Unifying Manufacturing and Retail Operations in Parijnan Foundation

Parijnan Foundation is a not-for-profit public charitable trust dedicated to woman empowerment, community development, rural welfare, education, and health. It is located in Shirali, a small hamlet near Murdeshwar town in Uttara Kannada District in the state of Karnataka.

One of its initiatives, Samvit Sudha, began as a small tailoring and embroidery unit. Today, it designs and sells exclusive hand-crafted products made from fabric, handmade paper, and upcycled newspaper. The initiative provides a steady source of income for local underprivileged women, offering economic independence and a platform to express creativity while balancing domestic responsibilities.

Need for a Unified Platform

Initially, the foundation relied on Tally for accounting, spreadsheets for data processing, and communication through emails and WhatsApp. While these tools served well at first, the foundation had outgrown this setup as operations expanded across multiple programs and locations (Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa states in south India).

To streamline operations and scale efficiently, Parijnan Foundation implemented ERPNext, creating a single integrated platform to manage its diverse activities.

Additionally, the foundation has complex accounting and reporting requirements as it needs to adhere with compliance like the Section 80 G of the Income Tax Act and The Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) for donations received from donor in India and other contries.

Parijnan Foundation dedicded to implement the Procurement, Sales, Point-of-Sale, Inventory, Manufacturing, Accounting and HR modules of ERPNext to bring all departments into one platform.

Streamlining Procurement and Stock Management

Managing purchases, stock, and internal material transfers across multiple locations had been a significant challenge. ERPNext enabled the foundation to:

• Maintain detailed item master lists with barcodes for accurate tracking
• Map warehouses to accounts for precise stock valuation
• Standardize delivery notes and purchase receipts
• Automate purchase workflows including approvals, returns, and advance payments

These improvements resulted in faster operations, reduced errors, and greater transparency in resource utilization.

Enhancing Manufacturing and Production

Samvit Sudha’s production processes benefited significantly from ERPNext. Multi-level Bill of Materials (BOMs), work orders, and production planning streamlined the manufacturing of handcrafted products. Subcontracting workflows allowed coordination with external artisans and vendors, ensuring timely completion of production while maintaining quality. By integrating production with inventory and procurement, the organisation achieved accurate material tracking, optimized stock usage, and reduced bottlenecks, allowing the women-led initiative to operate efficiently and meet growing demand.

Strengthening Financial Management

ERPNext also improved financial oversight by introducing:

• Program-level tracking through chart of accounts and cost centers
• GST-compliant tax templates and automated invoice management
• Accounting dimensions for detailed reporting on fund utilization

This enabled the foundation to maintain accountability, monitor expenses closely, and ensure funds were used effectively for their intended purpose.

Training and Adoption

To ensure successful adoption, Parijnan Foundation staff received hands-on training for all relevant modules, including procurement, inventory, manufacturing, and finance. This empowered the team to use the system confidently, minimizing reliance on manual processes.

Achieving Operational Clarity and Impact

With ERPNext, Parijnan Foundation now operates on a single platform that integrates all critical functions. Real-time visibility into inventory, production, and finances allows the team to make informed decisions, track resources efficiently, and focus on expanding programs and initiatives like Samvit Sudha.

By moving away from fragmented tools, the foundation can now scale its operations sustainably, empower more women, and deliver a tangible impact on the communities it serves.