From application to certificate
19
Custom modules
222
Workflow rules
178
Deluge functions
3 years
Continuous development
Live Consulting & Academy is a firm providing consulting to corporate companies and individuals. Alongside consulting it also runs sales training and corporate programs. The visible face of the work is the consulting itself; the unseen face is the operation that keeps it standing.
A corporate customer or an individual client enters the system with an application, gets called, has their process started, joins the program, has their certificate issued and is contacted again afterwards. Each step of this line has a different record type: application, registration form, event, participant, certificate, call record. All of them have to be linked.
The firm was not actually without software: it used a custom-built CRM. But custom software does not mean the whole job lives inside it. Every step the software did not cover spilled into Excel.
The problem with this dual structure was that both systems were correct on their own. With part of the application in the software, the participant list in Excel and certificate tracking in a separate file, the answer to a simple question was never complete anywhere: where did this person come from, which event did they attend, was their certificate issued, were they called again?
Custom software had one more cost: every new need became a request entering the development queue.
In the system built with Eksenium, Zoho partner in Türkiye, 19 modules specific to the firm's business were defined. So the process was not squeezed into a ready-made CRM; the CRM was rebuilt around the firm's operation. Today 222 workflow rules and 178 custom Deluge functions run in the system.
Application forms, events, event participants and certificates were set up as separate modules and linked to each other. Which form a person came from, which event they attended and what stage their certificate is at are tracked from the same record.
There is a separate structure for repeat applicants: when someone already in the system applies again, they are recognized together with their history instead of creating a duplicate record.
Calling is at the center of both corporate and individual sales. That is why daily call activity and rep performance were built as the system's own modules; the manager no longer has to ask who called how many people and which application is still waiting for follow-up.
Customer and participant communication runs from inside the system: SMS integration with delivery reports, WhatsApp conversations linked to the record and 26 email templates. Reminder, information and follow-up messages are tied to the system, not to a person.
In addition, 42 custom screens developed for the firm run inside the CRM; where standard Zoho screens fall short, they show the work by its own logic.
- 19
- Custom modules
- 222
- Workflow rules
- 178
- Deluge functions
- 26
- Email templates
The most discussed topic in this project was what Zoho can and cannot do. The answer the firm had heard before was mostly the same: "not possible in Zoho" or "the system doesn't support this."
Some of these answers are correct when looking at standard features. But once Zoho's automation, function and customization layers are taken into account, the picture changes. Instead of being squeezed into ready-made templates, the system was rebuilt around the way the firm works; most of the processes previously called impossible came to life this way.
This project did not end with a setup. The system has been evolving together with the firm for three years: as new program types, new application channels and new reporting needs come up, they are added to the system.
This is also where it differs from the custom software era. A new need no longer means development from scratch; it means adding a module, a rule or a function to the existing structure.
What the firm can see from one place today is this: which application came from where, who called, who registered, who attended, whose certificate was issued.
The relationship is not limited to technical support either. The firm also receives management consulting today; the system is continually re-adapted to the changing needs of the business.
- How did the process run before working with us?
"We were using a custom-built CRM, with Excel alongside it. The software worked on its own but did not cover the whole job; every step it did not cover spilled into a spreadsheet. Where a person came from, what stage they were at and who was following them up could not be seen from one place."
- What was the turning point that pushed you to look for a solution?
"Not a single event, but the need becoming clear. Our expectation was not simply to implement a CRM; our sales processes, operating model and team dynamics had to be properly understood, and the system shaped accordingly."
- What was the concrete cost of this problem?
"The most visible cost was time: the same information entered in two separate places, finding out who a candidate was with by asking, reports compiled by hand. On top of that there was a loss of visibility on the management side; seeing the big picture meant asking someone every time."
- Why Zoho? Which alternatives did you evaluate?
"We looked at ready-made industry software and the option of continuing to develop the existing custom software. The reason we chose Zoho was flexibility: being able to set it up around our own way of working instead of fitting a standard template. But this comes at a price; Zoho's flexibility only pays off when it is set up correctly."
- Why Eksenium? What was decisive in the decision?
"İsa’s deep expertise in the Zoho ecosystem in particular made a significant difference. His ability to quickly understand our requirements and tailor the system to the way we actually work, rather than to predefined structures, considerably accelerated the process."
"We saw many processes and automations implemented that we had previously been told were 'not possible in Zoho' or 'not supported by the system.'"
- How did the setup go, and how much of your time did it take?
"The setup began with talking through our processes; the system was only built once it was clear how the work runs. The part that took the most time on our side was exactly that: describing our own flow. After the system went live in its first form, it evolved as it was used."
- How long did team adaptation take, was there resistance?
"As with every new system, habits had to change at the start. Adaptation sped up as the team saw that it was no longer re-entering the same information or having to ask each other."
- Which part can you not do without today?
"Management reporting and team performance being visible. From lead follow-up to sales processes, from team performance to management reporting, the entire structure was designed as an interconnected system; today we can see the overall state of the business from one place."
- What concrete change have you been able to measure?
"Not a ready-made CRM setup; we built a sales infrastructure shaped around our business processes, one that is measurable, scalable and adaptable as our needs change. Being able to adapt the existing setup quickly for new needs, rather than rebuilding the system from scratch, has also been a major advantage."
- Do you still receive support?
"Yes, we receive management consulting; the system is continually kept dynamic and aligned with our changing needs."
- What would you say to a business owner facing the same problem?
"We confidently recommend Eksenium to companies looking for a solution partner that not only knows how to implement Zoho, but also knows its limits and can turn a business need into a working solution."
When we started working with Zoho, our expectation was not simply to implement a CRM. We needed our sales processes, operating model, and team dynamics to be properly understood, and the system to be shaped accordingly.
Throughout our project with Eksenium, İsa’s deep expertise in the Zoho ecosystem made a significant difference. His ability to quickly understand our requirements and tailor the system to the way we actually work, rather than forcing us into predefined structures, considerably accelerated the entire process.
We saw many processes and automations successfully implemented that we had previously been told were “not possible in Zoho” or “not supported by the system.” Instead of relying solely on standard features, Eksenium leveraged Zoho’s automation, custom functions, and customization capabilities to develop solutions specifically tailored to our needs.
From lead management and sales processes to team performance and management reporting, the entire structure was designed as an interconnected system. Another major advantage has been the ability to adapt the existing setup quickly as new requirements arise, rather than having to rebuild the system from scratch.
Ultimately, with Eksenium, we did not simply implement a CRM. We built a measurable, scalable, and continuously adaptable sales infrastructure designed around our business processes and capable of evolving as our needs change.
We confidently recommend Eksenium to companies looking for a solution partner that not only knows how to implement Zoho, but also understands its capabilities and limitations, and knows how to turn real business requirements into solutions that actually work.
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