Zoho CRM Helps Consultancy Streamline Purchase Orders & Expenses
Client & the Challenge
A leading consultancy and training provider specialising in physical asset and maintenance management approached Ascent for guidance. While they used Zoho CRM for some parts of their business, most purchase orders and expenses were tracked using spreadsheets.
This manual approach created several challenges:
- Difficulty tracking multiple purchase orders per deal
- Limited visibility for finance and planning teams
- Time-consuming manual processes with a high risk of errors
- Lack of connection between purchase orders, projects, and deals
The client wanted a solution to streamline purchase orders, link them to projects and deals, and eventually digitise expense management, while providing a clear overview for all teams.
Solution
The client decided to use Zoho CRM to manage their purchase orders more efficiently. As part of the implementation, a Zoho form was sent to customers to capture purchase order details, including the value and a copy of the purchase order. Each submission automatically created a record in Zoho CRM, removing the need for manual data entry.
Since deals could have multiple purchase orders, the system was configured to calculate the total value of all orders linked to a deal. This allowed the client to track progress toward the final deal amount accurately and ensured nothing was missed. Once the total purchase order value matched the deal amount, the system automatically converted the deal into a sales order and created a corresponding project in Zoho Projects. This provided the planning team with a structured workflow for implementing changes, and gave the finance department visibility of all associated orders in one place.
With projects now linked to deals, the team could also begin using Zoho Expense to record expenses digitally. This eliminated the previous reliance on spreadsheets, making expense management faster and more accurate. Additionally, many of the finance team’s manual tasks were digitised, and a report in Zoho Analytics was created to provide ongoing insights into purchase orders and expenses. This helped the team track financials more efficiently and make informed decisions.
Finally, custom training sessions were delivered to ensure staff adopted the system effectively and followed best practices. The phased approach allowed the client to gradually integrate the system – first managing purchase orders, then digitising expenses – while leaving room to implement more functionality in the future.
Results
Within weeks of implementation, the consultancy achieved measurable improvements across purchasing, operations, and finance:
- Streamlined purchase order processing with Zoho CRM, reducing reliance on spreadsheets
- Automatic tracking of multiple purchase orders per deal, giving clarity to finance and planning teams
- Improved project visibility, with deals and purchase orders linked directly to Zoho Projects
- Digitised expense logging, allowing staff to submit expenses quickly and accurately
- Enhanced reporting, providing finance with clear, real-time insights
- Structured training, encouraging consistent and efficient system use
The client now has a strong foundation to expand Zoho CRM functionality across more processes in the future.
Ready to streamline your purchase orders and expense management with Zoho CRM?
Book a call with one of our consultants
Email us: info@ascentbusiness.co.uk
Call us: +44 (0) 121 392 8140
About the Author
Ineel Kler
Growth Marketing Executive