Database Conversion from ZOHO Books/Inventory

The following article provides instructions and best practices for extracting data from a ZOHO Books product or ZOHO Inventory product.    ZOHO conversion may vary slightly depending on the software plan you are using with ZOHO.  As of 2024,  ZOHO has two different software routes they have been recommending to their users who expect an inventory system with barcode scanning capabilities, accounting and warehousing options.   Users looking for more advanced inventory options are likely to be using ZOHO Inventory Premium or Enterprise plan.  Users that need accounting in combination with more advanced inventory are likely to be using ZOHO Books Elite or Ultimate plan which combines their accounting software with some better inventory capabilities.

In either case, ZOHO provides a file export method in XLS or CSV file format to extract your customers, inventory, and vendor records.     In general, the method we have found that works best involves a combination of exporting the ZOHO database to an XLSX format FIRST and then using MS Excel (or better yet, the free Google Sheets) to resave the exported ZOHO file format into a tab-delimited (TSV) file format.    We recommend using the tab delimited file format because it minimizes conversion problems from extraneous characters (this is especially the case if you used the Customer Notes field heavily within ZOHO).  Otherwise, ManageMore can also import using the CSV file format that is directly exportable by ZOHO.

NOTE:  The steps shown here are intended for an IT individual familiar with the process of importing/exporting data.

STEP 1: Gather Exported Files

The first thing that must be done is to gather 3 exportable databases and 2 exportable reports from ZOHO.   All steps shown will suggest to export in XLSX file format, but CSV can be used under most circumstances (eliminating Step 2 which converts XLSX to TSV format).

Exporting the ZOHO Inventory
From the ZOHO main menu, proceed to Inventory… Items… and select the menu icon (image of 3 dots) on the top right corner and locate the Export Items menu selection.

Next, from the Export window, select XLSX (Microsoft Excel) as the export method and press the Export Button.

Exporting ZOHO Customers
From the ZOHO main menu, proceed to Sales… Customers… and select the menu icon (image of 3 dots) on the top right corner and locate the Export Items menu selection.

Next, from the Export window, select XLSX (Microsoft Excel) as the export method and press the Export Button.

Next, from the Export window, select XLSX (Microsoft Excel) as the export method and press the Export Button

Exporting ZOHO Vendors
From the ZOHO main menu, proceed to Purchases… Vendors… and select the menu icon as done above.

Next, from the Export window, select XLSX (Microsoft Excel) as the export method and press the Export Button.

Exporting ZOHO Receivables/Payables
Finally, we need to retrieve any accounts receivable and accounts payable balances you may have in ZOHO.

From the ZOHO Reports menu, select the Customer Balances Report and export this reporting data as shown below.

Next, do the same for Vendor Balances Report.

You have now have 5 exported files containing data that will be needed for the ManageMore conversion.
But first,  exported XLSX files must be resaved into the ManageMore recommended TSV file format.  The easiest way to do this is using the free Google Sheets worksheet app.

Step 2: Convert XLSX to TSV Format

Using Google Sheets, you will need to import each XLSX file and redownload it to a Tab Delimited (TSV) format.
NOTE: If you have chosen to export as CSV file format instead, you can skip this step.
Go to your Google Sheets app and open a blank spreadsheet.  From the Google Sheets File menu, select import.
Next, Select the Upload Tab and choose Browse to find the first ZOHO XLSX file to convert.
Click on the Import Data button to complete the importing of the selected file.
Next, select the File Menu and choose Download… Tab Seperated Values (.tsv)
Repeat this process for all other files by selecting a new spreadsheet and following the same steps shown above.

Step 3: ManageMore Software Conversion

You are now ready to start the process of importing your ZOHO database into ManageMore.
Launch ManageMore… Open Company… and then from the menu, go to File… Convert Database… Custom Software…
Select ZOHO Books/Inventory and press Next to begin the conversion process.
FINAL NOTES ABOUT ZOHO CONVERSION
LIMITATIONS
  1. ZOHO only allows a maximum of 25,000 records per data set (i.e. Inventory Items, Customers, or Vendors) to be exported.  An alternate backup method is suggested by ZOHO as a means of extracting all data, if necessary.  With the exception of inventory, this limitation will likely not pose a problem for your conversion.
  2. ZOHO Item Groups are not converted due to the vast differences in the implementation of products with variances (i.e. Matrix Items).
  3. ZOHO Price Lists (similar to our Price Levels and Promotional Pricing feature) are not converted at this time.

DATABASE DIFFERENCES

  1. ZOHO uses a DISPLAY NAME on its customer records, which is typically the same as the Company Name.  ManageMore does not support both a DISPLAY NAME and COMPANY NAME, so the database conversion will rely on DISPLAY NAME as the Company Name, unless there is no value in this field.
  2. ZOHO uses a concept referred to as DRAFT for holding transaction information temporarily without affecting inventory.  This is not a directly supported capability of ManageMore.  DRAFT in ManageMore is typically referred to as a Sales Quote or Purchase Quote that is then converted into Orders and Invoices at a later time.
  3. ZOHO concept of item groups as a way of building a matrix inventory item (i.e. a product that has variations) truly does not fit ManageMore’s definition or concept of a matrix product at all.  Oddly, there is no real association to each item in ZOHO’s item grouping feature and does not even make much data entry sense to use this feature in ZOHO.  The implementation is very poor and carries no real benefit we are able to determine.  ZOHO item variations must have been an afterthought in their inventory design or a workaround for some other third party integration.  Needless to say, product variation is truly not a capability of ZOHO (regardless of some fields thrown into this product to give the impression of product variations).