Belstar Microfinance Limited increases its efficiency by 60% with Zoho Workplace

The Company

Belstar Microfinance Limited is a non-banking finance company (NBFC) Muthoot Finance Limited subsidiary. Their journey began in 1988, and with a successful team of 10,000+ employees the company is now a profitable, high-potential microfinance institution (MFI) with low credit risk.

"Our goal is to provide digital financial inclusion to micro-entrepreneurs. Our business model is unique because it strives for a double bottom line, targeting both financial performance as well as social transformation. Belstar aims to alleviate poverty and enhance community development by further impacting over 3.5 million women through affordable credit and entrepreneurship," says Dhanasekaran, CTO of Belstar Microfinance.

The challenges

The company used a very popular workplace application before Zoho. The ever-increasing prices of the application forced the management to allocate a big chunk of their funds to the software subscription. Belstar also faced the challenge of managing email IDs. They needed to automate the management of those IDs, which proved to be a complex process because it required the development of a customized solution.

However, the biggest challenge that the team faced was the absence of local customer support. This hindered the timely resolution of issues, which ultimately led to the loss of productivity. All of these challenges forced the company to move to another solution.

The solution

In 2019, Belstar embarked on a thorough evaluation process to identify the most suitable productivity and collaboration tool. After careful consideration, the company chose Zoho Workplace as its preferred workspace application because it aligned closely with the organization's needs and objectives.

Customizable mailbox sizes and cost-effectiveness

Zoho Workplace stood out as a cost-effective and reliable solution because of its comprehensive suite of productivity tools that offer excellent value. With Zoho Workplace, Belstar’s employees gained access to a wide range of applications, including Zoho Mail, Zoho WorkDrive, Zoho Cliq, Zoho Meeting, and more, all integrated seamlessly into a single platform. On top of this, Zoho Mail's offering of customizable mailbox sizes, starting from as low as 1 GB, provided the scalability required to accommodate varying storage requirements across different user roles within the organization. Zoho's transparent pricing model and flexible plans met the varying needs of their company.

Availability of local customer support

Zoho Workplace's commitment to providing local customer support was a key differentiator. Knowing that assistance would be readily available from knowledgeable professionals within the same time zone instilled trust and confidence in the company's decision to choose Zoho Workplace.

"Customer support was a key factor in our decision to choose Zoho Workplace. Their local support team has been exceptional, going above and beyond to assist us. In fact, it's thanks to their assistance that we ended up subscribing to additional products from Zoho. They even facilitated proof of concept and trials, allowing us to experience the new products first-hand before making a commitment. Their dedication and willingness to help truly set them apart." —Dhanasekaran, CTO

Automated email ID creation using API

One of the primary requirements for the company was the ability to automate the creation of email IDs for its employees. This feature was crucial for streamlining the onboarding process and ensuring efficient management of user accounts. Zoho Mail's robust API capabilities stood out during the evaluation. The ease of automating email ID creation using Zoho Mail's API played a significant role in the decision-making process.

Favorite features

As a user, Dhanasekaran found Zoho Mail to be a versatile and indispensable tool that seamlessly integrates into various aspects of his role. The CTO, who often wears multiple hats within the organization, relies on Zoho Mail for its user-friendly interface and robust features that enhance productivity and collaboration across teams.

"As a user, I love the search feature of Zoho. As the CTO of my company, APIs have revolutionized numerous cumbersome tasks within our organization, and as a team member, the admin console stands out as a personal favorite." —Dhanasekaran, CTO

Benefits and ROI

Leveraging the integrated suite of tools, workflow efficiency soared as communication and collaboration were streamlined. Moreover, the cost-effective nature of Zoho Workplace facilitated significant savings, empowering the company to allocate resources strategically.

“Zoho Workplace has enabled us to achieve remarkable productivity gains, with our IT admins experiencing a staggering 60% improvement in their efficiency. This has translated into significant time savings for our team, allowing us to focus more on strategic initiatives. Moreover, the cost savings have been equally impressive, with close to 40% reduction in expenses.” —Dhanasekaran, CTO

Looking forward

The team anticipates even greater strides in integrated collaboration through Zoho Mail and Cliq within the Zoho ecosystem. By leveraging the extensive APIs provided by Zoho, they aim to further enhance SLA management and productivity measurement. This forward-thinking approach reflects their commitment to continually optimizing workflows and maximizing efficiency. With these advancements on the horizon, the team is excited to explore new possibilities and unlock even more value from their all-in-one communication and collaboration solution.

  • IndustryFinance, Banking
  • Company-size5K - 10K employees
  • Industry typeB2B
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Challenges Faced

  • Ever-increasing prices of the previous provider
  • Absence of local customer support

What the company loves about Zoho Workplace

  • Customizable mailbox sizes and cost-effectiveness
  • Automated email ID creation using API
  • Availability of local customer support

Favourite Features

  • Zia Search which find results across Mail, WorkDrive, Cliq, Contacts, and other Zoho applications instantly.
  • Control Panel to manage organization's mailboxes, configure spam policies, set up restrictions, and customize user information.