How to Setup Blueprints on Zoho CRM?
Each business has a well-defined way of doing things. Some workflows serve as a pathway to complete different tasks and projects. The way workflows transpire contributes as a significant factor in deciding the software requirements as the software must be robust to offer a vast amount of capabilities that handle unique business processes.
Now, Zoho understands these different requirements down to the core and does everything possible to implement them properly. The Zoho CRM Blueprint is, in fact, a method in which the sales process can be broken down into individual stages. As we transition between every step, it becomes possible to prompt users and the staff to enter relevant information so that nothing goes unnoticed.
Below, we will first understand what Blueprint is in detail to get a clear context on how we can set it up on Zoho CRM and what it can do.
Zoho CRM Blueprint
From the time a lead gets captured in the CRM system until it is followed and beyond, there are many sales processes that an organization carries out in function. For example, there is a company called Explore Electronics Pvt. Ltd. that offers technical gadgets to customers.
Now, other than the online orders that this company might get, they can also have a dedicated sales team that is supposed to follow up on the leads that get generated via demonstrations, offline sources, and events. The sales representatives at Zoho CRM Blueprint can start by calling a set of leads and scheduling product demos with these potential customers.
By the end of this demo, when the prospects get interested in purchasing the projects, a quote gets generated, which can further get converted to an order once it is approved. The products can then get shipped and delivered to the customers.
Sales Problems in Explore Electronic Pvt. Ltd.
Now this process that we just spoke about may sound very simple to you when you read it. However, when it actually comes to the execution of this process, one can face many problems because of certain roadblocks and loopholes. Let us look at them in complete detail.
Oftentimes, the sales managers can spend most of their time training new sales reps, which means that they do not get enough time to focus on their work.
The product and all that it can offer are not always clear in the minds of all the sales representatives. Many times, sales representatives may not be aware of important product details requested by prospects over a call which may also disappoint the lead and result in loss of sale.
At other times, important customer information may be missing. It is only during the process of an order when the delivery team may realize that the customer information or address is wrong, and this can clearly delay the order delivery.
They may be times when the discount policies are not followed. Explore Entertainment may have a policy that discounts cannot be more than 20%, but in some cases, quotes with higher discounts may get processed, which may escape the attention of Sales Managers.
The instances mentioned above are some of the most classic ways in which problems can be encountered when you have a large team for executing a process, but a well-defined system is missing for executing it efficiently. In this case, the main problem always revolves around the absence of clear guidance and validation of CRM.
Solutions Offered by Zoho CRM Blueprint
The Zoho CRM Blueprint can enable an organization to design and execute a process in an organized manner while being completely free from loopholes. With the Zoho Blueprint setup, almost every detail can be captured from the offline process within CRM, and hence the process of streamlining becomes very easy.
It is possible to define each stage in one process and link people with each stage. You can guide your teams along with the execution of a process, validate important information contextually, and also automate routine actions.
Lead Qualification
To make sure that the lead qualification objective is met, Zoho CRM Blueprint helps in making the calling agent’s script pretty linear. The software guides the sales representatives at each step of scheduling a product demo. The Blueprint acts as a call agent script and helps the sales representatives with product descriptions while they are on the phone with a prospective customer. This can solve the problem of any inconsistency in the message being communicated to the sales representatives.
Following-Up
With the Zoho Blueprint setup, almost every step can be regulated in the follow-up process, which consists of sending and reviewing a quote. In this, the discount offered to the customers can be validated by the CRM while ensuring that the sales team is adhering to the policies of the company. The email notifications are automated to the sales managers whenever anyone accepts the quote so that nothing skips their attention.
Order Management
For guiding the sales representatives at each step of the order management process, the Zoho CRM Blueprint plays an important role. It takes care of inventory check, shipping, and even delivery. Here, the sales representatives are also prompted to enter the CRM information such as customer address. This makes sure that there are no delays in product delivery.
Fundamental Blocks of Zoho CRM Blueprint
Blueprint in Zoho CRM is basically designed to execute a business process in a systematic and well-defined manner. With this Blueprint, one can define each stage in a process and associate the right people with every stage. It can also help in guiding the teams all through the execution of a process. In addition, it also helps in mandating and validating important information contextually while automating routine actions.
A Blueprint gets designed by creating a sequential order of the stages counted in a process. In the CRM language, the primary building blocks of a Blueprint are States and Transitions.
State
In a Blueprint setup, a “State” is the condition that something is in at a specific time. For instance, any deal in a CRM goes through different stages until the follow-up happens, which includes qualification, negotiation, and discount approval. All these stages are called a State. The states must be dragged and dropped in the Blueprint Editor to design the process flow.
Transition
A Transition is nothing but a link between two States that come in a process. It prescribes the conditions needed for a record to move from one kind of State to another. For example, the conditions and actions required for a record to move from Qualification to Negotiation are usually prescribed in the Transition block.
Designing a Blueprint
The process of setup or building a process is actually a three-step procedure. It includes:
Entering Basic Information
Here, you can specify the module, layout, and field for which the process needs to be created.
You can go to the “Setup”, then “Automation”, and then “Blueprint.”
You can then click on creating a Blueprint.
In this Create Blueprint popup, you can choose the module, layout, and the field for which the process is supposed to be created.
Let us say that the process is that of Following up with leads. In this case, you can choose the Deals module with a Standard layout and Stage field.
For more clarity, you can also specify criteria because if you do not do that, then all records created in the layout will enter the process.
Finally, click on Next.
Defining Process Flow
In the Blueprint Editor, you can define the process flow right from the beginning of the default state to the exit state.
In the Blueprint Editor, you can drag and drop all the States that form a part of the process.
You can also establish the process flow between States by connecting different nodes in the State buttons.
You must note that the Start state is equivalent to none value of the chosen picklist field.
You can create Transitions by clicking on the + button between two States. For deleting a transition, all you have to do is right-click on the transition line and click Remove Transition.
Configure Transition Settings
You can configure the Before, During, and After Transition settings between different states in the process just as required. For example, we can look at the Transition between the States.
We can name this “Closing”. In the example of Explore Electronics mentioned above, the following can be some of the guidelines that should be observed at the time of configuration.
For completing the Negotiation Transition, a sales representative in Explore Electronics can enter the Discount percentage and the closing date.
Based on the company’s policy, the discount for a product cannot be more than 20%.
Right when the Closing Transition is executed, an email notification can be automated to the sales representative’s manager while informing them about the deal submission.
Hence, one can easily say that Blueprint enables you to create a replica of offline business processes in your CRM. Right from lead generation to deal closure, an organization follows many business processes. The Blueprints can be used to give Zoho CRM users a detailed guide on how to carry out all steps in a business process.
For example, one needs to collect some documents before sending a quotation to a customer. One can set up a stage within a blueprint that mandates the document upload and enable the record to move to the next stage right after the documents have been uploaded.
Conclusion
When the process that you follow offline is not captured accurately in the software application, there is never any assurance that it will be followed in the right manner. There might be some inconsistencies and possible gaps in the process, and this is the problem that Blueprint solves.
Abhi
(Seasoned Zoho Authorized and Certified Partner)
Feel free to contact me if you have any queries
Email: abhishek(@)encaptechno(dot)com
Call: +1-416-405-8185
Access your files securely from anywhere
New to Zoho Recruit?
Zoho Developer Community
New to Zoho LandingPage?
Zoho LandingPage Resources
New to Zoho Survey?
New to Zoho CRM Plus?
Deliver unforgettable customer experiences
New to Zoho CRM Plus?
Deliver unforgettable customer experiences
New to Zoho Marketing Plus?
Everything you need to run your marketing
New to Zoho Marketing Plus?
Everything you need to run your marketing
New to Bigin?
Topic Participants
Abhishek - Zoho Partner
Sticky Posts
Presenting ABM for Zoho CRM: Expand and retain your customers with precision
Picture this scenario: You're a growing SaaS company ready to launch a powerful business suite, and are looking to gain traction and momentum. But as a business with a tight budget, you know acquiring new customers is slow, expensive, and often deliversGood news! Calendar in Zoho CRM gets a face lift
Dear Customers, We are delighted to unveil the revamped calendar UI in Zoho CRM. With a complete visual overhaul aligned with CRM for Everyone, the calendar now offers a more intuitive and flexible scheduling experience. What’s new? Distinguish activitiesCreate and populate a record in an instant: Introducing zero-shot field prompting to Zia's ICR
A couple of months ago, we upgraded our in-house AI image detection and validation tool, Zia Vision, with intelligent character recognition (ICR). By training Zia with sample images, you could create and enrich CRM records with data extracted from standardIn-person ZUG Meetups for Real Estate Professionals - US Q1 2026
The Real Estate Zoho User Group is going on a multi-city, in-person meetup tour across the US, and we’d love to see you there! These meetups are a great opportunity to: Connect with fellow real estate professionals using Zoho Share challenges and discoverNimble enhancements to WhatsApp for Business integration in Zoho CRM: Enjoy context and clarity in business messaging
Dear Customers, We hope you're well! WhatsApp for business is a renowned business messaging platform that takes your business closer to your customers; it gives your business the power of personalized outreach. Using the WhatsApp for Business integration
New to Zoho TeamInbox?
Zoho TeamInbox Resources
Zoho CRM Plus Resources
Zoho Books Resources
Zoho Subscriptions Resources
Zoho Projects Resources
Zoho Sprints Resources
Qntrl Resources
Zoho Creator Resources
Zoho CRM Resources
Design. Discuss. Deliver.
Zoho Show Resources
Get Started. Write Away!
Writer is a powerful online word processor, designed for collaborative work.
Zoho CRM コンテンツ
-
オンラインヘルプ
-
Webセミナー
-
機能活用動画
-
よくある質問
-
Ebook
-
-
Zoho Campaigns
- Zoho サービスのWebセミナー
その他のサービス コンテンツ
Nederlandse Hulpbronnen
ご検討中の方
Recent Topics
Free webinar: Zoho Sign unwrapped – 2025 in review
Hey there! 2025 is coming to an end, and this year has been all about AI. Join our exclusive year-end webinar, where we'll walk you through the features that went live in 2025, provide answers to your questions, and give you a sneak peek on what to expectHubSpot CRM to Zoho Creator Integration
I'm trying to create an integration between HubSpot CRM and Zoho Creator with HubSpot being the push source (if a contact is created or updated in HubSpot, it pushes the information to Zoho Creator). I have two questions: 1- Is it best to use Zoho FlowZoho Sign - Zoho CRM extension upgrade
Hi everyone, We've updated Zoho Sign extension for Zoho CRM with significant internal changes. Impact on existing Zoho Sign extension users Users using the extension without customization If you are using the integration without implementing Zoho Sign'sCustom Fields
There is no way to add a custom field in the "Timesheet" module. Honestly, the ability to add a custom field should be available in every module.Gain control over record sharing with portal users through our new enhancement: criteria-based data exposure
Dear Customers, We hope you're well! Portals is a self-service avenue through which your clients can access and manage their direct and related data in Zoho CRM. This empowers them to be more independent and enables them to experience a sense of transparencyBest-practice setup in Zoho One for managing combined candidate pools and exporting anonymised CVs
We are new users of the Zoho One bundle and operate a consulting and engineering company. Our workforce model includes a mix of permanent employees, active job applicants, and freelance/independent consultants. All three groups need to be searchable,Meet Canvas' Grid component: Your easiest way to build responsive record templates
Visual design can be exciting—until you're knee-deep in the details. Whether it's aligning text boxes to prevent overlaps, fixing negative space, or simply making sure the right data stands out, just ironing out inconsistencies takes a lot of moving parts.hard-bounced email list
Hi, Below pops up when I try to send an Email to some of my customer. Please guide me how to take it out from hard-bounced list? I am not sure how they were marked in hard-bounced listRegister the 'Contact Role' addition and change as a Potential edition so it can trigger Workflows
We are trying to use "Contact Roles" in Potentials. Contact Roles are special and different than the other Related lists, so, it may have a special behavior. Something to keep in mind is that you will never have 100 Contact Roles as you can have 100 Tasks, Calls, or any other Related list. In our case we will have 2 in average and up to 4 or 5 maximum. The problem is that we need to bring information from 3 key Contact Roles to the Potential and adding a Contact to the Contacts Roles area never triggerHow to check task starting time in zoho mobile app?
I am using the Zoho mobile app on my iPhone, and I am not able to see the task's starting and finishing times. When opening the Task information / Details, I can only see the Task start date and due date, but not the time. Is there any way to check aCan I change the format of the buttons in the email templates?
Hi all! We have been working hard trying to brand our email templates, and have some way to go yet. One of the things we can't seem to edit is the green ${Cases.CUSTOMER_PORTAL_BUTTON} button and the font of the View Ticket text. Is there any way of doingBest practice to structure reporting to include events covering multiple months / quarters.
Hi, I'm new to Zoho, have some experience of more "enterprise" tools, looking for some input from the community. I'm looking to create a report that includes events that cover a long period, each event has a start / end date and I'm struggling undertandingMarketing Tip #11: Turn features into benefits that sell
We all love talking about our products, but here’s a secret: customers don’t just buy features, they buy benefits. Instead of just saying "Made from 100% organic cotton," try "Soft, breathable comfort that lasts all day." Benefits tell shoppers how yourZoho Sheet - Printing - Page Breaks and Printing Customization
I think the title is descriptive enough in that I cannot find help documentation on a simple task of adding in page brakes for separating pages on print. ThanksSynchronise item image between Zoho Commerce and Zoho Books/Inventory/CRM
Here is a blindingly simple idea to tie several Zoho products together. Zoho - please include a method to synchronise the item image (or images) from one Zoho application to another. For example, if you upload an item image in Zoho Inventory, a user shouldHow do I migrate from zoho mail to Office 365?
The manual migration of Zoho Mail to Microsoft 365 typically requires using IMAP to move emails and configuring Microsoft Outlook to sync Zoho Mail. This approach can be error-prone, especially if there are multiple accounts or large email archives. Moreover,Exciting Updates to the Kiosk Studio Feature in Zoho CRM!
Hello Everyone, We are here again with a series of new enhancements to Kiosk Studio, designed to elevate your experience and bring even greater efficiency to your business processes. These updates build upon our ongoing commitment to making Kiosk a powerfulNew Update: Convert External Users in Bulk in Zoho Directory
Greetings to all Zoho Directory users out there! We’re excited to introduce a new update that makes user management in Zoho Directory even more efficient; you can now convert external users in bulk! Earlier, admins could convert only one external userNew Update: Convert External Users in Bulk in Zoho One
Greetings to all Zoho One users out there! We’re excited to introduce a new update that makes user management in Zoho One even more efficient; you can now convert external users in bulk! Earlier, admins could convert only one external user at a time.How to edit form layout for extension
I am working on extension development. I have created all the fields. I want to rearrange the layout in Sigma platform. But there is no layout module in Sigma. How can I achieve this for extensions other than Zet CLI and putting the fields into widgetWebsite not properly connecting with Zoho Creator app portal (embed & data sync issue)
Hello Zoho Community, I’m currently facing an issue while trying to connect my external website with a Zoho Creator app portal. I have a tool-based website ( https://mygardencalculator.com/ ) where users interact with calculators and dynamic content.日本語フォントの選択肢拡充についての要望
日本語フォントの選択肢がとても少ないと感じたことはありませんか？ 多くのアプリ（たとえば Invoice）ではフォントが1種類しかなく、正直あまり使いやすい・見た目が良いとも言えません。 そろそろ、もっと多くの日本語フォントを追加してほしい、そしてすべてのアプリで同じフォント選択肢を使えるようにしてほしいと、私たちユーザーが声を上げる時期だと思います。 ご存じのとおり、現状ではアプリごとにフォント周りの仕様にほとんど一貫性がありません。 みなさん、一緒に要望を出していきましょう！Does anyone know how to setup Zoho Desk or Zoho CRM as a custom outgoing/incoming Call Centre?
I need to setup a call center so I can setup agents to make phone calls across Canada to market our services. I am trying to figure out the most reliable and cost efficient way to do this? I am currently paying for two phone services and neither seemDisplay actual mileage on an invoice
My users are creating expenses in Zoho expense. For example, they expense 10 miles and get paid 7 dollars (10 miles * IRS rate of .70). If I look at the expenses in Zoho Books, it does show them at 10 miles at .70 cent When I add these expense to an invoicePrevent Unapproved Quotes from Exporting to Zoho CRM Finance Module
Is it possible to prevent unapproved quotes in Zoho Books from being exported from Zoho Finance module inside Zoho CRM?Zoho Flow + QuickBooks Estimates – Line items not created from CRM subform
Hi everyone, I’m trying to create QuickBooks Estimates from Zoho CRM Quotes using Zoho Flow. I’m aware that Zoho Flow’s native “Create Estimate” action does not support multiple line items, so I followed the community guidance for Invoices using a customIntegration with...
Dear Zoho Commerce team, Please could you consider the integration within Zoho Commerce / Inventory and Qapla'? (https://www.qapla.it/en/) This app is better than Aftership in many ways: - Aftership integration require PRO plan and price start from moreUnable to Create Zoho Booking via the Book Appointment API
Its giving the below error { "response": { "errormessage": "Error setting value for the variable:customer_details\n null", "status": "Error" } } Request: POST Url: https://www.zohoapis.in/bookings/v1/json/appointment attached Zoho-oauthtokenConsultant-Only Booking Page
Zoho Bookings does not allow for Meeting Type OR Workspace-Wide booking pages to be turned off. This is detrimental to organizations that have territory-based or assigned accounts, because if prospects can go to these booking pages and either select theStart Workflow from Deluge Script
I have developed a customized process from our CRM that leverages a deluge script to create a statement of work document. Once the document has been created via the merge and store function, I would like the ability to start a workdrive review & approveRequest for Auto PO - Min–Max based Automated Purchase Feature
Dear Zoho POS Team, I’m writing to request a feature enhancement that would significantly streamline inventory management for businesses using Zoho POS — particularly supermarkets, FMCG retail, and multi-store operations like ours. Feature Requested:Unable to sort as Descending order
Trying to change the sort order for a lookup field (checkboxes) from Ascending to Descending and keep getting an error in Deluge that the order must be Ascending Did anyone ran into this? Thanks EyalExport Invoices to XML file
Namaste! ZOHO suite of Apps is awesome and we as Partner, would like to use and implement the app´s from the Financial suite like ZOHO Invoice, but, in Portugal, we can only use certified Invoice Software and for this reason, we need to develop/customize on top of ZOHO Invoice to create an XML file with specific information and after this, go to the government and certified the software. As soon as we have for example, ZOHO CRM integrated with ZOHO Invoice up and running, our business opportunitiesissue with deluge script
i used chat gpt to build this script and I am getting 2 errors which I cannot figure out how to fix: void monthly_sales_order_generation() { try { // ---------------- CONFIG ------------------- analytics_url_1 = "https://analytics.zoho.com/api/<workspaceID>/report/<reportID1>/data";Introducing LinkedIn Apply Connect for Zoho Recruit
Attract up to 3x more qualified candidates and hire more efficiently with LinkedIn Apply Connect. Let candidates fill-in job applications without any redirections, gain deeper insights with applicant highlights within Zoho Recruit, and keep candidatesRecruit paid support?
Hi all, Could anyone who has paid support package advise if it provides value for money with regards to support response times? Exploring the idea as unfortunately when we have faced issues with Recruit it has been a 7+ day timescale from reporting toIntroducing Dedicated Modules for Plans, Addons, and Coupons in Zoho Billing
We’ve enhanced the way you manage Plans, Addons, and Coupons in Zoho Billing. Previously, all three grouped together under Subscription Items. Now, each one has its own dedicated module, giving you a cleaner and more intuitive experience. This updateTicket Status email
Good day, This was discussed in the past, but it would be helpful if we could have the system assign a custom response to a status. We have various statuses for tickets, e.g. "closed due to no response", or "Pending Status", it would be helpful for theHolidays
Hi; For defining Holidays, you need to add logic to handle the year as well as the month & day. We need to be able to enter Holidays for the next year. I need to add a holiday for January 2, 2017, but I can't until January 1st, which is a Sunday and weCan I use a Standalone CRM Function as the Callback URL For Async Export Data API?
I am creating an export job using this API https://www.zoho.com/analytics/api/v2/bulk-api/export-data-async/create-export/view-id.html There is a "callbackUrl" key in the CONFIG object. I tried copying the URL for a standalone function in CRM which canNext Page