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Category : zoho books

Businesswoman Using Zoho Books API in her Business

What is the Zoho Books API and How Do I Use It?

Published on: December 17, 2022Category: Zoho BooksLast Updated: August 16, 2023 Comments: 0

Zoho Books, a cloud-based accounting software, allows businesses to easily manage their finances and automate their workflows through a rich set of features and an intuitive user interface. 

With the Zoho Books API, companies can integrate Zoho Books with other Zoho apps and third-party software to increase its functionality and streamline internal workflows.

Understanding the Zoho Books API: A Quick Overview

The Zoho Books API serves as an interface that enables developers to interact programmatically with Zoho Books. Essentially, this empowers you to extend Zoho Books’ functionality, integrate it with other applications, and automate tasks, ultimately slashing time wastage and diminishing manual errors. Whether you’re a small business owner, an accountant, or a developer, the Zoho Books API unfurls a realm of possibilities for elevating your financial management processes.

Key Features of Zoho Books API:

Automate and Simplify Your Finances

With the Zoho Books API, you can automate repetitive tasks and reduce the risk of human error in financial management. Seamlessly connect Zoho Books with Zoho Campaigns to automate invoice notifications and payment reminders, ensuring timely payments from your customers. Integrate Zoho Mail to streamline communication with clients and vendors, making sending invoices, receipts, and other financial documents directly from your Zoho Books account easy.

Efficient Inventory Management

Integrating Zoho Books with Zoho Inventory through the API can be a game-changer for businesses that deal with inventory. Automatically sync your inventory levels across both platforms, ensuring you always sell and are well-stocked. Efficiently manage purchase orders, track shipments, and update product information in real time, all from within your Zoho Books interface.

Seamless Customer Relationship Management

By integrating Zoho Books with your Zoho CRM using the API, you can gain deeper insights into your customers’ financial activities. View a customer’s payment history, outstanding invoices, and credit notes directly from your CRM dashboard. This integration enables your sales and finance teams to work together efficiently, providing a seamless customer experience.

Real-Time Reporting and Analytics

The Zoho Books API allows you to extract financial data and create real-time custom reports. Connect Zoho Books with your preferred business intelligence tools, and gain valuable insights into your financial performance, cash flow, and profitability. Accessing up-to-date financial information at your fingertips empowers better decision-making and strategic planning.

Enhanced Security and Data Privacy

Zoho takes security and data privacy seriously. The Zoho Books API uses OAuth 2.0 protocols, ensuring secure access to your data while protecting sensitive financial information. You have complete control over the permissions granted to third-party applications, enhancing data security and compliance.

But how exactly does it work? Let’s take a closer look. 

How does the Zoho Books API enhance integration and functionality?

Essentially, the Zoho Books API is the function that allows you to perform all of your Zoho Books operations within the web client. 

It is built on REST (Representational State Transfer) principles, making it relatively straightforward to use and allowing for a wide range of activities and integrations. Further, because the API follows HTTP rules, every resource is exposed as a URL, and every URL can be obtained through the API Root Endpoint. 

In practical terms, integrations set up using the Zoho Books API enable businesses to utilize add-ons to get more from their Zoho Apps. The API not only integrates with several other third-party software, but also allows Zoho Books to integrate with other Zoho products, such as Zoho Campaigns, Zoho Mail, and Zoho Inventory. 

This is especially helpful for businesses working across multiple Zoho apps or that already have established third-party solutions in place that they don’t want to replace.

How Does the Zoho Books API Work?

Use the following instructions to start using the Zoho Books API:

Step #1: Register a New Client 

Because Zoho’s REST APIs use OAuth 2.0 protocols, your first step will be to register your application within Zoho’s Developer Console to generate a Client ID and Client Secret. 

Step #2: Generate a Grant Token. 

Next, you’ll redirect to the authorization URL (https://accounts.zoho.com/oauth/v2/auth) with the relevant parameters:

zoho books api

Upon this request, Zoho will present a user consent page. Clicking ‘Accept’ will cause Zoho to redirect to the given redirect_uri with the ‘code’ and ‘state’ parameters (which you’ll need to get the access token in the next step). Note that this code is only valid for 60 seconds. 

If you click ‘Deny’, Zoho will return a server error.

Step #3: Generate Access and Refresh Token 

Once you have your access token, make a POST request using this URL (https://accounts.zoho.com/oauth/v2/token?) and the following parameters to generate your access token: 

zoho books api

This will generate both an access token (which will expire after a set period) and a refresh token. Be aware that Zoho limits refresh tokens to 20 per user. Earlier refresh tokens will be deleted by default if this limit is exceeded, whether or not they’re in use. 

Step #4: Generate an Access Code from a Refresh Token 

If your access token expires, use the refresh token to request a new one by redirecting to the following POST URL using the parameters below: https://accounts.zoho.com/oauth/v2/token? 

zoho books api

Step #5: Revoking a Refresh Token 

If you need to revoke a refresh token, use the following URL with the parameter below: https://accounts.zoho.com/oauth/v2/token/revoke?

zoho books api

Step #6: Call an API 

Finally, call the Zoho Books API in header using the following values: 

  • Header name: Authorization
  • Header value: Zoho-oauthtoken 

Specific scopes available for the Zoho Books API include contacts, settings, estimates, invoices, customerpayments, creditnotes, projects, expenses, salesorder, purchaseorder, bills, debitnotes, vendorpayments, banking, and accountants.

Embarking on Your Zoho Books API Journey


  • API Documentation: Begin by acquainting yourself with Zoho Books API’s official documentation. This comprehensive resource elucidates endpoints, request parameters, authentication methods, and response formats.

  • Access Credentials: Your foray into the API requires authentication credentials, including the client ID and client secret. Obtain these by creating a client in the Zoho Books Developer Console.

  • Authentication: OAuth 2.0 safeguards API access, ensuring secure entry to your Zoho Books account and authorizing only designated actions.

  • Selecting a Programming Language: The API caters to various programming languages. Select the one aligning with your proficiency and project requisites.

  • API Requests: Engaging with the API involves crafting HTTP requests for specific endpoints. These requests facilitate data retrieval, record creation, information updates, and other tasks.

Top Tips for Using the Zoho Books API

Once you’ve set up, keep the following suggestions in mind as you begin using it:

Pay Attention to Your Limits

Generally speaking, Zoho Books API calls are limited in order to provide a better quality of service and greater availability to all users. As a result, the following limits on total requests per day for each plan are currently in place:

  • Free Plan: 1,000 API requests/day
  • Standard Plan: 2,000 requests/day
  • Professional Plan: 5,000 requests/day
  • Premium Plan: 10,000 requests/day
  • Elite Plan: 10,000 requests/day
  • Ultimate Plan: 10.000 requests/day

Carry Out Load Testing

One of the things we’ve noticed among ZBrains clients is that almost everyone hits their limits more quickly than expected. And because that can lead to unexpected shutdowns, we recommend carrying out significant load testing in advance to see how your requirements stack up against Zoho’s daily limits.

Increase Your API Limits 

Fortunately, if you do find that your business requirements exceed your API call limit, increasing your limit is relatively easy and inexpensive. The best way to do so is to email support@zohocrm.com with your requirements, and Zoho will get back to you with specific pricing details and instructions on increasing your API call limits.


Sample Use Cases

  • E-commerce Integration: Integrate your online store with Zoho Books, triggering automatic invoice creation for each transaction. This eradicates manual data entry and ensures real-time financial record updates.
  • Expense Automation: Develop an app that captures employee expenses. Utilize the API to transmit expense data directly to Zoho Books, eliminating paper-based reporting.
  • Real-Time Reporting: Construct a custom dashboard drawing data from Zoho Books via the API. This dashboard could offer real-time insights into your business’s financial standing, enabling informed decisions on the fly.
  • Automated Reminders: Create an application issuing automated payment reminders to clients with outstanding invoices. This practice enhances cash flow by minimizing payment delays.


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Zoho Books API:

 

Q: What is the Zoho Books API?

A: The Zoho Books API is an interface that allows developers and businesses to integrate Zoho Books with other Zoho apps and third-party software. It enables automation, data exchange, and enhanced functionality by allowing you to perform Zoho Books operations programmatically.

 

Q: How can I get started with the Zoho Books API?

A: The Zoho Books API may help businesses of all sizes optimize their financial processes, automate procedures, and increase data interchange between applications. Whether your company is small or large, the API can help you greatly improve efficiency and productivity.



Q: What are the key benefits of using the Zoho Books API?

A: The Zoho Books API improves integration and functionality, enabling businesses to automate activities, streamline workflows, and effortlessly sync data between Zoho Books and other apps. It offers real-time reporting, improves customer relationship management, and streamlines inventory management.



Q: What permissions do I need to grant to third-party applications?

A: The API employs OAuth 2.0 protocols to ensure safe data access. When integrating with third-party programs, you have control over the breadth of rights provided. You can control how much access each application gets to your Zoho Books data.

 

Q: Are there any limitations on API usage?

A: Yes, the amount of API queries per day is limited by your Zoho Books membership plan. The Free Plan, for example, enables 1,000 API queries each day, whereas the Ultimate Plan allows 10,000. It is critical to be aware of these limitations and plan your API usage accordingly.

 

Q: Can I increase my API call limits if needed?

A: You can increase your API call limits if your business requirements exceed the allocated limits. Contact Zoho’s support team at support@zohocrm.com with your needs, and they will provide you with specific pricing details and instructions on increasing your API call limits.

 

Q: How can I ensure data security using the Zoho Books API?

A: Zoho takes data security seriously. The OAuth 2.0 protocols used by the API ensure secure access to your Zoho Books account. Furthermore, you have complete control over the permissions granted to third-party programs, allowing you to efficiently manage data privacy.

 

Q: Can I test the Zoho Books API before implementing it?

A: Zoho allows you to download and test the Zoho Books API beforehand. This way, you can experiment with the integration and ensure it meets your business requirements before fully implementing it.

 

Q: What kind of support can I get for using the Zoho Books API?

A: If you have any queries or require support using the Zoho Books API, the expert team at ZBrains is available to assist you. They can give you specialized advice on how to get started, integrate the API with your Zoho CRM, and make the most of this powerful tool.

 

Q: Is the Zoho Books API suitable for my business?

A: The suitability of the Zoho Books API for your business depends on your specific needs and requirements. The Zoho Books API could be quite useful if you want to optimize your financial processes, automate procedures, and improve data interchange between applications. It allows you to interact with other Zoho apps and third-party software to streamline your workflows and increase efficiency.

 

Need Help with the Zoho Books API?

Zoho makes it possible to download and test out the Zoho Books API ahead of time. But if you still have questions, the expert team at ZBrains can help.

Reach out to our team for personalized guidance on your top Zoho Books API questions, including how to get started and how to integrate the API with your Zoho CRM.




zoho books overview

Zoho Books Review: Can It Transform Your Small Business?

Published on: December 24, 2020Category: Certified Zoho Consultants, Zoho Books, Zoho IntegrationLast Updated: June 13, 2023 Comments: 0

In this rundown of Zoho Books, we’ll define what this application is and what it does. Next, we’ll look at a couple of product reviews. Then, share some common comparisons between Zoho Books and other accounting solutions that are often used by small businesses. If you’re new to Zoho, new to Zoho Books, or just looking for some high-level info to get going, this article is a great place to start. 

What is Zoho Books?

Books is a Zoho accounting solution designed to help businesses with end-to-end accounting and tax compliance. This Zoho accounting software is one of 40+ applications on the integrated Zoho platform and is well-positioned for small and medium businesses.

[caption id="attachment_4653" align="alignright" width="450"]person at computer Even if Zoho Books isn’t the right solution for your accounting team, but you’re still interested in Zoho – remember that it integrates with many other solutions![/caption]

Here are the high points

You can streamline all of your back office duties with Zoho Books and organize all of your transactions in one place. Given this set of features you may want to take a closer look at Zoho Books, we think it’s a real contender. Zoho Books features allow you to:

  • Collect online payments securely and quickly.
  • Keep records of all your invoices, estimates, credit notes, and even recurring invoices in one place.
  • Convert estimates to invoices in just a few clicks.
  • Automatically remind overdue clients with payment reminders.
  • Never lose a minute of billable hours. Monitor and track how labor is spent in your company.
  • Manage inventory and even automate redundant tasks.
  •  Capture and view all financial information related to your asset, liability, revenue, or expense accounts and organize them how you want.
  • Simplify tax season. Generate tax reports in just a few clicks. so you are set when tax season arrives.
  • And this is in addition to standard features including: purchase orders, project accounting, bank reconciliations, and compatibility with government and non-profit accounting needs.
  • Also notable is the transaction limit of 5,000 per month with the most advanced offering of Zoho Books. It’s definitely something to consider as you continue your research. 

If this isn’t the solution for you, or you need a solution with a little more umph, Zoho also integrates well with applications such as Quickbooks. And we’ll take a closer look at some of those a little later in this article. 

But first, let’s look at what folks are saying about Zoho Books. 

Zoho Books Reviews

Across the board we think you’ll see that Zoho’s value approach to their solutions, coupled with the in depth integrations between those 40+ solutions, makes it a compelling choice for small and mid-sized businesses. Most notably for those who need visibility to their organization across each platform used. And for those who want to minimize the number of applications needed day to day. 

Additionally, while affordable, Zoho and Zoho Certified Consultants like ZBrains have your support and custom development needs covered. Now, let’s look at what others say about Books:

PC Mag’s SMB Accounting solutions review says:

“4.0 EXCELLENT

Zoho Books is an excellent choice for cloud-based small business accounting, offering an exceptional user experience, an attractive price, and a rich set of tools. Larger businesses may want to consider it, too…”

Business.com shares this  Zoho Books review:

“The Best Accounting and Invoice-Generating Software

The Verdict

Zoho Books is an intuitive accounting program with full accounts receivable and accounts payable functionality. It’s also very affordable, making it the best accounting software for really small businesses.”

What ZBrains Client Said

As with any purchase that has an impact on your business, especially when you’re considering the tools you and your teams will use each day, we encourage you to do more research and find others who have been through the same. Here’s what one of our clients, Lavoro Technologies,   had to say about it when they were going through the comparison process:

Before choosing Zoho they looked at multiple alternatives, including QuickBooks, Microsoft Dynamics, Salesforce, Intacct, Sage, and BusinessObjects. The affordability of Zoho was a huge selling point for Lavoro, especially when coupled with its ease of use, as Jim describes, ‘It just makes sense the way that it operates, how you can go from customer to estimate, from customer to invoice, estimate to invoice. [In terms of NetSuite,] I just didn’t see the reason to pay $125 per month per user for aspects of a program that I didn’t see us using.’

Speaking of comparisons, let’s take a look now at how Zoho Books. Let’s see how it stacks up against a couple of common accounting solutions for small businesses.

Product Comparisons

Comparisons between Zoho Books and other solutions like Quickbooks Online are prevalent. If you’ve been considering which software is the right one for your small business, we’ve compared four common solutions with Zoho Books here. Of course, there are many others. We’re happy to answer your questions about them- just let us know!

Let’s dive in.

• Zoho Books vs Quickbooks Online

Quickbooks Online is positioned as a solution for small businesses. For instance, it shares many similarities in terms of capabilities to Zoho Books. The interfaces for each are relatively simple to understand and use. The shared features include accounts receivable, tax management, banking reconciliation, billing, and invoicing. Where Zoho Books offers a bit more functionality is in project accounting and the ability to do purchase orders. It also handles government and non-profits, where Quickbooks Online does not. 

If you’re already using Quickbooks Online, and are curious about integrating with the rest of Zoho ecosystem, take a look at the Zoho and Quickbooks Online Integration we provide at ZBrains.

• Zoho Books vs Quickbooks

Users of Quickbooks also rate it highly. For instance, they cite ease of use and robust features as the benefits of this platform, and we don’t disagree. For a lot of businesses, Quickbooks is a great solution. And just like other versions of this software, it integrates very well with Zoho. This allows for the best of both worlds. Learn a little more about AgilitySync, the platform we use to connect Zoho and QuickBooks in this video.

[caption id="attachment_4654" align="alignright" width="450"] Take your research for a new accounting solution to the full extent. Be sure to compare it against any other options you’re considering.[/caption]

• Zoho Books vs FreshBooks

Users will say that Freshbooks is easy to use and affordable. It does allow for the most basic features; however, it doesn’t quite stack up in terms of a well-rounded offering. With FreshBooks, you’ll leave behind key features and capabilities such as:  tax management, purchase orders, and project accounting. We’ve seen these three features are especially important to the majority of our service and project-based clients. 

• Zoho Books vs Sage

Sage products for business accounting have been around for decades. Now, there is little to support an argument for taking up this solution as a small business when other, better solutions are widely available. To learn a little more about why we don’t necessarily recommend this software, read our full Zoho Books and Sage100 comparison here, and our article on transitioning away from Sage100.

Above all, we hope this helps as you continue your research and efforts to find the best accounting solution match for your business. If you’re ready, keep reading for next steps.

Your Next Steps

A lot of consultants might suggest you dive right in with a free trial, but at ZBrains we start by having one of our Zoho experts to analyze your company and determine the strengths and weaknesses with a comprehensive business process analysis (BPA). Our process ensures a successful implementation that allows you use the software to your advantage. The result is that your organization enjoys all of the functionality and benefits of the Zoho system.

In summary, if you need help migrating or setting up your integration – for example, mapping custom fields, migrating legacy data, workflow rules, or extra training sessions, we offer our services to you. Give us a call, or use the button below to write to us about your needs!

Connect with a Consultant

difference between quotes and estimates in Zoho

What’s the difference between an estimate and a quote in Zoho?

Published on: November 18, 2020Category: Zoho Books, Zoho CRMLast Updated: May 29, 2023 Comments: 0

When it comes to your business – and it’s true for the clients we work with here at ZBrains – one of the primary things you want and need to do in your CRM or ERP system is to create quotes and/or estimates. It’s a concise way to share your offering with clients. And more than likely, you want to create them quickly and efficiently. And also in an organized way that is easy for your teams to manage. So, when it comes to this process – and quotes vs estimates – what are your best options in Zoho? Keep reading for a little more insight on the differences between estimates and quotes, and how to use them in Zoho CRM, Zoho Books, or with another custom integration like QuickBooks.

The Difference Between Estimate vs Quote

When is the last time you were able to give a straight price for a project or service to one of your customers without some customization? Because so many businesses rely on custom solutions in order to meet their needs, there’s a good chance that you’re probably using estimates or quotes to build personalized prices for each of your clients’ jobs. We’ve certainly found that no two jobs are exactly alike, so relying on a good way to build and communicate estimates or quotes is absolutely necessary. And giving your clients exactly the decision making information they need from the start of their relationship with you will set the tone for a successful partnership.

So, what is the difference between an estimate and quote?

A quote gives your client a fixed price to accept for a project or service. It acts as a contractual agreement. A vendor (you)  will combine fixed and variable costs, and present to the customer to accept or not. This will include a combination of hourly rates and cost of materials, equipment and/or services for a job. Generally speaking, a quote includes exactly what is needed for a job. Once it’s accepted by your customer, this is the price they pay at the end. The price in a quote is not subject to change, unless additional work, materials, or services are agreed upon by a vendor and their client. (Sometimes these become change orders.)

An estimate also includes fixed and variable costs for a job, but does not act as a contractual agreement. In this event, a vendor might share a range of costs to give a scope of what the project entails. This is a “ballpark” number. It’s subject to variation whether that comes in the form of fewer or greater hours, changes to services purchased, or materials used for a job.

In order to effectively communicate with your clients, it’s a good practice to provide both quotes or estimates in writing. Additionally, both types of engagements generally have an expiration date.

Quotes vs Estimates: which is best for your process?

When it comes to your clients and your business, you must decide between quotes vs estimates and which is best for your process. A common practice is that your level of effort is equivalent to the amount of detail provided by the lead.

For example, you may wish to use a less time-intensive method to share what a job or project may cost when a lead or potential client has provided only high-level information about their needs. In this case, an estimate allows you to give a realistic look at the possible, estimated costs of a project. At that time, the lead may decide it’s not what they want and move on, and you haven’t spent a lot of time on exacting work that goes to waste. 

Alternately, your lead may see the quote and be interested in going forward with the work based solely on the estimate. That’s great!

Or in cases where further refinement is needed, you may engage in additional information gathering with the client. Then perhaps you’d spend a little more time putting together a more formal Quote for their final approval on this contract before beginning the work.

In the event that estimates won’t work for your business, you may spend additional time in your sales process qualifying a lead. Your goal is to determine if they are a fit before investing time in the lengthy process of building out an exacting quote for them. 

Consider your clients, your business needs, and your processes carefully – or engage with a consultant – if you’re in a position to integrate your estimating or quoting process into a CRM or ERP system.

Using Quotes in Zoho CRM and Using Estimates in Zoho Books

compare quotes vs estimates“Quote” and “Estimate” are essentially the same in Zoho; however, Quotes are generated in Zoho CRM and Estimates are generated in Zoho Books. We understand that it seems pretty awkward to say this given we just spent all that time sharing the practical difference between the two. Now we’re saying that Zoho says they’re the same? 

Well, Yes. And, No. But stay with us here!

Remember how we just mentioned that this all boils down to how you run your business, what your process is, and what the needs of your clients are? This is why there are so many options in Zoho! 

  • You can keep it streamlined by using Quotes in CRM. With a little set up, you can engage a Zoho CRM function allowing you to create Quotes from Deals.
  • If you’re using Zoho Books, you can use Estimates to create a proposal, and then convert it to a sales order or invoice upon acceptance.
  • Perhaps you might have a simple sync between Zoho CRM and QuickBooks that ties together Quotes and your accounting functions. While this isn’t a 360° solution it works great for some.
  • And if you’re searching for a true ERP solution, then a fully integrated, real-time solution is what you want. This could include Zoho CRM, Zoho Books, and other applications – even third party integrations.

Finding the right solution for quoting or estimating

When it comes down to making a choice about how to set up your system, including how you’ll use quotes vs estimates in your sales process, we recommend taking the time to fully evaluate your existing systems. Furthermore, evaluate your process to ensure that what you select is serving your needs.

ZBrains helps businesses like yours by working together and analyzing expectations and performance gaps in your business process. We take the time needed to examine your business from the perspective of the world at large. Then, our experts determine what is working, and what is not.  We’ll consider which methods need to be introduced to change and strengthen the fabric of your company.

The basics of Business Process Analysis from ZBrains works like this:

  • First, we partner with your team to thoroughly review your sales, marketing, operations, and accounting processes. And work to understand requirements and current systems. 
  • Next, with your timeline, goals, and targets in mind, we give you a strategy that can be executed with precision to create a successful business plan.
  • We recommend solutions and develop customizations to support your goals. (Like determining how you want quotes vs estimates to flow in your system and sales process!)
  • Finally, we consolidate your business operations into a centralized platform with Zoho as the hub. And you begin operating in a system that supports every aspect of your operation that was identified at the start. 
  • With the systems in place, and useful data at hand in Zoho, you can more easily refine and optimize your business as time goes on. 

Does this sound like the digital transformation you’re considering? We’d love to help. Contact us today!

Connect with a Consultant

Zoho Updates 11 2020

Zoho Updates, New Features, and Issues | November 2020

Published on: November 9, 2020Category: Certified Zoho Consultants, Zoho Books, Zoho Bugs, Zoho Corporation, Zoho CRM, Zoho FeaturesLast Updated: May 10, 2023 Comments: 0

Again in the past month, we’ve seen a lot of changes, updates, and bug fixes in Zoho; most notably Creator. Be sure not to miss the additional critical notes on Creator to ensure your systems continue running smoothly.

We’d love to know if this update is useful for you. Let us know in the comments what else we can include to help provide you with the latest from Zoho to make your day easier.

Here are your What’s New updates for November 2020. 

 

New Features from Zoho

Zoho CRM

  • Many-to-many associations between records within a module is now possible in Zoho CRM. Self-referencing lookup fields allow you to create deeper relationships between the contacts and content in your database. Need help setting this up? Let us know!
  • Special and foreign characters are now supported in email addresses of CRM records such as Leads and Contacts. The following characters will be supported: # ! $ % & ‘ * + – / ^ _ ` {} | ~

Zoho Creator

  • A new field property available for “Contains Health Info.” This allows for further HIPAA compliance control because now fields can be designated as sensitive if they contain health information. This is available for the following field types: single line, email, number, decimal, percent, currency, date, time, and date-time.

ZOHO UPDATESApplication Updates from Zoho

 Zoho Creator

  • This month we again saw many application updates for Zoho Creator:
    • Improved client communications because you can use more verified email addresses. Zoho ONE verified (sender) emails increased from 10 to 50!
    • Improvements to widgets, including externally hosted widgets, and white listing 3rd party services.
    • Additional improvements added for user admin assignments. Now the app only allows to select users that have accepted an invitation to your workspace.
    • Smarter logic protection is now in place to ensure you don’t delete connections used in other applications. When deleting a connection a prompt will show the places it is used including: integration fields, integration orgs, pages, and workflows. 
    • Version 6.2.5 of the Zoho Creator Portal Android app and Version 3.4 of the Customer Portal – Zoho Creator iOS app both introduced improvements recently. The Android version offers authentication-related security improvements and has fixed several minor bugs to improve stability. Further updates have improved application speed. In addition to improvements similar to Android, iOS now makes accessing and managing offline components better.
    • Get granular and control report printing parameters for your application’s end users. Now the “Print” option in reports will be available for the end user only when they are permitted.
    • New domain URLs have been enabled for EU data center:
      • creatorapp.zoho.eu for Creator applications,
      • creatorapp.zohopublic.eu for all published components
      • creatorapp.zoho.eu for all custom applications
    • As mentioned in last month’s update, default SMS connections are now deprecated and replaced. Any SMS Actions that use this connection, and the zoho.sms.send Deluge task, will no longer work and requires updates. Please let us know if we can analyze and correct any issues in your system impacted by this change.
  • These are just a few of the highlights of what’s new in Zoho Creator, please see the full technical documentation from Zoho for more.

Additional Critical Notes on Zoho Creator Updates

  • Effective end of October, 2020 Zoho is making a change to the notations used in API Names. If you are using Smart Scheduler for FieldTech or any other custom extensions, please schedule your updates. Zoho Creator is moving from Dot (.) notation in API Names to the Double Underscore ( __ ) notation for all components and Removing Dot(.) and Double Underscore(__) Notation for Default fields of Custom Modules created in Zoho Extensions.
  • Zoho announced the end-of-life for Creator v1 on February 3, 2021, and will require a migration to Zoho Creator v2. The application will remain compatible until then; however, we strongly recommend scheduling your analysis and migration in advance in order to avoid any interruptions in service.  We suggest getting started as quickly as possible because the timeline for your migration is variable depending on the complexity of your solution. Contact us any time to schedule your migration analysis.

 Zoho CRM

  • Zoho CRM and Zoho Analytics Integration API Upgrades: This upgrade means that new features including sub-forms, linking modules, and customer fields in Users module will begin to be supported. As a result, some changes will occur in the fields permissions of Zoho CRM Admin who configured Zoho Analytics integration. The following will not be synced in Zoho Analytics: 
    • Modules or tabs marked as hidden in Zoho CRM, 
    • Modules or Fields with read or write restrictions, 
    • Fields in Zoho CRM that have been deleted or are unused.
  • You might have noticed an upgrade to the details view available in CRM. If you haven’t switched over already, please note that the old details view will be discontinued on November 10, 2020. 
  • Updates in CRM Wizards are available to all users. Now you can add Widgets to the Wizard layout, filter Wizards from the list view, reposition buttons, and include a file upload field in wizard layouts. 
  • Effective March 31, 2021 Zoho will sunset the Zoho CRM Plugin for Microsoft Outlook. Additionally from Zoho Corporation, on “October 15, 2020 users will be restricted from downloading the plugin, and will be redirected to download and use ‘Zoho CRM for email Outlook Add-in’ from the product.”

Zoho Books

  • New mini-dashboard available in Zoho Books invoices module. Now you can see a quick overview of invoices when you go to Sales > Invoices.
  • Update allows you to import files from various cloud storage applications including Zoho Drive, Google Drive, Dropbox, and more.
  • With public links, now it’s even easier to get signatures and estimate approvals  from clients without a portal. Enable this feature: Settings > Preferences > Estimates > Mark “Allow” on the public link option.
  • Now your templates can have customized address formats per template. Customize an address: Go to Settings > Templates > Choose the module and edit your template > Go to Header then edit the address format.
  • The Zoho Books Windows app and iOS 14 Windows app updates now allow you to have a more seamless experience between the web app and the Windows app or iOS 14 app.

Keep up to date on all the Books releases here.

 

Zoho BugsIssues Notices from Zoho

 Zoho Creator

  • Images uploaded via APIs in reports are now working.
  • Installing applications from the gallery bug fixed.
  • More specific controls within Deluge are now in place when working with and searching for encrypted datasets. Prior searches on encrypted fields commonly returned no results. For this reason only searches using the operators for “Equals,” “Not Equals,” and “isEmpty” are currently available.

 

 

 

If you have any questions or would like to schedule assistance around any of these updates please contact our consultants or call our offices at (888) 207-4111.

 

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Creative Thinking with Zoho

Zoho Applications: Creative Problem-Solving for Field Services

Published on: October 12, 2020Category: Certified Zoho Consultants, Zoho AppCreator, Zoho Books, Zoho Creator, Zoho CRM, Zoho ERPLast Updated: September 21, 2023 Comments: 0

It’s essential to act on creative thinking to solve business problems and stay on top in field services and construction. Your industry might have standard KPIs and processes that “work for everyone.” However, as business owners and operators, we know it’s our job to ensure that we’re constantly innovating, improving, and making the most of the time available daily. That’s where Zoho Applications come in – with their innovative solutions for field services and construction, you can optimize your operations and streamline your processes to stay ahead of the competition.

As a result, how you work is almost guaranteed to change over time, and you’ll need to keep solving new problems. The beauty of Zoho CRM and all other Zoho applications available is that they allow for creative solutions to business problems.

This includes the data you capture and your Zoho systems, including what you’re doing with both to make your business profitable time and again. In this article, we’ll share four common business problems that we see Field Services and Construction firms encountering often. This includes everything from your deals and quoting to how to save time calculating commissions. And we will tell you some of the ways that Zoho applications provide a framework. You can ensure you’re staying on the edge of innovation and setting yourself apart from the competition, if that’s your goal.

Let’s take a look at some common business problems and which KPIs you can track in Zoho to stay on top:

Problem 1: Your scheduling and routing efficiency needs help

For Field Services businesses especially, the routing efficiency KPI is big, but consider scheduling, too. Are these tasks cumbersome and waste time that could be spent on the job? You might be asking and wondering:construction inside building

  • Are techs arriving at jobs on time?
  • Do you have the right person scheduled for the work they’re doing?
  • Is time wasted with crews making trips across town?
  • How much loss happens when an appointment cancels?
  • How much productivity – and profit – is lost with extra movement?

Making sure your business has a handle on routing efficiency measurements using geolocation can help you see where you can make up losses. But this is just the start. With the correct creative thinking to solve business problems and the right tools for the job, you can achieve gains in productivity.

The Zoho Scheduling App allows setting appointments based on sales rep calendar availability, location, skill level, or any other metric you define. The app also recognizes cancellations and can suggest appointments to fill cancellation gaps.  For use with a larger sales team, the Zoho Smart Scheduler  combines savings to positively impact revenue!

Problem 2: You’re losing deals because of a disconnect in quoting.

Do any of these sound true for you?

  • Updating product pricing, calculating, and then generating proposals takes forever and are prone for error.
  • Collecting necessary signatures for a job is a hassle.
  • Some of your products are missing descriptions or images in your system.
  • Customers don’t have a way to electronically approve your estimates.

This losing deals issue exists in a lot of businesses, not just construction and field services. However, when your project profitability, service level agreements, and customer satisfaction rely on accurate quotes, it’s paramount to start each job on the right foot.

Optimizations give you beautiful looking quotes, faster quote delivery, more accurate quoting, and an easier transition into creating  jobs. Assemble quotes with the click of a button when Zoho CRM is customized for your construction or field service business . The information required is stored in your CRM! That is: items details, photos, and any other information you require for each SKU. Integrate your Zoho quoting (CPQ) tool with an eSignature tool of your choice, and approval signatures become a breeze.

How much time would your staff save with this sort of integrated quoting and communication tool? Do you think a stronger – and quicker – quoting process would help you land more deals?

Problem 3: Calculating commissions is an overwhelming task

It’s time again for you to calculate commissions for your staff and your business has grown to a complexity that makes this task, well, overwhelming. For you and for your employees. They want to compare month-to-month earnings. You both want easy to access statements and to get this finished on time. Ideally, you envision all of this working in a single system to save you time and effort.

With creative thinking to solve this business problem, Zoho created the Zoho Commission Calculator. Saving time and making this process more straightforward, now you can focus on your next innovation to tackle. And your sales staff can back to what they do best – sales.

Problem 4: Job Costing and Time Tracking feel impossible to capture

With Zoho as your hub, tedious and often difficult tasks of job costing and time tracking are made simpler in FieldTech.  This app connects your field service operation and optimizes your workforce. The benefits are far-reaching in terms of your new ability to report on accurate data around these two specific tasks.

building construction exterior

And the result of accurate reporting? You receive a direct line to the improvement opportunities that exist in these daily operations.

Let’s take a look:

Time Tracking

When your techs arrive on the job, they can select from available work orders and log time against individual tasks assigned on those work orders. One feature that stands out here is geo-location that automatically clocks techs in when they arrive on site. They spend less time on data entry, and don’t miss this task.

Of course, time tracking data is visible to managers, and in reporting. Bottlenecks become easily identifiable, and you can act on them – whether that’s staff training or an innovation in process.

Job Costing

Does your job costing process currently take you between spreadsheets and several applications to find the full story and get answers you need? To find material, equipment, labor, and other direct costs is taking a lifetime. With FieldTech implementation you can see how profitable your jobs are right from a centralized dashboard.

Job Costing ties into time tracking, too:

    • See which of your field techs are doing the best/most efficient work.
    • Get granular and see time spent for a particular job against expected time.
    • Easily see gross profit and how it compares against other jobs.

Imagine being able to compare data from your jobs to find out which are most likely to be successful for your company when you start searching for new leads. Kick off your next marketing campaign armed with data from job costing.

This holistic company view, accompanied by accurate data gives you uncomplicated, actionable insights.

If you’re looking for ways to solve your business problems with the help of Zoho applications, we’re here to help. At ZBrains, our team of Zoho Certified Consultants is ready and eager to assist you with an assessment that’s tailored specifically to your business needs. Whether you’re in Field Services or Construction, we’ve got the expertise and creative thinking to help you find the best solutions. So don’t leave things to chance – get in touch with us today to see how we can help you optimize your business processes using Zoho applications.

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QuickBooks to Zoho Books Migration: Simplify Your Accounting

Published on: July 13, 2020Category: Zoho BooksLast Updated: November 13, 2023 Comments: 0

Migrating from QuickBooks to Zoho Books

What you need to know when you migrate quickbooks to zoho books

According to Zoho Corporation, a lot of companies moving from another accounting system onto Zoho Books move there from QuickBooks.  And, whether those companies previously use QuickBooks Online or QuickBooks Desktop, the reasons for switching onto Zoho are easy to see.  Well, easy for us to see, anyway.  But they aren’t so obvious to everyone else, who may not think about these problems as often as we do.

In this post, we’ll explore some common reasons for switching. We’ll then dive into some considerations to make before switching.  And, although we’re talking about Zoho Books today, you can apply this knowledge to any software, Zoho or otherwise.

First, here are some common questions we encounter when letting our customers or prospects know that switching is an option: 

Why migrate to Zoho Books if you’re already in the cloud with QuickBooks Online?

migrate quickbooks to zoho books

Not all cloud systems are created equal!  Although QuickBooks Online is a relatively new platform, companies tend to switch from QBO to Zoho Books because:

  1. Zoho Books provides many of the same features as QuickBooks Online–and then some.
    • Books allows for Sales Orders, which QBO does not account for as of this writing.  
    • Moreover, Zoho Books natively integrates with Zoho Inventory, which adds features that make the combination of Books and Inventory more comparable to QuickBooks Desktop.
  2. Zoho Books integrates seamlessly with Zoho CRM.
    • While there is an integration between QuickBooks Online and Zoho CRM, any consultant worth their salt will tell you a third-party integration is a system’s weakest point.  Zoho’s native integration eliminates that weak point, giving you a seamless data transfer; for companies that have already chosen Zoho CRM as their customer hub, moving finances onto Zoho Books seems like an even more intuitive decision.
  3. Zoho Books is more affordable than QuickBooks Online.
    • Zoho Corporation puts out a good comparison sheet to illustrate this point.  The more users you add to Zoho Books, the more money your company can save in this way.

compare Zoho Books and QuickBooks Desktop

How can Zoho Books possibly contend with QuickBooks Desktop?

While QuickBooks Desktop is a bit of a heavyweight in terms of functionality (not to mention ubiquity!), Zoho Books is more than able to rise to the occasion when pushed to the limit. 

Companies often move from QBD to Zoho Books for these reasons:

  1. Cloud-based software gives businesses more flexibility than on-premise software does.
    1. With data breaches on the rise, many companies would much rather offload security responsibilities onto a third party than take on any additional risk themselves.  Zoho takes this responsibility very seriously and uses the most up-to-date encryption possible in their apps–and has been recognized internationally for it.
    2. Cloud-based software means rather than scheduling and installing updates and patches to your accounting system–and paying out the nose for the privilege–updates happen on-the-fly as part of your monthly recurring SaaS (software-as-a-service) fee.  That means no more scheduled downtime for maintenance, and what usually amounts to more money in your pocket.
  2. Zoho Books provides a much more stable integration with Zoho CRM than QuickBooks Desktop could put together.
    1. Like with QuickBooks Online, there is an integration between QuickBooks Desktop and Zoho CRM.  But, introducing a hybrid-cloud integration like this is bound to put some strain on the system overall; incidentally, third-party integrations like this are the more failure-prone points of any system.  Conversely, Zoho Books’s integration with Zoho CRM is native, cloud-to-cloud, and nearly instant.
  3. Finally, combining Zoho Books plus Zoho Inventory gives a business nearly as many features as are in QuickBooks Desktop.
    1. It isn’t a perfect analog, of course, but using Zoho Inventory in tandem with Books gives the user an experience much closer to QuickBooks Desktop.  This includes inventory and shipment management, multiple warehouses, online store integration, workflow automation, and more.

What to consider when switching from QuickBooks to Zoho Books

how to migrate from quickbooks to zoho books

Despite the apparent similarities between QuickBooks and Zoho Books, switching over isn’t such a plug-and-play operation.  It requires a good deal of knowledge: of QuickBooks, of Zoho Books, and of your team’s own ability to learn new software and procedures as needed.  

For those considering making the switch themselves, we recommend evaluating your own QuickBooks configuration, and then activating a trial of Books. Then, you should go through every possible setting and see how easily you can mentally recreate your organization’s QuickBooks configuration. Take note when you come to a setting you don’t understand or that would change how your organization does business; there will likely be some.

After this, will you know if Books is the right choice for you?  Probably not just yet.  You should still confer with your team and ensure you get buy-in, or at least reaffirm that your team of old dogs can still learn new tricks!  Then, it’s time to put your implementation plan together in earnest.  You’ll need a tight schedule, perhaps a Gantt chart, and definitely a project manager.  Also, a data flow model to visually account for any new systems.  This can keep your own plans in line, as well as let any other parties know exactly what you’re doing.

The truth about switching from QuickBooks to Zoho Books

If all this seems like a lot to bite off and chew, make no mistake.  It is.  We’ve heard no shortage of Zoho deployment horror stories over the years.  And, that’s no fault of Zoho’s!  The reality is most businesses cannot afford to drop what they’re doing and devote all their time to learning a new software system.  That goes for the features, the implications for future business, and the effect on company culture.  And, for this reason, projects like these tend to fail; there simply isn’t enough time that many can reasonably devote to a project like this and still maintain their business.  

Some even try to cut losses by hiring a Zoho specialist.  And, it’s at that point that many customers tend to find us!

Why use a Zoho consultant to ease your switch from QuickBooks to Zoho Books?

quickbooks to zoho books migration

The good thing about hiring a Zoho consultant in cases like these is, aside from being able to manage an implementation project of this magnitude, we’ve done projects like this many times before.

And, that doesn’t mean your implementation will be the same as anyone else’s!  Rather, it means we know all the ins and outs of planning and managing–and, we know the questions to ask you about your business so your implementation doesn’t turn out just like everyone else’s.  That is, so it works just for your business and your unique processes.

In this case, once we know the ins and outs of your processes within QuickBooks, we see how well those align with Zoho Books.  From there, we can see if you’ll need just Zoho Books, a combination of Books + Inventory–or perhaps something more customized on Zoho.  We may only be helping you deploy an accounting system, but that system can affect how the whole company does business.  So, we take a comprehensive approach when looking at something like this, culminating in an Executive Summary document, where we explain our project plan to you.

And then, once you agree with our deployment plan, it’s off to the races!  We get to work for you, and we meet with you throughout the project for consulting meetings and for various approvals of our work.  And, in the end, you receive a fully functioning Zoho finance system that functions as part of your company’s business software network.

Ready to see how making the switch would change your business?

Making the switch from QuickBooks to Books is an endeavor.  But, it doesn’t start that way–that’s just a chat.  Contact us today for an introductory consulting session!  We’ll explore at a high level how migrating from QuickBooks to Zoho Books can help make your Zoho system everything it can be.

Read more about Zoho Books! 

Should you use Zoho Finance or FieldTech?

Published on: December 11, 2019Category: Zoho Books, Zoho ERPLast Updated: May 16, 2023 Comments: 0

Should you use Zoho Finance, or FieldTech?

Like with all things Zoho, your software choice should depend on your business.

fieldtech zoho finance

There’s a new player in town when it comes to the ERP side of Zoho.  We released FieldTech formally several months ago, and while a good number of companies enjoy its benefits today, it isn’t always clear what the differences are between FieldTech and the Zoho Finance platform at large.  So, we present this post in hopes of clearing that up.

When should you use Zoho Finance?

If your accounting and ERP needs are relatively simple–or if you don’t use inventory–you may not need anything more than Zoho Finance.  Finance works well for professional services companies, as well as distributors with very light or uncomplicated inventory.  For anything a little more complex, Zoho’s custom functions can transmit information between the modules of different apps, and workflow automation can speed up slow processes and prevent certain tasks from falling through the cracks.

fieldtech zoho finance

And, for anything more complex than that, businesses can use Zoho Creator to built separate apps to then connect to the Finance platform.  These apps give these businesses ways to manipulate their data that Zoho Finance could not do on its own.

The drawback to simply building your own Zoho Creator ERP apps is doing so takes lots of time: Someone has to architect your solution given the way you do business, then actually build and implement it for you.  This is one of the chief reasons we built FieldTech: to address this potential need of many companies who wouldn’t be satisfied with just Zoho Finance, and who don’t have the time to develop their very own apps.

When should you use FieldTech?

Zoho Finance’s familiar array of features suits the needs of a lot of businesses.  But, the suite tends to alienate several other kinds of companies inadvertently:

fieldtech zoho finance

These kinds of companies depend on certain features available in ERP software that Zoho Finance doesn’t provide, or only partially provides.  Things like:

  1. Complex, mobile quote creation on-the-fly (with a CPQ tool)
  2. Assisted scheduling of appointments or work orders
  3. Work order management, including tracking time, materials used, and equipment
  4. Production (manufacturing) order management
  5. Advanced inventory management, including MRP and an RMA module
  6. Job costing, factoring in both labor and materials
  7. Commission calculation for salespeople

And, this isn’t to say those companies with these needs can’t use Zoho Finance at all!  They can, and often do–sometimes to their detriment–for years.

The point is Zoho Finance isn’t always enough for these companies.

The reason for FieldTech’s existence

As Zoho consultants, we get calls about the shortcomings of many Zoho apps, including the Finance suite, on a daily basis.  Zoho Corporation is notorious for improving apps and releasing features at a breakneck pace, but this doesn’t usually translate into accommodating the sort of requests we were getting (and still get) from the kinds of companies mentioned before.

Eventually we wisened up to the fact that our customers needed more than what standard Zoho apps could reasonably offer, at the pace it was needed.  So, over the course of years, we built the FieldTech platform to help address these needs.

Is it possible to use both suites at once?

fieldtech zoho finance

As Zoho Finance isn’t always enough for some businesses, and FieldTech can supplement the Finance suite’s features,  many companies find it useful to use both platforms.  The FieldTech suite has many standard integrations with Zoho Books, Zoho Inventory, Zoho CRM, and even Zoho Desk.

Could we cut out Zoho Finance entirely?

From time to time, people ask us why they need Zoho Finance at all, if FieldTech works so well as a sort of Zoho ERP.  The answer is that Zoho Finance, in spite of its shortcomings, packs a lot of extremely useful accounting functions and third-party banking integrations.  We could develop these things for FieldTech too, but, except in very extreme cases, we’d be reinventing the wheel.  Better to let Zoho do what they do best.

Get the full Zoho Finance vs FieldTech Feature List

With this guide, you can easily compare the capabilities of each solution side by side and see how they stack up against each other. The feature list breaks down each category, making it easy to navigate and find the information you need. Don’t make a decision without knowing all the facts – get the full feature list today.

Contact us using this form and we’ll send you the full feature comparison list.

The Decline of Sage 100

What to Do When Looking to Transition Off Sage 100

Published on: February 28, 2019Category: Certified Zoho Consultants, Zoho Books, Zoho Creator, Zoho CRM, Zoho Finance, Zoho Integrations, Zoho QuickBooks IntegrationLast Updated: November 13, 2023 Comments: 0

The Decline of Sage 100

migrate off sage 100

Sage 100 has been on the forefront of accounting software for over three decades. But the unfortunate truth is that Sage Group is coming out of one of its most brutal years to date. For years Sage has worn their perceived “boring” company label as a badge of honor. Until recently they were one of two firms on the London Stock Market that achieved 10 years of uninterrupted earnings per share growth. A slow start in January 2018 coupled with a profit warning mere months later have spelled the beginning of the end for the once dominant Sage 100.

Reasons for the DeclineBut what they may not know is that we at ZBrains offer Zoho ERP software that can do both of those things.

It took many years for the decline to really manifest, but longtime users of Sage probably could have seen the writing on the wall.  Sage took the plunge into cloud-based software relatively late in 2016 with Sage Live (now called Sage Business Cloud Financials), and, like relative newcomer QuickBooks Online, Sage Live did not have nearly the feature library as did its on-premise brethren.  It was simply a case of too little, too late.  Sage’s bread and butter was and still is this on-premise software, and once the last users migrate away, Sage won’t have much to show for their efforts over the years.

The decline of Sage likely has many long-term Sage users wondering: now what? Fortunately, Zoho Corporation entered the cloud-based software game years before Sage did, all the way back in 2005 (with a rival to the Microsoft Office Suite; Zoho CRM was launched in 2006).  For that reason, Zoho has had much more time to build out their list of features, expand their applications, and offer a piece of software that can hold its own against many other cloud-based – and even on-premise – accounting systems.  Zoho Books, Zoho’s accounting system, offers a host of great features to meet your basic and advanced accounting needs. The following is a road map to help you know your options when looking to transition off Sage 100 and onto something a bit more modern.

The Zoho Advantage

Zoho Books has multiple significant advantages over its Sage 100 competitor (which we discussed in our Zoho Books vs Sage 100 comparison). The Zoho accounting software is easy-to-use, inexpensive, and cloud-based. Though it may not be capable of handling Payroll in all US states just yet, Gusto is a viable option. Moreover, the built-in API makes Gusto an alternative we can integrate with. (Currently Zoho only handles Payroll processing in California, Texas, and Indiana).

What’s more, Zoho offers greater mobility, with a corresponding mobile app for each of its applications, including Zoho Books. Zoho Books can also handle multiple currencies, a feature that Sage 100 lacks, at least without the help of an expensive upgrade. Plus, perhaps the most significant benefit of the Zoho suite of applications is its inexpensive nature, especially in comparison to Sage 100. The bottom line is that with Zoho you get the valuable combination of saving money and gaining functionality. It’s a win-win that is hard to beat!

ZBrains Answers to Common Questions

Seasoned users of Sage 100 know that it can handle Work Orders and Material Resource Planning (MRP), while Zoho cannot. But what they may not know is that we at ZBrains offer Zoho ERP software that can do both of those things. This means you can manage them via Zoho without breaking a sweat.

Some users of Sage may be concerned about Zoho’s lack of fixed asset depreciation functionality. But the fact is that most small and medium-sized businesses simply send their fixed asset depreciation information to their CPA. Maybe you utilize your own fixed asset depreciation software, in which case you can continue to use it because of Zoho’s shortcomings in this regard.

Next Steps

Ultimately, Zoho has a full arsenal of applications to help in your transition from Sage 100, whether you choose to do so now or later. (Learn more about what others are saying about Sage 100 here)

migrate off sage 100

Zoho Books, Zoho Inventory, and Zoho Creator all provide the same functionality lost when switching off Sage, at a fraction of the price. 

Still not convinced? Contact our Zoho consulting team to learn more and discover all of the top notch functionality of Zoho, in an effort to land on the answer to the eternal question: What can Zoho do for you?

Our teams would be glad to help you as you make this decision. Contact us any time!

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Zoho Books vs Sage 100

Zoho Books vs QuickBooks Online

Published on: February 19, 2019Category: Certified Zoho Consultants, Zoho Books, Zoho CRM, Zoho Finance, Zoho Integrations, Zoho QuickBooks IntegrationLast Updated: March 28, 2023 Comments: 0

Zoho Books vs Sage 100: A Tale of Two Software Programs

Tax season is upon us, which means tracking down all financial statements and ensuring your accounting needs are fully met. Whether you are evaluating your current financial software for deficiencies or simply looking to manage your finances better in 2019, we hope this comparison of Zoho Books vs. Sage 100 is beneficial. Follow along as we evaluate the features of these two pieces of software and provide insight into their similarities and differences. Tax season may be upon us, but hopefully one of these programs can help make your life that much easier.

The End of an Erazoho books vs sage 100

Sage 100 appears to be on its final legs, a quiet exit from center stage on its descent into obscurity. This software used to be the cream of the crop, known as MAS 90 (Master Accounting Series of the 90s). Given the typical shelf life of 10 years for an ERP, this software has been around for 3 lifetimes! Given that extended time on the market and the lack of new features, the writing is on the wall. Sage 100 will soon be put out to pasture.

Where Sage 100 Went Wrong

That decline in popularity raises the question: Where did Sage 100 go wrong? For starters, Sage 100 is overblown for many smaller businesses, which means companies are not often implementing it new. Not only is it an on-premise software, but it is overwrought, and more expensive than Zoho Books. Zoho Books has multiple advantages, being inexpensive, easy-to-use, and cloud-based. On top of all that, Sage continues to increase maintenance prices year over year, making it increasingly and frustratingly more expensive.

The Major Differences for Zoho Books vs. Sage 100

There are multiple significant differences between these two pieces of software:

zoho books vs sage 100Mobility: Everything Zoho does has a corresponding mobile app; unfortunately Sage 100 is noticeably lacking in this arena.

Native Integrations: Zoho Books again has an edge, boasting the ability to integrate with Amazon, eBay, Avalara, and other payment gateways. With Zoho, you can avoid kicking everyone out before installing.

Multi-currency: Quite simply, Zoho Books operates with multiple currencies and Sage 100 does not.

New Features: Zoho is known for their innovation, their push towards a better, more efficient product. They unveil new features on a regular basis, whereas Sage is once again bringing up the rear. Sage is happy to announce a new feature that adds very little value such as adding character limits to a custom field.

Overall Comparison: Zoho Books vs. Sage 100

In the end, it is clear that there are stark differences between these two pieces of software. Sage 100 is in the sunset of its run and Zoho Books consistently churns out new inventive features. 

Whether you are a seasoned user of Zoho or branching out to find a CRM that works for your business, we at ZBrains are happy to help. Allow one of our Zoho experts to analyze your company and determine the strengths and weaknesses with a comprehensive business process analysis (BPA). With the power of Zoho consulting, we can help you use Zoho Books to your advantage and enjoy all of the functionality and benefits of the Zoho system.

 

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Zoho Books vs QuickBooks Online

Zoho Books vs QuickBooks Online

Published on: February 12, 2019Category: Certified Zoho Consultants, Zoho Books, Zoho CRM, Zoho Finance, Zoho Integrations, Zoho QuickBooks IntegrationLast Updated: July 27, 2023 Comments: 0

Zoho Books vs QuickBooks Online: Two Titans of Accounting Software

It’s true every tax season and usually the times in between, managing your finances has never been more important. But how do you tackle such a task? QuickBooks Online is used by more than 2.5 million companies, an impressive number. However, how many of those business owners are truly satisfied? How many are getting the most out of their accounting software? Zoho Books offers a few very useful features that QuickBooks lacks, especially when under the larger umbrella of Zoho Finance. Zoho Books vs QuickBooks Online is a veritable clash of titans, and both bring particulars to the table that appeal to wide audiences. 

Our goal is to help you make a more informed decision about your accounting software. Whether you are buying for the first time, re-evaluating your current tools, or simply seeing what else is out there, we hope this comparison makes your job easier. Join us as we navigate the waters of financial software:

Comparing the Significant Features of Zoho Books vs QuickBooks Online

A great place to begin when comparing and contrasting these two is their nuts and bolts; in what they do best and offer to the customer. The three things that QuickBooks (QB) offers over its Zoho equivalent are:

Zoho Books vs QuickBooks Online

  1. Payroll Processing
  2. Budget and Forecasting
  3. Online Bill Payments

Conversely, Zoho Books provides its own slate of unique features that do not exist in QB:

  • Workflows: Create different workflows based on your needs
  • Create Users: Add users to your organization for easy collaboration
  • Client Portal: Not only allows for communication with customers in an interactive portal, but you can also send them sales orders once they accept your estimate! Plus, this feature allows you to collaborate with clients by sending messages through the portal.

The Sales Orders issue is incredibly crucial, because QuickBooks Online is severely lacking in this arena, which translates to an inventory tracking system that is not robust. In this sense, the “inventory tracking” feature boasted by QB Online is misleading, because the software simply offers no way to reserve inventory! This inability to create sales orders and therefore an inability to track orders placed by customers is a not-so-subtle blemish on the QuickBooks image/brand.

There are a few other noteworthy Zoho features worth mentioning:

  1. Integrates with multiple shipping options out of the box, including FedEx, UPS, and USPS
  2. Offers a useful multi-currency option for balance sheet accounts (assets, liability, equity)
  3. Zoho Books allows for use with 6-10 payment gateways
  4. Zoho Books includes a Retainer Invoice- affords you the ability to track prepayments

Unraveling the Perfect Fit: Zoho Books vs. QuickBooks Online

  • User Interface: A Delightful Experience

Regarding the user interface, Zoho Books immediately stands out with its clean and intuitive design. Navigating various modules, such as invoices, expenses, and reports, becomes effortless, making it an ideal choice for accounting professionals and small business owners with limited financial expertise. On the other hand, QuickBooks Online boasts a feature-rich user interface that caters to the needs of more experienced accountants, offering advanced customization options and in-depth financial reports.

  • Scalability: From Startups to Enterprises

Moving on to scalability, both Zoho Books and QuickBooks Online have been thoughtfully designed to cater to businesses of all sizes. Zoho Books takes a more budget-friendly approach for startups and small businesses, providing essential accounting functionalities without overwhelming users with unnecessary features. Conversely, QuickBooks Online has established itself as a reliable choice for larger enterprises, offering advanced inventory management, payroll processing, and a broader range of integrations.

  • Integration Ecosystem: Building a Unified Workflow

In today’s tech-driven world, seamless integration between different business applications is essential for optimizing productivity. Zoho Books, part of the Zoho suite, boasts excellent integration capabilities with other Zoho apps, such as Zoho CRM and Zoho Inventory, providing a unified ecosystem for managing various aspects of your business. On the other hand, while having an extensive integration network, QuickBooks Online might require third-party integrations to achieve a similar level of consolidation.

  • Automation and Time-Saving Features

In the race to minimize manual efforts, Zoho Books and QuickBooks Online offer automation features that streamline repetitive tasks. Zoho Books stands out with its intelligent workflows, automating invoice reminders, payment notifications, and bank feeds. Similarly, QuickBooks Online is known for its robust automation capabilities, simplifying tasks like recurring invoices, expense tracking, and automatic backups.

  • Mobile Accessibility: Managing Finances on the Go

Considering the importance of mobile accessibility, business owners are constantly on the move, and having access to financial data at their fingertips is crucial. Zoho Books and QuickBooks Online offer mobile apps that allow users to manage finances, capture expenses, and send invoices from their smartphones or tablets. However, the Zoho Books app excels in user-friendliness and speed, providing a hassle-free experience for on-the-go accounting.



Price Comparison of Zoho Books vs QuickBooks Online

Zoho Books vs QuickBooks OnlineAny comparison is incomplete without evaluating pricing differences and similarities. In this case, if we view the price of Zoho Books on its own, it clearly is more cost-effective. Zoho Books’ standard price is $20 per organization per month*, which includes 500 contacts, three users, and 10 automated workflows. Meanwhile, the “Essentials” package for QB Online is $40 per month, their equivalent of the Standard package. Therefore in this specific price comparison, Zoho Books has the edge.

However, if you crave the full accounting power from Zoho (which includes a fleet of applications: Invoice, Books, Zoho Inventory, Subscriptions, Expense, Checkout), you will need Zoho Finance. Operating with the integrated capabilities of Zoho Finance Plus does require a more substantial investment, to the tune of $249 per month for 10 users*. This price includes 10 users and a slew of other fantastic features, all of which you can explore here. *Pricing updated June 2021

+ An important note about pricing: QB charges additional fees for data migration, Zoho Books does not.

Overall Comparison

Ultimately, one of the most difficult hurdles for users of QuickBooks is to even consider a switch to another software. Fans of QuickBooks often believe that a transition to another operating platform will be too much of a hassle (if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!). But the truth is that Zoho Books has more than its fair share of advantages over QB Online, and the integrations with other Zoho software make it that much more valuable.Zoho Books vs QuickBooks Online

Plus, a nifty bonus of Zoho Books is that the mobile features can be accessed on phones from Apple, Android, and Microsoft, as well as Kindles (QB can only handle Apple + Android).

In the end, Zoho Books offers a reliable way to completely migrate off QuickBooks. Not completely sold? Check out our Zoho QuickBooks Online integration, which allows you to continue to use QuickBooks Online and share that data with the Zoho CRM.  Our team of Zoho consultants can tell you the best way to set it up based on how you conduct business.

Conclusion

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer in the ultimate showdown between Zoho Books and QuickBooks Online. Each platform has unique strengths, catering to different business sizes and needs. Zoho Books is a top contender for small businesses and startups seeking a budget-friendly, intuitive, and seamlessly integrated solution. On the other hand, QuickBooks Online appeals to larger enterprises, offering advanced features and an extensive integration ecosystem.

Before making your choice, it’s essential to consider the specific requirements of your business, the level of accounting expertise available, and your long-term scalability needs. Ultimately, whether you opt for Zoho Books or QuickBooks Online, you will find a powerful accounting tool that streamlines your financial management and empowers your business to thrive. Happy accounting!

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