For Elite Servo Group, we created a robust e-commerce website based on the Zoho and WooCommerce integration with a scalable operational backend that utilizes Zoho CRM, Zoho Books, and Zoho Inventory.
Elite Servo Group, a servo motor repair lab, needed a robust online presence to manage their complex operations. Their challenge was twofold: they needed an online catalog for their parts and repair services, but their business model is B2B, not B2C. Customers browse a catalog and request a quote; they do not “add to cart” and check out.
Executive Summary
Location: Noblesville, Indiana
Industry: CNC / Electric Motor Repair
Elite Servo Group, led by Nicholas Velarde, has been a leader in servo motor rebuilding for 40 years. Based in Noblesville, IN, their expert technicians use advanced technology to ensure motors are not just repaired but enhanced for better performance.
Problem Statement and Key Challenges
The primary challenge was that client was moving from a “system of spreadsheets” and QuickBooks—just like many growing businesses do. Their goals for a new platform were clear:
- The website’s online parts catalog must be managed directly from their inventory control system (Zoho Inventory), not manually updated in WooCommerce.
- New customer inquiries from the website must be registered as Leads in Zoho CRM.
- Quote requests from existing customers needed to automatically generate draft Estimates in their accounting system (Zoho Books).
The fact that this client is a pure B2B segment rendered nearly all existing Zoho Inventory / WooCommerce integration plugins ineffective, as they assume WooCommerce is handling the transactional part. Our certified Zoho consultants used our in-house solution to bridge this gap, using Zoho One apps as the all-encompassing backend.
"I have known my competitors for years; to overperform them, we need a platform that avoids their mistakes and bottlenecks from day one."
Mr. Velarde was right; as a Zoho Partner, we aren’t strangers in the CNC repair industry, having multiple case studies for the CNC repair labs in Illinois and other states. It’s a very niche, relatively conservative, and tight market.
Problem Evaluation
In the initial discovery phase, it was determined that the website would utilize the WordPress platform, with Zoho One powering the backend. Recognizing the inherent limitations of existing Zoho Inventory / WooCommerce syncs, we used a custom Zoho Inventory / WooCommerce integration and deployed the rest of the Zoho One applications accordingly.
Proposed Solution
The result was a custom-made website with WooCommerce as online catalog and a one-way integration between Zoho Inventory and WooCommerce, tailored for non-transactional web catalog purposes. The integration module was written in PHP and hosted at the client’s VPS, maintained by Vultr.
| Business Function | Before: | After: Unified Zoho One / WordPress Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting & Inventory | Spreadsheets and QuickBooks | Zoho Books & Zoho Inventory (Single Source of Truth) |
| Online Product Catalog | No online catalog, no website | "Hands-Off" Catalog: 100% managed from Zoho Inventory |
| Sales & Quoting | All manual via QuickBooks | On-page request in the online catalog goes directly to Zoho CRM for the existing clients; new clients will be recorded as CRM Leads |
| Sales Automation | No system; manual processing | Zoho Flow, CRM Workflows and other trigger-based automation |
| Lead Management | Manual lead management | New inquiries are automatically created as Leads in Zoho CRM |
| Integrations | No integrations for there were no systems | Custom PHP module; lowered TCO and increased security |
| SEO & Analytics | No SEO due to the lack of website | Google Merchant Center integration; Zoho PageSense for insights |
WooCommerce / Zoho Inventory and Zoho One Architecture
Non-transactional WooCommerce: the diagram illustrates our one-way item sync (Zoho Inventory to WooCommerce) and the automated lead-to-quote workflow (Zoho Forms to Flow, CRM, and Books).
Implementation
Due to the effective use of the Elementor framework, the whole implementation took less than one month, leaving enough time for the post-engagement meetings and training sessions. While the custom approach was applied specifically for the Zoho Inventory / WooCommerce integration, the rest of the Zoho One apps, including Zoho CRM, Zoho Inventory, Zoho Books, Zoho SalesIQ, Zoho Flow, and Zoho PageSense, was predominantly deployed using their standard configurations.
This setup allowed for an efficient management system where the website showcases products without handling sales, which are managed through the ERP backend.
The WooCommerce product feed was connected to Google Merchant Center, ensuring the efficient SEO for the catalog items and related services.
Results
-
Non-transactional WooCommerce as a Product Catalog
The website is managed from Zoho Inventory, without touching the WooCommerce products module. Any change in the inventory, prices, descriptions, and product images automatically reflects on the website. -
Lower TCO
A custom PHP module for Zoho Inventory / WooCommerce integration eliminates the necessity in the third-party plugins, thus lowering the TCO and increasing the website security and stability. -
Best-in-class Accounting Platform
Zoho Books and Zoho Inventory, ready to be scaled up as the business evolves. -
Semi-Automated RFQs: Website-to-Zoho Books
The requests for quotation from the product catalog automatically creates a draft quote in Zoho Books, saving the time for the sales team and reducing the number of human errors. -
Increased Products and Service Visibility
Integration with Google Merchant Center increased products visibility, while the connection to Google Analytics allows deeper insights into products performance and customer behavior.
"Dmitry and his team knocked it out of the park! My dream has become a reality thanks to the time, effort, and dedication his team put into creating an amazing website. They brought innovative solutions to ensure the successful development of the site, making the process smooth and exciting. As this journey continues, I feel confident in my website team’s ability to help me reach all of my business goals. Thank you again for the outstanding outcome!"
Acknowledgments & Contributors
Elite Servo Group
- Nicholas Velarde, CEO and owner
United Parts of Chicago
- Margarita Gracheva, Customer Success Manager
- Boris Green, Senior Software Engineer
A Custom Zoho Inventory and WooCommerce Solution for B2B
This case study demonstrates a common B2B challenge: needing an online catalog (WordPress/WooCommerce) that is fully integrated with a powerful backend (Zoho Inventory, Zoho Books) while bypassing the standard WooCommerce’s B2C shopping cart.
If your business is already using Zoho One apps or the Zoho Finance suite and you need a custom, non-transactional, “catalog-only” website, our Zoho Inventory / WooCommerce integration might be a good fit.
Fill out the form below or book a demo to see how our custom-built integrations can automate your B2B sales pipeline.