Firm setup programme

Your firm in one system, from enquiry to billing.

A Zoho system that carries the entire firm workflow: onboarding, document requests, deadlines and billing mesh together, without email ping-pong and without spreadsheets.

  • New engagements ready to work in 2 days instead of 5
  • No deadline lost in spreadsheets ever again
  • Tracked time flows automatically into the invoice
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Transformations

What we changed for real businesses.

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Case study·Germany

E-Commerce

A German commerce brand runs both B2C and B2B on one foundation.

Pain
  • B2C orders and B2B deal flow ran on two separate tools
  • Customer, order, and invoice had to be linked manually
  • Incoming invoices were keyed in line by line
  • Year-end handoff to the tax advisor was a multi-week scramble
Gain
  • Shopify orders flow automatically to inventory movement and invoice
  • OCR reads incoming invoices, manual data entry is over
  • CRM ↔ Books bidirectional sync; B2B pipeline + contract data live in one system
  • DATEV export streams continuously, no year-end panic mode
Project Duration ~1 month
Built with
Zoho CRMShopifyZoho BooksDATEVZoho InventoryMigration
Case study·Germany

Finance & Documents

A German mid-market business wanted to professionalise its invoicing, quotation and dunning processes.

Pain
  • Word/Excel templates without consistent brand identity
  • Dunning handled ad hoc, often weeks past due date
  • No reusable communication baseline for overdue customers
  • Time-consuming manual creation of every document
Gain
  • Every invoice and quote reflects the brand
  • Dunning sequence starts automatically when due
  • Consistent customer communication without friction
  • Finance can focus on substance instead of formatting
Project Duration ~5 months
Built with
Zoho Books
The problem

Bought a CRM, and still living in Excel?

At accounting firms the process usually breaks between accepting an engagement and getting the work done. Zoho isn't the problem, the way it was rolled out is.

  • Onboarding is manual

    Every new client means forms by email, master data re-typed by hand and constant follow-ups, days before any actual work can start.

  • You have to chase documents

    Receipts and files arrive late and scattered across inboxes, and each one has to be requested separately. The chasing eats hours every week.

  • Deadlines live in people's heads

    Filing and processing deadlines sit in heads and spreadsheets. Who can see at a glance what falls due this week?

The solution

One system for the entire firm workflow

From client enquiry to billing, every engagement follows the same flow. Nothing is left sitting, and no deadline slips through.

A tax advisor reviewing financial documents with a client across a tidy modern desk

Client onboarding through a portal

New clients complete master data and forms digitally. Everything lands straight in the CRM, with no re-typing and no email ping-pong.

Onboarding portalDigital formsAuto master data
A tax professional working with paper documents, a calculator and a laptop with the screen out of focus

Request documents automatically

The system requests missing receipts and files and sends reminders on its own. No more chasing by phone, everything filed on the engagement.

Document requestsAuto remindersWorkDrive
A tax advisor and client sharing a reassuring handshake in a modern office

Deadlines, tasks and billing in one place

Deadlines and tasks are visible and assigned, and tracked time flows straight into the invoice in Zoho Books. No billable work gets lost.

Deadline trackingTime trackingZoho Books
Zoho · configured for tax advisors

Your Zoho apps, tailored to the firm's process.

No off-the-shelf CRM. We configure every app around your firm's workflow: from client onboarding through documents to billing.

Zoho CRM Search… + Add
Enquiry2
EÜR
Bäckerei Lehmann
€ 3.600
Bil
Huber Bau GmbH
€ 12.400
Onboarding1
Bil
Praxis Dr. Vogel
€ 7.800
Active engagement1
EÜR
Café Sonnenschein
€ 4.200
Zoho CRM

CRM · Client Pipeline

Every enquiry as an engagement: EÜR or balance sheet, fee, stage and next step.

  • Pipeline by firm stages
  • EÜR & balance sheet separated
  • From lead to engagement
Zoho Books Search… + New
ItemClientDeadlineFeeStatus
USt-VA 05/25Bäckerei Lehmann10.06.2025€ 320 Filed
EÜR 2024Café Sonnenschein31.07.2025€ 1.450 In progress
JA 2024Huber Bau GmbH31.08.2025€ 4.900 Open
RE-2025-072Praxis Dr. Vogel28.05.2025€ 2.100 Part payment
Zoho Books

Engagements, Deadlines & Fees

Work items, deadlines and fees at a glance, from the VAT return to the annual accounts.

  • Deadlines per engagement
  • Fees tracked
  • Open items in view
WorkDrive · Sign Search… + Upload
ClientsHuber Bau GmbHAnnual accounts 2024
AnnualAccounts-2024.pdf 20.05 signed
PowerOfAttorney-TaxOffice.pdf 12.05 awaiting signature
Receipts-Q1.zip 08.05 reviewed
TaxReturn-2024.docx draft
WorkDrive · Sign

Receipts & Annual Accounts

Receipts, powers of attorney and accounts right on the engagement, incl. e-signature.

  • Everything filed on the engagement
  • E-signature for powers of attorney
  • Versions & access
Zoho Projects Search… + Add
VAT pre-return Mon
Prepare EÜR Tue–Wed
Annual accounts Thu
File with tax office Fri
Zoho Projects

Deadline & Task Planning

From the VAT pre-return to filing: every task scheduled and assigned.

  • Scheduled deadlines
  • Handler assignment
  • Progress live
Program & workflow

How we roll out Zoho One in your firm

We think our way into your workflow and see ourselves as a long-term development partner. Here are the four phases.

  1. AnalysisWe review your workflow from client enquiry through processing to billing and find your biggest time sinks.
  2. ConceptWe design your processes in Zoho One and plan the Zoho architecture (business process mapping).
  3. ImplementationSetup, configuration, the automations and migration of your client and master data.
  4. SupportTraining for your team, fine-tuning and ongoing support, so the system becomes a fixed part of your firm's everyday work.
AI in practice

Where AI genuinely takes work off a firm's plate.

No gimmicks, just concrete points where we've built AI into real Zoho setups for firms, so your team types less and no deadline slips through.

  • Routing client enquiries by hand
    Enquiry triage

    Client enquiries land sorted on the engagement

    Incoming emails are read automatically, categorised by topic and assigned to the right engagement and handler, without manually combing through the inbox.

  • Typing receipts by hand
    Document OCR

    Receipts and invoices read themselves out

    Amounts, dates and document type are extracted from submitted receipts via OCR and pre-categorised into the right field, DATEV-ready instead of re-typed.

  • Retyping standard replies every time
    Reply assistant

    Standard replies prepared in seconds

    For recurring client enquiries, the AI suggests ready-made reply drafts in your firm's tone. Your team only reviews and confirms.

Contact

Ready to handle more engagements with the same team?

Let's find out in a free Zoho system review where your workflow holds the most potential. Non-binding, concrete and tailored to your firm. As an authorised Zoho partner we support you from setup to running operations.

● Free system review · no obligation

We use your details only for the call. No spam.

Frequently asked

What you'll want to know before the call.

Can the system connect to DATEV?

Yes. We set up the export so that pre-categorised receipts and master data are handed over DATEV-ready, so you keep working in your familiar DATEV environment, with no double entry.

How do clients submit their documents?

Through their own client portal, clients upload receipts and files directly, everything lands automatically on the right engagement, and the system reminds them of anything missing on its own.

How long does rolling out Zoho One take?

Depending on scope, typically a few weeks to a few months. After our first meeting we give you a rough estimate, and after the requirements meeting a realistic estimate for your specific business.

What does Zoho One cost?

Zoho One costs €37 per employee per month on an annual plan, or €45 per employee with monthly billing. That includes all 50+ Zoho apps. We show you which option fits your business in the consultation, including a comparison with your current tools if you like.

Do we have to re-enter our existing data?

No. We migrate existing customer, quote and job data into Zoho One as part of the implementation, provided it can be exported from your current system.

Can Zoho One connect to our existing tools?

In most cases yes. Google and Microsoft connect easily for email, calendar and drive, as do many other common applications. Beyond that, almost any system can be integrated individually via the Zoho API.

Does Zoho One suit smaller businesses and mobile teams?

Yes. Zoho One works for sole traders as well as growing teams. Your team accesses records, tasks and documents on the go via the app, even when out of the office.

Where is our data stored?

On request in Zoho's EU data centres, GDPR-compliant. Your data stays within the European legal space, an important point for businesses with sensitive customer and project data.

How much time does the project cost us day-to-day?

As little as possible. Your team is only involved at a few clearly agreed points, such as analysing the workflow, providing information and training, so your day-to-day work keeps running.