Hardware meets software: Datoms automates complex IoT subscription billing
India
Industrial IoT (B2B SaaS)
Zoho Billing is a powerful and user-friendly platform. It gave us the control and flexibility we needed to manage complex subscription models, helped us reduce revenue leakage, and cut reporting time by over 70%.
FOUNDER AND CEO, DATOMS
Datoms is a hardware-enabled IoT SaaS platform serving diverse industries, including warehousing, cold storage, diagnostics, and construction. With over 250 customers across India and international markets, the company delivers real-time operational insights by combining on-site IoT deployments with centralized SaaS analytics.
The challenge
Datoms faced a set of unique billing complexities due to its hardware-integrated subscription model:
Misaligned subscription timing
Subscriptions couldn’t start from the invoice date; they had to align with IoT data activation, creating tracking difficulties across their customer base.
Diverse customer requirements
Customer segmentation required flexible invoicing methods, as SMBs and large enterprises had distinct billing expectations and payment preferences.
Invisible SaaS metrics
Key metrics like MRR were difficult to track accurately without integrated tools, making financial reporting and forecasting challenging.
Complex subscription models
Diverse customer needs meant a uniform subscription approach wasn't feasible—they needed usage-based, tiered, and hybrid models.
The solution
Datoms implemented Zoho Billing to align its subscription logic with actual device activation timelines and improve reporting transparency. Key elements of the solution included:
Custom billing triggers
Subscription start dates could depend on data flow initiation rather than invoice generation, solving their core timing challenge.
Flexible invoice management
Automated invoice generation and reminders with the flexibility to delay invoices for key customers with specific subscription processes.
Enhanced financial tracking
Custom fields and advanced analytics provided clear MRR visibility and detailed financial insights across diverse subscription models.
Integrated operations
Integration with Zoho Books streamlined accounts and reduced manual work across departments.
FAVORITE FEATURES
Custom fields and triggers- Multi-currency support
- Automated invoices and reminders
- Flexible subscription models
Benefits and Return on Investment
Zoho Billing brought both operational and strategic advantages to Datoms:
- Eliminated revenue leakage through timely renewals and improved subscription visibility.
- 60–70% reduction in reporting time, improving overall team productivity.
- Accurate, timely invoicing while reducing manual coordination between sales, operations, and finance teams.
Looking forward
Datoms aims to scale from 250+ customers to over 1,000 within three years, with aggressive Middle East expansion plans. Zoho Billing remains central to this growth strategy, ensuring accurate billing and seamless scalability as they enter new international markets.