Migrate from Centerbase to Zoho CRM

Centerbase contacts map directly to Zoho CRM Contacts. The contact's primary company (client) link translates to an Account lookup in Zoho. If the contact has no company link, it creates as a standalone Contact with no AccountId. Owner resolution happens by email match against Zoho Users.

Centerbase 'Client' records represent companies or law firms. These map to Zoho CRM Accounts. The Client Name becomes Account Name. Client address, phone, and website fields translate to their Zoho equivalents. Billing address fields map to the Account's billing address section.

Centerbase Matters — the core legal case records — map to Zoho CRM Deals. Matter name becomes Deal Name. The Matter's status (Open, Closed, Pending) maps to Zoho Deal Stage values. A default pipeline called 'Legal Matters' is created in Zoho; stage values map from Centerbase matter status to the new pipeline stages.

Centerbase custom fields on Matters (e.g., Practice Area, Court Location, Case Number) create as custom fields on Zoho Deals with the _C suffix in API names. Field data types are matched: pick-list values create as Zoho pick-list options, date fields as date fields, currency fields as currency fields. The custom field must exist in Zoho before Deal records load.

Centerbase time entries contain hours, description, billing code (LEDES), and matter association. These become Zoho Tasks with Type = 'Call' (for billable entries) or Notes (for descriptive entries). The time entry description maps to the Task subject, hours map to a custom numeric field Time_Hours__c, and the billing code maps to a custom pick-list field Billing_Code__c. Original date and owner preserved.

Centerbase document links and file attachments are downloaded from Centerbase's document management layer and re-uploaded to Zoho CRM as Attachments on the corresponding Deal or Contact record. File size limits per Zoho's 25MB per attachment apply. Original file names and content types are preserved. Inline images in notes are extracted and re-hosted as attachments.

Centerbase workflows — triggers on matter creation, stage transitions, billing events, and document uploads — have no equivalent in Zoho CRM. Automation logic is not stored in a migratable format. We export workflow definitions as a PDF report from Centerbase for your Zoho admin to reference when rebuilding in Zoho Blueprint and Workflow Rules.

Centerbase invoices, payments, and trust ledger entries map to Zoho CRM Invoice records for historical reference only. Legal billing constructs (LEDES 1998B format, IOLTA trust accounts, split fee arrangements) cannot translate to Zoho's standard invoicing module. Invoice data migrates as read-only records; the invoicing workflow must be rebuilt in Zoho Books or maintained externally.

Centerbase users (attorneys, paralegals, admins) resolve by email match to Zoho CRM Users. If a Zoho user account does not exist for a given email, the record is assigned to a designated migration admin user and flagged in the pre-migration owner report. User role mappings (Attorney → Zoho role 'Sales Rep', Admin → Zoho role 'Admin') are applied during migration.

Centerbase location codes (billing classification for expenses by jurisdiction or office) become a custom pick-list field Location_Code__c on the Deal module. The pick-list values are exported from Centerbase and created as options in Zoho before the Deal migration runs. If location codes differ by matter type, multiple custom pick-lists are created and mapped per pipeline.