Structure and Automate Agri-food Event Management with Zoho One
The organization is a non-profit working in Quebec’s agri-food sector. Its mission is to showcase and promote local food products by connecting Quebec artisans and creators with buyers and distributors in the industry.
To fulfill this intermediary role, the NPO regularly organizes events, networking meetings, and professional activities aimed at fostering business connections between suppliers and buyers. These initiatives require rigorous management of participants, appointments, contracts, and data associated with each event.
The organization operates with a small internal team of three to four employees. In this context of limited resources, operational efficiency and the reliability of digital tools are essential to support the organization’s mission without increasing the administrative burden.
The Challenge
Before Tooly's intervention, the organization faced several issues that limited its efficiency:
Existing CRM underutilized due to limited adoption and a mismatch with current needs;
Lack of visibility into event performance, profitability, and participant tracking;
Absence of clear dashboards to support analysis and decision-making;
Unstructured appointment scheduling poorly linked to client records;
Difficulty tracking interactions between buyers, suppliers, and visitors across events;
The Objectives
Through this mandate, they aimed to:
- Improve the internal team’s use and adoption of Zoho CRM;
- Train users to maximize the daily value of the tool;
- Centralize appointment scheduling and link each interaction to client records;
- Structure event management and participant tracking;
- Connect external ticketing to CRM and accounting data for a global view of activities;
- Reduce manual tasks and improve team productivity.
The Solution
Data Centralization in Zoho CRM
Zoho CRM was positioned as the core of the solution. It now centralizes accounts, contacts, and opportunities, as well as custom modules dedicated to buyers and visitors. Each record can be associated with one or more events, allowing for precise tracking of participation and interactions.
Contract Management with Zoho Sign
Zoho Sign was implemented for managing contracts related to events, particularly for buyers. Documents are generated from the CRM using mail merge, then sent for electronic signature. Signed contracts are automatically attached to client records, ensuring clear and centralized tracking.
Automated Appointment Scheduling with Zoho Bookings
Zoho Bookings was implemented to simplify appointment management. Clients can directly book a slot via an email invitation, synchronized with employees’ calendars. Appointments are automatically recorded in Zoho CRM and linked to client records, ensuring complete traceability of exchanges.
Event Data Collection with Zoho Forms
Zoho Forms was used as the data entry point for events. A distinct form is created for each event to collect participant information. This data is then automatically injected into Zoho CRM and linked to the correct modules and events.
Automation and Integrations with Zoho Flow
Zoho Flow plays a key role in orchestrating automations. It notably allows for the synchronization of data from the external ticketing platform Zeffy with Zoho CRM. Information related to ticket purchases, participants, and events is thus automatically updated in the CRM.
The project's success is based on several key elements:
- Active listening to the team’s needs and constraints;
- A human, reassuring, and educational approach fostering tool adoption;
- Tailored implementation, adapted to the financial and operational reality of an NPO;
- A progressive methodology, focused on concrete and measurable gains.
Challenges Encountered and Learnings
The main challenge of the project was the client team’s limited availability, as they were very active operationally. This constraint required great flexibility in planning and executing the mandate.
Another key learning concerned the balance between training and establishing technical foundations. Although the team wanted to be trained quickly, certain integrations first needed to be solidified to provide a coherent overview. Tooly therefore took the time to refocus the project on the basics before delving into training.
These challenges confirmed the importance of a progressive approach, constant communication, and continuous adaptation between delivery, adoption, and real value for users.
In the long term, the project has established a lasting relationship of trust between Tooly and the client. Several avenues for evolution have already been identified, particularly concerning sales management and event logistics.
A Phase 2 is envisioned when budgets allow, with the objective of further optimizing processes and automations. Tooly will continue to support the organization as a strategic partner, evolving the Zoho ecosystem at the pace of the organization’s needs and sustainably supporting its mission.
After integration
Results and Benefits
Following the implementation, the NPO observed several concrete gains:
Centralization and reliability of client, participant, and event data
Significant reduction in manual handling and error risks
Smoother appointment scheduling process for both clients and the internal team
Better visibility into interactions and connections established during events
Increased internal satisfaction thanks to tools better adapted to the organization's reality