Tecnohielo digitizes ice manufacturing with a custom ERP built on Zoho Creator

The company

Founded in Veracruz, Mexico, Tecnohielo is a trusted manufacturer and distributor of ice and purified water, playing a vital role in the local supply chain, especially during the country’s peak summer months when demand spikes. With a team of 45 and a 24/7 operation based in Ciudad Industrial Bruno Pagliai, Tecnohielo serves a wide range of clients, including restaurants, hotels, supermarkets, and industrial businesses across central and southern Mexico.

The problem

Before Zoho Creator, Tecnohielo relied heavily on spreadsheets and manual paperwork. Sales data lived in one file, production numbers in another, and accounting in a separate system. This disjointed approach made it nearly impossible to get real-time visibility into business performance.

The problem wasn’t just inefficiency—it impacted business outcomes too. Stockouts during hot weather led to lost sales, production waste went unnoticed, and, without clear data, it was difficult to detect operational leakage or theft.

The solution

To solve these challenges, Rodrigo partnered with Roque Sáinz Trápaga Fernández, from RGV Soluciones Estratégicas, a Zoho Partner and close family collaborator, to build a fully customized ERP system using Zoho Creator. Over the course of four to six months, they developed and deployed a comprehensive application that digitized every core process in the business, from production to route sales and invoicing.

Route sales and planning

The Route Planning module lets staff schedule deliveries dynamically using stock data and buying trends. Sales agents use a mobile app to record transactions, issue receipts, capture geolocation and signatures, and monitor deliveries in real time.

Production planning and execution

This module allows the team to log machine activity, track utility consumption, monitor downtime, and forecast production needs.

Procurement and inventory management

The Procurement module automates purchase requests, approvals, and inventory updates. It includes supplier histories, expense tracking, and reorder alerts, ensuring raw materials and packaging are always in stock.

Sales and finance

From order to cash, this module automates invoicing, credit tracking, commission calculations, and sales summaries. Integration with Zoho Books ensures real-time sync of revenue, expenses, and taxes, and compliance with Mexican regulations.

Costing and profitability

A dedicated costing module gives detailed insights into per-unit production costs, including electricity, labor, and materials. This helps Tecnohielo optimize operations and adjust pricing based on real-time margins.

Equipment maintenance and quality control

Routine maintenance, issue tracking, and hygiene checks are fully digitized, and logs of water filtration and equipment cleaning ensure uptime and traceability.

Admin and catalogue management

Support modules manage users, roles, catalog data, and system settings, ensuring control across all functions.

The entire system is mobile-friendly, enabling staff—from delivery agents to cleaners—to check tasks, clock in, and update logs from their phones.

Benefits and ROI

The shift to Zoho Creator resulted in immediate operational improvements across the board. By eliminating paper logs and disconnected spreadsheets, Tecnohielo achieved full visibility across departments and did it with a mobile-first approach that works even in remote areas with limited connectivity.

Key outcomes include:

• Real-time inventory control to avoid stockouts and overproduction
• End-to-end visibility across production, distribution, and sales
• Improved accountability and loss prevention for cross-checking sales vs production in minutes

Looking forward

With the core platform running smoothly at Tecnohielo, the next step is expansion. Rodrigo’s team is already integrating Zoho Books to further align accounting with operations. They also plan to replicate the Zoho Creator setup at another company in their business group—a much larger operation with over 600 employees.

For other businesses on the fence about adopting low-code platforms, Rodrigo’s advice is clear: