Skip to product menu
close
  • Sales
    Press Space or Enter to display list of options
EXPLORE ALL PRODUCTS

Sales

 
CRM

Comprehensive CRM platform for customer-facing teams.

CRM
 
Bigin

Simple CRM for small businesses moving from spreadsheets.

Bigin
 
Forms

Build online forms for every business need.

Forms
 
SalesIQ

Live chat app to engage and convert website visitors.

SalesIQ
 
Bookings

Appointment scheduling app for consultations with customers.

Bookings
 
Sign

Digital signature app for businesses.

Sign
 
RouteIQ

Comprehensive sales map visualization and optimal route planning solution.

RouteIQ
 
Thrive

Complete loyalty and affiliate management platform.

Thrive
 
Voice

Cloud Contact Center Software for businesses.

Voice
 
Suites
CRM Plus

Unified platform to deliver top-notch customer experience.

CRM Plus

Marketing

 
Social

All-in-one social media management software.

Social
 
Campaigns

Create, send, and track targeted email campaigns that drive sales.

Campaigns
 
Forms

Build online forms for every business need.

Forms
 
Survey

Design surveys to reach and interact with your audience.

Survey
 
Sites

Online website builder with extensive customisation options.

Sites
 
PageSense

Website conversion optimization and personalisation platform.

PageSense
 
Backstage

End-to-end event management software.

Backstage
 
Webinar

Webinar platform for webcasting online webinars.

Webinar
 
Marketing Automation

All-in-one marketing automation software.

Marketing Automation
 
LandingPage

Smart landing page builder to increase conversion rates

LandingPage
 
Publish

Manage all your local business listings on a single platform.

Publish
 
SalesIQ

Live chat app to engage and convert website visitors.

SalesIQ
 
Sign

Digital signature app for businesses.

Sign
 
Thrive

Complete loyalty and affiliate management platform.

Thrive
 
Voice

Cloud Contact Center Software for businesses.

Voice
 
NEW
LeadChain

Sync, manage, and convert leads across channels seamlessly.

LeadChain
 
NEW
CommunitySpaces

Online community platform for individuals and businesses to grow their network and brand.

CommunitySpaces
 
Suites
Marketing Plus

Unified marketing platform for marketing teams.

Marketing Plus

Commerce and POS

 
Commerce

eCommerce platform to manage and market your online store.

Commerce

Service

 
Desk

Helpdesk software to deliver great customer support.

Desk
 
Assist

Remote support and unattended remote access software.

Assist
 
Lens

Interactive remote assistance software with augmented reality.

Lens
 
FSM

End-to-end field service management platform for service businesses.

FSM
 
SalesIQ

Live chat app to engage and convert website visitors.

SalesIQ
 
Voice

Cloud Contact Center Software for businesses.

Voice
 
Solo

The all-in-one toolkit for solopreneurs.

Solo
 
Bookings

Appointment scheduling app for consultations with customers.

Bookings
 
Suites
Service Plus

Unified platform for customer service and support teams.

Service Plus

Finance

 
Books

Powerful accounting platform for growing businesses.

Books
 
FREE
Invoice

100% Free invoicing solution.

Invoice
 
Expense

Effortless expense reporting platform.

Expense
 
Inventory

Powerful stock management and inventory control software.

Inventory
 
Billing

End-to-end billing solution for your business.

Billing
 
Checkout

Collect payments online with custom branded pages.

Checkout
 
NEW
Payroll

Payroll software with automated tax payments and filing.

Payroll
 
Solo

The all-in-one toolkit for solopreneurs.

Solo
 
Practice

Practice management software for accounting firms.

Practice
 
Sign

Digital signature app for businesses.

Sign
 
Commerce

eCommerce platform to manage and market your online store.

Commerce
 
Suites
Finance Plus

All-in-one suite to manage your operations and finances.

Finance Plus

Email and Collaboration

 
Mail

Secure email service for teams of all sizes.

Mail
 
Meeting

Online meeting software for all your video conferencing & webinar needs.

Meeting
 
Writer

Word processor for focused writing and discussions.

Writer
 
Sheet

Spreadsheet software for collaborative teams.

Sheet
 
Show

Create, edit, and share slides with a sleek presentation app.

Show
 
Notebook

Beautiful home for all your notes.

Notebook
 
Cliq

Stay in touch with teams no matter where you are.

Cliq
 
Connect

Employee experience platform to communicate, engage, and build positive employee relations.

Connect
 
Bookings

Appointment scheduling app for consultations with customers.

Bookings
 
TeamInbox

Shared inboxes for teams.

TeamInbox
 
WorkDrive

Online file management for teams.

WorkDrive
 
Sign

Digital signature app for businesses.

Sign
 
Office Suite

Powerful collaborative work platform for teams.

Office Suite
 
Office Integrator

Built in document editors for web apps.

Office Integrator
 
ZeptoMail

Secure and reliable transactional email sending service.

ZeptoMail
 
Calendar

Online business calendar to manage events and schedule appointments.

Calendar
 
Learn

Knowledge and learning management platform.

Learn
 
Voice

Cloud Contact Center Software for businesses.

Voice
 
ToDo

Collaborative task management for individuals and teams.

ToDo
 
Tables

Work management tool to connect people, processes, and information.

Tables
 
FREE
PDF Editor

Collaborative online PDF editing tool.

PDF Editor
 
Suites
Workplace

Application suite built to improve team productivity and collaboration.

Workplace

Human Resources

 
People

Organize, automate, and simplify your HR processes.

People
 
Recruit

Intuitive recruiting platform built to provide hiring solutions.

Recruit
 
Expense

Effortless expense reporting platform.

Expense
 
Workerly

Manage temporary staffing with an employee scheduling solution.

Workerly
 
NEW
Payroll

Payroll software with automated tax payments and filing.

Payroll
 
Shifts

Employee scheduling and time tracking app.

Shifts
 
Sign

Digital signature app for businesses.

Sign
 
Suites
People Plus

Comprehensive HR platform for seamless employee experiences.

People Plus

Security and IT Management

 
Creator

Build custom apps to simplify business processes.

Creator
 
Directory

Workforce identity and access management solution for cloud businesses.

Directory
 
FREE
OneAuth

Secure multi-factor authenticator (MFA) for all your online accounts.

OneAuth
 
Vault

Online password manager for teams.

Vault
 
Catalyst

Pro-code platform to build and deploy your apps.

Catalyst
 
Toolkit

Complete resource for any admin-related lookup queries.

Toolkit
 
Lens

Interactive remote assistance software with augmented reality.

Lens
 
Assist

Remote support and unattended remote access software.

Assist
 
QEngine

Test automation software to build, manage, execute, and report testcases.

QEngine
 
NEW
RPA

Automate manual, tedious, and repetitive tasks easily.

RPA

BI and Analytics

 
Analytics

Modern self-service BI and analytics platform.

Analytics
 
Embedded BI

Embedded analytics and white label BI solutions, tailored for your needs.

Embedded BI
 
DataPrep

AI-powered data preparation service for your data-driven organization.

DataPrep
 
NEW
IoT

Harnessing IoT analytics for real-time operational intelligence.

IoT

Project Management

 
Projects

Manage, track, and collaborate on projects with teams.

Projects
 
Sprints

Planning and tracking tool for scrum teams.

Sprints
 
BugTracker

Automatic bug tracking software for managing bugs.

BugTracker
 
Solo

The all-in-one toolkit for solopreneurs.

Solo

Developer Platforms

 
Creator

Build custom apps to simplify business processes.

Creator
 
Flow

Automate business workflows by creating smart integrations.

Flow
 
Catalyst

Pro-code platform to build and deploy your apps.

Catalyst
 
Office Integrator

Built in document editors for web apps.

Office Integrator
 
ZeptoMail

Secure and reliable transactional email sending service.

ZeptoMail
 
QEngine

Test automation software to build, manage, execute, and report testcases.

QEngine
 
Tables

Work management tool to connect people, processes, and information.

Tables
 
NEW
RPA

Automate manual, tedious, and repetitive tasks easily.

RPA
 
NEW
Apptics

Application analytics for all apps.

Apptics
 
Embedded BI

Embedded analytics and white label BI solutions, tailored for your needs.

Embedded BI
 
NEW
IoT

Build, deploy, and scale IoT solutions for connected businesses.

IoT
 
DataPrep

AI-powered data preparation service for your data-driven organization.

DataPrep

IoT

 
NEW
IoT

Low-code IoT platform and solutions for connected businesses.

IoT

Search Result

 
CRM Plus

Unified platform to deliver top-notch customer experience.

Try now
CRM Plus
 
Service Plus

Unified platform for customer service and support teams.

Try now
Service Plus
 
Finance Plus

All-in-one suite to manage your operations and finances.

Try now
Finance Plus
 
People Plus

Comprehensive HR platform for seamless employee experiences.

Try now
People Plus
 
Workplace

Application suite built to improve team productivity and collaboration.

Try now
Workplace
 
Marketing Plus

Unified marketing platform for marketing teams.

Try now
Marketing Plus
 
All-in-one suite

Zoho One

The Operating System for Business

Run your entire business on Zoho with our unified cloud software, designed to help you break down silos between departments and increase organizational efficiency.

TRY ZOHO ONE
Zoho One
Zoho Marketplace

With over 2000 ready-to-use extensions across 40+ categories, connect your favorite business tools with the Zoho products you already use.

EXPLORE MARKETPLACE
Marketplace
Skip to main content

How MTN transformed data management with low-code

  • Last Updated : April 20, 2023
  • 3.2K Views
  • 4 Min Read

You’ve probably heard the phrase “data is the new oil.” It was coined by Clive Humby—the British mathematician—in 2006. 

Data is the new oil. It’s valuable, but if unrefined it cannot really be used. It has to be changed into gas, plastic, chemicals, etc., to create a valuable entity that drives profitable activity; so must data be broken down, analyzed, for it to have value.” 

 -Clive Humby 

Humby’s point is that both data and oil are worthless in their unrefined state but have great value once processed.

Why is it so hard to process data? 

  • Formats aren’t standardized: Business is a team sport, with many employees and partners running different processes. At scale, it’s pretty common that not everyone uses the same software or format or terminology to describe your data. That’s why, when all the data reaches you, they don’t always play nice together. 

  • Lack of analysis tools: We’re lost in an ocean of data because organizations invest in many tools for gathering data, but only a few work to harness the potential in it.

  • Data is siloed: And all this data is inherently siloed because it’s stored in different systems across different departments.

MTN and their procure-to-pay data challenges

MTN is the seventh largest mobile operator in the world, spread across 24 countries in Africa and the Middle East. They have multiple regions, tools, and stakeholders—and each of them produce their own trove of data.  

 Somebody would manually send out 24 different excels to 24 different stakeholders and ask them to provide their data, with no controls to speak of. So the data you’d get back would definitely not be smart data—you couldn’t immediately start analyzing it.

– Laila Kakar, Senior Data Analytics Manager, MTN

And that’s not even taking into account the many inconsistencies in the data they received. Some of their employees had to spend time manually bringing together data from various file formats, naming conventions, and columns, and transforming it into one cohesive data set. 

Imagine getting the data and then spending almost a week harmonizing it and cleansing it, and then also spending days translating it into actual insights. The data will no longer be in real time, and you’re wasting a lot of time doing things that aren’t necessarily adding value to the business itself.  

-Laila Kakar, Senior Data Analytics Manager, MTN

MTN needed an efficient method for managing their data from purchasing, cash flow, and vendor relationships. They wanted to understand their business performance across regions to make smarter decisions.  

But simply installing a procure-to-pay tool wouldn’t guarantee better reporting, utilization, or compliance for a giant enterprise like MTN. Instead, they opted for a low-code platform where they can build a custom procure-to-pay solution.

5 data management lessons from MTN

1. Restrict, right from the start

 We made sure that there were controls and built-in workflows in order to actually force the user, when they would put in the data, so the data would be smart, harmonized, and ready to analyze immediately, without the user having to do any manual work.

 -Laila Kakar, Senior Data Analytics Manager, MTN

By setting up data quality rules you can ensure that people are able to submit data only if it meets defined criteria. Data validation rules can be set up for checking:

  • Contextual accuracy of values 

  •  Allowed format of values (representational consistency, accuracy) 

  •  Completeness of values 

However, for cleansing spreadsheets, Zoho Creator provides a built-in AI. It will help clean up, sort, parse, and categorize the data in your spreadsheets. 

2. Empower employees with self-service analytics

To make decisions, everyone should have access to the data they need. MTN provided a centralized, easy-to-use space that both technical and non-technical users could use to gain insights. 

By choosing Zoho Creator, users are able to access it at any time, as it is web-based. The stakeholders themselves could log in to the dashboards and see in real time what was going on with their request.  

-Laila Kakar, Senior Data Analytics Manager, MTN

3. Track what people are doing to your data 

Audit trails contain details about date, time, and user information associated with every transaction in your application. Audit trails are helpful in recording the activities of users, systems, and applications, and are constantly monitored to prevent misuse, hacking, or corruption of information.  

We now have clear-cut audit trails. It’s really clear which user logged in at what time, when they put in what data, and how they changed it. 

-Laila Kakar, Senior Data Analytics Manager, MTN

4. Automate follow-ups and approvals

Workflow automation is a simple way to save a ton of time. MTN created workflows to manage purchase orders, stakeholder follow-ups, and invoice approvals. When a threshold date is reached, stakeholders receive automated reminders from MTN’s application. The application also sends automatic alerts to approvers when a requisition is filed, and the document can be automatically routed to the next approver (or alerts sent to others) if the requisition is delayed for any reason.  

5. Connect all your data

To make smarter decisions, you must be able to see outliers, trends, and the causes and effects of data across all the software you use. This means your data should be truly connected, so that a change in one piece of software reflects in all others instantly.  

We were able to automatically push the data from multiple data sources to our dashboard, and translate it automatically to help stakeholders better understand what’s going on with their P2P data. 

-Laila Kakar, Senior Data Analytics Manager, MTN

Over to you

Every successful company, from Google to MTN, has found its competitive advantage in data.  You, too, can gather, process, and analyze data, as it flows through your organization, with Zoho Creator.  

  • Rudhra Veena

    A business analyst fascinated by the transformative power of technology on business growth. She writes about what businesses can do in a digital world— effectively leveraging software and data.

You may also like