Centralizing sales and reporting in an international company

Summary

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The Zoho implementation at Osborne Engineering is an example of global digital transformation in an engineering company operating across five continents. The key to success was combining centralized data management through CRM for all locations, advanced analytics with Zoho Reports instead of spreadsheets, and mobile support for field sales teams through a dedicated Weekly Sales Report app built in Zoho Creator. As a result, the company gained full control over its sales process on a global scale, while field salespeople can now work effectively on the move, knowing that every activity is logged and visible to management in real time. This case shows how technology can support B2B companies operating 24/7 across multiple markets.

Challenge

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Osborne Engineering Ltd, founded in 1984, specializes in the production and repair of bearing alloy components and operates across five continents, with facilities in the UK, Poland, and the UAE and around 250 employees. The company serves major equipment manufacturers, service providers, and end users in the Oil & Gas and energy sectors, often in emergency mode.

Key challenges before Zoho:
No CRM - customer data was not centralized, and each location in five countries worked in isolation.
Limited lead visibility - there was no broader view of leads, their sources, or segmentation opportunities.
Unclear reporting - sales reports were created manually in spreadsheets and could not be tailored to specific business needs.
Limited support for field work - field sales teams had no access to meeting calendars or a way to register orders from mobile devices.
Lack of management oversight - the sales director could not see team activity in real time.

Solution

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Z Partners implemented a comprehensive solution based on Zoho CRM, centralizing data and processes across the global organization.

Centralized data and lead management:
Implementation of Zoho CRM as a unified system for all locations.
Automatic lead categorization by region of origin.
Lead assignment to appropriate employees, with the ability to plan sales activities.
Lead source segmentation for better channel performance analysis.

Reporting and analytics:
Migration of reports from spreadsheets to Zoho Reports.
Adaptation of reports to the company’s unique needs and departmental requirements.
Management dashboards with real-time visibility into sales activity.

Mobile support for field salespeople:
Development of a dedicated Weekly Sales Report app in Zoho Creator.
A mobile version allowing meetings and orders to be entered from anywhere.
A simplified interface with a calendar for the current and upcoming week and order summaries.
Automatic synchronization with Zoho CRM, giving the sales director real-time visibility into field activity.
Elimination of manual reporting after returning to the office.

Results

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Global data centralization - one CRM system across locations in five countries.
More accurate sales execution - detailed lead information and regional/source segmentation improved planning.
Time savings for sales teams - no more manual searching for lead information.
Improved sales efficiency - a shared database and standardized customer handling processes.
Better internal integration - smooth data flow across departments and locations.
Greater mobility and productivity - the Weekly Sales Report app enables field salespeople to report continuously and save time.
Real-time management control - the sales director can see meetings and orders without delay.

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