3 Use Cases of Google Drive to Zoho CRM Extension
Mordor has forecasted that the global document management system market will reach US$11.47 billion by 2026. A giant leap from 2020, which was around US$5.51 billion. Despite the uprising in using an online file management system, 46% of employees still use paper-based workflow, resulting in poor productivity.
However, often confused, a cloud-based document management system (DMS) is not only for internal workflow. You can use it for external client data management alongside your Zoho CRM, which does not offer a bulk storage facility by default.
So, to store a document and/or upload a big file, you must use Google Drive or similar cloud storage. But toggling between Zoho CRM and Google Drive to execute a single task often disrupts the workflow.
So, how do you manage the systematic organisation of files and folders with minimum disruption? There comes our Zoho Integration with Google Drive. In this article, we will share the functionalities of the Google Drive extension and its possible use cases in different industries.
Use Cases of Zoho Google Drive Extension
From the rich list of cloud storage systems, including Google Drive, Dropbox, One Drive, Zoho WorkDrive etc., we will consider Google Drive to explore some use cases in regard to our extension. However, the same workflow applies to Dropbox; you can get more ideas here. So, without further ado, let’s dive into different application areas of this Zoho integration.
- Digital Marketing Agency:
Digital marketing agencies frequently share information with their clients. From onboarding the clients to working on the project and delivering it with revisions, every step requires uploading or attaching tons of documents. A workflow in the Google Drive of any digital agency, assuming it’s a full-fledged digital marketing package with web design & development, could be —
These are the possible folder hierarchy you might need to maintain the workflow of your client through Google Drive. Now, imagine creating the hierarchy every time you onboard a client. It’d be a hectic job— we can sense that already!
Let me tell you how our Zoho CRM Google Drive integration can help overcome the hassle.
Irrespective of Leads or Deals, simply apply the hierarchy to them from Zoho CRM, and the parent folders and subfolders will be created automatically.
What’s more interesting, it will use the Deal/Lead name as the root folder, and you can find it in your Google Drive by typing it. Similarly, create any folders and upload any files within the folders in your Drive; the auto synchronisation feature will make them available at Zoho CRM. It’s a bidirectional process; it works seamlessly in real-time. You can add more folders or subfolders as necessary— there is no limit.
- Construction Firm/Building Industry:
The construction industry is unbelievably vast, so is the workflow. However, construction firms struggle to manage three core attributes: Finance, Resources, and Projects.
Depending on the project scope, aka enormity, the workflow varies from one to another. And small-scale construction firms, let’s say subcontractors, usually don’t need pricey construction project management software to run their operations smoothly.
Google Drive is a wise choice to minimise the software cost but stay connected with the whole project. Let’s break down the possible work hierarchies in a start-up construction company —
So, the initial folder is named after the client or project. It contains the project initiation date to evaluate the firm’s growth quarterly. This root folder contains all information in different parent folders and subfolders.
Once the contract is signed and the whole project scope is sketched down, the documents will be in the Contract Details folder. This will ensure quick navigation of the initial agreement, and any necessary changes will also be included here for future reference.
Now, the design begins.
Usually, the architect comes up with lucrative design ideas for the clients. Now the designer or even the client can upload any drawings or reference photos of real buildings in the Design Idea folder for integration into the design. But this needs approval from the legal authority. Once the design is approved, final construction begins, and so is the hunt for vendors of raw materials.
Now, there are two scenarios.
- You can create different folders under the vendors’ names and list down the materials you want to source from them
Or,
- You can list down the raw materials necessary and create different folders for vendors associated
Either way is fine and depends on your convenience. So, let’s say you have created folders for different vendors. Now a subfolder entitled Delivered will contain the info about materials already delivered. You can create Google Sheets to track the deliverables, quantity, price and delivery date.
As the construction continues, you can occasionally capture and upload photos of the sites to let the client know the progress in real-time. Upload them in the Ongoing Development folder, so the clients don’t need to visit the site to learn about the progress.
How can our Zoho Google Drive Integration help?
If you set this folder hierarchy as your default one, it will apply to all of your leads and deals. So, you don’t have to create those folders every time you onboard a client. Besides, new folder creation is easier than ever with our tool that synchronises the data in real time. As a result, you will find the same folder hierarchy and the information within Google Drive and Zoho CRM.
Upload or create any folder/files irrespective of the channels and save the effort on repetitive tasks.
- Photography Post-production Company:
Usually, photography post-production companies have a simple workflow. It takes only 4 parties to complete the cycle of every successful operation, including the Client, Project coordinator, Editors, and the QA team.
So, their documentation procedure also follows a simple path, ranging from getting the contract, file sharing, working on them, delivering the output, and exchanging invoices.
Considering the workflow, a possible folder hierarchy for an image editing company can be—
A breakdown of the possible workflow
Here, the project coordinator receives the project from the client and uploads them on a folder. The client can also directly upload the files to the shared folder. Then the reference files and precise instructions are placed in a specific folder from where the editors will learn what to do. There could be several teams working simultaneously, depending on the volume.
Once the editor completes a file, he immediately moves it to the Done folder. This allows the QA team to work simultaneously without waiting until the end of the whole project. The QA team moves any faulty images to the Redo folder, and the editor checks it from time to time to ensure he completes the job successfully.
The process continues until everything is completed and moved to the Final folder for client confirmation. Then the client can move imperfect images to the Redo folder for further editing. Once no images are left for post-production, invoices can be uploaded to the Invoice folder for easy access.
However, using a cloud storage service is mandatory for photography post-production companies. It is mainly because a single image can be over 40 MB. Now imagine your clients sending you 500 photos for post-processing. It simply goes beyond the capacity of Zoho CRM or any CRM.
Now, creating folders manually for an individual client in Google Drive is undoubtedly not the best practice. In that case, our Zoho integration can help.
How Does Zoho CRM Google Drive Integration Work?
Zoho Google Drive integration is a thoughtful innovation that ensures a logical hierarchy of files and folders with minimum effort. The extension creates parent folders, subfolders, uploads, or creates files in respective places as instructed on either of the tools. Also, it can satisfy the naming convention needs without switching to Google Drive.
The extension primarily synchronises the data between Zoho CRM and Google Drive. Whatever you upload on Google Drive in specific folders will be available on Zoho CRM. So, you do not need to open another tab to view, edit, delete, or share files with your clients or internal teams.
- Folder Hierarchy
When you install and authorise the plugin to access both platforms simultaneously, you set a folder hierarchy that you might need to manage your deals and leads. These folders are what you need most often. Now they work as templates for you and are automatically created whenever you select any of your leads and deals. It eliminates the need to create them manually every time you have something to upload or attach.
Apart from the automated folders you have set, you can easily create as many parent folders and subfolders as necessary under any deal and leads. Uploading files and documents in any of the folders/subfolders will remain so and are accessible from both platforms. The synchronisation process will ensure data availability in real-time. On top of that, you can share or delete files from the locations without any hassle.
To understand the complete process, please refer to the video below. You will learn how to install and authorise the Zoho Google Drive plugin, create folders/subfolders, and manage files.
Why Should You Use Zoho Google Drive Integration?
Business operations, especially sales and marketing, require fetching necessary files as the lead moves to a successful deal through strategic nurturing. But Zoho CRM doesn’t offer ample storage features to attach necessary files against the deals and leads. So, you need a system that works with Zoho CRM and lets you store data within.
The adaptation of digital documentation tools has increased substantially. The table below shows the statistics in this regard across the departments.
So, technically, the era of paperless documentation has begun. Also, finding email attachments from thousands of business emails does not look very professional. While Google Drive is a front-running cloud-based storage solution, Dropbox is another rising star and has already benefitted the industry.
But managing two different platforms (Google Drive & Zoho CRM) for a single task is inefficient. As mentioned earlier, our Zoho extension is helpful in this regard. This translates into better efficiency, and the streamlined workflow lets the agents manage documentation error-free.
- Benefits of Using Zoho Integration with Google Drive
It’s exciting how a simple connector can boost the efficiency of your Zoho CRM. Our Zoho Google Drive plugin benefits your business in the following ways:
- It makes cloud data management much easier and more convenient.
- The plugin saves time and effort by automating the folder creation process.
- Reduces the risk of human error while setting up folder hierarchy for multiple leads or deals.
- The Google Drive extension keeps the whole team on the same page, including the client.
- Data sharing is more accessible than making a cup of coffee as you don’t have to navigate to your Google Drive to fetch the shareable link.
End Note
There are 4.3 billion Google users as of 2022, potentially making 4.3 billion Google Drive users. So, this is more likely that your clients are using Google Drive for different purposes. And 150K+ users of Zoho CRM, including you, this is an opportunity for you to leverage the overwhelming number. Install the plugin, set the folder hierarchy according to your business needs, and enjoy the best CRM experience even if you are not tech-savvy.