Monday, 25 September 2017
Kind Attention: ZohoBooks / ZohoInventory / ZohoFinance Teams
Dear Sir/Team,
I have been reviewing/trying my hand at ZohoBooks and ZohoInventory for a while now – initially as Trial and thereafter as a paid subscription.
Having been a Tally user for the last 12 years, it was a bit of a learning curve, especially the nomenclature. But nonetheless, accounting principles remain the same everywhere and so after a few hiccups, I finally got to grips with the Zoho way of doing things.
First, I would like to enumerate things I’m impressed with and really appreciate your team having worked so hard on these and rolling it out to consumers at large: Very intuitive User Interface. The quality of design – colour combination, text sizes, the overall UX is excellent
2. GST Compliance out of the box
3. Web-Based and Unlimited Number of Users in ZohoBooks
4. The very affordable price of ZohoBooks for basic business accounting
1.
The list above could go on if we nuance every small detail that you’ve got right but that is not the purpose of this letter.
I shall dive straight away into the features that are EXTREMELY NECESSARY for a user to shift from a traditional accounting system, say for example from Tally to Zoho.
| Sr No |
Particular |
Implementation |
| FEATURES |
||
|
1 |
MULTIPLE DAYBOOKS |
VERY DIFFICULT |
|
2 |
INVOICE DETAILS
Although already there, there are a wide amount of choices that are missing in Invoice Customisations, especially when integrated with ZohoInventory.
For example, I have Serial Number Tracking and Multiple Warehouses enabled in ZohoInventory. There is NO WAY right now to print Serial Number and Warehouse name below each item. (Have been using Spreadhsheet Plus as my default template)
Also, warranty tracking is NOT POSSIBLE in Zoho right now, which could be looked into. |
EASY |
|
3 |
GST REVERSE CHARGE MECHANISM VALIDATION
At present the principle beind used by Zoho is that the user inputting Expenses/Bills knows and understands GST to the extent that the user will decide whether GST RCM is applicable to a transaction or not. That should not be the case.
If transactions per day from Unregistered Dealers accumulate and go over Rs. 5000, irrespective of whether RCM Tax option has been SELECTED or NOT, GSTR-3B and/or GSTR-1/2 should automatically be populated so. These validations have be from the system and cannot rely on a data entry operator to know all such details. |
MODERATE |
|
4 |
GRANULAR PERMISSIONS
User Roles/Permissions given to each user/role can be more granular, with ability to give permission to view only specific reports, not just a group of reports.
Also, permission level with regards to display/view ONLY certain columns, for example say, Inventory Reports – if there could be an option for certain user roles to ONLY see quantity column and not VALUE columns.
This would be handy if there are many data entry operators, so to speak.
|
|
|
5 |
BACK-DATED VOUCHER ENTRY RESTRICTIONS
Allowing anyone to pass entries into a back date messes up a lot of business process rules and unnecessarily increases the Accountant’s burden to keep a track of entries that have been back-dates, either on purpose of by error.
|
EASY |
|
6 |
PAYMENT SCHEDULING – MULTIPLE DUE DATES FOR INVOICE
Many businesses (at least mine does) give credit to vendors or large customers, wherein payments are due in parts, not Net 30/60/90.
For example, an Invoice of value Rs. 75,000 may have to be paid in 3 parts. Rs. 25,000 due 30 days from Invoice Date, Rs. 25,000 due on 60 days from Invoice Date, and final Rs. 25,000 due on 80 days from the Invoice Date. There is no such provision in Zoho right now.
This Tally handles with ease and it reflects in overdue statements accordingly as well.
This will be a much needed feature for businesses that have slightly hih value invoices as customers tend to make part payments and not settle the whole of the invoice in one payment.
|
DIFFICULT |
| REPORTS |
||
|
7 |
SALES BY SALESPERSON (ITEMWISE)
There is no such report and this is a basic report needed by firms to calculate incentive to employees based on Items sold, and not just value of items sold as profit margins vary from item to item.
I made the above report in Zoho Reports within a matter of minutes. Am sure Zoho team can make a permanent report and add to ZohoBooks in a matter of minutes
|
|
|
8 |
CUSTOMISATION OF REPORTS – FILTER OPTIONS
One major area where Intuit Quickbooks and even an archaic system like Tally is way better than Zoho is the level of filters that can be applied to any report.
The amount of filters available in each report in QuickBooks is amazing, Filter by Warehouse Locations, Item Name, Customer Name, Salesperson, and the list goes on. This is MUCH NEEDED.
The level of customisation has to be made available to users who integrate ZohoBooks with ZohoInventory, since this integration opens up so many other parameters to ZohoBooks users such as Multiple Warehouses, Brand Name, Manufacturer Name, etc.
A case could be made that it might get confusing for users with so much customisation avaialable.
There are two ways to go around this :
|
|
|
9 |
CONTINUOUS PRINTING OF LEDGERS OF CUSTOMERS/VENDORS
Very commonly required for Income Tax Audits, all LEDGERS have to be printed and given. Typically, IT officers or CAs would want an INDEX each of Customer and Vendor Accounts, and a Print/PDF thereof, which has the ledger for the given year of each customer, grouped by customer, one after the other.
There can be two simultaneous optional filters on such a report
|
|
These are some VERY VERY basic features and/or reports I miss when I migrated from Tally and are features/reports I need desperately in order to run my business slowly. I am one of many many many small traders in this country and am sure if I felt the need for the above, someone else would have too.
I have the advantage of being a Database Analyst in the past and hence am able to articulate the needs in a way your technical team understands.
I hope that the above is taken into consideration and that we do see some or most of it implemented ASAP.
That is contingent to the fact that Zoho Corp does desire people to shift from systems like Tally to Zoho Books or Inventory.
Please feel free to get in touch with me for any queries. I will be more than happy to help. I like the passion with which Zoho Management works and am also open to present in person the above to your Tech/Dev team and your Workflow team, if need be.
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