AFAS Zoho CRM integration: how KSM sees every quote, order and invoice in one customer record
An account manager is preparing a customer visit. Which quotes are open? What has been ordered in recent months? Which products does this customer buy, and at what price? At KSM, that information is now in one customer record in Zoho CRM, fed directly from AFAS.
The challenge
KSM actually worked only from AFAS. That is where the customers, products, quotes, orders and invoices were. There was no real CRM system, or it was not used properly.
AFAS is strong in administration and financial processes. But for sales and customer contact you then lack the overview. Anyone who wants to know what is going on with a customer has to piece the data together themselves. And a foundation for serving customers online is missing.
5
Types of data kept up to date in Zoho CRM: accounts, products, quotes, orders and invoices.
3 mths
From July to September 2026 for the first phase of the project.
65+
Years of KSM's experience in lubrication maintenance.
1,000+
References at industrial companies.
All customer information in one place
Mobile XL is a Dutch partner for digital transformation. We help SMEs in the Netherlands and Flanders with Zoho, process automation and low-code solutions. For KSM we built an AFAS Zoho CRM integration that keeps all quotes, orders and invoices, including products and accounts, up to date in Zoho CRM.
In this customer story you can read how that integration works, why AFAS remains the leading system and how this step lays the foundation for an online customer portal.
About KSM: partner in lubrication and maintenance
KSM is the partner for industrial companies that want to optimise their lubrication maintenance. The company supplies industrial lubricants, food-grade lubricants, metalworking fluids and oil-free water-based coolants. KSM works with brands such as Castrol, Shell, Quaker Houghton, Fuchs and Aquaslide.
Besides products, KSM offers a broad range of services. Think of fully automatic emulsion management, oil analyses, emulsion measurements, machine cleaning, the disposal of used oil and training. KSM has more than 65 years of experience and over 1,000 references.
That means many customers, many products and many transactions. Quotes, orders and invoices follow each other quickly. And with prices that move with the market, up-to-date information is essential.
Project background: the first phase of a larger programme
The AFAS Zoho CRM integration was built between July and September 2026. It is the first phase of a larger project. Zoho CRM will be followed by Zoho Desk. After that comes an online communication portal for customers, which uses the data in Zoho CRM and Zoho Desk.
This first phase lays the foundation for it: reliable, up-to-date customer and transaction data in Zoho CRM.
Everything in AFAS, no real CRM
Objective: AFAS and Zoho CRM always in sync
The objective was clear: the data between AFAS and Zoho CRM must always be synchronised. That led to the concrete goals.
| Area | Objective |
|---|---|
| Accounts | All customer data from AFAS available in Zoho CRM |
| Products | Product data and prices up to date in Zoho CRM |
| Quotes | All quotes from AFAS visible in the customer record |
| Orders | All orders with order lines visible in the customer record |
| Invoices | All invoices visible in the customer record |
| Future | A reliable data foundation for Zoho Desk and an online customer portal |
The solution: Zoho CRM fed by AFAS
The solution is based on a clear division of roles. AFAS remains the source. Zoho CRM becomes the place where you see and serve the customer.
How the AFAS Zoho CRM integration works
The integration runs in one direction: from AFAS to Zoho CRM. Everything recorded or changed in AFAS ends up in Zoho CRM, up to date. This is what it looks like in practice.
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Record it in AFAS
An employee creates an account, product, quote, order or invoice in AFAS, or changes one.
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Detect the change
The integration platform on Zoho Catalyst detects the new or changed data.
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Convert the data
The platform converts the data to the right structure in Zoho CRM.
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Update account and products
The account and the products are created or updated in Zoho CRM.
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Link to the customer record
The quote, order or invoice is linked to the right customer record, including the lines with products.
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Up to date in Zoho CRM
In Zoho CRM, everyone immediately sees the current state of affairs with the customer.
What data goes along?
All information about quotes, orders and invoices goes from AFAS to Zoho CRM. The same applies to the products and the accounts they belong to. Invoice payment statuses are deliberately not synchronised. They stay in AFAS, where the financial handling takes place.
| Data | From AFAS to Zoho CRM |
|---|---|
| Accounts | Yes |
| Products | Yes |
| Quotes | Yes, including lines |
| Orders | Yes, including lines |
| Invoices | Yes, including lines |
| Invoice payment status | No, stays in AFAS |
Always up to date
The synchronisation is up to date. So there is no fixed overnight run you have to wait for. What is recorded in AFAS today is in Zoho CRM today. That matters for an organisation that wants to follow price fluctuations closely.
AFAS integration through the integration platform
AFAS is the only external application in this phase. The AFAS integration runs through Mobile XL's integration platform on Zoho Catalyst. That platform takes care of the connection with AFAS, the translation of the data and updating the right records in Zoho CRM.
Because AFAS leads, changes in Zoho CRM are not written back. That keeps responsibilities clear: the finance team manages the data in AFAS, and sales and customer contact use it in Zoho CRM.
Ready for Zoho Desk and the customer portal
The platform was set up with the next phases in mind. Zoho Desk will use the same customer data. And the online customer portal will read from Zoho CRM and Zoho Desk. That will let KSM serve customers online as well as possible, with up-to-date information about their quotes, orders and products.
Results of the AFAS Zoho CRM integration
After three months, KSM has a working CRM that is fed entirely from AFAS. These are the main outcomes.
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Everything current in Zoho CRM
All quotes, orders and invoices from AFAS are up to date in Zoho CRM.
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Right product, right customer
Products and accounts are synchronised, so every line belongs to the right product and the right customer.
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Full history per customer
Under every customer record you see the complete commercial history at a glance.
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AFAS stays in the lead
AFAS remains the leading system, so the finance team does not have to change anything.
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Follow price fluctuations
The data is up to date, which makes it possible to follow price fluctuations.
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Foundation for the next phases
There is a reliable foundation for Zoho Desk and the online customer portal.
What this means for KSM
For the first time, KSM has a complete customer view in one place. Account managers and the sales office no longer have to search in AFAS to see what is going on with a customer. That makes customer conversations better prepared and more personal.
KSM can also respond better to price movements. Because products and orders are up to date in Zoho CRM, you can see immediately which customers buy which products. That helps to communicate price changes in good time.
The biggest effect comes in the next phases. With Zoho Desk and the online customer portal, KSM will soon be able to give customers insight into their own quotes, orders and products. The Zoho integration built now forms the backbone for that.
Want to connect AFAS to Zoho CRM too?
Does your organisation work mainly from AFAS, while you lack a good customer view for sales and service? With an AFAS Zoho CRM integration you keep AFAS as the source and get all customer information clearly in Zoho CRM. Mobile XL helps you from analysis to go-live, from a single integration to complete process automation. Also read how we connected Zoho Books to Exact Online for CAST.
Frequently asked questions about the AFAS Zoho CRM integration
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Yes. Mobile XL connects AFAS to Zoho CRM through its own integration platform on Zoho Catalyst. That platform fetches the data from AFAS and puts it in the right place in Zoho CRM.
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At KSM, accounts, products, quotes, orders and invoices go along, including the lines. Invoice payment statuses are not synchronised. Which data you include is agreed per project.
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The synchronisation is up to date. Changes in AFAS reach Zoho CRM without waiting for a scheduled run.
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At KSM, AFAS leads. The integration runs in one direction, from AFAS to Zoho CRM. Data is managed in AFAS and used in Zoho CRM.
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AFAS is strong in administration and financial processes. Zoho CRM is strong in customer view, sales and customer contact. With an integration you combine those strengths, without double entry.
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Salespeople see all invoices in the customer record in Zoho CRM. At KSM, the payment statuses are deliberately left out. They stay in AFAS, where the financial handling takes place.
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The integration platform monitors the synchronisation. If something goes wrong, it is flagged so it can be resolved quickly. How notifications are set up is agreed per project.
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The integration uses the standard connection options of AFAS. Which AFAS environment you use and which data is available in it, we look at case by case.
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The integration platform runs on Zoho Catalyst. As a result, hosting, security and GDPR safeguards fall within Zoho's infrastructure.
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At KSM, the integration was built in about three months, from July to September 2026. The lead time depends on the amount of data and the number of processes. In a first conversation we give you a realistic planning.