A digital factory powered by low-code at BD Straws
"The application makes it very easy for me to check how the factory is running from anywhere. All I need to do is pull up the app on my phone and click on the report, and within a second, I know how everything is going."
Anchalee Suwannapisit, Managing Director, BD Straws
The company: A sustainable straws manufacturer
BD Straws Co., Ltd. is a Thai company specializing in manufacturing and distributing eco-friendly paper straws. They produce a range of paper straws in various sizes and colors, suitable for use in restaurants, cafes, bars, and other food and beverage outlets. They export their products worldwide, including the United States, Canada, across Europe, and Australia.
The challenge: Packaged software–a recipe for confusion and increased costs
BD Straws used packaged software and Excel before switching over to Zoho Creator. Manual data entry took away valuable time from other tasks, and Excel was prone to errors, leading to incorrect data and statements. Over time, BD Straws realized packaged software and Excel might not be scalable enough to handle the growing demands of the business.
"We don't have an in-house IT department. Despite having packaged software, we often relied on Excel or pen and paper for everyday data summaries, which can be time consuming. We needed an online system that's both user friendly and easily accessible to all staff members, with the added support of online assistance."
— Danny Li,General Manager, BD Straws
Before using Zoho Creator, BD Straws had three pain points:
- They lacked a unified online system to monitor their factory.
- They used separate Excel files, so accessing data took a long time, as they had to wait for data to be compiled.
- The packaged software didn't have a user-friendly UI.
The solution: Factory management made easy with a low-code platform
With Zoho Creator, BD Straws was able to address their problems by building a custom application that monitors every part of the factory, including production, and multiple warehouses.
Reporting and analytics enabled the company to combine data more easily, monitor their departments effectively, and make timely decisions. The customer order status page, linked to the company's website, allows customers to check the status of their orders and the price of the products with just one click.
"The application makes it very easy for me to check how the factory is running from anywhere. All I need to do is pull up the app on my phone and click on the report, and within a second, I know how everything is going."
— Anchalee Suwannapisit,Managing Director, BD Straws
Benefits and ROI: Measurable efficiency and cost control
By removing inefficiencies and digitizing manual processes to accelerate day-to-day operations, BD Straws has made significant efficiency gains. Real-time information allows diverse teams to respond effectively to factory conditions and accurately plan operations.
"It has reduced our labor costs significantly. About a year ago, we had a specific job for tasks such as data summarizing and analysis, but now we can rely on Zoho Creator to handle everything."
— Anchalee Suwannapisit,Managing Director, BD Straws
Measurable performance improvements include:
- Labor costs on reporting jobs have been reduced by 70%, resulting in significant time savings.
- Data is now shared with the entire factory in real time, resulting in 100% improvement compared to the previous reporting system. Hourly reporting is now in place.
- The customer order page links important data from various forms, allowing top management to access all relevant information on a single page.
Looking forward: A digital future for straw manufacturing
Automation has become an integral part of the modern manufacturing industry. In a field of tight margins and intense cost competition, businesses must be at the forefront of innovation and data mastery to tackle new challenges and operate as efficiently as possible.
"In the past, we used packaged software, but they couldn't generate real-time data or summarize what was happening across the factory. Without that, management couldn't derive insights or make proper decisions. But with Zoho Creator, we can monitor factory operations online efficiently. To businesses out there, I'd say try it and see the results for yourself. You'll be surprised!"
— Danny Li,General Manager, BD Straws
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Zoho Creator?
Zoho Creator is a low-code application development platform that allows users to create custom applications on their own, with minimal coding experience. The intuitive drag-and-drop interface empowers developers and business users to build web and mobile applications that satisfy all their unique requirements with ease.
Are applications built on Zoho Creator scalable?
Applications built on Zoho Creator are built to auto-scale—the back-end infrastructure seamlessly scales as business demand grows. Currently 22,000+ customers across are using over 6 million applications built using Zoho Creator, a testimony to the power of the platform.
Does Zoho Creator have a free plan?
Yes, Zoho Creator has a free plan. This plan comes with a limited feature set and allows for one user, one application, 250 MB of storage, and 1,000 records. However, you have the option to upgrade to a paid plan whenever you wish.