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Category : Zoho ERP

implementing field services ERP

The Power of ERP Software for Construction & Field Services

Are you researching FieldTech, Salesforce Field Service, Service Titan, or Oracle as an option for field services software? Whether you’re just beginning research about scheduling software, or looking for a change, this article’s for you.

It’s no secret that in large part the success of your contracting business is based on accuracy, from bidding and job costing, to capacity planning and reporting.

For both for Field Services and Construction, it’s essential to have a handle on all the numbers to ensure profitability and customer satisfaction. If you don’t already use an ERP software to keep your operations in line, or it’s a slice of business you’re looking to improve, having the right applications in place can make a world of difference. What function does a Construction ERP software or Field Services ERP serve?

[caption id="attachment_5038" align="alignleft" width="400"]Contractors ERP Software options from Zoho It might be time to let technology help you scale your contracting business for the 21st century. ERP solutions from Zoho might be the answer.[/caption]

Start with the Right Steps

Stop doing back-of-the-napkin estimates that sometimes happen in your business, and start getting a look at the true data you need. Put losses in productivity and profit behind you.

Zoho ERP solutions can be the keystone to simply and successfully capturing the details of your contracting for field services business. And we’ll show you the best ways to utilize data once the Zoho implementation for your teams are in place. We’re going to give you all the details about what it means to work with ZBrains, including our process – the heart of what keeps us and you – running smoothly.  Let’s take a closer look at the ‘what,’ ‘why,’ and ‘how’ of the importance of ERP software, including field service scheduling software.

Ready to Revolutionize Construction? How Does ERP Help?

Fundamentally, an ERP like a field services software is meant to help you ensure operations are running smoothly, but that’s just one aspect. This organizational efficiency coupled with the ability to keep your fingers on the pulse of your most important KPI’s is where the true power of ERP software is recognized.

Take a moment for this quick exercise, and ask yourself: “How would my business change if I could sync inventory, order management and financial data? What about the ability to centralize my operations including everything from insight into customers, quotes, sales orders and invoices, to product inventory, work orders and process automation?”

Construction, field services, and contracting in general require precision. Without it, your service quality suffers, workmanship can fail, and  inevitably your customers and profits suffer.  Do you have all of your KPI’s accounted for and are you able to measure them and benefit from the results? ERP software is the key to organizing process, people, and data you need to make sure you can.

Why does Business Process Management matter?

Before you read further, take another moment and imagine having:

“a disciplined approach to identify, design, execute, document, measure, monitor, and control both automated and non-automated business processes to achieve consistent, targeted results” that are aligned with your strategic goals. 

[caption id="attachment_5037" align="alignright" width="400"]Construction workers review plans ERP software helps your business integrate functions such as quoting, time tracking, equipment tracking, job costing, inventory management, and more.[/caption]

This consistency, when aligned with business goals, is how some of the most successful businesses you already know are getting great results. Does this idea intrigue and energize you? If so, keep reading. 

Does good business processes actually solve problems?

Consider how the aspects of the definition above applies to common activities you do in your business like: quoting, time tracking, equipment tracking, job costing, inventory management, scheduling, invoice and expense tracking, commission tracking, and returns management. Do you currently have a way to achieve each of these points?

  • Can you easily access data and share between teams and/or departments? Or is it siloed?
  • Does it take more than one hand to count how many software systems you’re using?
  • Is the handoff from one department or process to another seamless?
  • Does information get lost in the shuffle or is never considered at a global level?
  • Is is easy to see who’s working, where they are, and how effective they are in a given project? 

You’re on the right path if implementing solutions for any of these problems is making sense for you. There are a lot of ways to achieve streamlined operations and processes, but let’s talk about some of the benefits first.

 

7 Benefits Of Standardized Processes for Field Services or Construction

Which of these 7 benefits could help you improve your business the most? 

1) Increase Productivity 

Imagine a solution that could give you access to your service team status and location immediately, or that would allow you to create a quote faster. Or what if resources spent less time with double-data entry? How could this affect your productivity factor?

2) Quality Control

Does your customer feedback say that some of your projects are perfect while others fall short? Standardization makes your business and project planning more straightforward. This includes scheduling, and ensuring you have the correct resources and materials for the job. Additionally, with this data you can streamline the training/onboarding process. 

3) Easier Collaboration

A well-provisioned ERP allows for more meaningful collaboration across teams because it helps to remove siloed information. Transparency in your organization helps your teams identify best practices, remove redundancies, and share expertise across departments more easily.

4) Reduce Costs

Accurate job costing that’s visible from a centralized dashboard will help you identify areas of material and labor waste that might have previously gone unseen for ages. Employees can easily track time and materials on a a job, giving you direct insight into job and company profitability.  This is just one facet of how an ERP helps reduce costs, now imagine data for equipment tracking, scheduling, inventory, and more all in one place.

5) Innovation & Adaptation

You don’t have to operate your business on gut feeling, but instead rely on instinct PLUS data together! Use your experience to plan your changes, implement them, and then use metrics you’ve captured to measure the results. When you have the data in hand, create incremental changes toward improvement! All of this is possible with the right contracting ERP or field services software.

6) Beat the Competition

When you are spending less time searching for data, managing individuals, and chasing processes, and more time working in your business, you actually gain productive time. With more productive time, you can focus on the innovations that move your business ahead of your competition! 

7) Single Source of Truth 

Speaking to many of the points above, standardized processes help in business operations beyond the basics. In order to scale comfortably, Zoho can help you tie everything together with a single source of truth. Solutions from Zoho take pride in security protocols for their softwares, but this translates to your business overall.

Now, if you’ve made it this far, you’re likely a serious candidate for Zoho’s field services ERP software. And maybe you’re also convinced that ZBrains is the certified Zoho Partner to assist in your implementation. Let’s keep the conversation going!

 

How does the ZBrains Business Process Analysis work for ERP and  field service scheduling software solutions from Zoho?

Let’s talk about how an engagement with ZBrains begins – with a Business Process Analysis. We take all the reasoning and research described above, and apply the same principles to our own assessments. Here’s what it looks like: 

This is a BPA with ZBrains

The BPA, or business process analysis, is integral to all ZBrains consulting projects. Just like any other planning effort, it ensures a successful implementation that fits with your business processes. It’s always our goal to begin solving your business problems by first fully understanding your current state.

Here’s what we do:

    • We start  by analyzing expectations and performance gaps in your business processes. 
    • Then, we examine your business from a wider industry perspective. 
    • Next, our consultants evaluate the opportunities for improvement. 
    • Finally, we decide which methods need to be introduced to positively impact the business.

This happens when we meet with your team and thoroughly review processes. It includes sitting with your sales, marketing, operations, and accounting representatives to make sure we understand all requirements and current systems. The goal here is to consolidate your business operations into a centralized platform with Zoho as the hub. 

When the BPA is complete, you receive our expert recommendations on changes, augmentations or implementations needed to meet your goals. You get to see a timeline, the goals, and and outline of targets. You receive a strategy that can be executed with precision to create a successful business plan for the upcoming quarters and beyond.

 

This is how we work with Field Services, Construction, and other Contractors

A lot of our clients are in these industries, so much so that we built a software called FieldTech just for you and businesses like you! Our work specializes in small to medium businesses, just like yours. Here’s what a Business Process Analysis with ZBrains looks like for you:

We often work with a single champion, normally a President, VP, or another C-level representative of the company. We include members from teams across your organization in the intake sessions. Anyone who will be using the ERP software. We include your Sales, Estimating, and Marketing teams, Field Services or Construction Teams, Inventory Management representatives, and Finance. It’s important to include input from the people who will be using the system. The reason is to ensure that we get a global perspective of the business, and we find that this also encourages user adoption later on!

What information does ZBrains gather during a BPA?

During our sessions with each department or team representative, we collect a lot of detailed information about their processes. Discussions with your teams will often include the following:

Sales and Estimating

We ask about your sales process. Then, we look at how your quotes or estimates are created and shared. How are you handling new leads, and how is existing business addressed? How do you measure success? And finally, what are the important KPI’s here?

Field Teams

How are teams scheduled and dispatched? Do you consider factors like crew size, availability, proximity ,or skill set? How is time tracking addressed? Are field teams tracking their own inventory, and assets? What about work orders, scheduling, and routing? 

Production

How do you procure goods? Are you purchasing or manufacturing parts? Do you have composite items and  a need for CPQ? What is your current process for handling bill of materials, work orders, and routing? How are you handling time tracking? We also get into your potential needs for planning capacity, batch/lot tracking, and on-site maintenance, to name a few.

Inventory Management

We go into detail about your inventory management processes including current and desired states. Do you have multiple warehouses, mobile warehouses? How are you handling order fulfillment? What about installation or service components?  Do you order the same components from multiple vendors depending on lead time, price, and other factors?  Do you need to track reorder levels for items you keep in stock?

Finance

We’ll drill down to completely understand what information is required from your front office to back office. We include review of documents for customers, all the way through to which data is required in order to  generate executive reports. 

Other Integrations

During consultation, we’ll also ask about your current integrations to determine compatibility and to see if any new integrations could benefit your business processes. Some of the Zoho integrations commonly used by manufacturing and distribution organizations include:

      • ShipStation,
      • TaxJar,
      • Avalara,
      • QuickBooks (Online and Desktop),
      • and Xero for example.

Budgeting and Timeline for Field Services and Construction ERP Software Implementation

[caption id="attachment_5039" align="alignright" width="400"]Solar panel installation contractor Major software implementation doesn’t have to be a six-figure proposition. Zoho is is less expensive to implement and has a lower total cost of ownership than many other solutions.[/caption]

Major software implementation for a large contractor’s business can be as high as a six-figure implementation cost, in addition to another five figures for the service costs. These incredibly robust enterprise tools are really powerful, but for a small or medium business like yours, they’re oftentimes out of reach. Projects like this can be extremely cost prohibitive. The solutions themselves are more often than not complete overkill in terms of what a small or medium sized business will need and utilize.

Why Zoho is a Solid Choice

  • You deserve a solution that is also robust in functionality and nuanced for your business, because you do! For SMB’s like you, Zoho is a great solution. 
  • This solution is less expensive to implement and has a lower total cost of ownership.
  • Customization using rapid development platforms like Zoho Creator means the applications are built to suit your business.
  • Zoho is accessible. It is built and designed with the SMB in mind. Custom fields and new reports couldn’t be simpler. Drag and drop functions make it easy to use and customize for yourself, all with enterprise functionality. 

In our industry, it’s common to hear that many technology implementations end in low user adoption. Overly complicated and cumbersome software solutions cause users to become bogged down. They don’t fit into the workflow. However, when you build your system to address the nuances of your business – and you consider users from every department in the build – you get better user adoption and a higher chance of success. For this reason, and many of the points discussed above, your budget and timeline will depend on the complexity of your requirements and depth of need. 

 

This is the long way to say, this is why we utilize the Business Process Analysis. We hope that an in depth look at business process management and field services software or ERP solutions  for contractors like you has been useful. If you’re interested in the next steps or have any questions, our Zoho Certified Consultants are ready to help – just get in touch!

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ERP Implementation for Manufacturing

Implementing the Best Manufacturing ERP Software: Achieving Excellence

Does your organization use manufacturing ERP software like Oracle, Sage100, or Netsuite? If not, or it’s time for a change, this article is for you.

You already know that manufacturing requires precision in almost every single case. Without your attention to precision, parts from the manufacturing floor will lack quality. Then, your supply chain will be disrupted, and eventually your end customers downstream and profits will suffer. 

For this very reason, it’s quite likely that your manufacturing operation uses and benefits from some type of process management – maybe you’re even using a manufacturing ERP software to keep operations in line.   

But if your process is currently a little soft or ambiguous, consider the losses in productivity and margin that are mounting with every passing day.

Is it time to reign in operations and get control of your business?

We’re here to help you understand how Zoho ERP solutions can be the keystone to smoothly and successfully capturing the details of your manufacturing and/or distribution business. Furthermore, we want to show you how to take advantage of the data you’ll have with a Zoho implementation fit for manufacturing and distribution organizations.

In this article we’ll break down the process of working with ZBrains to implement a software solution that can give organizational visibility, and foster success. Let’s take a closer look at the ‘what,’ ‘why,’ and ‘how’ of the importance of Manufacturing ERP software.

What function does Manufacturing ERP software serve?

Keeping operations running smoothly is just one aspect of an ERP, but from the top down, you could say it’s a foremost consideration. This organizational efficiency coupled with the ability to keep your fingers on the pulse of your most important KPI’s is where the true power of ERP software is recognized.

“Manufacturing ERP refers to Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software and systems used to plan, manage and deliver specific functionalities that support manufacturers and manufacturing business operations.”   – qad.com

[caption id="attachment_4950" align="alignright" width="450"]ERP software supports precision in manufacturing Manufacturing requires precision. Without it, product quality suffers, supply chain is disrupted, and customers downstream and profits suffer. [/caption]

What is Business Process Management?

To start – and this is probably already a known for you if you’re in the manufacturing industry – we’re sharing a high-level definition of business process management:

“The Association of Business Process Management Professionals defines BPM as:

Business process management (BPM) is a disciplined approach to identify, design, execute, document, measure, monitor, and control both automated and non-automated business processes to achieve consistent, targeted results aligned with an organization’s strategic goals.” – wikipedia 


What types of problems can good business processes solve?

It’s clear even in this short definition how an accurate, and smartly implemented business process is important. However, now you consider the phases – identify, design, execute, document, measure, monitor, and control – apply them to the departments responsible for each facet in your own organization, and ask:

  • Are you sharing data between departments? Or is it siloed?
  • How many software systems are you using currently? 
  • Is the handoff from one department or process to another seamless?
  • Is some of your information getting lost or not considered at a global level?
  • Can your software solution help you make the most of your available resources?

If you’re considering the progress you could make by implementing solutions for any of the above questions, you’re right on track. 

What are the Benefits Of Standardized Processes?
Here are 8 of them. 

1) Increased productivity is a given. 

Imagine a solution that could speed up order times, allowing you to fulfill faster. Or what if resources spent less time with double-data entry. What would this do to your org’s productivity factor?

2) Standardization equals quality control. 

Standardization makes your business planning more straightforward. Furthermore, the extrapolated benefits include a more streamlined training/onboarding process.

[caption id="attachment_4949" align="alignleft" width="450"]Zoho ERP fosters internal collaboration Transparency in your organization help your teams identify best-in-class best practices, remove redundancies, and share expertise across departments more easily.[/caption]

3) Make internal collaboration simpler.

When an ERP helps to eliminate siloed information, your teams can begin to collaborate on a deeper level. Transparency in your organization helps your teams identify best-in-class best practices, remove redundancies, and share expertise across departments more easily. 

4) You can reduce costs. 

Insight into your manufacturing and distribution data can help you identify and eliminate redundancy, and find areas of material and labor waste.

5) Did you realize you can also gain insight into your customer through analyzing your business processes?  

Find the places where processes might require modifications to better support your customers. As a result, they are more satisfied and you have created return business. And for most businesses, it’s less expensive to keep the customer you have than it is to find a new one.

6) It can help you adapt to changing times.

You don’t have to operate your business on gut feeling, but instead rely on instinct and data together! Plan your changes, implement them, and use metrics you’ve captured to measure the results. Then with the data in mind, create incremental changes toward improvement! All of this is possible with the right manufacturing ERP.

7) Stay ahead of your competition. 

When you are spending less time chasing processes, and more time working, you actually gain productive time. With more productive time, you can focus on the innovations that move your business ahead of your competition. 

8) Utilize a single source of truth for compliance, security, and safety. 

Speaking to many of the points above, standardized processes help in business operations beyond the manufacturing process, and Zoho can help tie everything together with a single source of truth. Solutions from Zoho take pride in security protocols for their softwares, but this translates to your business overall.

Now, if you’ve made it this far, you’re likely a serious candidate for Zoho’s manufacturing ERP solution. And maybe you’re also convinced that ZBrains is the certified Zoho Partner to assist in your implementation. Let’s keep the conversation going!

What is a ZBrains Business Process Analysis for Manufacturing and Distribution ERP solutions from Zoho?

Let’s talk about how an engagement with ZBrains begins – with a Business Process Analysis. We take all the reasoning and research described above, and have applied those same principles to our own assessments. Here’s what that looks like:

This is a BPA with ZBrains

The BPA, or business process analysis, is integral to all ZBrains consulting projects. Just like any other planning effort, it ensures a successful implementation that fits with your business processes.

You also know that the best way to solve a problem is to first fully understand the way a business runs. We start this by analyzing expectations and performance gaps in your business process. Next, we examine your business from the perspective of the world at large. Then, our experts determine what is working, what is not.  Finally, we decide which methods need to be introduced to change the fabric of your company.

We sit with your team to thoroughly review your sales, marketing, operations, and accounting processes to make sure we understand all requirements and current systems. The goal here is to consolidate your business operations into a centralized platform with Zoho as the hub. 

After the BPA, you receive expert recommendations on changes, augmentations or implementations required to meet your goals. We share a timeline, goals, and outline targets. You receive a strategy that can be executed with precision to create a successful business plan for the upcoming quarters and beyond.

This is how we work with Manufacturers and Distributors

Many of our clients are in manufacturing and distribution industries, and our speciality is small to medium businesses, just like yours. Here’s what a Business Process Analysis with ZBrains looks like for you:

We often work with a single champion, normally a President, Vice President, or other C-level representative of the company. And when we begin our intake sessions of a BPA, it’s of the utmost importance to bring in – and hear from – everyone in the organization who will be using the new manufacturing ERP software from Zoho. That includes: Sales and Estimating teams, Production, Inventory Management representatives, and Finance. 

The reason is to ensure that we get a global perspective of the business, and we find that this also encourages user adoption later on!

What information do we gather during a BPA?

During these sessions with each department or team representative, we collect a lot of detailed information about their processes. Discussions with your teams will often include the following:

[caption id="attachment_4951" align="alignright" width="450"]ZBrains BPA for manufacturing ERP Business process analysis is integral to all ZBrains consulting projects, and ensures a successful implementation that fits with your business processes.[/caption]

Sales and Estimating

We ask about your sales process. Then, we look at how your quotes or estimates are created and shared. How are you handling new leads, and how is existing business addressed? How do you measure success? And finally, what are the important KPI’s here?

Production

How do you procure goods? Are you purchasing or manufacturing parts? Do you have composite items and  a need for CPQ? What does is your current process for handling bill of materials, work orders,  and routing? How are you handling time tracking? We also get into your potential needs for planning capacity, batch/lot tracking, and on site maintenance, to name a few.

Inventory Management

We go into detail about your inventory management processes including current and desired states. Do you have multiple warehouses, mobile warehouses? How are you handling order fulfillment? What about installation or service components?

Finance

We’ll drill down to completely understand what information is required from your front office to back office. We include review of documents for customers, all the way through to which data is required in order to  generate executive reports. 

Other Integrations

During consultation, we’ll also ask about your current integrations to determine compatibility and to see if any new integrations could benefit your business processes. Some of the Zoho integrations commonly used by manufacturing and distribution organizations include: ShipStation, TaxJar, Avalara, QuickBooks (Online and Desktop), and Xero for example. 

Establishing Budget and Timeline for Manufacturing and Distribution ERP Software Implementation

[caption id="attachment_4952" align="alignleft" width="450"]Zoho ERP for manufacturing SMB Zoho is built and designed for SMB (Small and Medium-Sized Businesses). Lower total cost of ownership and an accessible startup cost make it a clear choice.[/caption]

A large business who is taking on system implementation for major softwares, can often anticipate a six-figure implementation cost, along with another five figures for service costs. And that’s because these softwares are incredibly robust, and very powerful enterprise tools. We understand that for a small or medium business like yours, this is simply out of the question. These projects can be extremely cost prohibitive, and the solutions themselves are more often than not complete overkill in terms of your needs.

  • Not to say you don’t deserve a solution that is also robust in functionality and nuanced for your business, because you do! For SMB’s like you, Zoho is a great solution. 
  • It’s less expensive to implement and has a lower total cost of ownership.
  • Zoho applications are built to suit your business through customization using rapid development platforms like Zoho Creator.
  • Zoho is accessible. They built and designed it with the SMB in mind. Need a custom field? A new report? Drag and drop functions make it easy to use and customize for yourself, all with enterprise functionality. 

In our industry, it’s known that a large portion of technology projects have a low user adoption. Users become bogged down because the projects are overly complicated. When you can build your system to address nuances of your business  – and consider user feedback in the build – you get better user adoption and a higher chance of success. For this reason, and many of the points discussed above, your budget and timeline will depend on the complexity of your requirements and depth of need. 

This is why we utilize the Business Process Analysis. Hopefully, this in depth look at business process management and manufacturing ERP softwares has been useful. If you’re interested in the next steps or have any questions, our Zoho Certified Consultants are ready to help – just get in touch!

Connect with Us

Creative Thinking with Zoho

Zoho Applications: Creative Problem-Solving for Field Services

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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Should you choose Zoho FSM or FieldTech?

Should you dive into Zoho FSM?

zoho fsm or fieldtech

In 2019, we got the first glimmerings of a new Zoho app called Zoho FSM, or Field Service Management.  Now over halfway through 2020, Zoho has been slowly–very slowly!–opening the gates to this app and allowing both Zoho partners and users to test it.

And of course, the testing phase is part of any successful app rollout, especially when it’s something brand-new like Zoho field service management.  Zoho has toed the ERP waters before with their combination of Zoho Books and Inventory.  However, Zoho FSM is their first foray into something even grander, something that could dovetail onto that stack and turn Zoho into a real ERP contender.  The question is: Is Zoho FSM enough?

If you’ve known Zoho for any length of time, you know that improving their software continuously is one of their strong points.  They’re one of the companies that seem to lead in this category, giving you real value every time you renew your monthly subscription to one of their apps.  As opposed to some companies, whose software you may use every month, but it’s basically the same software–and, additions of new fields in a module are cause for New Release! announcements.

Hot Take: How do we feel so far?

Even with knowing all this, it’s tough to say how quickly Zoho FSM will be able to deliver on its promise.  But, we at ZBrains are hoping Zoho is able to push this app out to market quickly.

Now… that may seem like a strange comment for someone unfamiliar with what we do at ZBrains.  But, to explain: we don’t just provide Zoho consulting services here.  We’ve actually developed a whole ERP framework for Zoho called FieldTech.

So, at first glance, it would appear that this field service management app from Zoho is in direct competition with the FieldTech offering.  And, sure, in some ways, it is.  But, not in all ways, as we’ll discuss soon.

zoho fsm or fieldtech

So, why is the addition of Zoho FSM a good thing?

It’s a good thing because it gives you, as someone who may want us to help you one day, one more potential option for your field services, construction, manufacturing, or tech business to use as a field service management platform.  Connect that to your Zoho CRM, and suddenly managing your entire business through Zoho doesn’t seem so insurmountable.

Of course, we’d love for you to use our FieldTech offering.  But, we understand it may not be for everyone.  Zoho Field Service Management seems to be geared more towards scheduling appointments or work orders, work order management, and invoices related to those WOs.  FieldTech, on the other hand, tackles those areas and adds the possibility of custom quoting, advanced inventory management, shop orders, job costing, and commission calculation.  So, whereas Zoho FSM is one single app, FieldTech has a Service Order Management component–and a suite of other, connected field service apps.

The costs of using FieldTech versus Zoho field service management are different, too.  Zoho Field Service Management offers a price per appointment model, whereas FieldTech’s pricing is per user.  If a company needed to decide between the two platforms based on pricing alone, it’s hard to see which way the org would go.  At least so far.

But, essentially, as long as you’re using a Zoho service to manage your field service business, that’s a victory for us.

Does this mean we’re going to stop developing FieldTech?

Quite the contrary!  We aren’t privy to Zoho’s overarching vision for this app, or vision for any other apps they may want to connect to it in the future.  If Zoho stopped at just field service management, that would be fine.  But, as you can probably tell by the host of other features inside FieldTech, we’ve never intended to stop there with that suite.  We improve the platform on a weekly basis, and it’s only a matter of time until we release some new apps for the suite.

We’re guessing that Zoho’s FSM app will work well for users with a simpler use case.  And, our FieldTech Service Order Management app will work better for organizations with more complicated needs–either just for field service management, or organization-wide.

Exploring whether Zoho FSM is a suitable choice for your business

The testing phase is a crucial aspect of a successful app rollout, particularly when it involves something as innovative as Zoho Field Service Management. Zoho, already known for its ERP tools like Zoho Books and Inventory, is taking a significant step forward with Zoho FSM, aiming to position itself as a formidable ERP contender.

Can Zoho FSM meet your needs effectively?

If you’re familiar with Zoho’s track record, you know that continuous improvement is at the core of their software development philosophy. Unlike some companies that offer stagnant software, Zoho consistently enhances its applications. This commitment ensures that Zoho FSM will evolve to meet the changing demands of businesses.

Considering Zoho’s commitment to improvement, what can you expect from Zoho FSM in the future?

To provide a clearer picture, let’s compare ZBrains‘ FieldTech and Zoho FSM. While Zoho FSM focuses on scheduling appointments, managing work orders, and related invoicing, FieldTech goes a step further. It offers features such as custom quoting, advanced inventory management, shop orders, job costing, and commission calculations.

The addition of Zoho FSM is a positive development for businesses. It offers an additional option for managing field services, whether your business is in construction, manufacturing, or technology. Integrating it with Zoho CRM simplifies the management of your entire operation.

How does the introduction of Zoho FSM benefit businesses?

Looking ahead, both Zoho FSM and FieldTech have their unique strengths. Zoho FSM may suit simpler use cases, while FieldTech excels in complex scenarios. Zoho’s vision for FSM may evolve, and the choice between the two depends on your organization’s specific requirements.

What should you keep in mind while picking between Zoho FSM and FieldTech?

It’s also critical to stay up to date with Zoho’s continuous improvements in this area. At ZBrains, we provide a free introductory consultation to help you make informed decisions about Zoho FSM, FieldTech, or any other Zoho service that may have an influence on your organization.Here are some actionable steps you can take regarding Zoho FSM.

In conclusion, the introduction of Zoho FSM represents a strategic move aligned with Zoho’s commitment to innovation and continuous improvement. It presents an opportunity for businesses to streamline their field service management processes and integrate them into a comprehensive ecosystem. Ultimately, your choice between Zoho FSM and FieldTech will depend on your organization’s unique needs and goals.

What should you do with regards to Zoho FSM?

zoho fsm or fieldtech

If you have access to the app, test it!  We’ll certainly be doing the same.  Any experience you have on the Zoho platform will help you make a more informed choice about which apps will work best for you.

As always, we will keep you in the loop about any Zoho FSM developments.  And, when the full version of the app finally comes out, rest assured we’ll provide a full breakdown of features, as well as an official comparison between FSM and FieldTech.

If you’re still a little in the dark about what to do, get in touch with us for a free introductory consultation, where we can talk about how FSM, FieldTech, or any other Zoho app would potentially affect your business.

Should you use Zoho Finance or FieldTech?

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.

Team members gather to discuss the benefits of job costing

Maximizing Profits: How Job Costing Solutions and Zoho ERP Can Help

Zoho ERP with ZBrains Job Costing Extension: Advantages

zoho erp job costing

Job costing is a phenomenal way for businesses owners to stay on top of their finances and ensure they are on budget across all projects. The ZBrains Zoho Job Costing Appbuilt by our Zoho Creator experts, offers businesses of varying industries a pathway towards greater financial management and allocation of resources. When performed correctly, job costing ensures employees are being utilized smartly. Traditionally, job costing is associated with manufacturing and construction companies. However,  service companies (law firms, accounting businesses, and private investment companies) also have a lot to gain from this application. Plus, medical services businesses, film studios, and retail companies likewise can utilize job costing to great effect.

Streamline Workflow: Quotes, Proposals, and Planning Made Easy

Companies often rely on multiple software platforms to track expensesThe Advantages of Using Zoho ERP with the ZBrains Job Costing Extension and coordinate their budget planning.  The beauty of our job costing app is having all your data conveniently housed in one place. Want to adjust a proposal to include more line items within a single deal? Done. Looking to monitor the work load for multiple employees? You got it. This application takes all expenses into account, including labor, materials, and employee wages, to give you an accurate picture of your business as a whole. Planning for the future is easier with Zoho Job Costing as a result, because you can see the true cost of every job. For a great job costing example, see this job costing example.

Organize your Team and their Individual Workflows

[caption id="attachment_3417" align="alignright" width="500"]zoho erp job costing workflow Photo Credit: Stand With Main Street[/caption]

Any great manager can speak to the difficulty of monitoring multiple team members at once, and this app significantly eases that process. See where your efforts are pointed, and re-assign team members as needed. Perhaps you have a go-to worker for smaller, short window projects and another ace in the hole for complex, longer term projects — the job costing module lets you track their progress and add to their plates as you see fit. Another aspect to consider is the speed of a worker compared to another. This job costing app enables you to assign a junior employee to a lower priority project and a senior specialist to a project that needs to be completed as quickly as possible.

Optimize your Business Strategy

As with any great tool, the way you use it determines how much value you extract from it. So it is with the job costing module: when used to its full potential business owners can see how their resources are being utilized. For example, maybe there is an uptick in jobs requiring stone, or a decline in jobs requiring lumber. With the job costing module you can take stock of your resources and adjust as needed. This makes life easier for you and your employees and helps you avoid resource shortages and surpluses alike. Job costing is but one element, one spoke in the wheel that is Zoho ERP Software, which helps your business sync with inventory, order management, and financial data.

zoho erp job costing integration

Zoho integration: The ultimate advantage

Above all else, the reason you’ll want to consider the Zoho Job Costing tool we’ve developed is its deep integration with Zoho CRM.  By using our Zoho integration and allowing the two systems to communicate, you’ll be opening your employees’ eyes to a much easier method of calculating job costs.  Integration allows for data to be synced between systems at the very least, eliminating double-entry.  And, at most, you could even access the Zoho Creator Job Costing module from inside the CRM, for a truly unified user experience.

If you have questions about this Job Costing module, another Zoho Creator app in our arsenal, or anything related to CRM or Zoho customization, we’re happy to lend you an ear.  Contact us today and a certified Zoho consultant will get back to you as quickly as possible.

4 Common Problems Manufactuers Face and how zoho and zbrains can solve them

Solving Top 4 Manufacturer Problems: Zoho Applications by ZBrains

zoho manufacturing

Manufacturer problems can range from supply chain management to quality control issues. However, with the right solutions in place, these challenges can be overcome, and businesses can thrive.

Manufacturers play a crucial role in producing goods, yet many struggle to reach their full potential due to internal problems. These challenges, although controllable, can be difficult to address and hinder business success.

Zoho & ZBrains: Enhancing Manufacturing Solutions

Lack of Lean Manufacturing Methodology

Lean may be the way to go for some. Businesses may struggle with outdated production methods, inventory exchanges, large lots, and subpar quality. Many of these manufacturer problems stem from a simple need for a system to help manage production correctly. Lean manufacturing systems can turn a struggling business around and boost sales while increasing productivity. Zoho Inventory can help manage inventory in multiple warehouses. The more robust Zoho Creator ERP can help you order your raw materials more effectively, manage your picking, and even optimize your production routing, all ultimately helping to reduce wasted product and time.

zoho manufacturing forecasting mobile

Subpar Forecasting

If you don’t know who’s buying what and when they’re buying it, you’re left with too much or too little to move your product at the correct pace. Future forecasting in Zoho Inventory gives you better visibility into what is needed with custom dashboards and fewer data inputs. Insights into customer trends and demands provide valuable feedback into your optimal reorder point and can help you use older inventory as needed. Data-driven insights help you understand your customers on a whole new level, allowing for more accurate forecasting of the material needs for production.

Bad Customer Experience, Leading to Worse Business Experience

Are you getting your customers what they want, when they want? Online reviews and instant gratification have increased consumer input. Insufficient data and slow turnaround can hurt sales. At times, products are even sent to market without proper development because of manufacturer problems somewhere else in the supply chain, and you’re left to pick up the slack. Maybe you have a supplier that doesn’t suit your operation anymore. These are all common issues that can contribute to a less-than-stellar customer experience. However, a tool like Zoho CRM can give you the visibility you need to gauge the overall health of your manufacturing or distribution business. It can directly help your sales staff engage your customers and vendors – and, in the process, help you see where to improve things.

zoho manufacturing chart

Resistance to R&D

Changing the way your business operates to adapt to the technological environment may seem daunting if you’re not already ahead of the curve, and using a streamlined ERP solution to manage your inventory and orders ERP solution to manage your inventory and orders, changing the way your business operates to adapt technological environment may seem daunting. Why bother if resistance from your team or adaptation to new technology will only take away from the primary goal of delivering a product? Adopting new technology to fuel your business isn’t just a set-it-and-forget-it phase; it requires continuous input and adaptability. But, when done correctly, you’ll find your business flows like never before, with less waste and even less money spent!

At ZBrains, we’re here to help you face all these problems head-on with the help of our Zoho certified consultants and our slew of software solutions.  Are you interested in learning more? Reach out to a member of our team today! Call us at (888) 207-4111 or click the button below, and we’ll contact you.

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The ZBrains Fit and Partnership Business Growth with Zoho

The ZBrains Fit – A Partnership Focused On Your Growth

When it comes to choosing a Zoho partner to be your number one resource for all things Zoho, you already know you have options – pages and pages of them, according to Zoho’s list of resellers.  We’re acutely aware of this, and we’re so glad we have your attention right now.  Knowing you have so many options means we’ve had to go to great lengths to differentiate ourselves from other firms – and, having spent nearly six years as a Zoho partner, we can confidently say we offer just the service you need to ensure your success on the platform. Whether it’s a customized consulting session, a made-to-order automated solution, or even an integration to a third-party system, we’re committed to growing your business with Zoho.

Unlock Success with Our Zoho Implementation Partnership

zoho surveyConsulting Services

As a Zoho Premium Partner and Zoho Certified Consultancy, we focus on expertise, impact, and efficiency. We aim to bridge the gap between a business’ needs and available technology solutions, bringing a specialized skill set that enables you to make smart technology investments, improve your practices, and save time and money. Our Business Process Analysis (BPA) aims to increase your company’s efficiency, using the Zoho stack as a framework, and ensure a successful implementation by allowing us to truly understand your sales and operations processes with an in-depth review and analysis. And, with a range of options for your other Zoho needs, we are here to maximize your potential!

zoho surveyZoho ERP

Not all businesses are alike, and this is especially true of manufacturers and distributors. With Zoho ERP software, you’ll be able to customize every aspect order management and vendor tracking with the power of Zoho Creator, as well as generate accurate insight into performance by syncing with inventory and financial data. Zoho ERP is the solution for businesses who are seeking to create efficiency, automate processes, gain insights and more.  Update: Zoho ERP has evolved into the FieldTech suite, which packs all the features above and more.  It’s great for businesses in field services, construction, manufacturing/distribution, and tech/SaaS.

zoho surveyIntegrations and Custom Solutions

We are proud to have a team of developers and strategists who are focused on solving any problem that comes our way.  Having this team in our very own office means we can think of solutions and build them relatively quickly. In fact, this is how we created custom add-ons like our Commission Calculator and our SmartScheduler. We also provide completely customized integrations to programs like QuickBooks Desktop, Online, and Sage Intacct, and we provide even more plugin power for Google Apps, and more.

zoho surveyTeam Training and Support

When it comes to an implementation of any kind, if your staff is not trained on the new software system, they won’t know what to do once the job is over and the consultant is gone. With the ZBrains team, you don’t have to worry about that! We offer training on Zoho applications to ensure that your team has everything it needs to be fully on board. We work with every level of management to ensure success, and even provide annual support plans for that extra push you might need throughout the year.

The ZBrains Team Members Zoho Consulting and Consultants

Want to learn more about us? Check out our one of our case studies here or here to learn about how we’ve helped them or Meet the Team!

Interested in learning more about Zoho? Give us a call at (888) 207-4111 or click the button below and we will contact you!

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