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 client's Investment Centre 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
Centralized project, resource, and financial management on Salesforce, improving transparency, efficiency, and decision-making across the client’s global advisory portfolio.
The client is a leading international development organization focused on advancing global food security, sustainable agriculture, rural development, and poverty reduction. Through its Investment Centre, the organization collaborates with major international financial institutions and development banks to design and support agricultural investment programs worldwide. Established more than five decades ago, the organization has supported thousands of development initiatives across more than 150 countries, mobilizing billions of dollars in investments. Operating globally, it works with governments and development partners to deliver sustainable economic and social outcomes through strategic investment planning, advisory services, and program implementation support.
Challenges
Replacing fragmented legacy and Excel-based processes while managing complex project hierarchies, IFI-specific billing rules, Oracle integration, real-time financial controls, and secure access.
Client's Investment Centre 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.
Solution
Implemented a Salesforce-based enterprise MIS that unified project, resource, financial, and reporting processes into a single secure, data-driven 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 centre 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 & Console UI
▪ Apex, Flows & Approval Workflows
▪ Reports & Dashboards
▪ Azure AD Single Sign-On (SSO)
Core Solution Capabilities
▪ Project Planning & Assignment Management
▪ Resource Allocation & Capacity Tracking
▪ Budget Management & Approval Processes
▪ Timesheet & Effort Management
▪ IFI-Specific Billing & Invoicing
Integrations & Data Management
▪ Oracle GRMS Integration via REST APIs
▪ Employee & Consultant Data Synchronization
▪ Financial & Budget Data Exchange
▪ Legacy Project Code Preservation
▪ Centralized Document & Knowledge Management
Governance & Reporting
▪ Role-Based Access & Permission Controls
▪ Multi-Currency Support
▪ Automated Audit & History Tracking
▪ Executive Dashboards & Self-Service Reports
▪ Real-Time Portfolio & Financial Visibility
Business outcomes
Enabled the organization to transition from fragmented, spreadsheet-driven operations to a unified Salesforce platform with real-time visibility, governance, and operational efficiency.
Operational Efficiency
Replaced fragmented legacy and Excel-based processes with a unified Salesforce platform
Better Financial Transparency & Control
Improved financial governance and auditability
Resource Optimization
Enhanced visibility into workforce allocation and availability
Enabled data driven decision making
Provided a single source of truth for operational and financial data
