[Early-access] Introducing Zoho's CommandCenter - Cross-Zoho business process automation

[Early-access] Introducing Zoho's CommandCenter - Cross-Zoho business process automation

 

Resources to help

Webinar recording | Documentation 

Feature Restrictions

Currently available on early-access only for US data center accounts

Features Role

CommandCenter as a Service uses signals across Zoho services to propel the movement of records through different stages of a business process


Note: CommandCenter was introduced as a feature within CRM in 2020. Zoho's CommandCenter is a standalone service that operates across Zoho platforms. 

For the sake of clarity, please note that in this post, we will refer to CommandCenter feature in Zoho CRM as "Zoho CRM's CommandCenter", and "CommandCenter as a Service", as "Zoho's CommandCenter"

CommandCenter is powered by signals. Signals are events performed in various arenas of Zoho applications that can be used to trigger the transition of a record to its next state. 

Signals serve as the backbone of the CommandCenter builder., Let's understand a little more about them. 

When you want to connect various customer touchpoints together, and build your customer journey end-to-end, there are many, touchpoints involved. 

Let's consider a real estate business powered by Zoho One end-to-end. .This company uses the following modules for their operations:
  •  Zoho CRM for client management
  • Zoho Finance for bookkeeping
  • Zoho Desk to provide support to clients
  • Zoho Meeting to setup online sessions with prospective clients 
- In their business process, each customer record moves through different stages in each of these services. For example, a lead moves from a "needs assessment" stage to a "needs assessed". 
- Here, for the record to move, it must transition through a stage of "assessment" where "type and budget" details are captured. This transition is fuelled by certain actions which we will configure. 
- In this example, we will configure the transition based on a trigger that the company brochure is downloaded or that a query is submitted on the website.

Each of the actions of updating these fields serve as a trigger for the movement of one or more record(s). We call these actions, "Signals".  At the backend, Signals route the events to multiple destinations. Signals can be setup for several Zoho services, including Zoho CRM. CommandCenter is setup such that any signal can be captured from other Zoho Apps to trigger the movement of a record to its next state.

Default signals - Default signals available in Zoho CRM, Desk, Survey, and Webinar are supported now. Default signals from other Zoho services, and third-party integrations will be supported down the line. 

Custom signals - API triggers or custom signals allow your system to use ANY event as your trigger, besides the readily available signals. Custom signals broaden CC's capabilities by allowing transition of records based on custom events that are specific to your business, making your mapped customer journey that much more accurate.

CommandCenter as a service ties together every single touchpoint of a record, mapping the whole customer journey with all its bits and pieces in ONE space. . Right from capturing information and creating leads, to the final stage, anything that can be automated is mapped within CC. Many of us are familiar with Zoho CRM's CommandCenter that runs and manage an entire business-process end-to-end. CRM's CommandCenter not only allows you to map your customer journey across multiple modules in a single space, but also guides and automates every action in a single space. Zoho's CommandCenter isn't an alternative to this, but an avenue to use and tie together your business processes, across multiple Zoho services. It uses triggers to execute different actions through different Zoho apps, at different stages (states) of a customer lifecycle. 

The main components of this tool are: 

States - The building blocks of a CC flow. They signify the state/stage a record is stationed at that point of the process. In our real estate example, we have many states. Pre-approval,  Funds processing, Inspection completion, Loan approval, etc

Transitions - The process initiating the movement of a record to its next state. A "Documents verification in progress", between the "Waiting for approval" and "Documents verified" states. 

Triggers - Triggers are our signals that propel the transition of records. Any default or custom signal can be used as a trigger for a transition.

Actions - At every stage, automated actions that are configured such as email alters, field updates, task creation, or any custom action.
Here's a quick overview on how Zoho's CommandCenter adds to the existing automation options. 



Comparison 1 - Workflows 
Comparison 2 - Blueprint
Feature
Help automate any set of actions within a module



Automation rules
Mandates certain actions from the user's end (manual) before a record is transitioned. (includes workflow functionalities in actions)

Internal process application tool
Use-case achievable
During the document verification process, we need to automate the "Document submitted" field in the Contact page, based on a rule that a Webform is filled. 
Business process steps that can be included in Blueprint. 
Collateral Assessment| Documentation Check| Document first release| Legal Verification | Release of loan | Loan closure/rejection (based on approval/denial)

Comparison 3 - Zoho CRM's CommandCenter
Comparison 4 - Zoho's CommandCenter
Feature
Allows the entire business process from your CRM to be created end-to-end, within a single space across modules

Cross-module online journey orchestration tool in Zoho CRM
Builds an online replica of your business process with the various entries of the records and signals across all Zoho services in ONE space
Cross-Zoho online replica of a business process
Use Case achievable
All the steps under Comparison 2. Additionally, we will be able to map the following steps of our business process in CRM. 
Pre-approval | Manual approval | Document verification | Loan rejected | Address verified | Loan rejected (if address proof is not submitted) | Loan approved | Funds processing initiated | Loan sanctioned | Loan closed | Loan settled | Overdue (in case of payment failure) | Overdue proceedings in due | Overdue proceedings settled (After legal proceedings are initiated)
All the steps under Comparison 3. Additionally, it will be able to include the following signals as triggers

- Filling of a customized survey used during home inspection process

- Booking of slots using Zoho Meeting to schedule a call with the realtor to understand requirements

- During the loan process, closing of customers' tickets created on Zoho Desk is used as a trigger to fully end their purchase

What's new with Zoho's CommandCenter 
- Advanced reporting for CommandCenter allows for tracking and measuring customer journeys, noting and rectifying pain points as the journey progresses.The new Pivot Charts in reports is noteworthy. 
- Unifies data across multiple apps, but also for multiple orgs across each application. 
- Custom signals or API triggers to flexibly trigger a transition based on any event from other Zoho services. 

Note - We've enabled CommandCenter early-access   to our EA community. Do try it out, let us know what you think as comments to this post. We request that you post any issues you face, feedback and suggestions for improvements, and what you like about it. Our CommandCenter team is all ears and will love to join in on the discussion. 

Access it at commandcenter.zoho.com

Pricing details - CommandCenter will be included in Zoho One when it is ready for public launch. It will be charged based on a Fair Usage Policy, where the base free limits will vary based on the number of users purchased. Post this, they will be charged for additional usage. We'll let you know the exact limits and pricing details closer to the public launch date

Pricing
Free edition
Enterprise Edition (post free usage)
Transitions
300/day
$0.0002/transition
Actions
250/day
$0.0003/action
Journeys
3
$5/journey/month (bonus of 1 free user)
Users
3
$2/additional user/month

      • Recent Topics

      • Changing the Default Search Criteria for Finding Duplicates

        Hey everyone, is it possible to adjust the default search criteria for finding and merging duplicate records? Right now, CRM uses some (in my opinion nonsensical) fields as search criteria for duplicate records which do nothing except dilute the results.
      • Is it possible to create a word cloud chart in ZoHo Analystics?

        Hi there, I have a volume of transaction text that I would like to analyse using word cloud (or other approcah to detect and present word frequency in a dataset). For example, I have 50,000 records describing menu items in restaurants. I want to be able
      • Help integrating Aircall into Zoho CRM

        Hi all, We are need to get better AirCall integration into Zoho. We have configured in the Aircall dashboard but we have not done the Zoho side. We cannot see Zoho CRM information on incoming calls. And we calls and text's are not being logged. Specifically
      • Shopify Extension no longer working in CRM

        Zoho CRM and Extension are no longer working properly. We have used Shopify Basic for years. All of the sudden it stopped working, then started working again, and now no longer working again. There are several ways for Personal Information to sync from
      • How to keep track of bags, cans, drums of inventory?

        We buy and sell products that are packaged in bags 🛍️, cans🥫, drums🛢️, etc. with batch numbers. When we get a shipment of one of the products, how do we track we received (say) 10 cans each of 5L of a product and maybe we received 10 cans of another
      • Easy third party collaboration: Zoho Flow Integration

        Third-party integrations extend your project functionality with improved workflow, and data processing. With Zoho Flow integration you can include multiple third party actions into your project or task automation. Add Zoho Flow action in Workflow rules
      • Introducing Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) in Zoho CRM | Public early access 2023

        Greetings Customers! We're excited to announce that the CPQ feature will soon be available in Zoho CRM and accessible to all accounts using the Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions. We've opened this feature to select customers, and it'll be
      • how to edit the converted lead records?

        so I can fetch the converted leads records using API (COQL), using this endpoint https://www.zohoapis.com/crm/v5/coql and using COQL filter Converted__s=true for some reasons I need to change the value from a field in a converted lead record. When I try
      • Zoho Bookings <> CRM integration

        Hello Zoho community! We are enabling our Zoho Bookings <> CRM integration. What is the workflow if the integration detects that the contact already exists in the CRM? Does it create a duplicate record? Overwrite the record? Merge the record? (in this
      • Cannot reject empty expense report

        Hello, We are currently having issues with two empty expense reports where if we try to reject them, either manually or through the REST API, we get error 114016, which says some of the expenses have already been billed and must be removed. I'd appreciate
      • Use of Zia within Forms

        I have noticed that recently you have added Zia to help create forms from scratch. Would it be possible to add Zia functionality to free text fields for form submissions or if this is already on the roadmap an ETA for this please? We have a lot of field
      • Default in fields on Form B based on the user selection in Form A

        Hi Everyone, I have added an action button to a form report to bring up a new form based on user selection, see it indicated in red below: Then when the ne form loads, I want to default in some of the fields based on the record the user was selected on.
      • Auto-sync field of lookup value

        This feature has been requested many times in the discussion Field of Lookup Announcement and this post aims to track it separately. At the moment the value of a 'field of lookup' is a snapshot but once the parent lookup field is updated the values diverge.
      • Last activity time is acting like last modified time

        When i edit the description or any field in the potential, account, contact and lead, the Last Activity Time is being updated like the Modified Time. This is messing all workflows and reports and we are unable to track real last time of activities like
      • Enhancements to the formula field in Zoho CRM: Auto-refresh formulas with the "Now" function, stop formula executions based on criteria, and include formulas within formulas

        Dear Customers, We hope you're well! By their nature, modern businesses rely every day on computations, whether it's to calculate the price of a product, assess ROI, evaluate the lifetime value of a customer, or even determine the age of a record. With
      • HEX/RGB Color Input in Visual Editor

        Hello Zoho Pagesense Team, We hope you're doing well. We’d like to submit a feature request to improve the color selection options in the Pagesense popup editor. Current Limitation: Currently, to set text colors, users must move the color slider manually.
      • CRM and Campaigns- tags not integrating?

        Hi! I am setting up an automation in zoho campaigns and it says the crm is integrated...but when I want to use a trigger of a certain tag I created for people in the crm to denote those who purchased, it doesnt have that tag available as an option in
      • Maximum limit of rows exceeded

        I am trying to add a row to a spreadsheets that has fewer than 60 rows. I keep getting an error message that says I have exceeded the maximum limit of 65,536 rows. Any ideas out there?
      • Can't change form's original name in URL

        Hi all, I have been duplicating + editing forms for jobs regarding the same department to maintain formatting + styling. The issue I've not run into is because I've duplicated it from an existing form, the URL doesn't seem to want to update with the new
      • Tip #7: 5 formas de mantener tus listas de correo electrónico

        Tips and Tricks #7, adaptado de Susmit Sen ¡Hola, comunidad! Esta semana volvemos con nuestros Tips and Tricks para Zoho Campaigns. En esta ocasión, voy a darte algunos consejos para mantener limpias tus listas de correo electrónico, y empezar el 2021
      • Mail Merge related Lists

        When I try to merge an associated list the fields do not have a checkbox to choose them as it does in the tutorials. Am I missing something? Any ideas would be appreciated.
      • create-a-purchase-receive API issues

        Hello all, I'm trying to use the create a purchase receive inventory API documented here (https://www.zoho.com/inventory/api/v1/purchasereceives/#create-a-purchase-receive) however when I do am getting the following error {"code":9,"message":"The purchase
      • Zoho Pagesense really this slow??? 5s delay...

        I put the pagesense on my website (hosted by webflow and fast) and it caused a 5s delay to load. do other people face similar delays?
      • Heatmap: Missing Content Elements - Zoho Page Sense

        Hi there, I'm trying out Zoho Page Sense to generate heatmaps for my Wix pages. My problem: Some parts of my Wix pages don't show on my heatmap, the heatmap is just empty there. Maybe Wix default lazy loading setting causes this error? Is there a way
      • Marketing Tip #3: Use social proof to build trust

        People trust people. Showcasing reviews, testimonials, or “bestseller” badges on your product pages can nudge hesitant buyers toward purchase. Try this today: Add one customer testimonial or highlight your top-selling product on your homepage. Or, do
      • Writing by Hand in "Write" Notes

        Hi there! I just downloaded this app a few moments ago, and I was wondering if there was a way to write things by hand in "Write" mode instead of just typing in the keyboard. It would make things a bit more efficient for me in this moment. Thanks!
      • Make CAMPAIGNS email look as simple as possible

        Hi there I'm trying to make my Campaigns email look as much like a normal email as possible. I'm a bit stuck with the "justification" of the email email block. Can I LEFT JUSTIFY the "whole email" to make it look "normal"? (Please see screenshot attached)
      • Zoho Sign Reminder email template

        Is there a template we can edit for the reminder emails? I don't see it in Settings / Choose a template
      • Preview an upload PDF or File

        I have a form where the customer has to upload a file (normally PDF - never jpeg)  When in report view I want to be able to preview the uploaded file without having to download it.  If I click on the upload it downloads to my computer, I want to be able
      • How to filter emails by Reply-to field?

        I receive a very particular newsletter from an association A registered on a website W (that is used by many associations), and the emails fields are not great: the From just contains the generic website's W's email, while A is only mentioned in the Reply-to
      • How to invite friends on other social media platforms to one of my group chats in arattai?

        Hello, I have formed chat groups in arattai. I want to invite my friends on other social media platforms like WhatsApp/ FB to one of my groups. Different friends would be invited to different groups. How to share an invite link of one of my groups to
      • Line spacing

        I coudn't decrease the line spacing to space smaller then a single line. There is too much space between the lines that make the document look ugly. Please fix that. Liran. fonar
      • Google Fonts Integration in Pagesense Popup Editor

        Hello Zoho Pagesense Team, We hope you're doing well. We’d like to submit a feature request to enhance Zoho Pagesense’s popup editor with Google Fonts support. Current Limitation: Currently, Pagesense offers a limited set of default fonts. Google Fonts
      • Control Position of “X” (Close) Button in Popup Editor

        Hello Zoho PageSense Team, We hope you're doing well. We would like to request a customization improvement in the PageSense popup editor. Current Limitation: Currently, the position of the “X” (close) button is fixed and cannot be customized in the popup
      • Add Standalone “Save” Button in Pagesense Popup Editor

        Hello Zoho Pagesense Team, We hope you're doing well. We would like to request an important usability improvement in the Pagesense popup editor. Current Limitation: There is currently no dedicated Save button while building a popup. The only way to save
      • Text Direction Control in Pagesense Popup Editor

        Hello Zoho Pagesense Team, We hope you're doing well. We’d like to submit a feature request to add text direction control in the Pagesense popup editor. Current Limitation: Currently, the popup editor does not provide native support for RTL (Right-to-Left)
      • Autosave in Pagesense Popup Editor

        Hello Zoho Pagesense Team, We hope you're doing well. We’d like to submit a feature request to enhance the Pagesense editor with an autosave functionality. Current Limitation: Currently, changes made in the Pagesense editor must be manually saved. In
      • Billing frequency is not displayed correctly.

        Hello There is an issue while displaying the billing frequency on a subscription quote. I am able to activate the subscription details and get this lovely overview: If I am adding a Plan which I charge quarterly, first of all it should be possible to
      • Creating Secret via Vault API

        Hi I am trying to create a secret through vault api.  This is the response I get. One thing I am not sure is how to decrypt the secretdata, how to get the secrettypeid? {     "operation": {         "result": {             "error_code": "",             "message": "Sorry, we are unable to process your request.",
      • Zoho CRM custom fields not showing in zoho creator

        Hi Team, I have created a Products form with Zoho CRM integration and connected it to Products module of CRM. But when I see the reports of Products in Zoho creator then I am not able to see custom fields of Products module. Only standard fields of Products
      • Next Page