How an NGO Became Fluent in Zoho with Integration, Training, and Ongoing Support across multiple Zoho apps

Discover how an NGO from the childcare industry became fluent in operating Zoho by integrating Xero, conducting training sessions, and providing ongoing support.

Overview

This organisation is the leading not-for-profit peak body representing the childcare sector across Queensland. They advocate for, support, and empower childcare providers with resources, training, and representation. To continue delivering value to its members, they required a streamlined, integrated system that would address existing bottlenecks in invoicing, membership management, and payment processing. Partnering with Smartmates, they undertook a project to enhance its Zoho CRM usage, integrate with Xero and Stripe, and deliver best-practice training and support for its staff.

Executive Summary

This organisation established as the state’s peak membership body for early childhood education and care services, representing and supporting thousands of providers across Queensland. They were founded with a mission to advocate for quality, affordable, and accessible childcare that meets the needs of children, families, and communities. Drawing from decades of industry experience, they have grown into a trusted voice for private, community, and independent early learning services. The role goes beyond advocacy, it provides practical resources, training, and support to help operators deliver the highest standards of care and education.

Problem Statement and Key Challenges

The organisation faced several operational challenges that its existing systems could not solve:

Membership management complexity: Difficulty in tracking member details, renewals, and engagement across multiple regions and childcare providers.
Fragmented processes: Communications, events, advocacy efforts, and compliance activities were managed in separate tools, creating manual inefficiencies.
System limitations: Off-the-shelf solutions alone could not accommodate the unique needs of a member-based, advocacy-focused organisation.
Reporting gaps: Limited visibility into member engagement, advocacy outcomes, and operational performance made it harder to make data-driven decisions.

Problem Evaluation

They faced significant challenges with its limited Zoho usage and fragmented workflows. Membership invoicing processes were hampered by difficulties in updating pricing and inconsistent payment terms, leading to inefficiencies and manual workarounds. The lack of streamlined integration with accounting systems also created bottlenecks in reconciling invoices and payments. Additionally, staff lacked guidance on Zoho best practices, limiting their ability to leverage the platform effectively for member engagement, reporting, and automation. These issues underscored the need for a more integrated, automated solution with expert guidance to optimise system usage and resolve daily operational challenges.

Proposed Solutions

To ensure they can unlock Zoho One’s full potential, Smartmates proposed the following solutions:

Assess the current Zoho CRM setup and identify bottlenecks.
Provide best-practice recommendations to improve invoicing, payment terms, and membership management.
Integrate Zoho Books with Xero and Stripe for real-time synchronisation of financial data.
Train all staff to maximise Zoho’s features.
Provide ad hoc support and guidance to troubleshoot issues and enhance system adoption.

Implementations

The implementation of Zoho’s solutions involved several key steps to ensure seamless integration and functionality:

System Assessment and Best Practice Recommendations:
Smartmates conducted a comprehensive assessment of all Zoho One modules, data structures, workflows, and membership-related customisations. Pain points like invoicing, inconsistent payment terms, and process inefficiencies were identified. Based on this, Smartmates provided best-practice recommendations for module design, automation strategies, and improved reporting capabilities.
Zoho Books Integration with Xero and Stripe:
A custom integration was developed using APIs to synchronise invoices, payments, and contact data between Zoho Books and Xero. Webhooks were implemented to enable real-time updates across systems, with error-handling logic for reliable workflows. Stripe’s native integration was configured to facilitate seamless payment processing within Zoho Books.
Training and Ad Hoc Support:
Multiple training sessions were delivered to all staff, focusing on a series of Zoho apps. Documentation and step-by-step guides were provided to support ongoing learning. Smartmates also offered ad hoc support to troubleshoot any issues, answer staff queries, and implement automation improvements.

Related solutions:

Related solutions:

External Integrations:

External Integrations:

Results

The new system provided them with:

Streamlined Membership Invoicing: Improved management of pricing updates and payment terms, reducing errors and manual interventions.
Real-Time Financial Sync: Reliable integration between Zoho Books, Xero, and Stripe enabled accurate, up-to-date financial records.
Staff Empowerment: Training enhanced staff confidence in using Zoho applications for marketing, reporting, and member engagement.
Operational Efficiency: Automation reduced repetitive tasks, freeing staff time for strategic initiatives.

Conclusion

By optimising Zoho CRM and integrating Zoho Books with Xero and Stripe, they transformed their membership and invoicing processes from a fragmented system into a seamless, integrated solution. Staff now benefit from clear workflows, improved data accuracy, and stronger reporting tools, enabling them to focus on supporting and advocating for childcare providers. The collaboration with Smartmates has empowered them to leverage Zoho’s full potential, ensuring long-term efficiency and scalability for its operations.

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