MADE Apparel Services – Zoho CRM & Projects Integration Case Study
Industry: Apparel Development & Prototyping |
Location: Seattle, WA |
Team Size: Single-owner business
Apps: CRM, Projects, Sign, Flow, Forms, WorkDrive, Survey
Executive Summary
MADE Apparel Services is a Seattle-based studio helping designers, inventors, and entrepreneurs turn sewn-product ideas into production-ready patterns, prototypes, and tech packs. Operating as a single-owner business, the company guides clients through structured development phases at their own pace and budget.
As the client base grew, managing operations across many disconnected platforms became increasingly difficult. After choosing Zoho One, MADE Apparel Services partnered with Zenatta to unify its workflow, automate repetitive steps, and build a more reliable, professional system across CRM, Projects, and client onboarding.
The Challenge
Before working with Zenatta, MADE Apparel Services relied on a patchwork of tools stitched together with Zapier automations. Although this approach worked temporarily, platform updates often caused automations to break without warning. Managing clients, communication, estimates, and projects across multiple systems became time-consuming and error-prone. As the workload increased, it became clear that a single, unified platform was needed to support growth and maintain a high level of service.
“As a single-owner business, I had multiple different platforms to create the workflow I needed. Even with Zapier, automations would fail. My client base had grown enough that a good CRM became a necessity, and I realized I needed one comprehensive system.”– Heather Zager, Founder
The Zenatta Solution
Zenatta implemented a streamlined, end-to-end workflow connecting Zoho Bookings, CRM, Books, Sign, and Projects. These solutions reduced administrative workload, improved onboarding clarity, and ensured every project moved through a consistent and automated process.
- Bookings → CRM → Estimate Workflow: Contact details from Zoho Bookings automatically populate CRM, triggering estimate creation for new client requests.
- Digital Service Agreements via Zoho Sign: When estimates are approved, Zenatta created automated service agreements and logic for expiration timelines—ensuring clients sign promptly.
- Automated Retainer Invoices: Customized invoice logic in Zoho Books generates accurate retainer invoices based on estimate totals, with built-in checks to prevent duplicates.
- Automatic Project Creation: Once payments are received, Zoho Projects records are created, linked, and organized automatically, eliminating manual setup.
- Project Completion & Archiving: Zenatta added automated project archiving and deal-status mapping to keep records clean and workflows consistent.
- Lead-Source Mapping & Status Management: The team built automations to track where leads originate and update client status based on deal stages.
- Integrated Campaigns & Calendar Sync: Email campaigns, reminders, and scheduling updates work seamlessly across modules.
Results
With these automations in place, MADE Apparel Services now operates with far fewer manual tasks, a consistent onboarding process, and a more polished client experience. Although development continues, the improvements already have a meaningful impact.
- Significant time saved on administrative work
- Streamlined estimate → agreement → payment → project workflow
- A more professional client journey with clearer communication
- Less dependence on third-party tools like Zapier
“I have already saved numerous hours by not having to do as much administrative work. I can focus more on my clients and new ideas to grow my business.
I’m so impressed with how Zenatta has worked with me through challenges. Development never goes as expected, but how it’s handled makes a business successful. You’ve been professional and responsive to my many questions and requests.”
– Heather Zager, Founder![]()





