Executive Summary

Marquis is a Plano, Texas-based technology company that helps banks and credit unions turn their customer data into measurable growth through data-driven marketing, customer data and compliance solutions. They provide an end-to-end platform and expert services that centralize customer and member data, surface profitable marketing opportunities, and power personalized, multi-channel campaigns and compliant communications for hundreds of financial institutions nationwide.

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Marquis partnered with ZoHelpers, to complete a major CRM transformation centered on migrating from DealCloud to Zoho CRM. The project was designed to do more than simply replace one system with another. It required a careful review of Marquis’ existing CRM architecture, third-party integrations, imported data sources, reporting needs, and operational workflows so the new environment would reflect how the business actually worked.

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ZoHelpers managed the migration end to end, including the transfer of historical and active data, the configuration of connected systems, and the recreation of reporting in Zoho Analytics. The team also helped implement ongoing automations that improved form handling, ticket management, and data processing across separate business workflows. The result was a smoother, more connected CRM foundation that allowed Marquis to transition without disruption while gaining greater flexibility for future growth.

 

Client Overview

Marquis is a data-driven organization focused on marketing, CRM, and compliance services for banks and credit unions. Because its business relies on accurate customer information, structured workflows, and reliable reporting, the CRM environment plays a central role in daily operations.

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Over time, the company’s operational needs became more complex. They were challenged to share the DealCloud CRM with 2 business units that shared the same industry customer base. Data was flowing in from multiple sources to multiple destinations, workflows were becoming more specialized, and reporting requirements were expanding. Marquis needed a CRM platform that could support those needs in a more flexible and integrated way. Zoho CRM offered the scalability and customization needed to build a stronger long-term foundation.

 

The Challenge

The primary challenge was not just migration, but migration without disruption. Marquis needed to move from DealCloud CRM to Zoho CRM while preserving existing data, business logic, and operational continuity. That meant the new system had to be carefully designed to reflect the company’s current process structure rather than forcing teams to adjust to a rigid out-of-the-box setup.

Another important challenge involved integrations. Marquis was already working with multiple third-party systems, and those connections had to be understood, mapped, and recreated inside Zoho CRM. In addition, the company had imported data from platforms such as Workamajig, which needed to be ingested and converted into usable CRM records. This required a process that could handle structured imports, data transformation, and record creation in a consistent way.

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Reporting was another major consideration. Marquis relied on dashboards and analytics to monitor performance and business activity, and the team wanted to maintain that visibility after the transition. Existing reports built in Power BI had to be replicated in Zoho Analytics so users could continue to access familiar insights in a new environment.

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ZoHelpers’ Approach

ZoHelpers started by studying the full CRM ecosystem in place at Marquis. This included the structure of the DealCloud environment, the relationships between modules and records, the external systems feeding into CRM, and the reporting needs that supported decision-making across the business. That discovery process was essential, because it allowed the ZoHelpers team to design a Zoho CRM setup that aligned with existing operations instead of simply recreating a generic CRM model.

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From there, ZoHelpers mapped the required fields, workflows, and integrations into Zoho CRM. The goal was to ensure that the new system would feel familiar to users while also being more scalable and adaptable. Careful planning around field mapping, record relationships, and process logic helped reduce risk during migration and made it easier for the Marquis team to continue working as soon as the new system was live.

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The data migration itself was handled as a full transition, not a partial move. Historical records and active operational data were brought into Zoho CRM so the organization could maintain continuity across teams and workflows. This gave users access to the information they needed from day one, without having to switch between systems or rely on legacy tools.

 

Data Migration and System Continuity

One of the most important parts of the project was ensuring that the move from DealCloud to Zoho CRM happened without interrupting the business. That meant the migration had to be accurate, complete, and carefully coordinated.

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ZoHelpers migrated the full data set into Zoho CRM so Marquis could shift to the new platform without a break in operations. The team also accounted for imported data coming from Workamajig and similar external sources, which had to be processed and transformed into records that could be used directly inside CRM. This kind of data handling is especially important in organizations where operational information is not confined to a single source system.

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By consolidating data into Zoho CRM, Marquis gained a more unified view of its records and reduced dependence on disconnected tools. That created a stronger foundation for both day-to-day work and long-term reporting.

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Integration and Workflow Design

A major part of the implementation involved understanding how Marquis’ CRM interacted with third-party systems and then rebuilding those connections in Zoho CRM. This required careful attention to how data entered the system, how it was categorized, and what actions needed to follow once records were created.

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ZoHelpers configured the new environment so incoming information could be handled reliably and consistently. In cases where data came from forms, imports, or other operational sources, the system was designed to process it into the correct CRM structure. This helped reduce manual work and made it easier for teams to trust that records would be created and routed correctly.

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The workflow design also accounted for different business paths within the organization. Separate handling was built for ZAG versus Marquis records, ensuring that each type of data could follow the correct business logic. This was important because not every record should behave the same way, and a good CRM implementation has to reflect those distinctions clearly.

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Reporting and Analytics

Marquis also needed a reporting environment that would preserve their use of Power BI while taking advantage of Zoho’s connected ecosystem. ZoHelpers set up Zoho Analytics and helped make the reporting transition smoother for users.

Because Zoho Analytics syncs seamlessly with Zoho CRM, the company gained a more direct path from operational data to reporting. That meant dashboards could be connected more closely to live CRM information, improving consistency and reducing friction between data entry and analysis.

The new analytics setup gave Marquis a centralized reporting layer that supported decision-making across the business. Instead of relying on separate tools with disconnected data, the team could work from a more unified system that reflected current CRM activity.

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Automation Enhancements

After the migration was complete, ZoHelpers continued building automations to improve the efficiency and reliability of Marquis’ workflows. These enhancements were designed to solve specific operational needs and reduce manual follow-up.

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Web form integrations were implemented to capture data directly into the CRM. This helped streamline intake processes and reduced the amount of manual entry needed to keep records current. The system could now take incoming form submissions and route them into the appropriate CRM workflows more efficiently.

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ZoHelpers also built automation for identifying tickets with missing balancing information. When those cases were detected, notifications were generated so the right users could take action. This helped improve process quality and reduced the chance that incomplete records would go unnoticed.

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The separate handling for ZAG versus Marquis records further strengthened workflow control. By distinguishing between those paths at the system level, ZoHelpers helped ensure that records were processed according to the right rules from the start. That kind of business-specific logic is often what makes a CRM implementation truly useful in practice.

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The Results

The most immediate result was a successful transition from DealCloud to Zoho CRM without operational interruption. Marquis was able to move to the new platform while maintaining access to the data and workflows needed for daily business.

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The migration also improved the company’s ability to manage data from multiple sources. Imported records, CRM data, and integration-driven workflows now live in a more unified environment, making the system easier to support and expand.

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Zoho Analytics gave Marquis a more connected reporting experience, while the added automations reduced manual effort and improved workflow consistency. Over time, the platform became not just a replacement for the old CRM, but a more capable operational system that supports better visibility, better process control, and better scalability.

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Why It Worked

This project worked because it was approached as a business transformation, not just a technical migration. ZoHelpers took the time to understand how Marquis operated, how data moved through its systems, and what the team needed from CRM in order to work effectively.

That foundation made it possible to design a Zoho CRM environment that matched real-world workflows and could evolve over time. By combining migration, integration, reporting, and automation into one implementation, ZoHelpers helped Marquis build a platform that supports current operations and future growth at the same time.

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Future Value

With Zoho CRM and Zoho Analytics in place, Marquis now has a flexible system that can continue to grow with the business. Additional workflows, reporting enhancements, and automation layers can be added without needing to rethink the entire platform.

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The project created a strong digital foundation that supports both efficiency and visibility. As Marquis continues to refine its processes, the Zoho environment built by ZoHelpers provides the structure needed to adapt quickly and operate with confidence.

"Migrating from DealCloud to Zoho CRM was never going to be a simple project for us — we had years of historical data, active integrations, and two business units with very different workflows running on the same platform — but ZoHelpers made it seamless. They took the time to understand how we actually operated before building anything, which meant our teams had access to the data and processes they needed from day one. The business-specific logic they built, the automations that reduced our manual follow-up, and the cleaner path from CRM data to reporting have all made a real difference. ZoHelpers didn't just move us to a new platform — they helped us build something better than what we had."  Elisa Harvey, Systems Administrator, Marquis

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"We have valued the consistently positive working experience with ZoHelpers’ Professional Services team across several engagements. Their team has partnered with us to address some very complex requests in order to help streamline processes and drive meaningful efficiencies across multiple teams. ​Throughout each project, ZoHelpers has demonstrated a high level of expertise and focus. Meetings are well-organized and productive, and it’s clear they take the time to fully understand our objectives and deliver thoughtful, effective solutions."  Sue Schabert VP, Print & Design Integration Operations

 

About ZoHelpers

ZoHelpers is a specialized Zoho implementation partner that helps small to mid-sized growth organizations across the Americas design, deploy, and optimize Zoho-based business systems—including Zoho CRM, Zoho One, Zoho Books, Zoho Desk, and custom Zoho Creator applications—through a structured “Quick Start” approach, ongoing training, and development services focused on sales pipeline optimization, marketing automation, workflow design, and overall operational efficiency, and has been recognized by Zoho as one of its most advanced and trusted partners, including earning the 2024 Central USA “Regional Champion” award for excellence in customer service and business process optimization.