A global Telecommunications Equipment Supplier, with operations in South Africa, Singapore, and China, offers a Push-to-Talk (PTT) solution comprising hardware and SaaS features such as GPS tracking, voice recording, and SOS alerts. To support its cross-sector customer base, the organisation required a more streamlined way of managing inventory, billing, and logistics processes. A comprehensive solution was implemented using Zoho applications, resulting in greater process efficiency, improved billing accuracy, and real-time data visibility.
Problem Statement & Key Challenges
The organisation encountered a number of inefficiencies in managing bundled product offerings, stock tracking, and billing—particularly for its rental and rent-to-own models. There was no unified system to integrate device and logistics management with finance, which led to fragmented processes and manual reconciliations. Billing complexities, limitations in Zoho Finance tools, and a lack of visibility into real-time asset movements were key challenges.
The key challenges faced by their team included:
Automated Billing: Zoho Billing could not natively support multi-product subscriptions. Zoho Finance relied on FIFO, limiting serial-level asset tracking and automated depreciation.
Device Management: Tracking rental stock and managing bundle configurations was difficult with Zoho Inventory alone.
Stock and Logistics: Advanced stock-taking and seamless logistics operations (delivery notes, pickups, returns) were not adequately supported.
Integration: Real-time syncing between CRM, Books, Inventory, and Billing was required to ensure data consistency.
Historic Data: Legacy data needed partial migration while maintaining continuity in financial records and workflows.
Approach & Proposed Solution
The project began with a Process Complexity Analysis (PCA) workshop to unpack existing operations and identify points of failure and improvement. Insights from this exercise informed a technical architecture and solution design, followed by a phased implementation.
Solution Highlights:
Zoho CRM: Managed customer data and contracts; synced with Billing for contract status and with Device Management for sales order tracking.
Zoho Books and Inventory: Handled financial records, inventory updates, and invoice generation; supported journal entries and depreciation.
Zoho Billing: Enabled recurring billing for rental models, with custom logic to handle plan variations.
Zoho Creator (Device Management): Developed a central hub to track device bundling, returns, reclassification, and warranty.
Zoho Creator (Logistics Management): Custom application to manage deliveries, pickups, and stock movements.
Zoho Creator (Job Card System): Captured fault logging, stock allocation, and repair workflows.
Data Architecture
The solution was designed to ensure real-time integration between applications, enabling a consistent data trail from order capture through to invoicing and asset updates. Visual representation on page 6 of the original document illustrates this flow across CRM, Books, Billing, and Creator apps.
Change Management
Structured learning resources and videos were developed and shared via an internal learning platform.
Department-specific content ensured all users understood their workflows within the new system.
Selected users participated in early testing and refinement.
On-site support was provided during go-live to assist with transition.
Result
With the new integrated system in place, the organisation has achieved greater operational alignment, accurate recurring billing, and improved stock visibility across departments. Custom Creator apps have supported complex product bundling, lifecycle tracking, and real-time device management. The automated workflows reduce manual effort and promote accuracy in both financial and logistics operations.
This solution has provided the organisation with a more sustainable digital foundation, capable of adapting to future operational demands and supporting ongoing growth.