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Effortlessly Manage and Track Time with Zoho Desk Time Tracking

Published on: September 24, 2018Category: Zoho CRM, Zoho DeskLast Updated: August 16, 2023 Comments: 0

What exactly is Zoho Desk Timer?

When working on tasks or tickets in Zoho Desk, a web-based help desk software, think of the Zoho Desk Timer as your personal stopwatch or timer.

1. Tracking Time Automatically:

Consider having a timekeeper who starts the timer when you open a ticket in Zoho Desk and stops it when you finish an activity, such as writing a reply or posting a comment. It keeps track of the time spent on each task without requiring you to start or stop the timer manually.

2. Manual Time Recording:

Consider having complete control over the timing, much like an actual stopwatch. Manual time tracking requires you to start and stop the timer while you work on tickets or tasks in Zoho Desk. It allows you to track time based on your preferences and pause/resume when necessary.

3. Efficiency and simplicity:

The Zoho Desk Timer tries to make time tracking easier. It has a simple interface that allows you to effortlessly start, pause, resume, or reset the timer. It makes it easier to track your productivity by correctly quantifying the time spent on each ticket or job.

4. Billing Time Tracking:

Zoho Desk Timer, like a professional service provider that charges by the hour, allows you to add billable time entries to tickets. You can establish predetermined fees to make it easier to calculate and bill clients based on time spent.

Understanding these sub-components allows you to grasp how the Zoho Desk Timer functions as a time management tool, whether it’s automatically tracking time as you execute actions or allowing you to manually control and record your work hours. It streamlines the process and keeps you organized, whether you’re tracking time for personal productivity or billing.

Track Time Automatically or Manually with the Zoho Desk Timer

A recent upgrade to Zoho Desk has made this web-based help desk software even more valuable. Zoho Desk Time Tracking is the newest feature, allowing you to track time spent on tickets and add billable time entries based on predefined costs. The ease and efficiency of this new component is instantly identifiable — it’s such a no-brainer that you may wonder how Zoho Desk ever existed without it! We’ve spelled out the details of this streamlined process below:

The timer is a stopwatch on the top of the page that tracks the amount of time spent working on a ticket or task. Press pause and start to pause and resume the timer as needed. When you click pause, the accumulated time is held for you. You can restart the timer to pick up where you left off, or you can apply the accumulated time to your timesheet. There is also a refresh button to reset the timer, allowing you to start the timer over.

zoho desk time tracking

  • Timer displays accumulated time in the HH:MM:SS format, starting at the one-second mark
  • Timers can be run on multiple tickets simultaneously

Zoho Desk Time Tracking for Tasks

Simplicity is the name of the game, which is why tracking time for tasks is very similar to tickets. The chief difference? An administrator could restrict you from running the timer on multiple tasks at once. When this happens, a pop-up on the upper right area of the screen prompts you to submit the time spent on the current task before beginning the timer on the new one.

Zoho Desk Time Tracking for Tasks

Clicking “Yes” in the above box will submit the timer for the accumulated time for the current task and start the timer on the new task.

How to Track Active Timers

Although you could run the timer on multiple tickets and tasks, it’s useless if you don’t remember to stop and submit their time. When you have lots of work on your plate, paying extra attention to a timer is the last thing you want to do. That’s why Zoho Desk includes My Active Timers, a view that lists all of your active timers in the department. (Because let’s face it, multitasking is no longer just a mark of efficiency, it’s a way of life.)

zoho desk time tracking

To view your active timers:

1. Log into Zoho Desk
2. Check the Pending Activities icon zoho desk time tracking

3. A new window slides open on the right hand side of the screen

4. Click the My Active Timers iconzoho desk time tracking at the top of the window.

Your active timers along and their accumulated time are listed here. You can pause, stop or reset the timer corresponding to a ticket or a task from here.

Automatic Time Tracking for Tickets

In automatic tracking, the timer starts every time a ticket is opened in your browser and stops when an action is completed. The actions to be tracked are set up at the department level by your administrator. For example, sending a reply, drafting a response, leaving a comment, etc. If no action is completed the timer does not record an entry. Also, while you can pause, resume, and reset time on an automatic timer, you cannot stop or submit your time since it gets added once you complete an action on a ticket.

*The timer is visible only if your administrator has enabled your ability to view the timer under settings. Otherwise your time will be submitted in the background.*

Reviewing Time in Zoho Desk

If you started the timer one hour ago, but at some point you took a 15 minute break, you must discard this time before submitting it. That’s why Zoho Desk allows you to review and edit your time spent on a ticket. A pop-up window appears with the choice to submit or ignore the spent time. You have 10 seconds to review the time before it gets auto-submitted.

Reviewing Time in Zoho Desk

For example in the image above, you have 10 seconds from when the window appears to submit the accumulated time. Failure to do so will automatically submit the displayed time. However, if you need more than 10 seconds for review, click on the tracked time to remove the countdown and remain on the window.

*This review window is visible only if your administrator has enabled your ability to edit your time spent on tickets.*

**You cannot review or edit the time spent in manual Zoho Desk time tracking mode.**

The Significance of Time Tracking

Time management is fundamental to achieving business success in the modern world. Whether you’re a burgeoning startup or a well-established enterprise, understanding how time is allocated to tasks, projects, and customer interactions is imperative. Time tracking furnishes insightful data that informs decision-making, resource allocation, and process enhancement. With Zoho Desk Time Tracking, real-time visibility is at your fingertips, enabling the identification of bottlenecks and optimization of workflows.

Streamlined Task Management

Zoho Desk Time Tracking integrates seamlessly with your existing task management system, offering a holistic view of tasks, their statuses, and time allocation. This integration obviates the need for manual data entry, minimizing errors and saving valuable time. Whether tasks are assigned to your team, or you’re working on individual projects, Zoho Desk’s intuitive interface simplifies time logging against specific tasks. This ensures an accurate record of time distribution across diverse activities.

Boosting Productivity

A productive workforce is the bedrock of any successful business. Zoho Desk Time Tracking empowers your team to remain focused and efficient through real-time tracking and insights. As team members log their time, supervisors can monitor progress, identify roadblocks, and provide timely assistance. Furthermore, Zoho Desk’s reporting and analytics capabilities offer actionable individual and team performance insights. This data-driven approach allows you to celebrate accomplishments, address challenges, and implement strategies for enhanced productivity.

Effortless Customer Support

Exemplary customer support necessitates swift responses and efficient issue resolution. Zoho Desk Time Tracking revolutionizes this aspect. With its integrated time tracking features, your customer support agents can log the time spent on each customer interaction – from responding to inquiries to resolving intricate problems. This data aids in measuring the efficiency of your support team and also assists in setting realistic customer expectations. Analyzing time spent on different types of tickets allows you to optimize support processes, ensuring every customer receives stellar assistance.

Precise Billing and Invoicing

Precise time tracking is non-negotiable for businesses billing clients based on worked hours. Zoho Desk Time Tracking simplifies the billing process by providing accurate records of billable hours. This reduces disputes and enhances transparency with clients. Integrating time-tracking data with your invoicing system expedites invoice generation with precision. This streamlined approach saves time and cultivates a professional and trustworthy image of your business in the eyes of clients.

Flexibility in Remote Work

The modern work landscape is evolving, with remote work becoming increasingly prevalent. Zoho Desk Time Tracking accommodates this shift by offering remote access to the platform. Whether your team works from the office, home, or anywhere worldwide, they can effortlessly log their time and remain connected. This flexibility supports a remote workforce and ensures accurate time tracking, irrespective of geographical location.

Informed Decision Making

Informed decisions serve as the cornerstone of successful business operations. Zoho Desk Time Tracking equips you with the data needed for strategic choices. The platform’s reporting features offer insights into time allocation trends, team performance, and project timelines. By analyzing this data, you can make informed decisions regarding resource allocation, project prioritization, and process refinement. With Zoho Desk’s analytics, you can continually enhance your strategies for superior outcomes.

Conclusion

Effective time management is a critical asset in achieving business excellence. Zoho Desk Time Tracking presents a comprehensive solution for effortlessly managing and tracking time, enabling you to optimize productivity, enhance customer support, and make informed decisions. As businesses strive to maintain competitiveness and provide exceptional services, Zoho Desk’s time-tracking features emerge as a dependable ally on this journey. Embrace the capabilities of Zoho Desk Time Tracking and propel your business toward enhanced efficiency and success.

Maximize Business Processes with Zoho Flow

Maximize Your Business Processes with Zoho Flow

Published on: February 15, 2018Category: Certified Zoho Consultants, Zoho FlowLast Updated: June 14, 2021 Comments: 0

Even if it’s not immediately apparent, your business has all kinds of moving parts that contribute to its overall performance. Sometimes one bad part can bring down the whole lot. Even if you have a suite of Zoho apps that function like a well-oiled machine, if you aren’t automating simple workflow processes between apps, chances are you’re losing out on valuable productive work time.

With this in mind, Zoho has created Flow, a tool to do just that: help your business do what you want it to do with very little extra input by helping information flow across your third-party apps to your Zoho apps automatically! Zoho Flow brings the power of Zoho into even more of your business and allows for all sorts of optimization that wasn’t possible before, giving you the power to make the very most of your most significant and repetitive workflows.

 

Zoho Flow iconSix ways Zoho Flow helps you maximize your Business Processes

Within the workspace, you’ll find a handful of tools to keep your workflows organized and manageable. Here’s a breakdown of six key areas to get you started!

 

1) User-friendly Flows Custom Builder

Search and create new workflows in the Zoho Flow Builder Tab! Here, you can connect and integrate the key applications that your business uses. This dynamic builder helps you to visualize and customize your workflows as needed.

  • Begin by giving your workflow a name and description if desired.
  • Then use the easy drag-and-drop function to configure the apps you use, and the triggers, actions, and steps that follow.
  • Use Flow’s logic to create contextual workflows and introduce decision branches.
  • Build, configure, or edit your workflow by using four simple builder tools: Save, Auto Arrange, Undo, and Redo.

 

[caption id="attachment_3143" align="aligncenter" width="900"]Zoho Flow builder Zoho Flow’s dynamic builder helps you visualize and customize your workflows so you can connect and integrate the key applications that your business uses.[/caption]

2) Advanced Flow Design

Need to customize your integrations further? Zoho Flow allows you to get down to the nitty gritty using Zoho’s Deluge scripting language. Using the Customer Functions tool, you can solve your integration complications and create more detailed automated decisions.

Flow gives you the ability to use Deluge scripting for complex functions, workflow reformatting, and creation of advanced decision workflow trees. Whether you choose the simplified editor or custom function, Zoho Flow enhances visibility into your workflows and makes it easier to automate processes than ever before.

 

3) Data-driven Insights Dashboard

[caption id="attachment_3144" align="alignright" width="401"]zoho flow data-insights Get real-time data driven-insights about your workflows with Zoho Flow.[/caption]

Using Zoho Flow means you don’t have to sift through multiple applications and platforms to manage and track your business workflows. Keep track of total, live, paused, and drafted flows in the Dashboard.

You get full visibility of your processes and metrics to get real-time data driven-insights about your workflows, up to the current year’s execution success or failure rate.

Also, the Dashboard gives you actionable insights into your flows to help you determine what works best. As soon as a workflow isn’t executing properly, you’ll know, and you’ll be able to address it! View your top five flows and recent executions as well to stay on top of your business processes.

 

4) Monitor and Troubleshoot Flow History

[caption id="attachment_3145" align="alignleft" width="400"]zoho flow history-monitor Troubleshoot and fix any issues as they arise with the Zoho Flow history monitor.[/caption]

Every action of your workflows is recorded, making it convenient to track and troubleshoot what may have gone wrong. A centralized log of the history of each of your workflows helps you identify any actions and problems as they occur.

Then, apply filters to view a specific timeframe on the specific workflow in mind. As a result, this tool allows you to troubleshoot and fix any issues as they arise. You don’t have to wait until they occur again, or turn into bigger issues.

 

5) Coordinate and collaborate with your team

When building workflows across multiple teams, or across multiple departments, it’s important that you orchestrate your processes and functions together. Collaborate with your team, and save time with the ability to add members to your flows, and build workflows that will benefit everyone involved. Manage the members of your team and decide their user-level and deactivate, reactivate, or remove members. Your team can also share, unshare, test, and reconnect connections to limit and allow the flow of data as needed.

 

6) Explore Templates and Apps in the Flow Gallery

Wondering if there’s an app you aren’t using yet that will maximize your control and automate your business to perfection? Zoho has identified common workflows and created convenient templates for you to explore and use if you see fit.

The gallery has over 90 applications (and counting) to choose from, and 200 templates (or Flows) that cover the most important automations. You can explore ideas and solutions you may not have thought of on your own. This growing collection features the bios, triggers, and actions of all the apps available that you can use to simplify your business’s workflow processes. And from Zoho, here are 9 useful flows for project management automation!

 

[caption id="attachment_3146" align="aligncenter" width="900"]Zoho flow gallery Explore ideas and solutions you may not have thought of on your own with templates and apps in the Flow gallery![/caption]

 

 

Interested in learning more about Zoho Flow?

Reach out to a member of our team today! We’re Zoho Certified Consultants here to help! 

 

Connect with a Consultant

 

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The Zoho, ZBrains, and Field Service Relationship

Published on: January 25, 2018Category: Certified Zoho Consultants, Zoho CRM, Zoho IntegrationsLast Updated: April 17, 2023 Comments: 0

What is Zoho Field Service and how does it relate to ZBrains? Discover the importance of their offerings for field service companies and improved customer experience.

zoho field services architect

What is Zoho?

Zoho is a cloud-based business suite geared to optimize your business by automating processes.  Zoho encompasses not just customer management, but finance, project management, and a host of other business needs.  Using all these apps effectively can be a lot to handle – and to boot, last year Zoho introduced Zoho One, its entire suite of 35+ apps, in one platform.  This has given users access to many more apps than before, many with overlapping functionality. Discovering the potential of different Zoho apps can be overwhelming amidst daily office or field work.

Who are ZBrains?

ZBrains is a Zoho Premium Partner that focuses on adding value to Zoho’s existing ecosystem, with a focus on field services companies.  Our services include process consulting and training on various apps, providing integrations to different third-party apps, and even implementing custom add-ons to automate setting service appointments, optimize service or delivery routes, create mobile work orders, and even calculate commissions.  Our in-house developers and consultants make sure you have an open line of communication to our home office.

Find out below how the union of Zoho & ZBrains is beneficial for your field service business:

zoho field services mobile devices

Integration

Imagine this: a field technician arrives at an appointment to meet with a customer, only to discover he is unprepared: A communication error in your scheduling department has caused him to bring improper materials to the appointment. This situation likely not only upsets your customer, but can also have a negative impact on your bottom line. Thus, having all elements of your business integrated is essential: It helps to avoid miscommunications and eliminates human error caused by manually transferring information. According to Field Technologies online,  “the most important concept in field service management is integration.” Here at ZBrains, we can help you do this with Zoho solutions tailor-made for your unique business needs.

Automation

By automating your general workflow with Zoho Field Service, you can let your software do the grunt work and keep the hard decisions for yourself. With Zoho One, you have access to apps that not only help your CRM run smoothly but can help you in all areas of your business.

Mobile-Readiness

Increased real-time information is the unity of the cloud and mobile devices. If you’re out in the field, it’s important that you stay apprised of any scheduling changes or updated client information. Zoho has developed their apps to work with you wherever you may be accessing them through your phone, tablet, or other device!  To match this, we’ve made our Zoho SmartScheduler to work on all mobile devices as well! It will schedule your appointments for you, taking into account parameters you set, including territories and areas of expertise. With drive time calculation and Google Maps integration for drive time calculation, it’s the only scheduling optimization tool you need!

zoho field services happy customer

Better customer experience

Integrating and automating systems boosts data accuracy and productivity across departments for faster response times.. Accurate on-the-go info keeps customers engaged. Integration, automation, and mobility allow for relationship building. When they’re happy, you get more referrals and repeat business, leading to a healthy bottom line.

ZBrains is able to ascertain just how Zoho can be best used for your business by engaging you in an exploratory consulting session called a Business Process Analysis.  In this session, a ZBrains consultant takes full stock of your business and can recommend a Zoho solution that is customized for your business – and then, construct the resulting system according to that vision.

 

Interested in learning more? Reach out to a member of our team today! We are Zoho Certified Consultants here to help! Give us a call at (888) 207-4111 or click the button below and we’ll reach out to you. You can also register for our upcoming Stump the Chump webinar tomorrow, Friday, Jan. 26th at 9 am PST. Ask your Zoho questions, and if you stump us, we’ll buy you coffee!

 

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Generate More Leads with the Zoho WordPress Plugin

Published on: January 20, 2018Category: Certified Zoho Consultants, Zoho CRMLast Updated: July 1, 2024 Comments: 0

Generate more leads with Zoho’s WordPress plugin, which integrates your website with Zoho CRM to track visitor behavior and capture leads directly into your CRM system.

Your business’ website provides clients, or potential clients, with the best information for them to make informed decisions. There are many ways for them to land on your page, but do you have a sense for why they are landing there? For example, are they researching their options, or are they already motivated buyers? Considering 79% of leads never convert into sales, and underdeveloped lead nurturing tactics are often to blame, it’s important for you to know your lead conversion rate.

Understanding and capturing the visitors to your website is crucial to maximizing your website as a functional sales tool. Making it easy for your potential clients to get in touch with you is crucial, and no one understands this better than both Zoho and WordPress. The two have teamed up to introduce a new Lead Magnet update! Now, you never have to miss the window of opportunity to capture and qualify a lead to close a sale!  

zoho wordpress new lead magnet

Improve Lead Conversion with Zoho WordPress Plugin

Quality Information, Faster Response

The conversion rate yardstick is not static, as it depends on your business’ definition of a qualified lead. For some, it may just be an email address, but for others, you may want to know the size or location of the business, the needs, or the authority of the person in contact with you, among other factors. With the Zoho CRM forms plugin for WordPress, you can easily create forms using Zoho CRM webforms or the Contact form 7 plugin. The lead information that’s entered is automatically pushed into your CRM. You’ll never miss an incoming lead, and even better, you’ll be equipped to respond to them faster!

Customize Forms

Every business is unique, and so it follows that the information you collect from your prospects is unique as well. This plugin takes that into account and allows for mapping custom fields from the Leads module of your CRM.  However, the plugin does not limit you to only capturing lead information. With this new lead magnet plugin, you can send information to custom modules created in the CRM, so everything a prospect or contact can tell you is recorded properly.

Simple Installation, Configuration & Use

zoho wordpress new lead magnet

You can install the Zoho CRM forms plugin from the WordPress plugin marketplace with just a few easy clicks. After that, creating a form from the plugin interface incredibly simple. It’s light on code, so you’ll only need to do a few drag & drops and copy-pastes, then your form short-code will be ready for use anywhere on your WP site.  If you’re already on Zoho CRM and host your website from WordPress, the new lead magnet plugin is free to use!

Interested in learning more? Reach out to a member of our team today! We are Zoho Certified Consultants here to help! Give us a call at (888) 207-4111 or click the button below and we’ll reach out to you. You can also register for our upcoming Stump the Chump webinar on Friday, Jan. 26th at 9 am PST. Ask your Zoho questions, and if you stump us, we’ll buy you coffee!

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Scale Your Business to Excellence with Zoho ERP

Published on: January 17, 2018Category: Certified Zoho Consultants, Zoho CreatorLast Updated: May 16, 2023 Comments: 0

Revolutionize Your Business Operations: Scale to Excellence with Zoho ERP

When it comes to scaling your business with Zoho, lots of kinds of businesses have a good trajectory – but, that’s not always the case for manufacturers and distributors.  Out of the box, many of Zoho’s apps, even Zoho Books and Inventory, simply don’t stand up to the customization needs of those kinds of businesses, so those companies are forced to either limp along with lackluster procedures and reporting, or pack up and go elsewhere entirely.

But, a proper ERP solution doesn’t have to be outside Zoho at all, in fact.  Zoho ERP harnesses all the power of Zoho Creator to do the things that regular Zoho apps don’t do.  That is, it takes the best of what’s already there and customizes it to make it even better.  Many business owners know exactly what they need their systems to do, but just don’t know how to get them in place.  Would you benefit from having an ERP add-on to manage your orders and inventory?

Here are four ways Zoho ERP picks up the slack and helps you take back control of your business.

Order Management

Zoho ERP’s ability to split purchase orders into multiple sales orders, and to split a single sales order into multiple purchase orders, comes in handy for many manufacturers and distributors.  The add-on allows for storing unused line items in their own repositories, and then picking your preferred vendors from a list for any given item.  Then, you can send them off to be fulfilled with just a click.  Additionally, Zoho ERP fills the gap that Zoho Books leaves open, which is customizing products at the line item level (for freight amounts and the like).

Synchronization

Zoho ERP being built on the Zoho Creator platform means syncing with any back-office software that has an accessible API. From buying inventory to shipping goods, you can track all data across platforms, from start to finish, so you can keep your company moving as smoothly as possible.  Among the objects you can integrate: Receipt of goods, purchase orders, and bills.  Zoho ERP connects with your Zoho CRM as well, giving enhanced visibility to certain users directly inside the CRM, so you never have to have multiple tabs open.

Fulfillment

All the fulfillment data you need are right at your fingertips with Zoho ERP.  The system not only tracks inventory on hand, but also the inventory you need to purchase in order to fulfill upcoming orders.  Zoho ERP can even take past PO history, along with SO, Quote, and Invoice history, and use that to project future needs for your business, saving valuable time every time you run a report.

Insights

Understanding your customer is one of the more important aspects of running a business. Without them, would you even be in business?  With data collected from sales orders and invoices, shipping and return information, as well as key customer information and communication tracking, you’ll have a better understanding of how to scale your business to better serve your customers, resulting in more positive results and ROI.

Here’s what our clients say:

Interested in learning more? Reach out to a member of our team today! We are Zoho Certified Consultants here to help! Give us a call at (888) 207-4111 or contact us and we’ll reach out to you. 

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Zoho Projects Review: Enhanced Dependencies & Gantt Chart

Published on: January 12, 2018Category: Certified Zoho Consultants, Zoho ProjectsLast Updated: July 1, 2024 Comments: 0

Zoho Projects: Enhanced Dependencies and Gantt Chart Features

Before project-based business software headed to the cloud and became the flexible family of apps we know today – like Zoho – lots of companies were forced to bend to the will of their software, and had procedural problems because of that.  Businesses handling lots of projects have been hampered by a limited way to visualize task dependencies, non-intuitive reporting, and a general lack of integration with other apps.  In some cases, companies have even found it easier to simply track projects with spreadsheets – and, that comes with its own host of issues.  What can a company in that situation do?

Fortunately, Zoho has revamped their Projects app to bring those very elements to the businesses that need it the most.  The updated Zoho Projects includes better reporting, more task dependencies, and a host of integrations that make data flow automatic, so you can focus on doing real work.

Here’s a rundown of the new features in Projects.

Enhanced Gantt Charts

The success of any project is ultimately measured by two questions: Was it on time, and was it within budget? In project management, these two conditions are managed by a tool called the Gantt chart. The updates to Zoho Projects has enhanced their already great Gantt charts.

Supports all Task Dependencies

Gantt charts organize tasks based on dependencies, and they help you visualize a critical chain of tasks that have to be completed as assigned in order to keep a project moving at its scheduled pace. Inevitably, when projects start creeping outside of their timelines, rising costs come with them, so it’s important to keep on top of tasks as closely as possible. Zoho Projects has always been a great tool to manage Finish to Start dependencies, but is now prepared to provide four more!

Here’s a refresher on the five task dependencies now supported in Zoho Projects.

Finish to Start – A task or activity is unable to start until a previous task or activity that it is dependent on has finished. For example, in a construction project, you can’t install a door or window until the framing is finished.

Start to Start – A task or activity must start before another activity can begin. For example, furniture can’t be installed until carpet installation has begun.

Finish to Finish – A task or activity must be finished before another activity can finish. For example, a new electric dryer can’t be tested before the proper electrical wiring had been placed.

Start to Finish – An activity must start before another activity finishes. For example, old plumbing pipe must be removed before new pipe can be set in its place.

Unscheduled Tasks – Predefined dependencies for tasks that don’t have a start or end date.

View and Edit Dependencies with Ease

The new Gantt Chart eliminates the Dependency Tab from Zoho Projects. Now, you can view, edit, and reorder your dependencies by clicking and dragging between the Jump to task bar icons in the left panel. The dependency graph is also available in the Task Details page, where you can view and edit the dependencies that a task shares with other tasks. You can even set your preferred or most frequently used dependency types as defaults by going to the Setup page and choosing Task and Timesheet under Org Settings. It is here that you can also decide which actions should occur when a task is advanced, postponed, or rescheduled.

Project Timeline Gantt Chart

Every great tool is made better when it provides valuable feedback into the health of your business. In this case, the new Project Timeline Gantt chart update provides insight into the progress and health of your projects. You can quickly get a clear visual of your projects and upcoming milestones, and even get all details of a task, including: percentage complete, duration, start date, end date, and owner. The Gantt bars show the lengths of time your projects span and how far along they are, while an easy drag-and-drop helps you reschedule tasks if needed. You can also edit tasks and milestones directly inside the Gantt chart, saving from you having to switch to another view.

Manage your People, and your Meetings

All, successful projects depend on a host of other factors in conjunction with a well-laid schedule. Zoho Projects is prepared to help you manage them that much better! Every project needs manpower, but scheduling the correct people has historically had to be handled separately—until now.

Zoho People Integration

Zoho People now integrates with Projects! This allows for both vacation and time-off requests, as well as managerial approval, all within one platform. It also allows for enhanced visibility and mitigates issues that may arise when your workers are unavailable. Work can be reallocated, as employee leave data is reflected in both the Project Calendar and Resource Utilization chart.

Zoho Meetings Integration

The new Zoho Projects not only helps you manage your team better, but it also helps you manage your time better.  We all know the amount of time it can task to set up and coordinate meetings with your team, whether they happen frequently or they’re just last-minute. With the new Zoho Meeting integration, you easily meet with your team to collaborate and provide clarity, resolve issues, and help make decisions by simply click Meet Now on the Task Details page!

Customized Controls and Views

Zoho Projects has a few more updates which will help your projects and your workflow run more smoothly. For example, using timers within a task or project used to mean you had stop and restart from the beginning. Now the timers have been enhanced to  allow for pausing and resuming tasks while you take a break or switch to a new task. Zoho Projects has even added new custom views and capabilities for creating task views based on the field value conditions that you set. Furthermore, you can filter tasks from your master list and save those filter criteria as a new view. This update helps you get to the information you need more efficiently.

Interested in learning more? Reach out to a member of our team today! We are Zoho Certified Consultants here to help! Give us a call at (888) 207-4111 or click the button below and we’ll reach out to you. You can also register for one of our upcoming Stump the Chump webinars Friday, Jan. 19th at 9 am PST or Friday, Jan. 26th at 9 am PST. Ask your Zoho questions, and if you stump us, we’ll buy you coffee!

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A look at Zoho updates in 2017

A Look Back At 2017 : Zoho is Growing!

Published on: January 5, 2018Category: Certified Zoho Consultants, Zoho CRMLast Updated: July 1, 2024 Comments: 0

Zoho’s Rapid Growth in 2017: New Features and Updates

2017 is suddenly behind us – and, for some, the year probably seems like it’s

flown by.  Interestingly, it’s said that the more new life experiences you accumulate, the slower time seems to go by – and, if that’s true at all, Zoho Corporation must have had the slowest-feeling year of all, as they revamped a significant portion of their offerings.  But, this is about the only area Zoho did anything slowly.  With 50 new features, 100 marketplace extensions, and 4 product updates every week, Zoho is definitely growing! Here is a recap of some of Zoho’s new features and updates from 2017!

The Newest Additions

Zoho One – The biggest and most exciting development from is Zoho One. This revolutionary all-in-one business suite packs a punch with 35+ applications, including Zoho CRM, Zoho Desk, Zoho Campaigns, Creator, and more! Account administrators have one secure account for applications and overall control, giving them the ability to access all programs from just one account.

Zia – Zoho’s AI-powered sales assistant that helps you make the most of your CRM account. She learns the ins and outs of your business by studying the strings of activities performed every day by you and your team. Zia then interprets performance and anticipates the needs of your business, providing solutions to you on-the-fly, detecting anomalies in your activities, and making suggestions to automate workflow!

Zoho Sprints – This agile project management solution encourages and enables teams to focus their energy on building the best products possible. Your team can take a look at the big picture with an easy-to-read dashboard. Track your team with the scrum board, and log time with the Timesheet function. Advanced reporting will give you actionable insights into your team’s progress and predict any roadblocks or bottlenecks in your process. In short, Zoho Sprints enables your team to get ahead and be prepared for the next development sprint.

Zoho Cliq – Easily communicate and collaborate with your colleagues with Zoho Cliq. Zoho’s new chat app eliminates the standby time of waiting on email responses from your team and allows you to exchange ideas more fluidly. Multi-panel chat, unlimited file sharing, and audio and video functionality keep your conversations at the forefront of your mind and easily accessible. Not to mention, it integrates, it’s secure, and it’s mobile!

Updates to Your Favorite Applications

New Zoho Campaigns UI – Zoho Campaigns got a facelift this year with a sleek new interface design. Along with the new look, you can get even more from Zoho Campaigns now with a customizable dashboard, image editing capabilities, additional automation, and more advanced reporting. Take your email campaigns to the next level!

Zoho Social now Adapted for Digital Agencies – Zoho Social also got a great update that makes it much easier for digital agencies to manage their clients’ social media platforms. With this new version of Social, agencies can manage all their client accounts from one platform. It also allows for agency branding and logos, with increased collaboration abilities to keep your team and your clients in the loop.

Zoho Notebook Improvements – Notebook began as a simple note-taking app on mobile but has now adapted to become even smarter, and now works as a desktop application as well. Added Mac and iOS 11 Support expands the devices from which you can use Notebook. With new intelligent formatting, Smart Cards, and document scanning, you can simplify and ease your note-taking process even further.

CRM Improvements

Marketplace Extensions – In 2017, Zoho expanded its marketplace to allow Zoho CRM to integrate with some of the biggest technology partners out there! With more than 80 new extensions available, you can optimize the potential of your CRM further than ever before. These new extensions will not only help you make the most of your CRM but can also help your business run more efficiently and avoid juggling multiple systems.

New Integrations and Platforms – Zoho CRM has further increased its capabilities with new integrations and platforms! The Finance Plus integration allows your sales reps to easily track the details of their deal expenses in the CRM. The Telephony Platform integration allows you to bring all of your phone conversations, including call recording, into the CRM. The SalesSignals platform helps consolidate all of your notifications, such social media, email, and third-party apps, into an organized timeline. These are just 3 of the new integrations that were released this year!

CRM Improvements – Amidst all the improvements to the other Zoho apps, Zoho has also polished up the CRM itself. Updated workflow rules make automation easier and advanced filters which update in real-time help you keep track of your leads. Speaking of leads, you can now add leads directly from social media, and use new lead scoring rules to ensure you focus on the right leads in your funnel. And, don’t forget the new Sticky Notes to help you stay on top of it all!

How Zoho can help you with your bad data

We know that was a lot to take in, and Zoho is improving faster each day, seemingly.  Now, you can catch up with the big boys, improve your business, and slow things down a bit yourself – only figuratively, though.  Check out Zoho’s 2017 recap for more updates and improvements!

Interested in learning more about Zoho, or have a question? Reach out to our team today! We are Zoho Certified Consultants here to help with all your Zoho needs.  Give our team a call at (888) 207-4111, or click the button below and we will reach out to you!

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The New Zoho Campaigns UI

The Zoho Campaigns UI Has A Fresh New Look

Published on: December 29, 2017Category: Certified Zoho Consultants, Zoho CampaignsLast Updated: May 16, 2023 Comments: 0

Experience the New Look of Zoho Campaigns UI: Enhanced Design for Improved User Experience

Keeping your customers and clients-to-be engaged when they have so many other things going on in their lives is one of the most valuable things one can do when managing a business – otherwise, what are you to them?  Will they even remember you after your most recent conversation?  Zoho Campaigns is Zoho’s email marketing tool, and although it’s historically been a fine tool for sending emails and tracking statistics, it’s just added a load of customizable options and a good dose of marketing automation –  so you can engage your audience even more easily, and do it in style through the new Zoho Campaigns UI.

Here are 6 great ways the new Zoho Campaigns UI helps keep your marketing machine in gear and can help keep you at the top of your audience’s minds.

1. Updated interface designed your way.

The new Zoho Campaigns UI allows you to work smarter with a new, customizable dashboard, to maximize your efficiency. With this dashboard you can get an overview of your email campaigns, and add only the widgets that you want to see, so you aren’t wasting valuable space on your screen. With the My Short tab, you can achieve smooth transitions with tabs that group your favorite features together, allowing for effortless focus on just the tasks that make up your workday.

2. Advanced Email Design Capabilities

Creating email campaigns has now become even easier. The new Zoho Campaigns UI allows you to create responsive and more complex email templates. The new drag-and-drop editor makes building email templates easy, and the new UI also makes it much easier for you to add pre-header text, attachments, and links to your social media pages. You can even preview what your campaigns will look like on any device using the built-in Litmus test. Want to go back to a previous version of your email? Well, Campaigns now saves all past iterations so you can!

3. New Image Editing Precision.

In the previous version of Campaigns, you could only upload and resize an image.  Now, you can combine your creativity and knowledge with added tools that allow for editing images from within Zoho Campaigns. That means you can crop, retouch, and even add text to the images that you upload! You can extend your creative capabilities with more image editing options. And increase your ability to connect with your audience by using engaging images.

zoho campaigns ui dynamic-content-updated4. Automation Puts More Flow Into Your Workflows.

Gain back valuable time in your day with expanded automation. With a number of added customizable autoresponders, triggers, and workflows, you can target your audience based on their behavior, clicks, and actions. Take automation a step further with the introduction of dynamic content, which can change the content of your emails based on subscriber or list segmentation. Ensure that your clients aren’t bombarded by emails by setting up your own rules.

5. Define User Roles and Permissions.zoho campaigns ui roles-and-privileges

Ever worry that a new Zoho Campaigns user will accidentally delete one of your email campaigns? Well, the new Zoho Campaigns UI even takes care of this problem with new settings for team member permissions and roles, just like in the CRM. You can also set managerial approvals so no campaign ever goes out without being approved first!

6. Reporting Features to Campaign Smarter.

Knowing how your campaigns are performing is integral in the structuring and design of future campaigns. The new UI allows you to track your campaign’s success with comprehensive analytics on a customizable dashboard. You can drill down into your campaign data even further than before with reporting on specific devices, email clients, and browsers that your clients used to view your campaigns. Add Google Analytics to Campaigns and track activity back to your website, and suddenly you have access to much more data – and ways to bridge gaps to connecting with your clients – than ever before.

The new Zoho Campaigns UI is available for all users! Pricing for Zoho Campaigns begins at $6/mo for unlimited emails and up to 500 subscriptions. Interested in learning more, implementing Zoho Campaigns, or starting on another Zoho app like Marketing Automation? Contact a member of our team! We are Zoho Certified Consultants here to help. Give us a call at (888) 207-4111 or click the button below and we will reach out to you!

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Zoho vault keeps your secrets safe and passwords protected

Zoho Vault Review – Keep Your Passwords, and Your Secrets, Safe

Published on: December 22, 2017Category: Certified Zoho Consultants, Zoho VaultLast Updated: July 27, 2023 Comments: 0

Zoho Vault Review: Is This Password Manager Right for Your Business?

If you’re looking for a reliable password manager that can provide top-notch security for your sensitive data, then Zoho Vault is definitely worth considering. As evident from their strong security protocols, Zoho takes security very seriously and their commitment to data protection extends to Zoho Vault, an app specifically designed for managing and securing sensitive information. With ISP/IEC 27001 global level security standards and SOC compliance, Zoho Vault provides a robust solution for businesses looking to safeguard their passwords and confidential information.

Experience Enhanced Business Security with Zoho Vault

First Off, What is Zoho Vault?

Passwords have become pretty elaborate these days, and if you count the number of online password-protected accounts you have, it’s no coincidence that our inboxes become flooded with password retrieval emails, especially if you’re using unique passwords for each individual account that you have (which you should!). Password management is a great step you can take to organize and protect your passwords and solve the aforementioned problems. Zoho Vault helps you manage all of your passwords in one place – and, it doesn’t just store passwords: it protects your other secrets as well!

Zoho vault home screen and mobile apps

Zoho Vault Features

Organization

Keep your secrets stored and organized in Zoho Vault! While primarily used for password storage, Vault can also be used to store other important information. This includes bank account details or sensitive employee data. You can create your own digital chambers or use Zoho’s provided chambers to organize your data (called secrets in Zoho Vault parlance) by type or by other factors you set. A few of the default chambers include: bank accounts, email accounts, web accounts, operating systems, and other secrets such as social security numbers.

Share with Your Team

Have members of your team that need access to the same passwords? With Zoho Vault, you have complete control over who can access your secrets. You can assign roles or owners of the contents in your vault and create user groups. This means you can ensure that your team can access the secrets or chambers they need. Secure Zoho Vault secrets with easy access removal, ownership transfer, and emergency contact designation.

Main passphrase

For an added level of security, Zoho Vault requires a master passphrase to access your secrets. To use Vault effectively, users create a master passphrase that only they know. Zoho never stores this as an encryption key, so remembering this passphrase is essential for accessing Zoho Vault – period.

Extensions and Single Sign-On (SSO)

If you’re on a secure computer, you may consider using the Zoho Vault browser extension.  This allows Vault users to easily use stored secret login credentials. They can access their respective accounts without manually enter usernames and passwords. With one-click auto-logon, you can manage passwords, automatically log onto websites or applications, access passwords, and add new secrets without leaving the site or tab you’re in.

Mobile and Offline Access

For another layer of security, Zoho Vault allows for cold data storage – that is, users are allowed to download stored secrets to their desktop computers or mobile devices.  Secrets downloaded this way are stored as HTML. As a result, they can be completely disconnected from the internet, but are still protected by the master passphrase.

Zoho Vault Review: Pros & Cons

 

Regarding password security, Zoho Vault stands out with its impressive features. Thanks to robust security measures like strong encryption, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and role-based access control, your passwords protect against unauthorized access.

Navigating Zoho Vault is a breeze, thanks to its user-friendly interface. Whether you’re tech-savvy or not, managing your passwords becomes a seamless experience with Zoho Vault across various platforms like web browsers, desktop applications, and mobile devices.

Collaboration and security go hand in hand with Zoho Vault’s secure password-sharing feature. Team members and colleagues can access shared passwords without seeing the actual password, ensuring sensitive information remains protected.

Monitoring password access and spotting suspicious activities is easy with Zoho Vault’s detailed audit trails and reports, adding an extra layer of security to your account.

On the downside, the accessible version of Zoho Vault has its limitations. For users with extensive password management needs, upgrading to a paid plan might be necessary.

While Zoho Vault integrates well with other Zoho products, there could be some limitations regarding integration with specific third-party applications.

The tool’s advanced features require some time and effort to grasp fully, making it challenging for some users to utilize its full potential.

 

Zoho Vault FAQ:

 

  • Q1. Can I use Zoho Vault for personal purposes?
  • A1. Absolutely! Zoho Vault caters to both individual users and businesses. The free version is perfect for personal use and offers essential password management features.
  • Q2. Can I securely share passwords with my team?
  • A2. Yes, Zoho Vault allows you to share passwords securely with your team using role-based access controls and permissions, ensuring only authorized individuals have access.
  • Q3. How does Zoho Vault ensure password security?
  • A3. Zoho Vault ensures the security of your passwords through strong encryption protocols and multi-factor authentication. Additionally, it provides audit trails and reporting for monitoring and tracking password activity.
  • Q4. Can I access Zoho Vault on my mobile devices?
  • A4. Absolutely! Zoho Vault provides dedicated mobile applications for iOS and Android devices, enabling secure access to your passwords on the go.
  • Q5. Are there any limitations in the free version of Zoho Vault?
  • A5. While the free version is an excellent starting point, it does have some limitations on the number of passwords and sharing options available. Upgrading to a paid plan unlocks more advanced features and capabilities.

 

Conclusion:

In summary, Zoho Vault is a trustworthy and secure password protection solution that offers robust features and ease of use. Its advanced security measures, cross-platform compatibility, and secure password sharing make it an ideal choice for individuals and businesses. However, it’s essential to be aware of the limitations of the free version and consider an upgrade to access the tool’s full potential. Zoho Vault provides a solid password management solution to keep your digital credentials safe and organized.



It’s no Secret – Your Secrets Need Protection These Days

As you may recall, 2015 was the year of the data breaches (Target, Home Depot), but hackers seemingly grow more sophisticated by the minute. Now, even credit reporting agencies like Equifax aren’t impervious to breaches.  Let Zoho Vault add an extra layer of security to the place you need it most – your business and your personal information.

Pricing for Zoho Vault begins at free for personal use and $1 per user a month for the standard version. Interested in learning more? Contact a member of our team! We are Zoho Certified Consultants here to help. Give us a call at (888) 207-4111 or click the button below and we will call you!

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Zoho VS GoldMine and the cloud

Zoho VS GoldMine CRM Review – How They Stack Up!

Published on: December 20, 2017Category: Certified Zoho Consultants, Zoho CRMLast Updated: May 8, 2024 Comments: 0

CRM Review: Zoho vs GoldMine – A Comprehensive Comparison

In the days of cryptomining, is all that glitters really gold? Cryptocurrency may just be a buzzword to some, but it shows just how inclusive the internet is when looking for solutions to different problems! Zoho’s millions of users rely on them to maintain their software, so you can trust them to handle website bugs. In fact, before we bring you onto our team as partners, we want you to explore various solutions; we’re so confident in Zoho, we know that they’ll offer the best solution to you every single time.  We are setting our biases aside to compare Zoho VS GoldMine CRM and give you an honest comparison between the two regarding safety & security, integrations, performance, and of course costs.

Zoho vs GoldMine CRM: Which Cloud Solution Soars?

Zoho vs GoldMineSafety & Security

When comparing Zoho VS GoldMine CRM, or any CRM for that matter, security is key. Zoho is stacked with nearly 30 million users worldwide, from small to large organizations, so security is paramount.  If you run one of the oldest versions of GoldMine CRM, you’re aware of administrator “master rights” and how admin rights protect your precious information on your server. GoldMine’s newer, cloud-based iteration doesn’t provide many details on its security – but, it is clear that you are not actually reliant on GoldMine CRM for that data security, but on another provider. Zoho holds ISP/IEC 27001 global level security standards (tested independently) as well as SOC compliance. Not to mention, they outline their security measures to assure you that your information is well protected.

The Winner: Zoho

Zoho vs GoldMineIntegrations and Compatability

Zoho partners are positively flooded with requests to integrate outside applications with Zoho, or even create new apps within the Zoho environment, and there’s no end to that in sight. Zoho’s comprehensive package of apps called Zoho One offers 40+ integrations to start! That includes nearly anything you can imagine for a business, from accounting and inventory to sales and human resources. Conversely, for GoldMine CRM, integrations are somewhat limited: QuickBooks and Windows (presumably the environment on which you’d install GoldMine) are your top options. However, as a cloud solution, Zoho is able to run on many common browsers, including Safari 4 and above, Chrome 17 and above, Mozilla Firefox 17 and above, and Internet Explorer 9 and above. All of Zoho is also mobile- and tablet-ready, whereas GoldMine CRM has to rely on middleware, called Dejacloud, to add this capability.

The Winner: Zoho

Zoho vs GoldMinePerformance

GoldMine CRM may have been top-of-the-line at one point, but today its outdated interface requires more server-related maintenance just to upkeep – which is typical of on-premise systems – and this is work that most businesses find they just don’t have time to do any longer.  On the other hand, Zoho and its suite of apps are completely cloud-based, which means all server maintenance is handled by Zoho themselves (hence the monthly fees you pay to use the software).  Accessing Zoho CRM via the web means you need only have a working internet connection to have all the capability you need – no costly dedicated servers, or dedicated IT professionals (at least in this regard).  Of course, every website has bugs from time to time, and hardly any are up 100% of the time – but, putting liability in the hands of someone else – and knowing that the company liable for maintaining your software also does it for millions of other users at the same time – should instill a fair bit of confidence in Zoho.

The Winner: Zoho

goldmine crm reviewPrice

Small business or large enterprise? Find out which CRM is right for you: Zoho or GoldMine. However, to put it succinctly:

  • Choose your CRM model: GoldMine’s “Own It” or cloud-based option starting at $60/mo per user.
  • Zoho One’s all-inclusive subscription begins at $45/mo per user, and a very basic Standard CRM package beginning at $20/mo per user.

The Winner: Zoho

goldmine crm review

We understand this isn’t enough to answer all your CRM questions. If you’ve been using GoldMine CRM for some time, switching it up entirely may seem especially daunting. But, learning about other options as a first step before diving in headlong doesn’t have to be.

Contact us to learn more about Zoho or discuss Zoho vs GoldMine: (888) 207-4111 or click below. We are proud to be a Zoho Premium Partner and are ready to help you make the move to this CRM that will be an ideal fit for your business.

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