Zoho Tables, as a solution, perfectly marries data management with process management. At KaReFo, it has become our central workspace, helping us organize thousands of digital assets, streamline review processes, and automate task handovers.
About KaReFo
Karky Research Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded by Madhan Karky and Nandhini Karky in 2013. The team is a unique blend of programmers, linguists, language tutors, designers, and researchers united by a common vision—to preserve the 3,000-year-old Tamil heritage while keeping the language relevant and up to date in today’s world.
From converting the rules of Tholkappiyam into modern-day code to building comprehensive learning resources, the foundation wears many interesting hats.
The challenges
As part of its initiative, called Thambaa Labs, KaReFo works on over 1,500 books used by various schools across Tamil Nadu, India. Every book involves active contributions from linguists, writers, designers, and publishers. The team faced challenges across multiple areas: organizing assets, managing workflows, and juggling multiple tools.
As we grew, our workflows became more complex and collaboration started to get messy. The team was juggling multiple apps to track progress, while our assets were scattered across tools. This made task handovers difficult, and it was hard to focus on the actual work. Luckily, that's when I stumbled upon Zoho Tables.
Disorganized digital assets
Previously, KaReFo relied heavily on spreadsheet applications to manage a list of their digital assets, while the actual assets were managed in external storage apps and cloud folders. With each book having various asset types, like audio files, images, and videos, these assets were siloed from their project records, and accessibility was a challenge. The team spent valuable hours chasing files or clarifying which asset belonged to which book.
Fragmented workflow tracking
Each book KaReFo produces goes through multiple milestones, such as conceptualization, approval, content creation, artwork, layout finalization, reviews, and final publication. With several handoffs between writers, designers, and reviewers, maintaining visibility into task progress was critical; but without a structured system to manage these transitions, the team resorted to WhatsApp and SMS to share updates. What should’ve been a smooth creative workflow turned into a cycle of follow-ups and frustration.
Too many tools to handle
The KaReFo team relied on a patchwork of tools—different apps for asset storage, communication, and workflow tracking—but juggling multiple tools only made their processes more fragmented. The team also explored several alternative tools, but most platforms were either too complex or too rudimentary. Rather than simplifying work, these tools added an extra layer of complexity and effort.
The solution
Madhan Karky was introduced to Zoho Tables by a friend who understood the foundation’s operational needs.
When I first heard about Zoho Tables, I thought it would be another version of spreadsheets. But when I started exploring it, I felt like this tool was tailor-made specially for my team. Whatever operational difficulties I wanted to solve, Zoho Tables did it for me.
Centralized digital assets
From ideation to publication, every stage of each asset is now managed in a centralized base within Zoho Tables. The ability to store and manage different types of files, like images, audio files, and videos, is of great help to the team. This eliminates scattered folders and the dependency on external drives.
Structured, visible workflows
Task updates are no longer sent as WhatsApp chats. Team members simply update their progress directly within Zoho Tables, where stakeholders can instantly see what’s done, what’s in progress, and what needs attention. Assigning tasks is just as easy—the collaborator field lets them add a team member directly to a task.
Effortless automation
Routine handoffs are now handled by automation. A trigger, like changing a task’s status, prompts the system to notify the next person in line. No follow-up fatigue, no missed cues, no delays!
Personalized views for each user
The KaReFo team no longer digs through a bulk sheet to find their tasks. Each member sees only what’s relevant to them with a filtered view, tailored to them.
Beyond simple grid views, kanban views give them a clear visual of tasks as they move through different stages of the lifecycle, while gallery views make it easy to put a spotlight on images and videos. In addition, they also have a form view to collect asset requests directly in their tables and a calendar that gives a high-level overview of their deadlines and key milestones.
Designed for simplicity
With an intuitive, no-nonsense interface, Zoho Tables feels natural even for the non-technical users on the team. Now the team doesn’t have to rely on a tech expert to upload, edit, or remove their digital assets; they own the workflows, and the tool just fits.
What’s more? Team members can now create an entire solution with just a simple AI prompt. This makes it easy to set up new bases as new needs arise. Also, with a fully functional mobile app, the team can track tasks, manage assets, and update status on the go without having to completely depend on the web app.
With Zoho Tables, there’s nothing to worry about—it’s very simple. Even someone with minimal knowledge can create a powerful solution. What earlier only a database admin could do, now even a linguist can handle it easily. That’s the power of Zoho Tables.
Benefits and ROI
Zoho Tables gives KaReFo the freedom to focus on what truly matters—their work, the Tamil language, and the learners they serve. Since adopting Zoho Tables, the team has seen measurable improvements in how they manage both digital assets and workflows.
Time savings
What once took hours of back-and-forth messaging and searching for files can now be done in minutes.
Increased accuracy
With centralized asset management, the risk of using outdated or incorrect files in the final publication is reduced.
Streamlined collaboration
Zoho Tables has reduced tool sprawl by replacing 5–6 tools. The team now works from a single system, making collaboration faster and more transparent.
Accelerated project delivery
With smoother, effortless workflow automation, and fewer delays, KaReFo can now move assets through their publishing pipeline more quickly.
Going forward by choosing flexibility without compromising on simplicity
What began as a solution for managing digital assets has sparked a broader transformation. The team has already started building their own bases on Zoho Tables, including a lightweight CRM to track leads for their Thambaa Labs program. The KaReFo team is also working towards replacing their legacy spreadsheet workflows—one base at a time.