Zoho CRM System
Product
Zoho CRM is a web-based application by the Zoho Corporation. The system is used to manage the lead > contract > closing funnel as well as vender and buyer relationships. The application allows users to track daily activities and for management to track metrics through custom reports and dashboard controls. Like Salesforce, the system is completely customizable by designers and developers to allow flexibility for custom workflows, as well as to satisfy usability and interaction enhancements.
Problem
Associates across different disciplines were not motivated to use the system. In addition, the Big State Home Buyers business process was improved. The application needed to support this change.
Discovery
The CRM featured some customizations, but overall the system displayed out-of-the-box features. Associate engagement was low resulting in poor lead management, increased cycle time, and incomplete data collected.
In addition, the system did not account for the new business process in place. One of the largest issued discovered is the system was one-size fits all with each role using this one path. The header for the system featured navigation not needed by associates. The lead intake section displayed inputs not necessary to lead prediction purposes nor managing the contracts to closing. There were no processes in the system created for the title procurement role. There were not processes in the system created for buyer relationship management.
To solve for these issues, I conducted service scenario and contextual inquiry exercises. I also listened to and analyzed 24 CallRail recordings. In addition, I interviewed 13 associates within the following roles: acquisition agents, lead takers, title specialists, and accounts managers.
Solution
In the service scenarios, I worked with a team of SME’s to define each scenario a customer may journey through. These journeys were based upon their reason for selling. Reasons for selling can include divorce, death in the family, foreclosure, or flooding. Defining these scenarios was vital to creating a process within the system to meet each role’s job function.
In the contextual inquiry exercises, I crafted interview questions for 13 associates. I asked a series of questions and also recorded every step from start to finish within the CRM.
The following solutions were recommended and implemented:
1. Upon each role and each associate’s login, customize a process path specifically for the role such as lead intake vs title procurement
2. Create a hand-off approach from one role to the next role
3. Reduce header navigation to what is imperative for each job’s function
4. Reduce and refine lead intake data inputs
5. Reduce and refine acquisitions agent data inputs
6. Create a process in the system for title procurement
7. Create a process in the system for buyer relationship management
8. Distinguish contact management from customers, buyer, and vendors
More Details
COMPANY
Big State Home Buyers, September 2017
EFFORT
Zoho Analytics, service scenarios, contextual inquiries, user interviews, call analytics, requirements, user flow mapping, wireframes, Axure