Introduction
Pranayam Exports, a mid-sized manufacturing firm based in Pune, India, has been a leader in the textile export industry for over 25 years. Known for its high-quality fabrics and strong international partnerships, the company’s operations have grown in complexity over time. From managing suppliers and production processes to handling international compliance regulations, Pranayam Exports faced numerous operational challenges that impacted efficiency, transparency, and growth potential. In 2022, the company turned to Zoho Qntrl, a powerful business orchestration platform designed to automate, streamline, and analyze business processes. By adopting Zoho Qntrl, Pranayam Exports not only enhanced operational efficiency but also laid the groundwork for future growth and scalability.
The Business Challenge
As Pranayam Exports expanded, it became increasingly difficult to manage multiple departments and workflows in a cohesive manner. Some of the key issues the company faced included:
Lack of Centralization: Information related to sales, production, compliance, and shipping was scattered across multiple systems and departments, leading to miscommunication and delays.
Compliance Hurdles: With customers in over 15 countries, ensuring compliance with local regulations, export documentation, and quality standards was becoming a daunting task.
Inefficient Collaboration: Teams working in silos found it hard to collaborate, especially on cross-departmental projects, leading to duplicated efforts and slow decision-making.
Manual Workflows: Many processes, such as order management, supplier communication, and production scheduling, were handled manually, making them prone to errors and inefficiencies.
Lack of Data Insights: Despite generating large volumes of operational data, the company struggled to extract meaningful insights to guide strategic decisions.
What is your biggest challenge in managing business workflows?
Lack of automation
Communication gaps
Difficulty tracking progress
Time-consuming processes
Recognizing the need for a more integrated and automated system, Pranayam Exports explored various business process management platforms and ultimately selected Zoho Qntrl for its comprehensive features and ease of use.
Implementation of Zoho Qntrl
Zoho Qntrl offered Pranayam Exports a centralized platform that could address its various operational pain points. The company began with a phased rollout, starting with its manufacturing and logistics departments and gradually extending to other parts of the business.
1. Centralization & Visibility: One of the most significant advantages of Zoho Qntrl was the centralization of all business processes. Pranayam Exports was able to bring various workflows—from order processing to shipping—into one platform, giving management complete visibility over the entire operational chain. Whether it was tracking the status of an order or monitoring production schedules, stakeholders could access real-time data on a single dashboard. This not only improved transparency but also reduced the time spent looking for information across disparate systems.
For example, the sales team could easily view the production status of a particular order without having to email the manufacturing department. Similarly, management could track supplier performance and identify bottlenecks in the supply chain with just a few clicks. This real-time visibility allowed for faster decision-making and more accurate planning.
2. Ensuring Process Compliance: Compliance, especially in the international textile industry, involves complex layers of regulation. Pranayam Exports faced challenges in ensuring that each shipment met the regulatory standards of different countries. Zoho Qntrl’s Process Compliance feature proved invaluable in this regard.
The platform allowed Pranayam Exports to automate compliance checks across multiple workflows. Export documentation, for instance, was automatically generated and verified for compliance with international standards. Any non-compliant steps in the process triggered alerts, ensuring that corrective action was taken before a shipment left the factory. The company also implemented compliance workflows for environmental standards, which were crucial for their European customers. As a result, Pranayam Exports reduced compliance-related delays by 30%, ensuring faster deliveries and fewer costly errors.
3. Workflow-Centric Collaboration: Before adopting Zoho Qntrl, collaboration between different departments was fragmented. The sales, manufacturing, and shipping teams often found themselves working in isolation, which led to delays and misunderstandings.
Zoho Qntrl introduced Workflow-Centric Collaboration, which allowed teams to collaborate seamlessly on shared workflows. Each department could view the tasks they were responsible for while also having access to the broader process. For instance, when the sales team placed an order, the production team was automatically notified and began preparing the fabric for manufacturing. Once the product was ready, the shipping team received an alert to arrange for transportation and documentation. This level of integration reduced communication gaps and ensured that each task was completed in sync with the overall process.
In addition, Zoho Qntrl’s collaboration features facilitated better communication with suppliers and customers. External stakeholders were looped into specific workflows, enabling them to track the progress of orders, provide feedback, and approve documentation without the need for lengthy email exchanges.
4. Process Automation: A key benefit of Zoho Qntrl was the automation of various manual tasks that previously consumed significant time and resources. Pranayam Exports implemented Process Automation for tasks such as order confirmations, production scheduling, supplier communications, and quality checks.
For instance, once a customer placed an order, Zoho Qntrl automatically triggered the necessary workflow for production. The system checked the availability of raw materials, scheduled production slots, and informed the respective teams. Automated reminders were sent for pending tasks, reducing delays and human error. In the quality control department, automated workflows ensured that products were checked against a standardized list of criteria, and any non-conformities were flagged immediately.
As a result, the company reported a 25% reduction in production lead times and a significant improvement in order accuracy.
5. Data-Driven Decision Making with Reports & Dashboards: Zoho Qntrl’s Reports & Dashboards feature gave Pranayam Exports the tools to leverage its data for strategic decision-making. The company implemented custom dashboards that displayed key performance indicators (KPIs) such as order processing time, supplier performance, production efficiency, and compliance rates.
These insights allowed management to identify areas for improvement. For instance, the dashboards highlighted that certain suppliers were consistently late in delivering materials, leading to production delays. Armed with this data, Pranayam Exports renegotiated contracts and shifted to more reliable suppliers, resulting in smoother operations.
Additionally, the company used data from the dashboards to forecast demand, optimize inventory levels, and adjust production schedules in line with market trends.
6. Process Mapping & Extensibility: Pranayam Exports used Zoho Qntrl’s Process Mapping to visualize and standardize complex workflows. This ensured that everyone in the company, from the sales team to the factory floor, followed the same set of procedures. It also helped in training new employees by providing them with a clear view of their responsibilities within each workflow.
The Process Extensibility feature enabled the company to integrate Zoho Qntrl with other systems, such as their ERP and CRM platforms. This integration created a unified ecosystem, eliminating data silos and enhancing overall operational efficiency.
7. Enterprise Security: Security was another critical concern for Pranayam Exports, particularly with sensitive customer information and compliance documentation. Zoho Qntrl provided Enterprise-Grade Security to ensure that all data was securely stored and accessible only to authorized personnel. Role-based access control allowed the company to restrict access to sensitive workflows, reducing the risk of data breaches.
Results
Within a year of implementing Zoho Qntrl, Pranayam Exports experienced transformative improvements in their business processes. Key outcomes included:
A 30% reduction in compliance-related delays
A 25% reduction in production lead times
Enhanced cross-departmental collaboration, reducing communication errors by 40%
Improved supplier performance, resulting in fewer production delays
Increased customer satisfaction due to faster deliveries and higher order accuracy
Data-driven decision-making, enabling better forecasting and planning
Conclusion
By leveraging Zoho Qntrl’s powerful suite of features, Pranayam Exports revolutionized its business operations, transforming from a company struggling with inefficiencies to one that operates with agility and precision. Zoho Qntrl provided the company with the tools it needed to centralize, automate, and optimize its workflows, resulting in significant improvements in productivity, compliance, and overall business performance. Today, Pranayam Exports stands as a leader in its industry, ready to scale its operations and seize new opportunities with the help of Zoho Qntrl.
What’s the most valuable aspect of workflow management software for you?
Streamlining processes
Improving collaboration
Reducing human error
Optimizing resource allocation
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