We now live in an era that is fast-progressing towards automation and artificial intelligence. Unlike giant firms, SMEs have an especially hard time juggling between administration and expansion due to limited resources. Even the small yet significant details such as providing an early payer's discount, or collecting a late fee for an overdue invoice, can require a lot of time and effort.
For instance, Mike works as a salesperson as well as a cashier in a furniture showroom. His store charges 3% of the total invoice amount as the packaging fee on all orders. While attending to his customers, he finds it difficult to keep up with the tedious billing calculations and tracking overdue invoices.
If you can relate to Mike's situation, then read on. After a thorough analysis of the use cases and requirements of our customers, Zoho Inventory has upped its existing automation game a level further with the addition of Custom Functions.
What is Custom Function?
A custom function is a short piece of code written using an online scripting language called Deluge. Using custom functions, you can provide the instructions to carry out processes that are unique to your business. These instructions will be automatically executed when a specific criterion is met.
Deluge
Deluge is an online scripting language integrated with Zoho Creator. Its user-friendly syntax makes coding easy for anyone with basic programming knowledge. And its built-in drag-and-drop feature allows you to write a piece of code without having to memorize it.
How does this help your business?
- Highly Adaptable
Whether it be providing an early discount or charging a late fee, every business has its own way of operating. You can incorporate any such logic into a custom function and have it work to meet your business needs.
- Minimal Tracking
You no longer have to continually remind yourself to extend due dates for valued customers or track late fees and discounts. Just set up a custom function, and the rest will be automatically taken care of.
- Error-proof
With custom functions, you can make complex calculations simpler. Take Mike's case for instance. Every time he has to manually calculate 3% of the invoice total for packaging. By making use of custom functions, he is not merely minimizing his workload, but also averting any calculation errors while billing the customer.
- Time-saving
Automating your tasks will mean a significant reduction in your workload. Less manual work means a faster checkout process and that you have the time to focus on more important tasks at hand.
Creating a Custom Function in Zoho Inventory
If you have identified a complex, humdrum task as part of your regular work, then you can fully automate it by creating a custom function in Zoho Inventory.
Creating a custom function in Zoho Inventory involves three simple steps:
Step 1: Define your custom function.
The first step to create a custom function is to define it. Give the custom function an appropriate name, briefly describe its purpose and select the module for which you'll be executing it.
Step 2: Set the criteria.
The next step is to choose when and under what circumstances you want the custom function to be invoked.
Step 3: Add the logic.
Now that you have defined your custom function, it's time to add the logic. By adding a suitable logic, you can determine what the custom function has to do when it is invoked.
It's as simple as that!
By making use of custom functions in Zoho Inventory, you are not only shedding excess work but also have more room to methodically plan your upcoming tasks.
Head over to our help documentation to know more about custom functions. You can also have a look at other use-cases where you can make the best out of this feature. For any help, we are just a call or an email away.
Nice
Hey there, Thank you so much. Please do try out the feature and let us know your thoughts. Cheers, Lakshmi