Almost every job, project, or task can be completed in the DIY mode if you have enough time, skills, resources, and, of course, persistence. Zoho implementation is not an exception. For every complex software platform, like Zoho, Salesforce, or Hubspot, the cost of implementation, if completed by an official Partner, is way higher than the licensing expenses. When the business realizes that, a desire to DIY the implementation or hire a freelancer comes naturally and in great force. What could be wrong? Well, nothing—or everything, because “it depends.” You already know that the whole “it depends” notion can be applied to many things in IT, so let’s break these dependencies down.
A Pulcinella’s secret: most of our clients are coming to United Parts of Chicago after an unsuccessful DIY or freelance attempt. The second wave is the customers who came from other Partners and Zoho consultants, unhappy with their hourly-based billing model.
It does not mean that making Zoho software work for you by yourself or with the help of some talented individual is impossible; not at all! It’s entirely possible when the complexity is determined correctly and adequate for the available workforce resources. And this determination is where the fun begins.
Complex Problems Have Obvious, Cheap, and Straightforward Incorrect Solutions
As a software platform, Zoho (and its direct competitors) offer numerous applications (i.e., look at this Zoho One apps list), some of which have partially overlapping functionality. The most popular and complex ones, like Zoho CRM, Zoho Books, or Zoho People, are intricate enough to warrant the writing of books about them, not to mention the business processes these applications support.
Due to all these factors, most DIY implementations result in a system architecture designed not by a system architect, but by a CPA, a programmer, a lawyer, a head of the marketing department, and the list goes on. Many businesses fall into this trap regularly, exacerbating the situation with hourly-based billing and treating their Zoho consultant as an employee rather than a service provider.
One Can't Rule Them All
Businesses often underestimate the complexity, expecting a single person “knowing Zoho” or “being Zoho certified” while Zoho is, actually, this: Zoho Analytics, Zoho Assist, Zoho Backstage, Zoho Billing, Zoho Bigin, Zoho Books, Zoho Calendar, Zoho Campaigns, Zoho Card Scanner, Zoho Checkout, Zoho Cliq, Zoho Commerce, Zoho Connect, Zoho Contracts, Zoho Creator, Zoho CRM, Zoho DataPrep, Zoho Desk, Zoho Directory, Zoho Domains, Zoho eProtect, Zoho Expense, Zoho Flow, Zoho Forms, Zoho FSM, Zoho Inventory, Zoho Invoice, Zoho LandingPage, Zoho Lens, Zoho Log360Cloud, Zoho Mail, Zoho Meeting, Zoho Motivator, Zoho Notebook, Zoho OneAuth, Zoho PageSense, Zoho Payroll, Zoho People, Zoho Projects, Zoho Recruit, Zoho Remotely, Zoho RPA, Zoho SalesIQ, Zoho Sheet, Zoho Show, Zoho Sign, Zoho Sites, Zoho Social, Zoho Status, Zoho Streams, Zoho Survey, Zoho TeamInbox, Zoho Thrive, Zoho WorkDrive, Zoho Workplace, Zoho Writer, Zoho Zia. This is not the complete list.
It’s not humanly possible to know them all and equally understand the business processes they manage. Even determining the list of applications your business actually needs can be challenging in many cases. It requires extensive Zoho platform knowledge, recurring training, and real-life business experience. Those who possess that experience don’t sell their time for $8/hour. One might think, “I already know what applications I need“—we wish that were always true, but it rarely happens. And no, Zoho CRM is not the jack-of-all-trades.
The Zoho Partner Paradox
Remember that barber who shaves all those, and those only, who do not shave themselves. Does the barber shave himself? Known as a “paradox of self-reference,” it applies to Zoho as a business and a software manufacturer, too. In the context of software implementation, Zoho does not implement anything; it relies on the network of Authorized, Advanced, and Premium Zoho Partners.
Zoho's own customer support, even its premium tiers, has never been meant as a software implementation force, and its representatives are not acting in the capacity of business analysts or system architects. If that weren't so, we, the Partners, would not exist.
That leads to a certain degree of disappointment when first-time Zoho users try to deploy their platforms with the help of Zoho support or on their own; complaints about it comprise nearly half of all Zoho’s negative reviews.
We, the Partners, are not overselling you on the “simple things and checkbox clicking,” as an untrained eye might see it; we merely operate on a different level because we are conditioned to do so, and we, especially Zoho Advanced Partners and Premium Partners, work as teams. Moreover, even Zoho Partners specialize in certain apps, their combinations, and market segments. No Partner in their right mind would say, “We know Zoho, all of it,” because even for a team, full platform knowledge is a pure unobtainium.
To DIY, or Not to DIY, That Is the Question
Do It Yourself, If:
Helpful Resources for In-House Zoho Implementations
In all its complexity, Zoho implementation isn’t rocket science and can definitely be managed by a motivated enthusiast or a team of such individuals. If the DIY approach checks all your boxes, Zoho offers a vast array of free resources for self-learners and in-house teams. There are some resources to help you start with the core Zoho applications:
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Introduction to Zoho CRM, Specifications in Zoho CRM, Understand your CRM account, Begin your Admin Journey, and other topics.
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APIs, server-side SDKs, client-side SDKs, mobile SDKs, developer tools.
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Read through more ebooks and get deeper insights on successfully using Zoho CRM.
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For Zoho CRM administrators, developers, sales managers, and other roles: remote training and live webinars.
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Ideas, guides, opinions, Partner perspective.
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Your go-to resource for all things accounting with helpful articles, guides, Zoho Books FAQs, and more.
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An official Zoho Books help docimentation for all levels of users.
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An official Zoho Books F.A.Q. resource
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Your go-to resource for all things accounting with helpful articles, guides, Zoho Inventory FAQs, and more.
