Selecting the correct CRM application can have a substantial impact on an organization. Today, more and more organizations are realizing the implementation of CRM in improving their processes. For many years, ACT CRM solutions have been industry leaders because of the simple fact that ACT invented the content management software back in the 1980s.

However, a considerable time after the launch of ACT and a substantial evolution being done, organizations are migrating from ACT to Zoho CRM. This is because organizations have consistently seen positive results as a result of this data migration. The data migration done from ACT to Zoho CRM is extremely beneficial and puts the organization in a state of advantage.

In this blog, we will look at the conversion in detail and then the benefits that come from this data migration. So, let’s begin:

ACT to Zoho CRM: The Conversion

An increasing number of organizations are willing for data migration from Act to Zoho CRM. While explaining the scope of migration, we will shed some light on what gets migrated and all that you can expect once the conversion is done.

Before understanding the entire conversion, let us all assume that an organization is using everything in ACT. This means that all the important information of this organization including contacts, companies, notes, history, attachments, custom fields, activities, groups, or any other important data is uploaded on ACT. The version of ACT does not matter here because data migration can be done from all versions.

Now, the migration process includes a middle step of exporting all the data into Excel. Therefore, any data that might not migrate can be edited to fit into Zoho fields and records. It is important that someone an experienced professional does this because that person will have the right tools and the knowledge to do the same. There are many people who can export data ACT, but only a few know how to migrate it. Therefore, having an experienced Zoho implementation consultant is a prerequisite.

Firstly, all the items that come straight across including the contacts, custom fields, or companies can be migrated cleanly. In Zoho, companies are called accounts by default. If you wish, then you can change this name as well. Being an Act user for many years, you might be used to the word companies, so you can stick to the same if you wish. Remember, if you set up all the fields in Zoho to match the fields in Act then mostly all of the data is likely to come across as fine and accurate. The only thing worth noting here is that Zoho limits the number of custom fields that can be added. This limit is 130 and it is divided by the field type. Although this should generally not be an issue, you might as well run into limits if you customize your ACT database extensively.

Other things such as notes, opportunities/potentials, and history come across the information while being presented in Zoho in a different manner. If the data is getting manipulated in Excel correctly, you can be assured of a clean conversion. Here, it is key that the person doing the data migration is well aware of both the ACT and the Zoho data structure, otherwise, there is a good chance that you might lose some important data.

As a system, you will find that ACT is much more detailed in Activities. Hence, scheduling, recurrence, alarms will not come over as 100%. You will end up getting the major information that will be just enough to continue working without any interruption or losing data. Additionally, the dates will also convert. You might just have to edit some of the alarms and recurring schedules.

For the data migration of groups, there is a different feature in Zoho. Just because Zoho does not have the group feature with the same name does not mean that you will end up losing any kind of data. It is very much possible to successfully convert the group information and keep it intact so that the users can still use the data they have in ACT. Zoho comes with some features that enable this to happen and the most important one out of those is Views, which means saved queries. When you move the group name to a field, you can create views in Zoho that enable you to do the same job of groups in ACT. Another option can be used as a second entity in Zoho called the companies or vendors at the group level.

It is important to remember that Zoho is a remarkable CRM application that is designed to enable the organizations to accomplish all that they wish to. Therefore, after the data migration is done correctly, the companies must focus on getting used to the features of Zoho and maximizing the benefits they offer for the best results.

Below mentioned is a step by step methodology of data migration from ACT to Zoho CRM:

1. Discovery: The team of data migration consultants that you hire will make all attempts to gain an understanding of your existing setup. They are going to assess and understand your existing set up while planning for all the next steps that must be taken.

2. Back up: In this step, an ACT backup file will be needed for extracting the data from ACT CRM. Mostly, this will be a database backup such as the MS SQL database.

3. Extraction: Here, we use custom software for extracting data from the ACT. This particular process takes some hours based on the size of the database. Just after the extraction gets completed, spreadsheets of records in ACT CRM like Accounts, Opportunities, Events, Notes, Attachments, etc. are obtained.

4. Configuration: Before the migration of data is started, there is a setup configuration and customization in Zoho. This includes users and profiles, organization set up, custom fields, custom modules, workflow automation, etc. This step helps in preparing the Zoho account for migration.

5. Data cleansing: Just before the data gets migrated, a clean-up of data is required. Extensive work is done to duplicate records, unused modules, and the fields.

6. Data migration: In the step of data migration, the data that was extracted will be uploaded to the Zoho CRM.

7. Training: In this step, the data migration consultants will spend some time training the administrators and end-users.

8. Post-migration support: In this step, post-implementation support is provided for ensuring the success of the data migration.

Benefits of data migration from ACT to Zoho CRM

1. Cloud-based: Zoho CRM is entirely cloud-based. This means that it integrates with several other cloud-based applications including the Google apps suite. Additionally, it can also sync with QuickBooks and Outlook.

Since Zoho is cloud-based, it provides a wide number of mobile features which means that users do not have to be restricted to their desks or even a particular computer system. Organizations can access the CRM application on the go from their mobile devices such as tablets or even smart phones.

2. Up to date technology:  ACT is outdated in many ways when compared to Zoho because Zoho offers many modern features. Some of these features include sales quotas, feeds, competitor tracking, etc. The feed feature has the capability to turn your CRM into a social network that allows users to follow certain activities or records along with adding comments.

This is a social format that proves to be much more intuitive for users as it mirrors the interface that most of the people working with new technology are accustomed to. Additionally, this also enables easier communication because it becomes easy to trace the comments back to particular events or records. There is no longer a need to do internal and external communications through separate emails or messenger channels because that can be done through the software directly.

3. Leverages marketing: Although it is true that many CRM applications are equipped with marketing automation tools, it must also be remembered that all of these solutions do not offer high-quality solutions. Zoho comes with a wide number of marketing automation tools that include email templates, mass emailing ability, an ability to transfer the web leads directly, a marketing campaign manager, etc.

All these tools provide increased connectivity with features that streamline marketing to the sales process. With the functions of email campaigns, users can invite prospects to schedule follow-up emails. It is also possible to keep a track of email open rates, the total number of clicks, and bounces.

After these events are over, the users can move all new leads to the sales team using the drip campaigns. Zoho CRM assists all marketing teams to manage the campaigns effectively while passing on quality leads to the sales team. In addition, marketing automation tools ensure that all campaigns deliver better results. Zoho CRM lets users set the budget, assign ownership to tasks, and measure the success of all campaigns that are conducted.

Conclusion:

The amazing benefits that Zoho offers make up for the reason why companies are switching to Zoho. Encaptechno assists companies in implementing new and improved CRM solutions with exemplary support and guidance.

Having worked with multiple organizations as they migrated their data to the latest software applications, we ensure that they are always taking the benefit of the most innovative solutions. In case you are interested in using these new tools and want our team to help you with data migration from Act to Zoho CRM, then contact us.

We will give you the best-suited solutions for your business needs.