This fragmented approach is what leads to a poor customer experience. A customer doesn't see your business as a collection of separate departments; they see it as a single entity. If your internal teams are disconnected, your customer feels it.

This is the problem Zoho CRM is solving with its "CRM for Everyone" initiative. The goal is to transform CRM from a sales tool into a central hub for every team that works with or for the customer.

Breaking Down Silos with Team Spaces and Modules

The first step in this transformation was creating Team Spaces and Team Modules. This empowered every team - from legal and finance to marketing and support—to have their own dedicated space within the CRM. They can own their own modules and workflows, ensuring their processes are tailored to their specific needs.

But the real magic happens when you connect these teams. That’s where the powerful new features, Connected Records and Connected Workflows, come in.

Connected Records: The Single Source of Truth

Connected Records are designed to provide a complete, 360-degree view of the customer. Instead of a single "Deal" record existing in a vacuum, you can now link it to multiple related records owned by different teams.

For example, a sales rep can now link a "Deal" to a "Discount Approval" record owned by the Finance team and a "Product Demo" record owned by the Pre-Sales team.

This can be done in two ways:

• Manually: A salesperson can create a connected record on the fly, offering flexibility for unique situations.
• Automatically: For recurring needs, a simple workflow rule can automatically create these records. When a deal reaches the "Needs Analysis" stage, a "Product Demo" record can be automatically created and assigned to the right team.

This turns CRM into the single source of truth, ensuring every team has the context they need to do their job effectively.

Connected Workflows: The Orchestration Layer

Having connected records is one thing; having them work together is another. Connected Workflows orchestrate the entire process, automating the propagation of changes and actions across modules.

For example, what happens when a deal is lost? In a traditional CRM, nothing. But with Connected Workflows, you can automate what happens next. A change in the "Deal" status to "Lost" can automatically trigger an action in the "Product Demo" record, updating its status to "Cancelled."

This two-way automation is a game-changer. When the Finance team approves a discount, that change can automatically reflect in the salesperson's "Deal" record, eliminating the need for an email or a phone call. This is how you create a truly coordinated, efficient organization.

The Benefits Are Clear

The impact of Connected Records and Workflows goes far beyond just a new feature:

• Increased Efficiency: Teams can collaborate and follow up faster, as they have all the information they need in one place.
• Unified Reporting: With all data residing in a single system, top management can make better, more informed decisions based on a complete customer view.
• Reduced Manual Work: Automation cuts down on tedious, manual data entry and external communication, freeing up teams to focus on more important tasks.
• Better Customer Experience: When your internal operations are seamlessly coordinated, your customer feels it, leading to a much better overall experience.

By moving CRM beyond the sales team and creating a platform where everyone can work together, Zoho is helping businesses build a more connected, efficient, and customer-centric operation.