Case Study

Operational Automation for Specialty Chemical Manufacturing

A Multi-App Zoho Implementation with Advanced Vendor Automation

Project Overview / Introduction

  • Industry: Specialty Chemical Manufacturing
  • Zoho Products Implemented: Zoho CRM, Zoho Analytics, Zoho Expense, Zoho Desk, Zoho Creator
  • Third-Party Integration: WATI (WhatsApp Automation)
  • Project Duration: ~6 Months (Ongoing)

The project aimed to streamline operational processes by automating vendor management, expense tracking, ticketing, approvals, and WhatsApp communication. The solution was designed to reduce manual effort, increase accuracy, and enhance internal and external communication efficiency.

Challenges / Pain Points

  • Zoho Expense was initially designed for employees, not vendors.
  • No native tax calculation, advanced approvals, or rejection/recall features.
  • CRM, Desk, and Analytics processes were largely manual and disconnected.
  • Lack of automated notifications caused delays in approvals and ticket resolution.

Our Approach / Solution

Zoho CRM
  • Custom modules built for vendor and sales processes.
  • Automated workflows for lead conversion and follow-ups.
  • Button-based automation for operational approvals.
  • Integrated with Desk, Analytics, and WATI for seamless operations.
Zoho Analytics
  • Dashboards for unified CRM and Expense insights.
  • SQL reports, pivot tables, and chart-based visualizations.
Zoho Desk
  • Automated ticket creation directly from CRM.
  • Custom templates, SLAs, and workflow automation.
  • Improved response cycle and ticket tracking accuracy.
WATI Integration (WhatsApp)
  • Standalone Deluge functions for WhatsApp automation.
  • Real-time updates and notifications for teams and vendors.

Zoho Expense – Advanced Vendor Management System

Zoho Expense was transformed from an employee reimbursement tool into a comprehensive Vendor Management & Expense Approval System with tax automation, JSON logic, and hierarchical approvals.

1. Vendor Management Transformation
  • Vendors module became the central record for all expenses.
  • Each vendor profile stores invoices, approval trails, and payment status.
  • Each expense submission generates a JSON entry with complete invoice data.
2. Automated Tax Calculation
  • Deluge scripts auto-calculate CGST, SGST, and IGST per invoice.
  • Tax rates dynamically selected based on vendor type and category.
  • Results stored in custom fields for analytics visibility.
3. Rejection & Recall Mechanism
  • JSON object created for every invoice submission.
  • On rejection:
    • Vendor JSON cleared immediately.
    • Email notification sent with rejection reason.
  • On recall:
    • JSON cleared again to maintain clean data.
4. Advance Payment Functionality
  • Vendor advances stored in JSON within the vendor profile.
  • Invoices validated against available advance balance.
  • Auto-rejection of invoices exceeding limits.
  • Dynamic balance updates after payments.
5. End-to-End Automation Summary
  • Tax Calculation: Dynamic computation using Deluge scripts.
  • Approval Flow: Multi-level automated approvals.
  • Rejection & Recall: JSON-based reset logic.
  • Advance Payment: Real-time validation and JSON updates.

Implementation Process

  1. Phase 1 – CRM & Desk: Workflows, module setup, Desk automation.
  2. Phase 2 – Zoho Expense & Analytics: Vendor automation, tax logic, analytics integration.
  3. Ongoing: Continuous improvements, sandbox testing, workflow optimization.

Results / Outcomes

  • Complete vendor management system within Zoho Expense.
  • Automated approvals, tax calculation, and JSON-based workflows.
  • Unified analytics across CRM and Expense.
  • Automated WhatsApp communication for improved responsiveness.
  • Role-based profiles with secure sandbox testing.

Key Highlights / Unique Features

  • Advanced vendor automation within Zoho Expense.
  • Tax calculation without formula fields.
  • JSON-driven rejection, recall, and advance balance logic.
  • Integrated dashboards with downloadable reports.
  • End-to-end CRM, Desk, and WhatsApp automation.
  • Secure sandbox testing for safe operations.

Recommendations / Next Steps

  • Expand automations across additional modules.
  • Add predictive dashboards and KPIs.
  • Enhance WATI workflows for reminders and alerts.
  • Optimize approval flows and hierarchy further.
  • Explore Zoho Projects, Zoho Books, and Zoho Creator for future modules.

Final Summary

The Zoho implementation transformed manual vendor, expense, and communication workflows into a unified, automated system. With advanced JSON logic, multi-level approvals, analytics, and WhatsApp automation, the organization now operates with improved accuracy, efficiency, and scalability.