Introducing Connected Workflows in Zoho CRM for Everyone : Free Your Teams to Focus on What Matters

Introducing Connected Workflows in Zoho CRM for Everyone : Free Your Teams to Focus on What Matters

Hello Everyone,

We’re thrilled to introduce the next big evolution in Zoho CRM for Everyone -- Connected Workflows. This new feature builds on our commitment to deliver a CRM that’s truly inclusive, adaptable, and designed for consistent collaboration across your entire organization and not just your sales team.

With the launch of Connected Records, we enabled teams to share contextual information and stay aligned through record connections across modules. Now, with Connected Workflows, we’re taking it one step further by enabling Zoho CRM to coordinate work across teams and enable them to deliver their best for customers.

What are Connected Workflows? 

While Connected Records make it easy to share customer context across your customer journey, however, many of the processes involved in your customer's journey need to be consistently carried out. That’s where Connected Workflows come in.

Connected workflows help free your teams from manual coordination by enhancing coordination across multiple teams and improving customer relationship management. They allow you to automate your entire customer journey that spans across multiple customer-facing teams.

With Connected Workflows, you can build smooth coordination between departments like Sales, Marketing, Legal, Onboarding, and Training  so that each step in the customer journey is coordinated without manual follow-ups or miscommunication.


How to create Connected workflows? 

"Users should have the Connected Workflows permission enabled in their profile settings."

Every connected workflow begins with a primary module, either an organization module or a team module, depending on your customer journey.

Triggers : Initiate by setting up triggers by configuring either a single trigger or multiple triggers for a module. The triggers are :
  • when a record is created in the module
  • When a record is edited record in the module,
  • When a record is created or edited in the module, or
  • When a field in the record is edited in the module.

Multi-module criteria for Triggers : You can configure multiple criteria for triggers to execute actions in any other related modules; Enable other module criteria option for this. This ensures actions run when related modules are updated with values matching the trigger.
 
Actions : Assign one or more actions for each trigger . The actions are :
  • Creating a new connected record in the associated module
  • Updating an existing connected record in the associate module, or
  • Notifying users via email. 

Use Case: Automating the customer journey from a sales enquiry  to customer success

A typical customer journey goes through four stages, and we know that even though the sales team is the initial point of contact, multiple teams are involved and will support the sales team to win the customer.                                                        

Involved Teams
Initial Evaluation
Sales Team is the point of contact
Marketing team supports with customer-facing content in the Case Study Module
Demo Request
Sales Team schedules a product demo
Pre-sales team provides product demos in the Product demo module
Customer Onboarding
Sales Team updates the sale cycle stage to 'Closed Won'
Onboarding team helps the customer get started post-sale in the Onboarding Assistance module
Product Training
Sales Team arranges for training sessions
Training team helps the customer to be fully equipped to use the product in the Training module
 
Here's how Connected Workflows can automate the sales process and achieve coordination between the multiple teams involved.  

We’ll create a connected workflow with Deals as the primary module and configure three triggers:

Trigger 1: When a new record is created → Create a connected Case Study record for Marketing (Action)

Trigger 2: When Lead Status is "Qualified" → Create a Product Demo record and notify the Pre-sales Team(Action)

Trigger 3: When Deal Stage is "Closed Won" → Create an Onboarding record for handoff prep(Action)

This sets up three connected modules: Case Study, Demo Request, and Onboarding, as shown in the image below.

 Now we will configure the associated modules.
  • Case Study
    Trigger : When status is "Completed" → Notify Sales Team about availability(Action)

  • Demo Request 
    Trigger : When status is "Completed" → Notify Sales Team that demo was given(Action)

  • Feedbacks (manually created from Demo Request)
    Trigger : When new record is created  → Email lead with feedback form(Action)

  • Onboarding 
    Trigger :
    When status is "Completed" → Notify Training Team to start sessions and Sales Team of onboarding completion; also create a Training record(Action)

  • Training (automatically created from Onboarding)
    Trigger :
    When new record is created → Update Account type to "Customer" and notify Sales Team of training completion(Action


Now let's look at how all these modules have been connected to carry out a customer journey in the GIF below.



In this entire customer journey, there is no loss of customer context, no repeated back-and-forth between teams, and no delays due to miscommunication. Each team receives a connected record with all the relevant data they need to execute their part of the process.
Here is another video with a detailed explanation on how connected workflows works :

How Are Connected Workflows Different from Traditional Workflows?     

  • Connected Workflows go beyond one module; they’re designed to coordinate across team boundaries and hence use multiple modules to build a workflow.
  • Connected workflows trigger follow-up tasks/actions in both org and team modules.
  • Connected Workflows generate connected records as part of the process, so new requests are automatically created in modules, and those teams will have full context from day one. Users can save the time they take to create requests from the Request tab with this feature.

Why use connected workflows for your business? 

  • No more manual follow-ups because of automating cross-team coordination and reducing dependency on reminders or emails.
  • Achieving consistent execution across your customer's journey.
  • Providing end-to-end visibility where teams see the full customer journey, not just their part in the entire journey.
  • Above all, providing contextual coordination among multiple teams by minimizing delays between hand-offs.
 

We believe Connected Workflows will be a game-changer in how you deliver exceptional customer experience. We’re excited for you to start building your first Connected Workflow. Let us know in the comments if you have any queries.

Availability :
  • This enhancement is available only in Zoho CRM's new UI.
  • The number of connected workflows that can be created edition-wise are :
    • Standard Edition.      : 2
    • Professional Edition : 2
    • Enterprise Edition    : 10
    • Ultimate Edition.      : 10
    • Click here to learn about others limitations for this feature.

Early Access for Connected Workflows

We are in the process of opening out connected workflows for our customers, however, if you’d like early access to explore and use this feature, we’ve got you covered!

Fill out this form to get early access.

We’d love for you to try it out and share your feedback.


Regards,
Serena Woolridge
Zoho CRM Marketing Team



      Zoho Campaigns Resources


        • Desk Community Learning Series


        • Digest


        • Functions


        • Meetups


        • Kbase


        • Resources


        • Glossary


        • Desk Marketplace


        • MVP Corner


        • Word of the Day


        • Ask the Experts


          Zoho CRM Plus Resources

            Zoho Books Resources


              Zoho Subscriptions Resources

                Zoho Projects Resources


                  Zoho Sprints Resources


                    Zoho Orchestly Resources


                      Zoho Creator Resources


                        Zoho WorkDrive Resources



                          Zoho CRM Resources

                          • CRM Community Learning Series

                            CRM Community Learning Series


                          • Tips

                            Tips

                          • Functions

                            Functions

                          • Meetups

                            Meetups

                          • Kbase

                            Kbase

                          • Resources

                            Resources

                          • Digest

                            Digest

                          • CRM Marketplace

                            CRM Marketplace

                          • MVP Corner

                            MVP Corner




                            Zoho Writer Writer

                            Get Started. Write Away!

                            Writer is a powerful online word processor, designed for collaborative work.

                              Zoho CRM コンテンツ






                                ご検討中の方

                                  • Recent Topics

                                  • Managing functions

                                    Can someone let me know if there are any plans to improve the features for managing functions in CRM? I have lots of functions and finding them is hard. The search only works on the function name and the filter only works on function type. I have created
                                  • Good 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 activities
                                  • Custom function return type

                                    Hi, How do I create a custom deluge function in Zoho CRM that returns a string? e.g. Setup->Workflow->Custom Functions->Configure->Write own During create or edit of the function I don't see a way to change the default 'void' to anything else. Adding
                                  • Issue with Hour Calculation in Zoho People Attendance Module

                                    I have noticed an issue in the attendance regularization feature of Zoho People. When trying to regularize past dates, the total working hours are not calculated correctly. For example, if I enter a check-in and check-out time for a previous day, the
                                  • Free webinar alert on November 19 - Email driven strategies - Master personality based styles

                                    Hello Zoho Community! Want to make email management easier, smarter, and more you? We’ve got just the session for you! Join our interactive, game-based webinar to discover how Zoho Mail adapts to your personality and work style. Learn practical hacks,
                                  • Push Notification for New Bookings in Zoho Bookings App

                                    when a someone schedules an appointment through the booking page, is there any option to receive a push notification in the mobile app?
                                  • Automation in Zoho Sprints

                                    Hi. I have a Sprints board with the following statuses: ToDo, InProgress, CodeReview, Testing, Preprod, Live When a ticket is moved from e.g. Testing to Preprod, the following tags should be modified: remove 'tested OK' remove 'ready for Preprod' add
                                  • Export Purchase orders as Excel

                                    Is it possible to export purchase orders as excel rather than PDF? Our suppliers don't want orders made in PDF, they need it to be excel
                                  • Cliq iOS can't see shared screen

                                    Hello, I had this morning a video call with a colleague. She is using Cliq Desktop MacOS and wanted to share her screen with me. I'm on iPad. I noticed, while she shared her screen, I could only see her video, but not the shared screen... Does Cliq iOS is able to display shared screen, or is it somewhere else to be found ? Regards
                                  • Draft & Schedule Emails Directly in Bigin

                                    Greetings, I hope all of you are doing well. We're happy to announce a few recent enhancements we've made to email in Bigin. We'll go over each one in detail, but here's a quick overview: Previously, you couldn't draft or schedule emails in Bigin, but
                                  • Create CRM Deal from Books Quote and Auto Update Deal Stage

                                    I want to set up an automation where, whenever a Quote is created in Zoho Books, a Deal is automatically created in Zoho CRM with the Quote amount, customer details, and some custom fields from Zoho Books. Additionally, when the Sales Order is converted
                                  • Send email template "permission denied to access the api"

                                    Hello, Per the title, I'm trying to send a Zoho CRM Email template based on the advice given here: https://help.zoho.com/portal/en/community/topic/specify-an-email-template-when-sending-emails-in-custom-functions (I'd prefer to send right from Deluge
                                  • Zia’s AI Assist now helps you write clearer notes — in seconds

                                    After helping recruiters craft job descriptions, emails, and assessments, Zia’s AI Assist is now stepping in to make note-taking effortless too. Whether you’re recording feedback after an interview or sharing quick updates with your team, you can now
                                  • Shortcut to fill a range of cells

                                    Good evening: I'm writing because I haven't been able to find a feature that allows you to select a range of cells, type in one of them, and then use a key combination to type in all of them. In Excel, the keyboard shortcut is Ctrl+Enter. I haven't found
                                  • Introducing Dark Mode / Light Mode : A New Look For Your CRM

                                    Hello Users, We are excited to announce a highly anticipated feature - the launch of Day, Night and Auto Mode implementation in Zoho CRM's NextGen user interface! This feature is designed to provide a visually appealing and comfortable experience for
                                  • Object required error

                                    Hi, I am getting an 'Object required' error on the line Call HideColumnsOutsideRange(ws, startOfWeek, endOfWeek) when I run the ShowCurrentWeek macro but not when I run the ShowCurrentMonth macro. Any ideas? Regards, GW Option Explicit Sub HideColumnsOutsideRange(ws
                                  • Zoho CRM - Rename "Estimates" in CRM Finance Suite Integration to "Quotes"

                                    I'm not sure if it's been 2 or 3 years now since Zoho Books renamed Estimates to Quotes. I still see "Estimates" in the Zoho CRM integration. Could this be added to Translation settings so that some customisation could be made on an account by account
                                  • Its 2022, can our customers log into CRM on their mobiles? Zoho Response: Maybe Later

                                    I am a long time Zoho CRM user. I have just started using the client portal feature. On the plus side I have found it very fast and very easy (for someone used to the CRM config) to set up a subset of module views that make a potentially extremely useful
                                  • All new Address Field in Zoho CRM: maintain structured and accurate address inputs

                                    The address field will be available exclusively for IN DC users. We'll keep you updated on the DC-specific rollout soon. It's currently available for all new sign-ups and for existing Zoho CRM orgs which are in the Professional edition. Latest update
                                  • New Series Announcement - Ecommerce Marketing Tips

                                    Running an online business is more than just having a website. It’s about getting the right customers to discover you, trust you, and keep coming back. To support your growth journey, we’re launching a weekly Marketing Tips series right here on Zoho Commerce
                                  • Marketing Tip #7: Add a blog to your online store

                                    A blog is more than content. It’s a magnet for new customers. Sharing product guides, styling tips, or industry insights through blog posts builds trust and helps you rank higher on search engines. Try this today: Write one blog post answering a common
                                  • Kanban view on Zoho CRM mobile app!

                                    What is Kanban? The name doesn't sound English, right? Yes, Kanban is a Japanese word which means 'Card you can see'. As per the meaning, Kanban in CRM is a type of list view in which the records will be displayed in cards and categorized under the given
                                  • Allow Regular Users to Directly Transfer Ownership of Files & Folders

                                    Hi Zoho WorkDrive Team, Hope you are doing well. We would like to request an important enhancement related to file and folder ownership management in Zoho WorkDrive. At the moment, a regular user cannot directly transfer ownership of their files or folders
                                  • Triggering rules on lead conversion

                                    There is no field on the Rule list for rule conversion to trigger an alert on liead conversion to a potential. I assigned a rule to file on any creation or update of a lead. The lead was changed a lead to a potential but no rule was fired. Rajesh Bhadra
                                  • Customised Funnel

                                    We are running the standard plan for our ZOHO CRM. I have been asked if there is a way to combine data from the Calls module, Deals module and Contact Module into 1 funnel, similar to the view you can get when viewing Deals By Stages, you can see the
                                  • Trigger Zapier on Deluge Insert Into Function?

                                    Hello, To get around the limitation of not being able to trigger a Zapier Zap on Record Update(this would be extremely useful to be able to do btw), I have created a Deluge script to copy the data from Form A to a Trigger Form B using the Insert Into expression from a Custom Action button on a Report from Form A.  This action does not trigger the Zapier Zap whereas manually adding a record or duplicating an existing record does trigger the Zap. Is Insert Into not the same as a manual Add in the context
                                  • Can you inject JS in an HML+CSS+Deluge Page?

                                    I have an HTML + CSS + Deluge page and need just a little vanilla JS functionality. However, it seems like Zoho Creator does not allow that. I'm required to create a JS widget. Is this correct? If so: 1. Won't this quickly consume my API limit if there
                                  • Display Client Name in Zoho Creator Client Portal Dashboard

                                    Hello Zoho Creator Team, We hope you are doing well. Zoho Creator recently introduced the option to set a client’s display name in the Client Portal settings, which is very helpful for providing a personalized portal experience. However, there is currently
                                  • Zoho unified inbox

                                    The new changes have definitely improved things for switching between accounts.  But zoho still desperately needs a unified inbox.  It sucks to have to enter filters and folders for each and every inbox.  This seems like such a simple thing, i wonder why Zoho hasn't done it?
                                  • Marketer’s Space - Multi-Channel Campaigns for the Biggest Shopping Week with Zoho Marketing Automation

                                    Hello marketers, Welcome back to another post in Marketers Space! The biggest shopping week of the year is almost here, and it’s your moment to shine without the stress. With Black Friday and Cyber Monday just around the corner, being present across email,
                                  • Is there a problem with sharing workdrive files with links since last night?

                                    As per title, we can't access folders/files through share links since last night. I created ticket but we need quick solution and didn't hear back from the support yet. The files are still accessible by the main account but all zoho files that we are
                                  • Enable Screen Recording in Zoho WorkDrive Mobile Apps (Android & iOS)

                                    Hi Zoho WorkDrive Team, How are you? We are enthusiastic Zoho One users and rely heavily on Zoho WorkDrive for internal collaboration and content sharing. The screen-recording feature in the WorkDrive web app (similar to Loom) is extremely useful- however,
                                  • Production Management Tool (MRP / BOM)

                                    Hi Guys, is there any recommended App available that works with zoho and covers the needed applications for a production? What we need is a system that covers the BOM (bill of materials), MRP (material ressources planning), MRP II (manufacturing ressources
                                  • Function #53: Transaction Level Profitability for Invoices

                                    Hello everyone, and welcome back to our series! We have previously provided custom functions for calculating the profitability of a quote and a sales order. There may be instances where the invoice may differ from its corresponding quote or sales order.
                                  • Bug in Zoho Cliq Signup Flow – "%s" Placeholder Visible Instead of Product Name

                                    Hi Zoho Team, I would like to report a UI bug in the Zoho Cliq signup/enable flow. During the step where Cliq asks to enable the product for the company, the following text appears: Great! Your company is already available in Zoho, so you just have to
                                  • Zoho Invoice Customer Login Portal

                                    Are there any plans for a customer portal to Zoho Invoice, ala Freshbooks?  I would like customers that I invoice to be able to login to review invoices and invoice history.  I have not switched from Freshbooks for this very reason.
                                  • Exporting tickets

                                    I went to Setup -> Organization -> Import/Export in order to export tickets but found 2 issues: 1. The email body never gets exported. 2. There are some large numbers (like 5.57E+16) under certain columns of the exported CSV file. I could not find any export options. Please can you help with this?
                                  • Editing the Ticket Properties column

                                    This is going to sound like a dumb question, but I cannot figure out how to configure/edit the sections (and their fields) in this column: For example, we have a custom "Resolution" field, which parked itself in the "Ticket Information" section of this
                                  • Copy field information to clipboard

                                    I need to be able to transfer some field information in to the clipboard, so that I can then paste it in to our helpdesk system. Is there a way I could add a button to a detail report that does this?
                                  • Issuing reconciling a bank statement

                                    HELP! I'm trying to reconcile a bank statement. The prior month reconciled perfectly. Beginning balance is correct yet I'm off by the same amount each time. Both myself and my office manager, separately and together, have tried to complete this reconciliation
                                  • Next Page