Blessed Oloyede Nigeria Enterprises is a Lagos-based distribution company that purchases fast-moving consumer goods from local suppliers and manufacturers and distributes them to its customers. As the business grew, it needed a reliable, centralised system to support its accounting and inventory operations. This case study shows how Zoho Finance Plus helped the company gain clear visibility of stock across its three Lagos locations, strengthen control over credit sales and fixed assets, and position the business for continued growth.
Company Overview:
• Purchase of fast-moving consumer goods from local suppliers and manufacturers
• Distribution of goods to its customers
• Operations from three locations within Lagos, one of which serves as its head office
• Credit sales to a significant share of its customers in a competitive market
As the business has grown, managing stock and finances across three locations has become increasingly demanding.
Key Challenges Before Zoho
Zoho was chosen as the right application after ascertaining the following needs.
1. Multi-location inventory tracking
The client required multi-location inventory tracking, with visibility of stock quantities at each of its three Lagos locations and the ability to transfer stock between branches.
2. Reliable cloud-based access
They needed a reliable, cloud-based system that could be accessed from any location, following a previous experience of data loss on a server-hosted system.
3. Credit sales management
They required effective management of credit sales, as most customer sales are made on credit, with payment terms agreed on a case-by-case basis.
4. Fixed asset and depreciation tracking
They needed a fixed asset register to track their trucks, buildings and office equipment, including depreciation.
5. Petty cash recording without delays
They wanted branch petty cash expenses to be recorded directly in the system for head office review, without an approval workflow that could cause delays.
6. Controlled user access
They required controlled access for around five to six users, including invoicing officers, inventory officers and head office supervisors.
Zoho Software Implemented
• Zoho Finance Plus: Zoho Books and Zoho Inventory
Solutions Delivered with Zoho
1. Secure cloud deployment
Zoho Finance Plus was deployed on the cloud, giving all users secure, real-time access from any branch without reliance on an on-premises server.
2. Multi-location stock control with Zoho Inventory
Zoho Inventory was configured with the three Lagos locations as separate warehouses, enabling stock to be tracked per location and transferred between branches as stock levels and storage space require.
3. Streamlined purchasing and sales
Purchasing and sales processes were set up so that supplier deliveries can be received into the central warehouse or directly at individual branches, and customer orders can be invoiced and fulfilled from the appropriate location.
4. Credit sales monitoring
Customer records and payment terms were configured so that each customer's outstanding balance and receivables ageing can be monitored from head office.
5. Fixed asset register in Zoho Books
A fixed asset register was set up in Zoho Books to record the company's trucks, buildings and office equipment, with depreciation calculated automatically.
6. Branch petty cash recording
Petty cash accounts were created for each branch so that officers can record expenses directly, with head office reviewing them without an approval step.
7. User roles and training
User roles and permissions were configured for invoicing officers, inventory officers and head office supervisors, and all users were trained on the system.
Results Achieved with Zoho
As a result of implementing Zoho Finance Plus, Blessed Oloyede Nigeria Enterprises noticed these changes:
1. Real-time stock visibility
The organisation now has real-time visibility of stock quantities across all three locations, making it easier to plan inter-branch transfers and redistribute large supplier deliveries.
2. Secure and accessible data
Moving to a cloud-based system has removed dependence on a local server, reduced the risk of data loss and given staff access to the system from any branch.
3. Better credit control
Head office can now monitor outstanding customer balances and payment terms in one place, supporting better-informed credit decisions and more timely collections.
4. Accurate fixed asset records
Fixed assets and their depreciation are now tracked accurately within the accounting system.
5. Stronger petty cash control
Branch petty cash expenses are recorded promptly and reviewed by head office, improving financial control without slowing down day-to-day operations.
Conclusion
Implementing Zoho FinancePlus enabled Blessed Oloyede Nigeria Enterprises to centralise its accounting and inventory management on a secure, cloud-based platform, gain clear visibility of stock across its three Lagos locations, strengthen control over credit sales and fixed assets, and position the business for continued growth.
Today, the business runs its accounting and inventory on a single, cloud-based platform that supports its distribution operations across all three locations.