- Project Details Eco Choice General Trading LLC (Zoho Implementation)
- Project Role My role was to head the ERP development and implementation project.
- Project Duration Duration of the project was one year six months.
ZOHO BOOKS IMPLEMENTATION
“The goal was to digitize and integrate accounting, inventory, and sales processes using Zoho Books and Zoho Inventory—allowing us to manage product imports, stock across cold storage units, client deliveries, VAT compliance, and financial reporting in real time.”
Zoho Inventory – Cold Chain & Product Tracking
✅ Key Features Used:
- Multi-warehouse inventory tracking (e.g., port cold storage, company facility, distributor storage)
- Batch and expiry date management for perishable meat products
- Stock adjustments for wastage, spoilage, and product returns
- Automated reorder levels for regular import planning
“This gave us full traceability of each batch—critical for compliance, food safety, and planning replenishment based on shelf life.”
Purchase & Import Management
✅ Features Implemented:
- Created Purchase Orders for international suppliers
- Recorded Landed Costs (customs, freight, insurance, cold chain logistics)
- Linked purchases to specific warehouses and batches
- Configured vendor-wise lead times and costs
“This allowed us to calculate actual import cost per unit, giving us precise margin visibility.”
Sales Order Processing & Delivery
✅ Features Used:
- Created Sales Orders for B2B clients (supermarkets, hotels, distributors)
- Tracked inventory reservation per order
- Issued Delivery Challans, integrated with warehouse picking
- Generated Sales Invoices directly from fulfilled orders
“Sales and stock were now fully synchronized. We could track who bought what, when, and from which batch—essential for FMCG.”
Zoho Books – Accounting, UAE VAT & Financials
✅ Key Modules Configured:
- Chart of Accounts customized for FMCG trading
- UAE VAT setup (5% standard VAT, reverse charge on imports, zero-rated exports)
- Bank reconciliation for multiple accounts (AED, USD, EUR)
- Automated recurring entries for rent, salaries, cold storage fees, etc.
- VAT reporting integrated with FTA formats (Filing-ready data)
“We moved from spreadsheets and manual filings to fully compliant VAT-ready books—saving hours during each tax filing period.”
Customer & Receivables Management
✅ Features Used:
- Credit limits and aging reports for B2B customers
- Payment tracking (cash, cheque, bank transfer, post-dated cheques)
- Automated reminders for overdue balances
“This reduced our receivables cycle and improved collection tracking with less manual follow-up.”
Reporting & Dashboards
✅ Key Reports Enabled:
- Inventory aging (critical for perishable goods)
- Sales by product, customer, and region
- Gross margin by product category
- Purchase vs Sales comparison
- VAT Summary, Purchase & Sales registers
“Management could now view up-to-date reports on stock position, sales trends, and VAT liability without relying on spreadsheets.”
🛠️ 3. Implementation Process Overview
Step | Activity |
Requirement Analysis | Assessed existing workflows across finance, procurement, warehouse, and sales |
Software Setup | Activated Zoho Books + Zoho Inventory with UAE VAT configuration |
Data Migration | Imported chart of accounts, supplier/customer lists, item master, opening stock |
Process Mapping | Aligned business processes: imports, sales cycles, cold storage handling |
Training | Hands-on training for finance team, warehouse staff, and sales team |
Go-Live | Phased rollout (finance first, then inventory and order management) |
📈 4. Key Business Benefits Achieved
Area | Before Implementation | After Zoho Books + Inventory |
Inventory Tracking | Manual, spreadsheet-based | Batch-wise, expiry-wise, real-time |
Import Costing | Approximate only | Full landed cost visibility |
Sales Processing | Paper-based or siloed | Integrated order-to-invoice workflow |
VAT Compliance | Manual entries | Automated UAE VAT calculations & filing reports |
Reporting | Delayed or fragmented | Instant financial & operational dashboards |
Cash Flow | Poor visibility | Clear receivables/payables tracking |
"Conclusion"
“With Zoho Books and Zoho Inventory, we streamlined every part of our FMCG meat trading operations—from import to sale—while ensuring full UAE VAT compliance and better financial control. The result is a more scalable, transparent, and efficient system tailored to the fast-paced FMCG environment.”