Connecting your CRM to Xero, MYOB or Microsoft 365: what to check first
· By True North Innovations
Most businesses do not run on one tool. Customer records may sit in a CRM (customer relationship management system), invoices in accounting software and email and calendars in an office suite. Xero, MYOB and Microsoft 365 are common examples in Australia. When the tools do not talk to each other, your team copies the same details from one to another.
A connection between them can remove that copying. But a connection is a small project of its own. This guide lists what to check first, so you can settle the questions before any building starts. The questions are the same for a Xero CRM integration, a MYOB CRM integration or a link to Microsoft 365. If you want to see how we plan CRM integrations with the tools you already use, the same questions are the base of our work.
What integration means in practice
"Integration" can mean many things. In practice, it comes down to a few simple questions. Which records move between the tools: customers, contacts, quotes, invoices, appointments? In which direction: from the CRM to the other tool, the other way, or both? And when: as soon as something changes, or at set times?
Write the answers down in plain words, one line for each record. A clear list like this is more useful than a long technical description, and it is the base for the rest of the plan.
Which system owns each field
When the same detail lives in two places, such as a customer's phone number, one system has to be the source of truth (the one whose copy wins). If both can be changed and nothing decides which is right, the two copies will drift apart.
For each field, decide which system owns it and what happens when the other one changes. For example, you may decide that the CRM owns contact details and the accounting tool owns invoice amounts.
How contacts and companies are matched
To avoid creating the same person twice, the connection needs a rule for matching records. It may use an email address, a phone number, a company number or an ID that you store in both tools.
Decide what should happen when the rule finds two possible matches, or none. A careful setup sends these cases to a person to review, and does not guess. Duplicates are easier to prevent than to clean up later.
What happens when an update fails
An update can fail. The other tool may be unavailable for a short time, a field may be missing or a change may be refused. Plan for this before it happens.
A sound setup keeps a record of what failed, tries again where it makes sense, and shows a person the items that need attention. Ask who will see these errors and how quickly someone will act on them.
Access, permissions and licences on the other tool's side
A connection needs permission to read or write in the other tool. That usually means a user, a key or an approval on the other tool's side, and it may depend on the plan or licence you hold there.
Xero, MYOB, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace and payment services are examples to assess, not a promise that every feature is available through every API (the way two programs share data). We assess the APIs, permissions and licence requirements of the tools you use before agreeing the scope.
Who looks after the connection after launch
Tools change. A connection that works today may need an update when the other tool changes how it works, or when your team changes its process. Agree early who is responsible for fixes, updates and changes to the connection, and how those are requested.
Without this, a small fault can sit unnoticed until someone finds missing data.
Start small, then add more
You do not have to connect everything at once. A good first step is one type of record in one direction, for example new contacts moving from the CRM to your accounting tool. Test it with real cases, check the results with the person who uses the other tool, and only then add the next record or the next direction.
This keeps each change small enough to check, and it gives your team time to learn how the connection behaves before they depend on it.
Questions to settle before any build
- Which records move, in which direction and how often?
- Which system owns each field?
- How are contacts and companies matched, and who reviews doubtful matches?
- What happens when an update fails, and who sees it?
- Which permissions and licences are needed on the other tool?
- Who looks after the connection after launch?
Connect your website too
The same thinking applies to the front of the chain. If your website forms feed the CRM, you may also want to connect your website enquiries to your CRM so each enquiry arrives with its source and an owner.
Common questions
Can a CRM connect to Xero, MYOB or Microsoft 365?
Often it can, but it depends on the tool's interfaces, your licences and what you want to move. These tools are examples to assess, not a promise that every feature is available through every API.
What should I decide before connecting a CRM to accounting software?
Decide which records move and in which direction, which system owns each field, how records are matched, what happens when an update fails and who looks after the connection.
How do I avoid duplicate contacts between two tools?
Agree a matching rule, such as an email address or an ID stored in both tools, and send doubtful matches to a person to review instead of guessing.
If you want the connection planned before it is built, see how our custom CRM development service works with your existing tools.
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