Case Study – PANAMERA EVENTS

Executive Summary

Panamera Events & Productions is a creative events and allied services company based in Pune. Facing growth aspirations and operational complications from disparate systems, Panamera chose ITOTCloud Systems to deploy the full Zoho One suite. The integrated platform replaced scattered tools and manual workflows—improving team collaboration, data integrity, process automation, real-time visibility and scalability across departments from sales through HR and finance.

Key outcomes include:

• Consolidated CRM + marketing + sales pipeline on Zoho CRM

• Centralised finance and accounting via Zoho Books

• Streamlined HR, attendance, payroll via Zoho People & Zoho Payroll

• Mobile claims and expense workflows via Zoho Expense

• Internal communications & document storage via Zoho Cliq & WorkDrive

• Marketing automation and social lead capture via Zoho Campaigns/Social

• Unified data platform enabling faster decisions and improved productivity

Problem Statement & Key Challenges

Prior to the implementation, Panamera experienced several pain-points:

• Manual intensive processes: Many workflows (client inquiries, event logistics, vendor coordination, financials) were handled via spreadsheets, email threads, WhatsApp chats—leading to duplication, errors and slow follow-ups.

• Low digital tool adoption / fragmented systems: Departments such as sales, marketing, operations, HR and finance each used different tools or manual methods; no end-to-end integration existed.

• Data silos & lack of visibility: Client leads, event bookings, vendor contracts, finance records, HR attendance, payroll and marketing leads were stored in different systems or non-integrated files—leading to inconsistent data, fragmented insights and no unified dashboard.

• Marketing inefficiencies: Email and social campaigns were handled manually, lacked segmentation, tracking, and integration into the sales pipeline. Leads generated from campaigns often didn’t feed into CRM.

• Finance & HR bottlenecks: Invoices, payments, reimbursements, payroll and expense claims suffered delays and lacked structured workflows and visibility.

• Internal communications & document management: Collaboration across teams (sales, operations, creatives, vendors, HR) lacked a unified platform; file versions, approvals, internal chats were scattered and unstructured.

• Scalability risks: With growth plans for more events, clients and vendors, the lack of a scalable and integrated platform posed a risk to meeting service standards and operational efficiency.

Evaluation of the Existing Environment

ITOTCloud Systems carried out a comprehensive assessment of Panamera’s operations:

• Conducted stakeholder workshops across sales, operations, marketing, HR and finance

• Mapped existing processes: lead generation → booking → vendor coordination → execution → billing → payment → post-event review

• Audited existing tool usage, spreadsheets, email/WhatsApp workflows, document storage and system gaps

• Identified that while some digital tools may have been in use, they operated in isolation, with no integration and inconsistent adoption

• Concluded that Panamera needed an end-to-end, scalable platform that could bind all departments, clean up legacy data, standardise workflows, train users and deliver real-time insights

Proposed Solution

ITOTCloud Systems proposed deploying the full Zoho One suite to address each challenge across functions. Key solution components included:

CRM & Sales

• Customised Zoho CRM modules for event lead capture, vendor database, client contracts, event booking lifecycle

• Cleanse and migrate existing lead/client data, event history

• Configure Blueprints/triggers to move a lead → enquiry → proposal → booking → execution stages

• Automate follow-ups, notifications, internal tasks for sales & operations teams

• Dashboard & forecasting to monitor pipeline, bookings, revenue by event type

Finance & Accounting

• Deploy Zoho Books for bookkeeping, GST compliance, invoicing, payment tracking

• Link invoice generation with CRM bookings automatically (booking in CRM triggers invoice in Books)

• Bank feeds, automated reconciliation and reminders for payment collections

• Integration with payroll and HR module for comprehensive financial visibility

HR & Payroll

• Zoho People for attendance (including geo-fencing for event-site staff), leave management, shift scheduling

• Zoho Payroll brought in-house, connected to attendance data to generate payroll runs

• Ensure compliance, faster salary processing, visibility into staff hours and costs

Expense Management

• Zoho Expense for mobile travel/expense claims by event teams, with GPS travel logs, vendor bill uploads, approval flows

• Integration with Books for expense posting and reimbursement workflows

Communication & Document Management

• Zoho Cliq for structured internal communication: team channels (sales, operations, creatives, vendor coordination, HR), bots for reminders, pinned messages

• Zoho WorkDrive for central document repository: version control, permissions, integration with CRM and Cliq so event documents (vendor contracts, floor plans, media assets, budgets) stored and shared in one place

Marketing & Lead Generation

• Zoho Campaigns integrated with CRM for segmented lists (past clients, corporate clients, brand activations, agencies)

• Zoho Social for scheduling across platforms, capturing social leads directly into CRM

• Configure drip campaigns, automated nurture flows, analytics dashboards

• Track ROI of campaigns (leads → bookings) via CRM dashboards

Implementation Plan

Implementation was planned in phases to minimise disruption to ongoing event business:

Phase 1 – Foundation Setup (≈3 months)

• Customise and deploy Zoho CRM (lead capture, booking lifecycle)

• Migrate existing client, lead, event data from spreadsheets and files

• Configure Zoho Books (chart of accounts, GST setup, invoicing templates)

• Deploy Zoho People for attendance/leave management; payroll setup begun

Phase 2 – Integration & Automation (≈2 months)

• Integrate CRM ↔ Books ↔ People modules so bookings → invoices → payments; attendance → payroll

• Deploy Zoho Expense with mobile app to field/event staff

• Configure WorkDrive folder structure (client > event > vendor > execution) and integrate with Cliq channels

• Setup internal communication channels in Cliq; train teams

Phase 3 – Marketing Enablement & Advanced Features (≈1 month)

• Migrate email platform to Zoho Mail (if not already) to bring all communication under one domain

• Deploy Zoho Campaigns & Zoho Social: set up dynamic lists from CRM, schedule posts, launch drip campaigns

• Enable dashboards in CRM/Books/People for real-time visibility

• User training, change management, help-desk support throughout rollout

Data Migration & Change Management

• Legacy spreadsheets, email threads and WhatsApp vendor/client communications were audited, cleaned, mapped and imported into proper modules

• Conduct multiple user-training workshops across departments, provide manuals and on-going support

• Use incremental activation: core features first, then advanced features to allow user adoption and reduce resistance

• The total project span approximately six months, with post‐go-live monitoring and optimisation

Results & Impact

Post-implementation, Panamera achieved measurable improvements across operations:

• Significantly higher CRM adoption: sales & operations teams using structured booking workflows and dashboards

• Faster invoice generation and smarter payment follow-ups, improving cash-flow and client billing cycle

• Real-time visibility into event pipeline, bookings, revenue, staff utilisation and expenses, enabling proactive decision–making

• Attendance and payroll processing streamlined: shift/field staff tracked geo-fenced, payroll processed faster, fewer manual errors

• Expense claims processed quickly via mobile, reducing reimbursement lag and enhancing staff satisfaction

• Marketing campaigns became more effective: social scheduling + CRM integration improved lead capture and conversion tracking

• Internal collaboration improved: Cliq channels and WorkDrive structure meant fewer fragmented communications and better document versioning

• The integrated, scalable platform positioned Panamera for growth – able to handle additional events, client segments, vendor networks without collapse of manual processes

Key Take-aways & Lessons

• Moving from fragmented tools (spreadsheets, email, WhatsApp) to a unified platform drives higher data integrity, fewer hand‐offs and better insights

• User training and change management are critical—not just the technology—ensuring adoption and reducing resistance

• Automating simple workflows (lead → booking → invoice; attendance → payroll) delivers outsized gains in efficiency and satisfaction

• Marketing automation and CRM integration enable insights into campaign ROI and lead conversion that were previously invisible

• Real-time dashboards across departments empower management to make timely decisions and scale operations

• Centralised document and communication platforms reduce version chaos and improve collaboration across teams