Complete Lab Management System in ZOHO
Complete Lab Management System implementation in ZOHO for managing Requests, Samples, Processes, Inventory, Projects, and Accounting.
Siloxene molecular art
Industry
Material Science Lab
Services
Custom Product Development
Customer Type
Start-up
About
and enablers across a wide range of industries , and gaining traction in
large-volume commercial applications
Requirement
- Implement workflows and automation to scale their business processes related to sample and commercial production in the ZOHO One Suite of apps.
- Build logic for managing Requests, Samples, Processes, Inventory, Proects, and accounting processes.
The Beginning
Building an integrated system for a science lab requires implementing a system within a defined timeline and proposed budget. Identifying and documenting legacy & custom functionalities, support processes, integration endpoints, and API limits for data processing requirements. In addition to the technical challenges, the unique process requirements and concerns about the ZOHO suite of apps’ ability to handle complete end-to-end deliverables were addressed before the design was approved.
We have been working with the client and rolling out automation in phases, providing technical advice on the ramifications from both a technological and Process point of view.
Step 1
Demonstrate that a CRM (Leads, Contacts, Deals) could effectively be used to organize data and manage business growth.
Step 2
Provide proof of concept for support processes – Multi-track deals for consultants/ contractors, centralized repository for all collaboration activities (Teams, Meetings, etc.), Filtered list of products for Order category (Sample, Production, etc.)
Step 3
Integrate Microsoft Teams with ZOHO CRM by creating custom API integrations and subsequent automation triggered from within Team – to create Teams, identify invitees from CRM, send meeting notices, etc.
Step 4
Integrate Books with CRM. That included an in-depth analysis of the current accounting principles, compiling the inventory, and implementing a working accounting model adaptable to their current practice.
Step 5
Integrate Projects with the rest of the apps.
Implementation
- Numerous custom-built solutions for key application areas like:
- Website integration (WordPress and CRM)
- Entity Registrations and automation via ZOHO Forms
- Custom modules to take in Divisions, Departments, and competing services
- Custom Deals dashboard for multiple stakeholders within the same Org.
- On-page load customizations for Contact dependency
- Data sync across ZOHO apps
- Activity coordination across Prospects and Vendor modules (CRM-Microsoft Teams integration)
- Lab Inventory Management (ZOHO Inventory)
- Accounting and Books consolidation (ZOHO Books)
- Data updates: Access Real-time data updates by other users via workflows or integrations. Users always access current data.
- Easy access to data: Targeted searching with access to important information. Visualize in Dashboards and track all turnaround time metrics to monitor performance over time.
- Scalability: Track huge data volumes with many data points without slowing down the Process or performance over time.
- Custom configurations: Configure processes & workflow engines for real-time collaborations with partners and vendors. A lab workflow to handle any number of users working concurrently accessing, editing, and recording important information without compromising data quality or integrity.
Challenges
- Objectively analyze operational and technical requirements and provide a blueprint for a custom ZOHO solution.
- Organize CRM inventory for development, production, sample, and purchase processes.
- Customize data structure and data taxonomy to organize and track project data assigned to independent consultants or short-term outside expertise representing multiple organizations
- Create a dashboard with custom milestones and visual interpretation of metrics for multiple deals tracks for a single prospect.
- Provide a process model using custom Microsoft Teams/ ZOHO CRM integration to pursue, collaborate and engage on projects with multiple departments within a single business entity.
Analysis
TIMELINE
2021
Objective
Establish administrative operability with the Key Results
- Administration operational by the end of January (this was reached by using an external accounting practice)
- Needed CRM functionality defined by End of April
- CRM evaluated by End of Q3
- CRM phase 1 implemented by End of Q4
- Needed ERP functionality defined by End of August
- ERP was evaluated by End of the year (this was dismissed after ZOHO CRM was evaluated)
- CRM phases 2 and 3 defined by End of year.
All Key Results have been met
Timeline
2022
Objective
Automate Processes that can be automated
- Implement CRM phase 2 (Automation) by End of Q1
- Implement CRM/ERP phase 3 (item structure and process flow) by End of Q2
- Implement ERP phase 4 (chart of accounts and document templates English) by end of Q3
- Implement ERP phase 5 (Zoho Project and document templates German) by end of Q4
- All key results have been met and phase 5 is a work in progress and will be finished on time as well.
Learning
The main learning from our collaboration is that we must have recommended ZOHO Projects at the beginning since this really streamlined our communications and lead to clarifications and accelerated timelines for deliverables.
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