Infolytics SA - Blog #zoho oneInfolytics SA - Blog #zoho onehttps://www.infolytics.co.za/blogs/tag/zoho-oneWed, 06 May 2026 07:46:13 -0700http://zoho.com/sites/<![CDATA[From Click to Ship: How Connect-it Automated Sales and Logistics End-to-End with Zoho]]>https://www.infolytics.co.za/blogs/post/from-click-to-ship-how-connect-it-automated-sales-and-logistics-end-to-end-with-zohoConnect-it streamlined e-commerce, inventory, and support through a full Zoho One implementation. With CRM, Books, Inventory, Desk, and Mail integrated, plus WooCommerce and Bob Go, they cut errors, sped up processes, and scaled with ease.]]>
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Connect-it Zoho

Est.

1999

Location

South Africa

Industry

Manufacturing

Company Size

11 - 50

Est.

1999

Location

South Africa

Industry

Manufacturing

Company Size

11 - 50

From Click to Ship: How Connect-it Automated Sales and Logistics End-to-End with Zoho

From Click to Ship: How Connect-it Automated Sales and Logistics End-to-End with Zoho

Connect-it, a provider of modular connectors for DIY enthusiasts and manufacturers, faced mounting operational hurdles as it scaled—chief among them were inconsistent e-commerce order creation, scattered email-based support, and fragmented data across multiple systems.

To address these pain points, Connect-it engaged Infolytics to deploy a Zoho One–centered strategy, uniting Zoho Books, Zoho Inventory, Zoho CRM, Zoho Desk, Zoho Projects, and Zoho Mail into an integrated ecosystem. This overhaul ensured automatic sales-order generation regardless of payment method, seamless shipping data flow via Bob Go, and centralized help-desk ticketing.


Furthermore, Connect-it’s website forms now funnel leads directly into Zoho CRM for swift follow-up, while knowledge base and Service Level Agreement (SLA) tracking have been improving customer support efficiency. As a result, Connect-it has seen a marked reduction in manual re-work, faster response times, and greater visibility into overall operations—positioning the company for sustainable, scalable growth.

Article Read Time:

6 Mins

Executive Summary

Established in 1999 and headquartered in South Africa, Connect-it is a specialized brand providing modular connectors (fittings and brackets) in multiple sizes. The connectors allow DIY enthusiasts, large-scale retailers, and manufacturers to assemble frames, desks, racks, and other structures with minimal tooling. As the business grew, so did the complexity of fulfilling online orders, handling shipping details, and providing ongoing support to both B2B and B2C customers. 


Connect-it embarked on implementing a Zoho One-driven digital transformation strategy, integrating Zoho Books, Zoho Inventory, Zoho CRM, Zoho Desk, Zoho Projects, and Zoho Mail into a unified system.


This transformation enabled automated sales-order processing across all payment methods, seamless synchronization of shipping data with Bob Go, and a centralized help desk for streamlined customer support. Additionally, website forms now directly capture leads in Zoho CRM, ensuring timely follow-ups, while knowledge base resources and Service Level Agreement (SLA ) tracking enhance support efficiency. 


As a result, Connect-it has significantly reduced manual workload, improved response times, and gained greater operational visibility, setting the foundation for long-term scalability and growth.

Key Challenges

Despite a robust product offering, Connect-it faced growing pains:


 1. E-Commerce and Payment Integration Gaps
  • Online orders using direct bank transfer occasionally failed to create corresponding sales orders in Zoho.
  • Different payment gateways (bank transfers vs. iKhokha) introduced inconsistent data flows and manual intervention.

2. Complex Shipping and Inventory Requirements
  • Certain items lacked consistent dimension/weight data, causing shipping label errors or rejected shipments in their courier portal (Bob Go).
  • “Old stock” or miscellaneous connector items with non-standard dimensions complicated pick-and-ship processes.

3. Unstructured Customer Queries
  • Email was the primary channel for customer inquiries. Without a unified help desk, messages often went to personal inboxes, risking overlooked or delayed responses.
  • Website forms simply emailed customer data to sales@, without automatically capturing leads or follow-ups in a CRM system.

4. Fragmented Email and Collaboration
  • Multiple mail servers and addresses (some with legacy hosts, others in personal inboxes) led to inconsistent brand presence and significant overhead in routing emails to the right person.

5. Limited Visibility and Reporting

  • No centralized way to see open tickets, common support issues, or key order metrics. Staff struggled to measure resolution times or effectively share knowledge within the team.

At A Glance

Key Applications

zoho books south africa infolytics
zoho inventory south africa infolytics
zoho desk south africa infolytics
zoho crm south africa infolytics
zoho projects south africa infolytics
zoho mail south africa infolytics
  • Zoho CRM
  • Zoho Books
  • Zoho Inventory
  • Zoho Desk
  • Zoho Mail
  • Zoho Projects

Integrations

  • Zoho Inventory and Bob Go
  • Zoho Inventory and WooCommerce
  • Zoho Books and Zoho CRM
  • Zoho CRM and Zoho Desk
  • Zoho CRM and Zoho Inventory
  • Zoho Mail and Zoho CRM
  • Zoho CRM and Zoho Projects

Tech Skills Applied

  • Zoho Ecosystem Configuration
  • Deluge (Zoho Scripting Language)
  • Business Process Design
  • Third Party Integrations
  • Email Migration
  • Financial Systems Management
  • Customer Journey Mapping
zoho one south africa infolytics

5. Limited Visibility and Reporting

  • No centralized way to see open tickets, common support issues, or key order metrics. Staff struggled to measure resolution times or effectively share knowledge within the team.

The Solution

Zoho One Suite Deployment
  • Zoho Books and Zoho Inventory: Automated order-to-invoice conversion, integrated real-time stock management, and standardized dimension data.
  • Zoho CRM: Website form submissions now feed leads directly into the CRM—vital for new distributor inquiries and general consumer leads.
  • Zoho Mail: Infolytics migrated email hosting from legacy providers (such as Outlook) to Zoho, creating shared inboxes (sales@, support@) so team members could respond cohesively.
  • Zoho Projects and Task Management: Structured tasks and milestones improved the internal ability to track custom statuses (Closed, Cancelled, etc.), owners, and completion timelines.
  • Zoho Desk: Set up ticket management, SLAs for response times, and an escalation path when issues require technical input. Knowledge base articles were also planned for common queries.
  • Third Party Integrations: Seamless integrations of various Zoho One applications with WooCommerce, banks, payment gateways, website forms and Bob Go to create an omni-channel setup designed to improve overall customer experience as well as collaboration within the team. 

Positive Results

By working with Infolytics and leveraging Zoho One, Connect-it achieved the following:

1. Unified E-Commerce Order Flow
  • WooCommerce–Zoho Integration: Infolytics helped to refine the logic so every online order, regardless of payment method, generated a Sales Order in Zoho. This eliminated manual re-entry and data loss.
  • Shipping Data Standardization: With Zoho Inventory, Connect-it systematically assigned weights/dimensions to each connector SKU, reducing shipping errors and auto-syncing data to Bob Go.

2. Centralized Support and Enhanced Customer Experience
  • Unified Ticketing: All support emails go into Zoho Desk, with assigned owners, status tracking, and embedded knowledge base resources.
  • Higher Responsiveness: Clear Service Level Agreements (SLAs) reduced response times, boosting customer satisfaction and trust.

3. Consistent, Automated Order Processing
  • Zero Missed Sales Orders: Bank transfers and iKhokha payments now create sales transactions in Zoho every time, cutting hours of manual intervention.
  • Real-Time Shipping Updates: Bob Go shipping info syncs with Zoho Inventory, letting staff and customers see accurate ship-out times.

4. Better Lead Capture and Follow-Through
  • CRM Integration: Website queries instantly become leads, ensuring timely sales follow-up and improved marketing campaigns.
  • Automated Catalog Distribution: Potential distributors/customers now receive professional, consistent email communications rather than ad-hoc manual replies.
5. Greater Team Efficiency
  • Shared Mailboxes and Project Views: Eliminated confusion over who handles which email or which step in the project pipeline.
  • Robust Reporting: Connect-it leadership can run Zoho-based reports on order volume, top support issues, or open tasks—helping them prioritize continuous improvement.

6. Cost and Time Savings
  • Less Manual Re-Work: Freed staff from chasing missing orders or dimension data, letting them focus on higher-value tasks like product innovation or partner relations.
  • Fewer Support Bottlenecks: With a knowledge base in progress, staff spend less time repeatedly answering basic queries.

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]]>Thu, 17 Jul 2025 15:41:44 +0200<![CDATA[The Exciting World of Zoho: My Experience at Zoholics Johannesburg in South Africa]]>https://www.infolytics.co.za/blogs/post/The-Exciting-World-of-Zoho-My-Experience-at-Zoholics-Johannesburg-in-South-AfricaI recently had the amazing opportunity to attend the Zoholics 2024 Workshop in Johannesburg, South Africa. While the previous events were excellent, providing valuable insights, networking opportunities, and even fun memorable moments, this year's Zoholics exceeded my expectations.]]>

The Exciting World of Zoho

​My Experience at Zoholics Johannesburg in South Africa

The Exciting World of Zoho ​My Experience at Zoholics Johannesburg in South Africa

The Exciting World of Zoho: My Experience at Zoholics Johannesburg in South Africa

The Exciting World of Zoho: My Experience at Zoholics Johannesburg in South Africa

I recently had the amazing opportunity to attend the Zoholics 2024 Workshop in Johannesburg, South Africa. As the Head of Digital Marketing and Client Success, I have attended many Zoho events but this marked my fourth attendance at Zoholics. While the previous events were excellent, providing a one-of-a-kind user experience, networking opportunities, valuable insights, delicious food, and even fun memorable moments, this year's Zoholics exceeded my expectations. 

Zoholics events have been held in more than 30 countries globally, and Africa has not been left behind. Zoho has invested significantly in the growth of African businesses with various business events and workshops being held in Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, Uganda, only to name a few.

As highlighted by Kelly Payton, Zoho Africa's Partner Account Manager, this year's Zoholics in Johannesburg was the largest in South Africa. That grand scale was undoubtedly felt throughout and it was evident that the number of attendees was much higher than previous years. The extensive range of breakout sessions, tracks, an abundance of informative resources, many one-on-one sessions with product experts, and increased exhibitor participation made this year’s Zoholics exceptional. There were many changes all around, but as an individual who loves all things Zoho, there was something about it that still felt a little "like home".

In this article, I will share my first-hand experience and key takeaways from this awesome two-day workshop.

Article Read Time:

4 Min

Exploring the World of Zoho

Upon arriving at the Zoholics venue, I was greeted by a vibrant atmosphere buzzing with energy and enthusiasm. There was live music from The Muses, an All-Girl Electric String Quartet which I thought was a nice touch to add to celebrating women during Women's Month. The entire event was managed using Zoho Backstage, from selling tickets to the checking in of attendees during registration.
The Muses, an All-Girl Electric String Quartet

Inspiring Keynotes and Presentations

The workshop kicked off with an engaging keynote address from Prem Anand, Zoho MEA's Associate Director - Strategic Growth, that highlighted Zoho's journey in Africa and commitment to empowering businesses with cutting-edge technologies. Prem used the famous quote from Sridhar Vembu, "Our mission since beginning has been just one thing, make work easier for businesses", to effectively convey Zoho's vision of providing intuitive, integrated solutions that cater to diverse business needs.

Andrew Bourne, Zoho Africa's Regional Manager provided a detailed overview of all the new and exciting features in Zoho as well as the plans that South African users can expect to see in the coming months. He explained the Zoho Gateway Connector and how applications such as Zoho Books, Zoho Inventory, Zoho Commerce, Zoho Billing, and Zoho Checkout integrate with Paygate, Paystack, Payfast, and Netcash. Andrew shared that for now, Paygate and Paystack are already available and development work for Netcash and Payfast are now in their final stages. This is a great milestone for Zoho as developments like this will create an even better environment for businesses to seamlessly collect and track payments online.
Sridhar Vembu Zoho CEO

Insightful Customer Case Studies

The Beancounter, a top South African accounting firm gave an insightful presentation on how Zoho has completely transformed their business processes and helped them to drive sustainable growth. The company shared how they have been using various applications such as Zoho Cliq, Zoho Desk, and Zoho PhoneBridge to keep their teams connected, manage client interactions efficiently, and build a culture of transparency. The Beancounter also went on to further detail how their internal developers used Zoho Creator to create a bespoke application to optimise their operations, streamline their processes and enhance customer experience. 
Insightful Customer Zoho Case Studies The Beancounter

Impressive New Features and Capabilities

Throughout the workshop, I was impressed by the extensive new features that users can now enjoy when they dive into Zoho's ecosystem of business apps. From automating sales processes and managing customer relationships to optimizing project management workflows and enhancing analytics-driven decision-making, Zoho's solutions showcased unparalleled versatility and customization options. I enjoyed the hands-on approach that each of the speakers took as they effortlessly navigated through Zoho's interfaces and functionalities. It reinforced my confidence in the platform's potential to drive efficiency and innovation not just within our organization, but also for our clients.

Here is a list of some of my favourite product updates:

1. Zoho CRM for Everyone

The new Zoho CRM facilitates collaboration among departments like Sales, Marketing, Legal, and Customer Service all within the CRM application, improving coordination and enhancing the overall customer experience.

In addition to all the good stuff we already have in the old Zoho CRM, Zoho CRM for Everyone comes with:
  • An intuitive sidebar for easy access to key modules.
  • TeamSpaces that create dedicated "spaces" for each team.
  • Team Modules to enable you to bring all associated teams onto CRM so you can streamline your business pipeline.
  • Requester Profiles to allow you to automate cross-team coordination by empowering departments to assign tasks and track progress in real-time.
  • Workflows to trigger WhatsApp notifications, and many more exciting features! 

To get access to Zoho CRM for Everyone, submit a request here. You can also start a free Zoho CRM trial from here.

2. Zoho Forms and Paystack Integration

You can now collect payments using your forms by integrating Zoho Forms and Paystack.  Paystack processes over 50% of all online transactions in South Africa which makes this a big win.

3. The Courier Guy Integration to Zoho Commerce

Finally, the integration we've all been waiting for! Work around integrating The Courier Guy is almost complete and early access will become available from the 25th of August 2024. This integration will help businesses to automatically sync product stock and stay on top of their inventory management.

4. Zoho Books South Africa Edition

The new Zoho Books for South Africa comes with much-needed new features around VAT reconciliation and other important improvements specifically for businesses operating in the country. This upcoming version is supported on all Zoho Finance apps such as Zoho Inventory and Zoho Billing formerly Zoho Subscriptions. As Infolytics, we have already done live preview sessions exclusively for our customers. If you need early access to the new Zoho Books South Africa edition, email us at support@infolytics.co.za.

5. Zoho IOT

If you run a business where you need to track animals, vehicles, or any asset that moves, then Zoho IOT is for you. You can use it to detect anomalies, predict asset downtimes, get real-time alerts, schedule maintenance check-ins, and make data-driven decisions using actionable insights. To know more about Zoho IOT and how it can benefit your business, email us at sales@infolytics.co.za.

6. Breakout Rooms for Zoho Meeting

Zoho Meeting now enables you to have multiple breakout rooms for different groups to collaborate or have brain-storming sessions.

7. Zoho Practice

Zoho Practice is perfectly designed for accounting firms to streamline workflows for enhanced efficiency, collaboration, and drive sustainable growth. It offers a comprehensive solution that simplifies the daily operations of a CA firm, providing them with essential insights to deliver exceptional services and enabling efficient team management. 

8. Zoho Projects 8.0

The latest version of Zoho Projects is developed with the goal of bridging the divide between functionality and user experience, creating a platform that offers an incredible working experience. 

In Zoho Projects 8.0, you get:

  • Immediate access to intuitive industry-based project management templates.
  • Enhanced Task Gantt charts with a Timeline view.
  • Integration with Zoho People to allow half-day leaves.
  • ZIA, Zoho's AI Assistant can now help you to search for specific project information, analyze data and many other tasks to improve your productivity.
Zoho Projects New Features

9. Zoho Creator

Building applications has never been this easy! By providing prompts and brief use cases, users can now build a full-fledged application in seconds. This functionality also extends to form creation and field suggestions, ensuring that users are on the right track without losing context.

Interactive Tracks and Breakout Sessions

One of the major highlights of the Zoholics Workshop was the array of interactive breakout sessions tailored to address various facets of Zoho's products and services. From hands-on demonstrations of Zoho One and Zoho Workplace to in-depth discussions on Zoho CRM and Zoho Desk, the workshops provided valuable insights into the versatility and functionality of Zoho's software suite.

Key Takeaways and Future Endeavors

Attending the Zoholics was a transformative experience that deepened my understanding of Zoho's solutions and their transformative impact on businesses across the African continent and beyond.

Most of the Infolytic's team was able to attend including our Chief Executive Officer, Tichaona Wadi, and Chief Operating Officer, Takunda Kowo. I believe that the knowledge we all gained from the workshop has inspired us to explore the further integration of Zoho's applications into our organization's operations, with a focus on enhancing collaboration, efficiency, and data-driven decision-making.
Infolytics Co-Founders - Takunda Kowo and Tichaona Wadi
In conclusion, this year's Zoholics was a captivating journey into the world of Zoho, where innovation, collaboration, and empowerment converge to redefine business excellence. I look forward to embracing the insights gained from the workshop and leveraging Zoho's solutions to unlock new possibilities and drive sustainable growth within my organization.

Are you ready to embark on your own Zoho-powered digital transformation journey? Contact us today to discover how Zoho's suite of applications can revolutionize your business operations and propel you toward success. 

Remember, the future of business is here, and it's powered by Zoho.

Rufaro Kowo, Head of Digital Marketing and Client Success.

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]]>Wed, 21 Aug 2024 09:00:02 +0200<![CDATA[Eventagrate Group Eliminates Silos and Boosts Team Productivity with the help of Zoho One]]>https://www.infolytics.co.za/blogs/post/eventagrate-group-eliminates-silos-and-boosts-team-productivity-with-the-help-of-zoho-oneEventagrate Group started off with four Zoho applications: Zoho CRM, Zoho Cliq, Zoho Projects and Zoho Mail. They now use 23 Zoho applications which have proven to work best for their business.]]>

Eventagrate Group Eliminates Silos and Boosts Team Productivity with the help of Zoho One

Eventagrate Group Eliminates Silos and Boosts Team Productivity with the help of Zoho One

Est.

2010

Location

UAE

Industry

Technology

Company Size

51 - 200

Est.

2010

Location

UAE

Industry

Technology

Company Size

51 - 200

"Zoho has been able to remove all the guesswork of what we are doing, and where we are going because we've now got actual data that's synchronized across all of our applications."

 ~ Miguel Galvao (CEO & Co-Founder, Eventagrate Group)

Article Read Time:

3 Min

Eventagrate Group Zoho Case Study Summary

Eventagrate Group is a Dubai-based company that was founded in 2010 and currently has a team of over 65 experts across six countries. They use the latest creative technologies to deliver unique and extraordinary digital content production for their clients. 

With the growth of the company, it began to face challenges with using standalone systems that did not communicate with one another. It was difficult for their teams, particularly those working within Marketing, Customer Experience, Accounting and Project Management to collaborate efficiently as they completed their daily tasks. Manually updating data across multiple systems not only created data inconsistencies, but also affected overall team productivity. It was important for the Eventagrate Group to find a solution that helped them to eliminate silos, seamlessly track all their marketing expenses, optimize internal processes, and boost employee productivity. They discovered how the Zoho ecosystem could expedite their processes and have begun to successfully implement it across their entire group.

Eventagrate Group started off with four Zoho applications: Zoho CRM, Zoho Cliq, Zoho Projects and Zoho Mail. They now use 23 Zoho applications which have proven to work best for their business. Zoho has helped Eventagrate Group to have a better understanding of their business and enabled them to focus their energy to scaling it at a faster pace. Zoho has removed all the guesswork they were experiencing and provided actual data that is synchronized across all their business applications. Their teams now collaborate seamlessly and have clear visibility on the metrics that they need to be tracking.

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We help businesses grow

Infolytics is a Zoho Premium Partner and Registered Zoho Creator Partner. We offer expert Zoho assistance and help businesses of all sizes grow and reach their full potential during their journey of discovery, selection, implementation, training, and ongoing success with the Zoho suite of Web and Mobile Apps. 

What's new in Zoho One?

Check out all the features and latest developments in Zoho One. 

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]]>Wed, 04 Oct 2023 11:23:40 +0200