Case Study
Zoho CRM Implementation
HR company
From spreadsheets to an integrated platform for growth
An HR company on the Gold Coast that also services across Australia needed to scale. As the business grew, its team was managing client information and marketing across a combination of spreadsheets, Microsoft Planner, Mailchimp and other tools.
Client
HR company
Platform
Engagement
November 2023
Delivered
CRM selection and implementation
What the team was working with
Client information and marketing were spread across a combination of these tools:
Spreadsheets
Microsoft Planner
Mailchimp
Other tools
Initially, the business was considering Microsoft Dynamics as its first CRM. Rather than simply implementing the platform already under consideration, Wild Squirrel Technology worked with the owner to understand the business requirements, assess the available options and identify the solution that best fitted the organisation.
Choosing the right CRM before implementing one
The decision
Choosing the platform for the Zoho CRM implementation
- The requirements were understood before any platform was chosen
- The available options were assessed against those requirements
- Zoho CRM Professional provided the functionality the business needed
- Licensing and implementation cost was substantially lower than the Dynamics option under consideration
What the first Zoho CRM implementation changed
The initial Zoho CRM implementation centralised these in one place, reducing administration and giving the team better access to accurate information:
Client information
Interactions
Processes
Room to grow without more administration
The efficiency gained also helped the business accommodate growth without immediately adding further administrative resources.
Growing into Zoho One
The HR company subsequently expanded into Zoho One, adding these capabilities:
Zoho Recruit
Zoho Campaigns
Integrated SMS
This enabled more sophisticated client feedback and marketing campaigns, candidate communications and recruitment workflows, including automated nurture processes across CRM, Campaigns and Recruit.
A platform that supported a new service
The platform also supported developing recruitment as an additional service for the HR company’s clients.
What it now supports
From one CRM to a connected set of tools
- Client feedback and marketing campaigns
- Candidate communications
- Recruitment workflows
- Automated nurture processes across CRM, Campaigns and Recruit
- Recruitment as an additional service for clients
The result is a foundation that could grow with the business, from its first Zoho CRM implementation through to an integrated platform that supports new ways of serving clients.
We engaged Jason to source the most suitable CRM for my business… Jason presented a number of options and we choose one from there. Jason supported with the implementation and set up a new client automation for us. Highly recommend. Very thorough and detailed and listed to the needs of the business.
Owner, HR company (five-star Google review)
Choosing a CRM and not sure where to start?
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Zoho CRM implementation case study FAQs
What is the difference between Zoho CRM and Zoho One?
Zoho CRM is a single application for managing customer relationships and sales processes. Zoho One is Zoho’s suite, which brings a wide range of business applications under one subscription. A business can start with the CRM and add tools such as recruitment or email marketing as its needs change.
How do you know when a business has outgrown a standalone CRM?
The usual sign is that people start working around the CRM. Staff re-key the same details into email tools, keep side spreadsheets for tasks the CRM does not cover, or lose track of where a contact sits in a process. When those workarounds start to cost time, it is worth looking at connected tools rather than adding more manual steps.
What does Zoho Recruit do that a CRM does not?
Zoho Recruit is built for hiring work. It tracks job openings, candidates and where each candidate sits in the recruitment process. A CRM is built around customers and sales or service activity. Using both in one platform means client records and candidate records can sit side by side.
What is an automated nurture process?
It is a set of follow-up steps that run without someone remembering to start them. A contact reaches a stage, and the system sends the next email, creates a task or prompts the right person. It keeps communication consistent while the team focuses on conversations that need a human.
What should you write down before a Zoho CRM implementation?
List what the business actually does day to day: how enquiries arrive, who follows them up, what information must be recorded, and what reporting you need. Then compare platforms against that list, and compare the full cost of licensing and implementation rather than the licence price alone.
Can a CRM send text messages as well as emails?
Yes, through an SMS integration. Messages can be sent from within the system and linked to the contact’s record, so the history stays in one place. The options and costs depend on the SMS provider and the Zoho plan, so check both before you commit.
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