Zoho News Catch-up: Improvements from the last quarter in CRM, New Zoho RPA, Dynamic pre-fill in Forms, Updates in Creator, Webinars for Books, Cliq, and Creator

Welcome to our catch-up, where you’ll be in the know of all the latest Zoho updates in one place!

 

• CRM update for the last quarter of 2024
• New Zoho RPA for creating software bots for high-volume automation
• Dynamic pre-filling in Zoho Forms with webhooks
• What’s new in Creator: performance, design, and user experience improvements
• Webinars on Books, Cliq, and Creator

CRM update for the last quarter of 2024

The latest Zoho CRM update for 2024 introduced key features to optimize productivity, enhance user experience, and strengthen business operations.

Here’s a summary of the main highlights—are you going to miss them?

 

User Experience Enhancements:

• Canvas for Forms: Complete form customization with a focus on essential fields and branding.

• Enhanced Wizards: Automatic generation of screens and summary views to review data before creating records.

• Optimized Portals: Record sharing based on criteria to improve the self-service experience.

 

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Process Management and Automation:

• Kiosk Studio: Greater flexibility with new screen sizes, additional fields, and advanced actions (e.g., lead conversion).

• On-Demand Scripts: Execute Client Scripts from anywhere using shortcuts or command palettes.

 

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More Accurate Data and Improved Deduplication:

• Advanced Validation Rules: Real-time validation and alerts for data review.

• Enhanced Deduplication: Duplicate checks for leads and contacts.

 

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Organization and Prioritization:

• Multiple Kanban Views: Smooth transitions between categorizations according to the sales process.

• Improved Forecasts: Labels like “Likely to Win” or “At Risk” to prioritize deals.

 

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Analytics and Reporting:

• Advanced Filters: Inclusion of operators like “Include All” or “Exclude All” and cross-module filters.

• Improved Dashboards: Customizable numerical formats, recovery of deleted elements, and Zia’s analysis suggestions.

• Optimized Reports: New categorical columns based on numbers and picklists for data segmentation.

 

(image vía zoho)

 

Communication and Collaboration:

• Integration with Teams and Google Chat: Improved coordination with notifications and record sharing.

• Centralized Email: Synchronization of communications across multiple customized addresses.

 

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New Tools for Developers:

• Revamped IDE: Improved code editor with autocomplete, change tracking, and previous versions.

• Dynamic Queries: Retrieve data from multiple modules or external applications for Canvas or Kiosk Studio.

 

Efficient Data Management:

• Bulk Updates in Subforms: Option to add multiple rows in a single action.

• Static Subforms: Standardize data with predefined fields and values.

 

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Personalization and Localization:

• Expanded Translation: Inclusion of more languages for labels, fields, and modules.

 

Other Highlights:

• Mass Lead Conversion: Selection of essential fields during conversion.

• Enhanced Sandbox: Conflict resolution and dependency management in test configurations.

 

These updates strengthen Zoho CRM’s functionality, helping businesses work more efficiently and deliver better customer experiences! Learn more here.

 

 

New Zoho RPA for creating software bots for high-volume automation

Zoho has launched Zoho RPA, a robotic process automation solution designed to optimize repetitive, high-volume tasks within organizations.

 

With Zoho RPA, you can now connect cloud applications with legacy systems, even those without APIs, facilitating manual task automation and freeing employees to focus on strategic initiatives.

 

(image vía zoho)

 

Advantages of Zoho RPA

• Non-Intrusive Integration: Automate processes without changing existing systems.
• Cross-Platform Compatibility: Bots interact with web, legacy, and non-API applications.
• Ease of Use: Includes a recorder and intuitive environment to design flows without technical expertise.
• Compliance and Auditing: Logs actions, facilitates audits, and ensures traceability.

 

Key Features of Zoho RPA

• Windows Automation: Manage tasks in applications like Outlook and custom software.
• Web Automation: Complete forms, extract data, and navigate websites.
• Excel Automation: Perform data entry, formatting, and report generation.
• File Management: Automate tasks like moving, copying, and renaming documents.
• Cloud Integrations: Connect with over 900 apps to automate processes across departments.

 

(image vía zoho) 

 

To get started with Zoho RPA, create an account, access the dashboard, install the Zoho RPA agent, and follow the setup instructions for your automations. Learn more here.

 

Dynamic pre-filling in Zoho Forms with webhooks

Zoho Forms has introduced Dynamic Prefill functionality via Webhooks, allowing forms to auto-fill fields with real-time data from external services.

 

How Does It Work?

1. The user accesses the form and completes a specific search field.
2. The form sends a request to an external service using a webhook, including the value entered in the search field.
3. The external service processes the request and returns the corresponding data.
4. The form fields are automatically filled with the received information, which the user can review and adjust as needed.

 

(image vía zoho)

 

Benefits:

• Time Savings: Reduces the need for manual data entry, speeding up the form-filling process.
• Increased Accuracy: Minimizes human errors by using pre-existing, verified data.
• Personalized Experience: Offers users tailored forms with relevant information, enhancing interaction.

 

What’s new in Creator: performance, design, and user experience improvements

Zoho Creator has announced a series of updates scheduled for December 2024, aimed at improving the development experience and platform functionality. Below are the main highlights:

 

AI Assistance in Deluge

Zia, Zoho’s smart assistant, will be integrated directly into the Deluge editor. Zia will assist developers in generating and optimizing scripts based on specific application needs, analyzing existing data to provide contextualized and improved code.

 

(image via Zoho)

 

Real-Time Error Messages in the Deluge Editor

The Deluge editor will detect coding errors as you write, displaying intuitive real-time messages. This functionality will help identify and fix issues more efficiently during development.

 

QR and Barcode Generator

An integrated tool will be added to create QR codes and barcodes based on data entered in fields. For example, in an inventory management system, codes can be automatically generated for each product based on its ID or serial number, facilitating tracking and access to information.

 

Expandable Text Fields in Reports

To improve readability, rich text and multiline fields in reports will be expandable. Users will see a content preview with the option to “Show More” to expand the full text or “Show Less” to collapse it, keeping reports organized and easy to navigate.

 

(image via Zoho)

 

Customization in Report Exports

Advanced options will allow users to customize data exports, choosing how subform fields and composite fields are exported. This will improve the organization and readability of exported data, presenting it in a more structured and easy-to-analyze manner.

 

Localization Expansion

Five new languages (Indonesian, Thai, Vietnamese, Hungarian, and Dutch) will be added to localization options in the editing mode and admin panel. Additionally, support for all regional variants of Spanish will be provided, enabling users to interact with Zoho Creator in their preferred language.

 

Webinars on Books, Cliq, and Creator