diving a little deeper, you have a lot of opportunities to benefit from outsourcing Zoho system admin work. Here are the three areas we think are most notable.

1. You Get a Better Return on Your Zoho Investment

For starters, we know that no business tools, especially systems for your CRM, Accounting, or other specialized applications were easy to implement. We see it very often – businesses have a lot of excitement up front about their new systems, but lose momentum due to lack of expertise. They begin missing out on the many additional features of Zoho that could help them optimize their businesses!

If you’re like most of our clients, the investment in time, resource training, and ongoing maintenance of your systems is not insignificant. However, are the resources in your organization who handle system administration the most qualified? And are you losing any time or efficiency each week simply by having the wrong person in the seat? 

Outsourcing your Zoho administrator duties can help enhance the return on your Zoho investment, and can even help lower your labor costs. Consider the economies of scale you could impact once you have assigned those tasks to the resource who’s best equipped to make your Zoho system thrive.

2. Expert Insight Can Lead to Innovation

It goes without saying that you are the expert in your business. From the products or services you provide, to the processes you use to deliver those to happy clients, you have spent the time learning and understanding what sets you apart. These are the factors making you successful!

Now consider what benefit could be derived from being able to tap into another knowledge base, particularly, a knowledge base with expertise in the Zoho systems you rely on day-to-day. Without having to add to your org’s headcount, you can bring in top-level talent and expertise to help you streamline automations, increase process efficiencies with workflows, templates, and even deeper software integrations. Letting an expert help you admin your Zoho systems means you benefit from another set of adept eyes.

3. You Have One Less Thing to Manage

[caption id="attachment_5258" align="alignright" width="400"]Zoho Admin Help With help from a designated Zoho admin you can focus on your core competencies, and avoid the distractions and unanticipated “emergencies” of system maintenance.[/caption]

Hiring a trusted partner to keep an eye on the often out of sight, yet routine, necessities that allow your systems to operate seamlessly, means a ton of management time is freed up! Now you can focus on your core competencies, and avoid the distractions and unanticipated “emergencies” of system maintenance that an outsourced Zoho administrator can ensure is always on track. 

For example, how many times have you missed software notices about integration updates that set your business behind by a few hours, or even a day or more just because a simple function needs attention?  You’ll always be on top of it – mitigating those risks of lost time and productivity – when these tasks are a priority for your administrative partner in Zoho. 

Speaking of agreements, you can also increase the speed and quality of work for outsourced activities. This flexibility is another, sometimes overlooked aspect of a service agreement for administrative oversight. This relates back to having a partner with experience that may be lacking in-house. The right partner will ensure that planning is up to date. They will help you focus your strategy. And  can ensure you get the services or help you need, as you need it. 

How to Find the Right Zoho Partner for Outsourcing Administrative Work

Establish Your Goals & Needs

The very first step in finding the right Zoho admin partner is to detail the needs you have to be outsourced. This includes documenting Zoho processes, product ownership, and maintenance services you require, and how frequently you believe these items require attention. Evaluate with your internal teams and establish agreements before beginning discussions or negotiations with any potential providers. 

Evaluate Potential Zoho Partner Credentials

When you do begin discussions with Zoho Consultants or partners, be sure to find answers to the following:

[caption id="attachment_5259" align="alignright" width="400"]Zoho Admin Needs Start your search for a Zoho Admin by detailing all of the needs you have to be outsourced.[/caption]
  • Do they cover the applications you use, 
  • Do they have working knowledge of any integrations currently in place,
  • What sort of plans do they offer (hourly or monthly service options),
  • Where are they located, and where are the people performing the work located,
  • And what experience do they have helping others like you in your industry?

These questions will naturally open conversations to more detail. This will allow you to gauge whether or not a partner will be able to assist with the needs and goals you outlined.

Selecting the Right Zoho Admin Plan

Consider again the goals and needs you established up front. This will help you select the right Zoho administrator plan. Depending on the size of your business, and the internal depth of expertise in Zoho, you may require  weekly, monthly,  or quarterly assistance. You absolutely have the option to bake that sort of maintenance into your Zoho system administrator requirements agreement or scope of work with the right partner. And if you’re looking for something a little more flexible, some organizations may allow for an hourly flex plan, and/or monthly retainer. 

Finding a Zoho Admin Partner at ZBrains

[caption id="attachment_5261" align="alignright" width="400"]ZBrains Zoho Administrators Achieve more with help administrating your Zoho system from a Zoho Certified partner like ZBrains.[/caption]

If you’re here, you may be considering ZBrains as a partner for your Zoho system administrator needs. You’ll find answers to most questions here on our site. However, we believe it’s important to connect in person with every client from the start. This ensures we get the most information from you, and have a greater understanding of your needs and goals. So feel free to contact us any time. 

  • ZBrains can help you with Zoho administration – whether your team is 5 or 500 users. If you’re just getting started with Zoho, or you recognize it’s time to take its capabilities to the next level. We have helped clients like you build a strategy for digital transformation and growth with Zoho.
  • We have proprietary integrations for Quickbooks and even built a field services and manufacturing ERP called FieldTech. 
  • Our teams offer both hourly flex support and a monthly retainer for support services, so you can get the coverage you need.
  • All of our talent is US-based, and we’re a Zoho Certified Partner who have been working in this space since 2012.
  • ZBrains works with many types of businesses, but we focus primarily on industries such as manufacturing/distribution, construction and field services, and those working in technology or SaaS organizations. 

Ready to discuss Zoho Admin Support with ZBrains? Get in touch today!

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Zoho CRM Integrations

Revolutionize Your Workflow with These Top 5 Zoho CRM Integrations

Published on: June 25, 2021Category: Zoho Features, Zoho IntegrationLast Updated: July 1, 2024 Comments: 0

Zoho CRM integrations are often touted as the top reason why organizations choose the platform as their CRM and business software solution. From finance and communication to sales, marketing, and office operations, Zoho ecosystem integrations truly can bring it all together. And if you’re using a service or application that isn’t Zoho, no worries, because Zoho was built with this scenario in mind and there are tools available to bring those apps into the fold, as well. Do you have a vision where information is no longer siloed? Where your teams collaborate easily? We think you may have just found the solution!

[caption id="attachment_5132" align="alignright" width="400"]popular zoho integrations Explore popular Zoho CRM integrations to help you spend less time managing software and more time making your business as successful as it can be! [/caption]

In this article, we’ll talk about the five major ways that utilizing Zoho CRM integration can enhance your business’ analytical capabilities from the top down, help to streamline your sales and marketing efforts, and give you the data you need to refine and improve your customer experience. Keep reading to see how integrating your Zoho solutions can help you spend less time managing software and more time doing the important things to make your business as successful as it can be.

1 Accounting and Finance IntegrationsSalesIQ from Zoho is an incredibly powerful integration that shows your CRM data in the application, so your Customer Service or Sales agents are set and ready with account information, or lead visit details.

One question we hear A LOT is “Does Zoho CRM Integrate with QuickBooks?” And yes, it does, but it’s not even near the only accounting and finance option for playing nicely with Zoho. We do that work quite often for many clients, but QuickBooks is just one  accounting and finance option available out there!  Whether you’re using QB Desktop, QB Online, Sage programs, or another option, the Zoho capabilities exist to solve for double data entry, and can end the frustration of ongoing disconnect between your CRM and Financial data. 

Our client, Lavoro Technologies found the freedom to scale and evolve with their integration, and we think you might, too. Zoho itself has several solutions i f you’re not using any of the applications we just mentioned. Options are based on your business model and needs:

[caption id="attachment_5131" align="alignleft" width="400"]does zoho crm integrate with quickbooks Accounting and Finance Integrations for Zoho remove the task of double entry, streamline your operations, and help you gain accuracy.[/caption]

Zoho Books simplifies collaboration between sales and finance teams. It removes the need for duplicate data entry when integrated with Zoho CRM, and allows sales teams to record their estimates, sales orders, and estimates in CRM. It also provides purchase and transaction history details in CRM, and gives you the ability to automate some processes.

Zoho Expense helps salespeople capture expenses as they occur for their Accounts, Contacts, and Potentials. You submit approvals to CRM, where you can use Analytics to keep a pulse on spending. Take advantage of custom approvals, or you can even automate approvals when specific criteria are met. How much time could that save your sales team?

Zoho Subscription “bridges the gap between subscription and customer information” letting sales teams work in Zoho CRM to manage subscriptions because the customer information is seamlessly synchronized between the two apps in Zoho!

2 Communication Apps

All businesses run on communication, it’s basically the thing we do all day, every day. And Zoho has no shortage of available tools within their own ecosystem, and no shortage of other applications it connects to. Here are a few popular solutions for communication tools that integrate with Zoho.

Collaboration tools are at the top of the list of needs for many teams, ours here at ZBrains, too! Is your organization still working remotely or have dispersed teams? It is essential for your teams to keep in touch and communicate in real time. Zoho provides the essential tools and integrations required to collaborate perfectly. While it can integrate with Slack, Zoho has its own tool like it, called Cliq, and even that integrates with the applications you use most including: Dropbox, Trello, and Zoho Desk, Zoho People, and of course Zoho CRM. For deeper project management needs, we suggest Zoho Projects.

Telephony & SMS

As much as most of us probably wouldn’t like to admit it, we still use and need to make calls. Because this tech is still here and important to many, integrations for telephony solutions like RingCentral are there for good old fashioned calls! Messaging integrations like Twilio integration with Zoho CRM can help you with SMS campaigns.  Perfect for when you want to prime a contact with a text before calling, or to follow up after you reach them.

[caption id="attachment_5130" align="alignright" width="400"]Zoho Webinar and Zoho Meet for Sales and Marketing Teams Collaborative communication apps from Zoho like Webinar and Meeting help remote teams connect with colleagues, clients, and leads![/caption]

Live Chat and Meetings for Sales, Marketing & Customer Service

Live Chat allows you to connect with your customers and leads when they want to connect with you. SalesIQ from Zoho is an incredibly powerful integration that shows your CRM data in the application, so your Customer Service or Sales agents are set and ready with account information, or lead visit details. There’s even a mobile app!

Zooms and Webinars are everyday occurrences now, too. And we’re a bit of a broken record here, but Zoom and apps like GoToWebinar (plus others) integrate with Zoho. And Zoho has its own solutions for events and meetings, aptly named Zoho Webinar and Zoho Meeting, which you can use directly from CRM.

3 Marketing and Sales Integrations

Zoho CRM email marketing integration and Zoho social media integration are no-brainers. Zoho addresses your entire lead-to-cash cycle with these tools. 

Marketing Integrations

[caption id="attachment_5129" align="alignleft" width="400"]Zoho social media integrations Zoho features integration that brings your sales and marketing teams closer together, from social media lead metrics to customer surveys![/caption]
  • Zoho Social and Zoho CRM integration starts with generating new leads, then lets you identify the most successful channels, moving those leads to sales for faster closing. The system in Zoho Social has automation features, pushes leads from Facebook Ads directly to Zoho CRM with one click, gives you social listening capabilities, and of course, gives you the tools to track revenue in order to repeat your most successful strategies.
  • Zoho Marketing Automation contains tools to help you generate leads, understand their behaviors, and analyze the data from your lead cycle to enable greater sales. Additionally, as the name implies, you can automate customer journeys for your leads and customers using data from journey actions and CRM data for very specific segmentation that is virtually personalized. This integration takes your marketing activities beyond just email.
  • Zoho Survey closes the loop on customer experience with Zoho Survey and CRM integration. Gather, report, and act on survey responses, and use the insight to create better sales pitches when you know what’s working and what’s not.

Sales Integration for Zoho CRM

CRM is often seen as the pinnacle of sales tools, and you can already see from the sheer volume of things that integrate with Zoho CRM how this is true. They all add up to give sales professionals, and sales leaders the insight and information they need in order to best serve the right clients with the right solutions at the right time. 

Doing business with your organization should be as simple and seamless as it can be. Making your system easy to use, with highly integrated data sources, ensures that it is. Imagine giving your sales teams all the tools and information they require to get more sales, more quickly, that allows them to hold on to each hard earned customer for longer with a more profitable result. We’ll share a little more in the next section about the operational tools that also assist Sales.

4 Office Operations & E-commerce

[caption id="attachment_5128" align="alignright" width="400"]Zoho form integration Zoho Sign helps manage paperless workflow for digital signatures, allowing you to close deals faster![/caption]

Some of the most time consuming aspects of daily work are the office operations that we don’t often give a second thought to. We just do the work and move on. However, Zoho CRM integrates with such a vast number of tools both from Zoho itself, and others, to make this daily necessity more lightweight. You’ll find that once you integrate these always-used applications with Zoho CRM that the minutes per day that you shave off searching for emails and documents, sending and signing them, and generally managing the day-to-day storage and document shuffle of office life really do add up to a substantial amount of time. Here are a few integrations we like most.

Daily Operations

  • GSuite and Zoho CRM integrate so you can easily sync and access Gmail contacts, your tasks, and your Google calendar events in CRM.
  • Microsoft Office / Office 365 and Zoho Integration brings your presentations, spreadsheets, docs, etc. into one space within Zoho CRM for easier management. For example, you can access the Office suite from CRM for mail merge to automatically create customized documents. 
  • Google Drive, DropBox, and other integrations with Zoho CRM are available solutions for document storage. And you can access these directly from CRM, as well!

Paperless Office

  • And document signing, or paperless workflow for digital signatures, is another set of tasks that takes a lot of time and personal bandwidth to manage. Of course, Zoho has addressed this with its own secure solution, Zoho Sign, but offers integrations for other tools as well. For example, Adobe Sign Zoho CRM integration gives you visibility to document signing status, and both can shorten time to close by keeping the process digital.

E-Commerce

  • Finally, for online sellers, shippers, and e-commerce, Zoho CRM integrates with Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce, and other platforms to help streamline your online transactions from click-to-buy, to invoice, payment collection, and shipping!

5 Almost Endless Zoho Integration Options 

So far you’ve read about some of the most universal business needs that are addressed when you use Zoho’s application ecosystem, like Zoho One, or integrate it with some popular solutions you might already have. But wait – there’s more! We weren’t really exaggerating when we said that the integration options are more or less endless. Zoho Creator is the platform to address almost any custom application or integration you can fathom, “from simple call logs to complex ERPs that integrate with your existing processes.”

ERP Solutions for Zoho CRM Integration

The good news is that some of these solutions for field services, manufacturers, and similar industries are already available from ZBrains. If you’re seeking solutions for any of the following processes, and would like to integrate with Zoho – drop us a line!

  • Quote Calculator (CPQ): Configure Price Quote tool enables your sales staff to generate Zoho CRM quotes or standalone quotes quickly and easily, using just one simple system.
  • Commission Calculator: Give your sales team back their confidence by calculating their commissions quickly and easily.
  • Payment Processing: Accept payments in Zoho CRM. Certain Zoho apps like Creator, Books, and Invoice have accepted credit card payments for some time.  But, it hasn’t been possible to process those transactions with a Zoho CRM credit card integration–until now.
  • SmartScheduler™: Using parameters you set, the Zoho SmartScheduler™ recommends possible appointment times for you or you staff to streamline your scheduling tasks and ensure that the right resources are assigned to jobs.
  • Executive Dashboards: Building a better Executive Dashboard with ZBrains means you can ensure all the reporting is done accurately, showing you results for all your KPI’s so you can make informed decisions instantly.
  • Inventory Management: Generate accurate insight into your business performance by syncing with inventory, order management and financial data. Centralize your operations with a Zoho ERP solution. 
  • Zoho Job Costing: This add-on for Zoho CRM enables your sales staff to generate quotes, manage proposals, and  track every dollar and hour spent on completing a job quickly and easily, using just one simple system – not the array of programs and personnel you might be used to dealing with.

Final Thoughts & Next Steps

Don’t see the solutions you need on this list, or mentioned in this article? Get in touch with us!  We know from experience that Zoho integrations can enable your team. They can help you drive your business with accurate data while saving you countless hours of effort chasing loose ends. Take the first steps today and empower your team and stay connected with your business! 

Zoho Integrations

Published on: December 26, 2014Category: Last Updated: April 11, 2023