Redefining waste management with low-code: The Saahas Zero Waste story

The company

Saahas Zero Waste (SZW) is a IMS (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001) certified social enterprise based in India and offering integrated and traceable solid waste management solutions based on the principles of circular economics. Founded by Wilma Rodrigues, SZW is led by CEO Shobha Raghavan, whose strategic leadership ensures impactful operations. With over 400 employees and 150 clients, SZW recovers waste as a resource through innovative business models that prevent 90% of waste from reaching landfills.

The challenge

Scaling operations to manage over 40 tons of waste per day posed significant challenges for Saahas Zero Waste, including the need to streamline coordination across multiple waste collections, separation, and recycling units to avoid delays and inefficiencies. Manual processes often resulted in data inaccuracies and delays, complicating record maintenance for internal use and customer reports.

Additionally, delivering timely and transparent reports to a diverse client base remained a critical hurdle.

The solution

SZW discovered Zoho Creator through an online search and immediately saw its potential to transform their operations. The platform’s flexibility and intuitive interface enabled SZW to build custom applications that seamlessly fit their unique workflows, eliminating the need for extensive technical expertise.

With a strong, cloud-based infrastructure, Zoho Creator gave them real-time data accessibility, enhancing collaboration among teams. Additionally, mobile integrations provided remote field supervisors with the tools to access and update data on the go, driving accuracy, swift decision-making, and operational efficiency.

SZW began their Zoho journey eight years ago with simple waste-tracking applications, gradually expanding to address more complex needs. Zoho Creator enabled them to track waste comprehensively, from collection to processing, ensuring better visibility and control. They also implemented digital attendance systems to monitor remote workers, improving accountability and payroll accuracy.

The organization streamlined their vendor management by automating purchase orders, digitizing vendor interactions, and optimizing inventory processes. For electronic waste, SZW developed specialized applications to handle collection and recycling efficiently, ensuring compliance with environmental standards.

By integrating Zoho CRM and Zoho Books, they unified client management and financial processes, resulting in improved customer service and financial transparency.

This gradual approach allowed the organization to scale operations, enhance efficiency, and stay aligned with their sustainability goals.

Benefits and ROI

The implementation of Zoho Creator transformed SZW’s waste management processes, delivering a 75% productivity gain. The platform’s features have been instrumental in:

• Data management: Real-time data capture and analysis provided actionable insights, supporting informed decision-making and strategic planning.
• Process automation: Automating routine tasks eliminated manual errors, reduced operational costs, and enhanced overall efficiency, allowing staff to focus on high-value activities.
• Accessibility: Field staff utilized mobile devices to update data in real time, ensuring accuracy and timely communication, which improved operational coordination and client satisfaction.
• Scalability: The platform supported SZW’s growth from a small startup to an organization with over 400 employees and more than 4.1 million records on Zoho Creator, demonstrating the system's ability to handle large-scale operations effectively.

Impact on sustainability goals

The partnership between Saahas Zero Waste and Zoho Creator wasn’t just about operational improvements—it played a critical role in advancing sustainability.

• Increased landfill diversion: Efficient processes enabled higher volumes of waste to be redirected from landfills.
• Enhanced resource recovery: Real-time tracking improved their sorting quality, maximizing the recovery of recyclable materials.
• Technology-driven sustainability: The success of this partnership demonstrated the power of technology in enabling scalable and sustainable waste management practices.

Looking forward

With Zoho Creator as a strong foundation, SZW is set to expand its efforts in sustainable waste management. The team plans to leverage the platform's advanced analytics and reporting capabilities to gain clearer insights into waste trends and resource recovery through its dedicated in-house resources and newly found agile and proactive Zoho Partner, Traqmetrix. They’re also exploring technologies like IoT and AI to boost efficiency and make smarter, data-driven decisions.

Saahas Zero Waste’s journey with Zoho Creator is a testament to how technology can drive positive change. By embracing a tailored, low-code platform, SZW optimized its operations, achieved sustainability goals, and set an example for others in the field.