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In October 2024, at the Innovate 4 WASH Conference in Kisumu, Kenya, TaroWorks’ Marketing Director, Abhay Nihalani, presented a vision for managing frontline operations in the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sector. He emphasized the need to move beyond basic data collection towards real-time management of frontline operations in challenging, remote environments, where internet connectivity and rapid response are often constrained. Here’s a look at the key insights he shared on how TaroWorks is making a difference in WASH and beyond.
Due to the nature of the WASH sector, many interventions take place in rural, hard-to-reach areas where connectivity issues complicate efforts to gain real-time visibility into field operations. In these regions, service disruptions can quickly escalate, affecting vulnerable communities dependent on essential water and sanitation services. As Abhay pointed out, “Water is essential for life, and disruptions to clean water and sanitation services can be catastrophic.”
Without the ability to monitor operations as they unfold, WASH organizations face risks that could negatively impact their effectiveness and reputation. Abhay highlighted common issues—breakdowns, contamination, and inventory loss—that could hold organizations back from achieving the greatest possible impact. For social enterprises and non-profit organizations offering products or services, the inability to manage operations efficiently and address issues quickly can limit scalability.
While digital data collection tools have helped mitigate some of these risks, they often fall short in complex, large-scale operations. Many of these tools are “one-way,” meaning data is collected in the field but not actually accessible to field teams in real-time, which limits the ability of frontline teams to make critical decisions in real-time. Additionally, having separate systems for data collection, analysis, and reporting can lead to data silos across departments, leaving the organization without a unified, actionable view of their operations. Abhay explained, “When your field teams need to get information back in real-time, one-way tools simply aren’t sufficient.”
TaroWorks was developed to bridge this gap, helping organizations digitize and manage their frontline operations even in the most remote, offline settings. Born from the Grameen Foundation in 2012, TaroWorks embodies Grameen’s legacy of empowering social change and has grown to support over 150 clients across 35 countries in sectors ranging from WASH and education to clean energy and humanitarian aid.
The TaroWorks solution consists of a mobile app for frontline teams and a backend system powered by Salesforce CRM:
1. TaroWorks Mobile App: Built with inclusivity in mind, the easy-to-use app functions seamlessly even on older Android devices and can be translated into multiple languages. Field agents use the app to follow structured workflows, capture data, monitor water systems, and access vital information offline. The app supports two-way data flow, empowering agents to access historical data to do their jobs effectively, and capture a variety of data inputs such as signatures, photos, GPS readings, and QR code scans. They can also access resources from the cloud including documents, videos, training materials, maps, pricebooks and more.
2. Salesforce CRM Backend: TaroWorks integrates with Salesforce to leverage its powerful relational database, which enables longitudinal tracking of data—essential for analyzing trends over time. This integration allows teams to store and access comprehensive records, facilitating robust analysis, dashboards and reporting for smooth collaboration across departments and providing a full picture of each client or asset.
Inventory management is essential in the WASH sector, where components for water systems, sanitation facilities, and other critical assets must be available on demand. TaroWorks Enterprise mobile inventory management module provides organizations with visibility across their supply chains, tracking assets from suppliers to the end customer. This feature is invaluable for equipment-driven interventions, as it prevents stockouts and ensures that supplies are always on hand for timely repairs and maintenance.
To illustrate TaroWorks’ capabilities, Abhay shared the success story of Impact Water, a social enterprise that installs water purification tanks in schools across Uganda, Kenya, and Nigeria. These tanks reduce the need to boil water, which helps prevent deforestation and cuts down on air pollution from burning firewood. Using TaroWorks, Impact Water agents operate offline, tracking installations, sales, and maintenance with data accuracy ensured by in-app validations. Field agents assigned to specific regions can easily view the full history of each school water system in their territory, including installation dates, past maintenance, and component replacements, which allows them to focus on the most urgent needs during each visit.
Interestingly, the frontline operations data captured in TaroWorks has allowed Impact Water to sell carbon offsets from their operations. By reducing firewood consumption, Impact Water contributes to carbon sequestration, enabling them to generate additional revenue through carbon credits. This model not only bolsters their financial sustainability but also scales their positive impact on the environment.
TaroWorks has also been used by a variety of other WASH organizations across the world for use cases such as water filter distribution, borehole rehabilitation, pit latrine maintenance, and waste recycling. A few of TaroWorks current and former clients include:
TaroWorks is transforming how social enterprises and nonprofits operate at the last mile by providing digital tools that enable data-driven decision-making and foster collaboration between field and office teams. As Abhay concluded, “With TaroWorks, you’re not just collecting data; you’re building a complete picture that helps you manage frontline operations and impact in real-time.”
For WASH organizations and other mission-driven entities, TaroWorks is a gateway to creating more resilient, efficient, and impactful operations to address water-related Sustainable Development Goals in underserved communities worldwide.
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TaroWorks, a Grameen Foundation company.
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