Gain visibility and profitability on calls for tenders with Zoho

The company is a Canadian architecture firm active in various types of projects and business sectors. A significant part of its growth relies on responding to calls for tenders, a process demanding in time and resources.

Prior to the project, information was primarily managed using Excel spreadsheets, sometimes spread across multiple files and versions. This situation limited the team’s ability to gain a clear and reliable view of its opportunities, and more importantly, to measure the actual profitability of the time invested in calls for tenders. They therefore enlisted Tooly to structure their data and gain decision-making clarity through Zoho.

Number of Zoho apps integrated

2

Industries

The challenge

Before Tooly's intervention, the firm faced several challenges:

Reliance on inflexible and difficult-to-maintain Excel spreadsheets;

Multiplication of file versions and lack of up-to-date data;

Absence of clear indicators to measure the profitability of calls for tenders;

Difficulty tracking the progress of opportunities in the pipeline;

Lack of global visibility into the best-performing sectors;

The goals

The mandate aimed to:

Centralize opportunities and data in a single database;
Transition from manual Excel management to a structured system;
Provide greater clarity on the status of opportunities in the pipeline;
Implement indicators to evaluate the profitability of efforts;
Empower the team in data monitoring and analysis.

The solution

Opportunity Centralization with Zoho CRM

Tooly deployed Zoho CRM to consolidate all opportunities into a single environment. Pipelines were structured to reflect the different stages of calls for tenders and the firm’s business sectors.

Automations and Notifications

Automations were configured according to business sectors and opportunity types:

Automatic notifications sent to the right people based on stage or sector;
Simplified assignment of follow-ups to relevant resources;
Improved consistency in opportunity processing.

Analysis and Dashboards with Zoho Analytics

Zoho Analytics was used to transform CRM data into clear and segmented dashboards. These visuals notably allow for:

identifying which sectors generate the most value;
comparing efforts invested and results obtained;
gaining a quick overview of overall performance.

Tooly Project Approach

The project was conducted using a structured methodology:

Initial needs assessment to clarify objectives and desired indicators;
Weekly meetings to continuously adjust the solution;
Prioritization of needs based on their impact on return on investment;
Client support throughout the implementation.

Success Factors and Next Steps

The project’s success was based on a clear scope, well-defined objectives, and the client’s constant involvement throughout the mandate. Close collaboration with Tooly allowed for aligning the Zoho solution with the firm’s daily reality.

The next planned phases focus on the marketing aspect, particularly the use of Zoho Social to support the firm’s visibility beyond calls for tenders and to complete the existing Zoho ecosystem.