Global Investment Center
Transforms Advisory Operations
with a Unified Digital Platform
Key highlights
8 functional areas unified
Consolidated planning, resources, budgeting, timesheets, billing, documents, reporting, and user enablement into one platform.
3-tier project hierarchy
Implemented an ADS → component → assignment structure to manage complex multi-year advisory programs and budgets.
100% real-time visibility
Replaced manual Excel-based tracking with live operational, resource, budget, and billing data across the advisory portfolio.
Summary
Designed and implemented a Salesforce-based enterprise MIS that transformed the client's investment center from spreadsheet-driven operations to an integrated digital platform. The solution centralized project, resource, financial, and reporting processes, enabling enhanced transparency, operational control, and data-driven management of complex, multi-stakeholder advisory engagements.
Client overview
Advancing global development through strategic agricultural investment
The organization is a specialized United Nations agency focused on advancing global food security, sustainable agriculture, rural development, and poverty reduction. Through its investment center, our client collaborates with leading international financial institutions, including the World Bank, EBRD, IFAD, and regional development banks, to design and support agricultural investment programs worldwide.
Established in 1964, the investment center has helped shape over 2,400 development projects across 157 countries, representing more than $257 billion in investments. Operating globally, the organization supports governments and development partners in delivering sustainable economic and social outcomes through strategic investment planning, advisory services, and program implementation support.
Challenges
Fragmented systems and manual processes limited visibility across global advisory programs
The client's investment center relied on a legacy system supplemented by numerous Excel-based processes, resulting in fragmented data, limited visibility, and significant manual effort across project planning, resource management, budgeting, timesheet tracking, billing, and reporting. The organization needed to support complex multi-year advisory programs funded by multiple international financial institutions, each with unique billing and reporting requirements.
Additional challenges included maintaining real-time financial accuracy, integrating with Oracle GRMS, preserving legacy project structures and codes, ensuring secure role-based access, and providing a single source of truth for operational and executive decision-making across a globally distributed advisory portfolio.
Solutions
Implemented a Salesforce-based enterprise MIS unifying project, resource, and financial management on a single digital platform.
Zensar designed and implemented a Salesforce-based management information system (MIS) to serve as the single source of truth for the client's investment center operations. The solution streamlined the entire advisory project lifecycle, including project planning, resource allocation, budgeting, timesheet management, billing, document management, and executive reporting. It integrated with Oracle GRMS to synchronize resource and financial data, automated approval and billing workflows, and provided real-time visibility into project performance and budget consumption.
The platform also supported complex IFI-specific billing models, multi-year project structures, role-based security, Azure AD single sign-on, and self-service dashboards, enabling improved operational efficiency, governance, and data-driven decision-making.
Enabled end-to-end management of advisory programs, bringing project planning, assignments, budgeting, timesheets, billing, and reporting into a single integrated Salesforce platform.
Automated resource allocation, budget tracking, approval workflows, and timesheet processes, improving operational efficiency and providing real-time visibility into project performance.
Integrated Salesforce with Oracle GRMS to synchronize workforce and financial data, reducing manual reconciliation and ensuring accurate, up-to-date information.
Delivered role-based security, self-service dashboards, and executive reporting, empowering stakeholders with actionable insights for better governance and decision-making.
Solution enablers
Tech stack
Salesforce Platform
Salesforce Experience and Console UI
Apex, flows and approval workflows
Reports and dashboards
Azure AD single sign-On (SSO)
Core solution capabilities
Project planning and assignment management
Resource allocation and capacity tracking
Budget management and approval processes
Timesheet and effort management
IFI-specific billing and invoicing
Integrations and data management
Oracle GRMS integration via REST APIs
Employee and consultant data synchronization
Financial and budget data exchange
Legacy project code preservation
Centralized document and KM
Governance and reporting
Role-based access and permission controls
Multi-currency support
Automated audit and history tracking
Executive dashboards and self-service reports
Real-time portfolio and financial visibility
Business outcomes
Enabled real-time visibility, governance, and operational efficiency across advisory operations
Zensar's Salesforce-based MIS transformed the organization's investment center's operations by establishing a single source of truth for project, resource, and financial management. The solution streamlined planning, budgeting, timesheet management, billing, and reporting processes while reducing dependence on manual spreadsheets and disconnected systems.
Real-time visibility into project performance, resource utilization, and budget consumption enabled faster and more informed decision-making. Automated workflows, integrated financial controls, and Oracle GRMS connectivity improved operational efficiency, governance, and data accuracy. As a result, the client gained a scalable, secure, data-driven platform that supports complex global advisory programs and enhances transparency, accountability, and overall organizational effectiveness.
Operational efficiency
Replaced fragmented legacy and Excel-based processes with a unified Salesforce platform
Reduced manual effort through workflow automation
Improved process consistency across the advisory lifecycle
Financial transparency and control
Enabled real-time tracking of budgets, actuals, timesheets, and billing
Improved financial governance and auditability
Reduced dependence on manual reconciliations and spreadsheets
Resource optimization
Enhanced visibility into workforce allocation and availability
Improved planning across projects, countries, and assignments
Supported proactive resource and capacity management
Data-driven decision-making
Delivered executive dashboards and self-service reporting
Provided a single source of truth for operational and financial data
Enabled faster, more informed management and portfolio decisions
